Joe Jaeger, a prominent developer and hotelier in New Orleans, passed away at the age of 77 on June 23 from injuries sustained from a car crash last week.
According to combined media reports, Jaeger would often describe himself as “just a plumber from the Ninth Ward” – he dropped out of Southeastern Louisiana University during the 1960s at the age of 19 to become a plumber’s apprentice. He joined the Mechanical Construction Co. and worked his way up through the ranks to become its president at the age of 35 – he later bought the company, which was renamed MCC Group and expanded into real estate development. Focusing on the lodging sector, Jaeger’s company expanded to own The J Collection of 19 locally owned-and-operated hotels with more than 2,050 rooms.
Jaeger’s business operations were disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in the closing and sale of some of his hotels. He also created disappointment when his proposed redevelopment of several prominent blighted properties never came to fruition, including the abandoned Plaza Tower in downtown New Orleans and the former Naval Support Activity New Orleans naval base in the city’s Bywater neighborhood.
Outside of real estate, Jaeger was a board member of the Audubon Nature Institute and was an active presence in several regional and national trade organizations including the Mechanical Contractors Association of America and the Business Council of New Orleans.
Photo: Audubon Nature Institute
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