cajun

If they get them all right the first time, there's no opportunity for grifting.

Wow that's a cool picture! Yeah they have drawn down the lake level intentionally to help with the dredging efforts and to encourage more aquatic life after they finish dredging. This is one public works project that I legit can't wait to see finished. It's going to be awesome.

Monarch Energy Proposes $426 Million Investment to Create Carbon-Free Hydrogen Production Facility in Ascension Parish ASCENSION PARISH, La. – Monarch Energy, an energy company focused on decarbonizing the hydrogen production process, announced it is exploring building a $426 million facility in Ascension Parish. The company estimates the proposed facility would employ a carbon-free process to manufacture 120,000 kilograms of hydrogen per day to be sold as a “green” feedstock for a wide range of industrial and chemical processes. If the project moves forward as outlined, Monarch Energy expects to create 44 new direct jobs with an average annual salary of more than $63,000. It also anticipates the creation of about 300 construction jobs at peak construction. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project would result in an additional 105 new indirect jobs, for a total of 149 potential new jobs in the Capital Region. “Monarch Energy’s commitment to decarbonizing hydrogen production aligns perfectly with Louisiana’s all-of-the-above energy strategy,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “If this project moves forward, it will provide another economic boost to the Capital Region, create good-paying jobs and further solidify Louisiana’s standing as the first choice for energy innovation investment.” Monarch Energy plans to utilize electrolysis, the use of electricity to break down water into hydrogen and oxygen, in the manufacturing process. This would qualify the hydrogen as “green” or no-carbon because its production would not release carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. “We are pleased to be working with LED to develop a project that supports the local community by bringing investment and jobs to the region,” Monarch Energy CEO Ben Alingh said. “We are looking forward to adding to the legacy of the local industrial community of Ascension Parish and helping to support the energy transition.” The company expects to make a final investment decision and begin construction in 2025. It anticipates commercial operations to commence in 2027. Monarch Energy Proposes $426 Million Investment to Create Carbon-Free Hydrogen Production Facility in Ascension Parish | Louisiana Economic Development (opportunitylouisiana.gov) Element 25 Proposes EV Battery Materials Facility in Ascension Parish BATON ROUGE, La. – Element 25, an Australian mining company, announced it is exploring plans to invest $480 million across two phases to build a high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate production facility in Ascension Parish. The new facility would be the first in the Western Hemisphere to manufacture HPMSM, a critical component in electric vehicle batteries. If the facility is constructed, the company expects to create up to 220 new direct jobs with average annual salaries of more than $90,000. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project would result in an additional 408 new indirect jobs, for approximately 628 new jobs in the Capital Region. “Louisiana’s emergence as a national leader in clean energy investment is no accident,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “It is the result of our state’s commitment to climate action and an economic development strategy that emphasizes an all-of-the-above approach to energy. Companies like Element 25 see the strategic advantages of doing business in our state, from top-notch logistics to our skilled, dynamic workforce.” Element 25 plans to import raw materials from its Butcherbird Mine in western Australia, while many of the remaining HPMSM inputs would be sourced from Louisiana companies. Element 25’s production process results in three reusable by-product streams which can be repurposed as fertilizer feedstocks, steel manufacturing and other industrial operations. As a result, the facility is able to minimize its solid and liquid wastes. “Element 25 is excited to consider Louisiana in progressing our vision to build the first new HPMSM facility outside of China to supply the EV transition,” Element 25 Limited MD Justin Brown said. “The attractive incentives offered by the state fast tracked approvals processes and the far-reaching impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, has moved Louisiana to the number one location for Element 25’s first HPMSM facility, with other developments expected to follow.” The company has completed a feasibility study for prospective sites and expects to make a final decision on the location in the coming months. Construction on the new facility is anticipated to begin in the third quarter of 2023 with operations projected to start in 2026. “Ascension Parish has an exceptional workforce, robust infrastructure and a thriving business community,” said Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment. “We’re pleased that these compelling location attributes led Element 25 to consider Ascension for their first United States manufacturing plant. This project would provide a remarkable amount of local employment opportunities in a growing sector of the clean energy industry.” The state of Louisiana has offered Element 25 a competitive incentives package to support a final decision in Louisiana. The offer includes the comprehensive workforce development solutions of LED FastStart and a $6 million performance-based grant for reimbursement of infrastructure expenditures, contingent upon the company meeting employment and payroll targets. The company is also expected to apply for the state’s Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs. “We are always looking to build on our success by creating new partnerships,” Ascension Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Kate MacArthur said. “Combining process inputs from our well-established chemical and industrial gas manufacturers with Element 25’s technology will help create a sustainable operation to supply the rapidly growing electric vehicle supply chain in the United States while continuing to grow our local economy.” Element 25 Proposes EV Battery Materials Facility in Ascension Parish | Louisiana Economic Development (opportunitylouisiana.gov) Element 25 will be supplying battery materials to General Motors and Stellantis (Chrysler). Likely more will partner with them. This is the first step in establishing the southern US as a core EV manufacturing region, centered around the gulf coast.

I think Zachary could probably support a Target and a Chick Fil A if they were in the right location. I know Target is in financial trouble and isn't expanding right now, but if they were.....LA964/Church Street is probably the best area. The problem is that the best real estate on that corner right now will always be a cemetery. And I don't see anything that size being built along US 61. It's too bad that the Rouses in Zachary is really just phoning it in even if the hardware store embedded into the Rouses is awesome. Rouses seem to be aware that new competitors aren't likely given the real estate limitations in Zachary, and they are not really trying as a consequence. The Audubon Market (AG) in St. Francisville is a fantastic store by comparison. So is the Oak Point market in Central. The Rouses and Winn Dixie in Zachary are both disappointing. I bet Juban Road out in Livingston gets a Target eventually. Zachary and Central are not really user-friendly for giant supercenters like that unless they build a highway through there. They are probably better locations for regional chains like Matherne's, Oak Point, Alexanders, etc. The sign is up on this one. It looks nice, and that's near where the new Walk On's is going in right in that area. Also looks like the Winn Dixie in Zachary will be converting into an ALDI eventually. Normally I'd say that's a step down, but Winn Dixie isn't really trying very hard anymore. The Baton Rouge metro needs a new Trader Joe's. The one that we do have is catastrophically busy unless you go at 8PM on a week night. That place is clearly a huge hit, and the area would easily support another one.

It looks like a nice, clean building and I've always thought that BRCC should address Florida Blvd a little more. This is probably the only building we'll see that will do that other than the parking deck. Y'all know I'm not a huge fan of the modern style, but in this case it works well. There are large setbacks like in many other college campuses, so there is more freedom and flexibility with the design. And there are probably a half dozen or more mid century modern buildings right along Florida in that stretch. This will actually blend in with those pretty well. Overall I like what I see. You guys notice that the Rouses on Florida Blvd nearby is coming up very quickly. Unfortunately nothing interesting in that design, and it has it's back to the street corner which is frustrating. And I know that people will try to cross Florida to make a left turn out of that shopping center if they don't get the signage right (left turn out of Rouses should use the Ardenwood light). But glad we are getting a brand new Rouses there nonetheless. I do think that's a good spot for them and they will do well given that it's a fairly underserved area with a lot of nearby offices and employers to keep their prepared food business going. Another spot on Florida Blvd that has potential for chain grocery store (ALDI, Rouses, etc.) and a larger gas station would be the NE corner of Sherwood and Florida. That place gets a huge amount of traffic, and it has direct access to Florida with the light on Sherwood. Not a big enough plot for a Wal Mart, but it used to be a Delchamps way back when before that chain completely folded. That's a way better spot than the old K-Mart building farther down Florida. It will need to rehab the parking lot and lighting, and the corner outparcel probably should be carefully developed in a way that doesn't break traffic flow too badly. That could be a very good location for a grocery, gas station, and fast food restaurant.

They really should have done an interchange at Florida with the Central Thruway rather than an at-grade intersection. That area, like much of EBR, has been neglected from an infrastructure standpoint. I don't know the answer to fixing this one. I've seen a tremendous amount of cash shoveled into high crime areas without a corresponding investment from the private sector. When the people in the neighborhood don't seem to care or support local business or if the local government doesn't care enough to make sure the street and sidewalk are operational, it's hard to attract outside investment. The good thing here is that there are a few local businesses that are doing pretty well even if every aspect of public infrastructure is a mess. I guess for this we need to upgrade the streets, lighting, and sidewalks like we do almost everywhere else in the parish. We seriously can't even get Entergy to change their street light bulbs in this area. Our infrastructure in EBR and the entire state is just such a joke.

Interesting that you'd post this less than a month after Happy Spa was shut down in that sting operation.......don't you have a loyalty card with them? In all seriousness, it does look like fun. Rage Rooms are great for team outings after a difficult project. Bring the AMEX, because it can get expensive.

Earlier this year, I reported that all street lights at the 110/Airline interchange were out. They only just recently got repaired. The city does not report street lights or conduct any audits; so it's up to the citizens to do it. You do not have to be a resident of EBR to report broken lights in EBR. Remember to report that lights are out here at the link below if you see an issue: ReportOutage (myentergy.com) Entergy is responsible for maintaining the street lights and replacing bulbs; not the city/parish.

I guess "state of the art" doesn't apply to the exterior. One American Place pioneered that look in Baton Rouge in 1974. On the other hand...Kudos to the architects for making something that will blend well with Florida street. I think the rendering is taken from the perspective of Florida blvd. The McDonalds is to the right out of the frame.

Those buildings came out well. I like the lighting. Except that blue neon would be kind of distracting if you were in the upper units.

Can confirm that there are larger crowds at BTR at rush hour this summer. I've noticed that the garage parking is more consistently full now; and my usual spaces closer to the skybridge are impossible to get. And seating in the terminal itself is very sparse now in both A and B concourses during rush hour on Monday AM and Thursday PM. And my prediction about the lack of jetways also turned out to be true. The last flight of the day from CLT lands at BTR around midnight and it has no available jetway at that point. The CLT flights during the day and on weekends use B1 or B2, which do have jetways. But the inbound flight from DCA is on a larger ERJ-175 jet, and it can't use a ramp to offload and still meet ADA requirements, so it parks at B2 overnight and takes off back to DCA first thing in the morning. And since the DFW flight takes B1 overnight, the CLT flight (usually on a CRJ-700), gets left out at B3 which has no jetway. Passengers have to walk out on the tarmac. BTR really needs to expand B concourse out and curve it towards the parking deck. Then they need to make B3 and B4 into gates with jetbridges like B1/B2. And yeah - during early afternoons, they wouldn't all be utilized. But for rush hour, they would be. Or if they are really ambitious, they could expand the tarmac past A concourse closer to the intersection of the two runways, then add 6-8 new gates out on A concourse, then renno the area where A1-A4 exists to add new restaurant, and mothball the B concourse until Southwest Airlines comes knocking and asking for 3-4 gates of their own. TL:DR - BTR needs at least one new gate with a jetbridge immediately in the B Concourse. And probably another couple of more on A concourse to handle growth and to manage space during future rennovations - otherwise any new non-stops added (like to ORD, DEN, LGA, etc.) would not be able to depart/arrive during rush hour because there would be no available gates. Every gate has a jet parked at it overnight - and A2 actually has 2 Delta jets parked there overnight (but A2 jetway can reach both parking spaces). If Southwest wanted to move to BTR now, there would be no place to put them.

I mean....it's a hockey team. Couldn't they have picked a name more aggresive? Kingfish was an awesome name.

It will be a huge help. The problem here is execution. When was the last time LADOTD did something well? We've got a fully funded megaproject sitting unfinished in Port Allen because people didn't realize that there is active soil near a major waterway. It's been stuck with zero activity for 6+ months now. The alternative route to that was the LA415 connector - which is also delayed for over 2 years despite being fully funded. And to be frank, the city of Baton Rouge doesn't have local leadership competent enough to manage a parking meter replacement project. Work on Green Light/MoveEBR has been painfully slow for 6-7 years now. Nothing meaningful seems to be getting done anymore.

So proud of our Tigers! I've seen this before.

They spend an inordinate amount of time on superficial social issues to set people against each other. A divided populace can not easily focus on the issues that may threaten the status quo. It's not exclusive to Louisiana unfortunately. I think very little of the journalism industry at large these days.

IDK why Baton Rouge thought they could maintain flowerbeds. They can't even install parking meters. That's too complicated of a project for this city to handle right now. And don't get me started on LADOTD. I can go on for hours on how pathetic they are.

Yeah figuring 2 levels for parking and 5-6 for housing.. Maybe a little more for parking as I imagine they will want to put in retail space on North Blvd. The footprint should be about the same as the Heron. With the thick and tall tree canopy in Baton Rouge, you'd need to be at or above 7 floors to see above the treeline.

I'm sure they've seen you.

Oh man. Y'all have had issues with maintenance? Technically rates right now are sort of "normal" for the past 50 years, but people have gotten accustomed to 30 year fixed at less than 5%. Seems like housing prices will have to drop for people to continue buying homes at the prices they've been paying. Backstopping that are people who actually do have 3 or 4% mortgages and are not about to sell their house to have to take up a new loan at closer to 6%. So inventory is still fairly low even in Baton Rouge. If I were a homebuilder, I'd be focusing on the higher end market and rennovations if I could. More likely to be cash transactions. Margins are higher even if volume is lower.

Oh that doesn't surprise me. It's not practical for hunters to handle them in the city, but they aren't quite common enough yet to be a nuisance for animal control. I also imagine some kids throw food to them in that area sometimes too. So they will be around there, possibly even walking up onto Santa Maria golf course eventually if they haven't already. Honestly they are almost certainly around as far north as College. That section of Ward by Highland also holds plenty of water during normal days, so there's lots of smaller food sources and ample places to nest for gators.

That renovation came out very well.

Oddly enough when interest rates are climbing.....not sure this is going to be a highly successful development. It might be one of these that go full rental.

Louisiana has very poor leadership, and it's not exclusively the governor's lack of emphasis on economic development. It's local government too - and it transends political party. The legislature is incapable of focusing on any regional goal. They deliver very little value to taxpayers, and expect loyalty for their terrible performance. We have got to invest in this state if we want to keep it viable. We can't throw cash at countless stupid things and ignoring the major needs that can put the whole state on a competitive footing. Worst of all, there is rightfully very little trust among taxpayers that the state can accomplish anything (it's even worse in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, where local leaders are incompetent at best). They've seen taxes passed for specific things only to see general funds get raided to support pet projects 50 miles away that have no impact on them - so they end up with higher taxes and the same crappy infrastructure. They've been bitten too many times and are skeptical of state and local government at baseline. And there is still an element of voters that are okay with paying heavy taxes and expecting so little in return so long as their local pet projects are funded by people who they never see. Those are just the most confusing to me. It's like they've never been anywhere else but their own little neighborhood. They got screwed by a terrible public school system but don't even realize it. They live in a broken neighborhood, and still aren't interested in fixing any of it. These are the same times that almost considers the governor as some kind of king and demand state taxpayers pay for things like a new HVAC system for their church (yeah - that happens almost every year) or a local park in their tiny town. I don't know if it's the French connection to Louisiana's past or the heavy African American population that drives this mindset but the momentum from this is here and it's not productive. A rising tide lifts all ships - we all win if the state is successful. And we all lose if we can't get our act together. And in almost all cases across the political spectrum - everyone is far too obsessed with superficial social issues instead of real problems. The media likes to emphasize those things over our major problems because most of our "journalists" are in bed with the politicians. We need more Kiran Chawla's and fewer Advocate or WBRZ shills. Same problem as the US at large, but on a smaller scale. I have no idea how to fix it. Everyone gets heated about "groomers" or the high incarceration rate in this very high crime state because our media outlet's agenda dictates that they talk about it nonstop. But no one gives a hoot if the state throws several hundred million dollars a year away on issue that state taxpayers have absolutely no business paying for while things we actually need to address continue to be neglected. We end up losing our competitive advantage for anything and watch our home grown businesses leave for Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, or even Memphis - taking their jobs and our kid's futures with them. I'm fortunate in life right now. It took 20 years of intense work to get here, and I'm insulated from these problems. I'm going to make sure my kids are insulated from them. I'm guilty of not really taking action on anything because I just don't have the time. I support the state investing in infrastructure, especially in its metro areas. I am frustrated that we aren't doing enough even though the state is flush with about $2.2 billion in extra cash right now.

Wow! Great pictures!!!

This is alarming - people are relocating within the metro area, but we aren't seeing a lot of growth from other regions. Meaning our suburban growth is coming directly at the expense of EBR because of problems within that parish when we need to attract new people to the area. I fully expected West Baton Rouge to see growth. Keep in mind that this is a snapshot of about 2.5 years. So this 3% growth in WBR would translate to about 8% growth per decade. That's beyond the US average of about 6%. That's sort of alarming considering that the I-10 bridge is already so far beyond capacity. My guess is that WBR is evolving to having a more self-sustaining economy, with more of their newer residents commuting to either WBR or another west bank parish (like Iberville) and more of them staying within West Baton Rouge for their retail and healthcare needs. I suspect the massive growth in manufacturing and industrial jobs on the west bank is behind a lot of that residential growth. Good for them, and good for Baton Rouge. That counts towards the regional GDP, and it is always nice to see development that isn't as dependent on I-10. But it's time to build that new bridge. What happened in Pointe Coupee to see a stark decline? I'd expect parishes like that to be fairly static having not gained or lost any major employers. I would expect approximately 0% growth plus or minus 1%. I know a huge portion of the recent development on False River are vacation homes, but being down almost 3% is kind of a shock unless the northern end of that Parish is in decline. I know that Pointe Coupee clamped down on developers after DLSD started sniffing around - they issued a moratorium on development for about 6 months to a year, then plagarized some of West Feliciana's development rulebook to fight mobile homes and handle some retail development issues around New Roads. The newer developments I see there are larger estate-sized homes of 1-2 acres or more. That's not going to add a lot of population, but it's easier to manage from a drainage perspective. Unless the rest of the area is aging out and dying, I would expect it to be around 0% growth, not negative. Good work for Livingston and Ascension for recovering so quickly after the floods. Looks like they are still running full steam ahead, but without any real investment in infrastructure. And I know both of them have instituted a "development moratorium" similar to Pointe Coupee in 2021. Ascension's going to need that new high school they are building off Parker Road. Unfortunately they are going to need a lot of drainage, park/recreation, and road infrastructure too. And I'm just not seeing it materialize anywhere near fast enough. Livingston's 4% growth in 3 years is especially astounding. That's not sustainable long term; they will have issues with traffic and flooding if that keeps up. If that continues, they'll see well over 9% growth over the decade. That's REALLY hard to keep up with if you have a responsive government that builds schools and roads quickly. They don't have that. In fact, they better start building a new/expanding an existing high school somewhere around Walker. That's insane growth, especially for Louisiana. 9-10% growth in a decade was about what the northshore of Lake Ponchatrain saw in 2000-2010, and it took Katrina to make that happen. Looks like it's coming directly at Baton Rouge's expense too. Looks like Baton Rouge is finally starting to run out of developable space, and I'm sure the recent spike in crime is not helping. I would expect that a robust public school network in St. George would reverse that trend a good bit. Central and Zachary aren't big enough to carry the whole parish. But Central, Zachary, and St. George combined might be. I'm constantly astounded by how inept and ineffective current leadership is in EBR. It's a stark contrast from the Holden administration. They can't even get parking meters installed. Parking meters are too complex of a public works project for EBR to manage right now. It's a very bad place to be for a parish that size. Crime is having a major corrosive impact on EBR. It needs to be dealt with ASAP. Surprised West Feliciana allowed any development at all. But I know there have been a lot of attempts. They have very good public schools and almost no crime, and they are 20 minutes away from the big industrial and energy provider employers in north Baton Rouge, New Roads, and Scotlandville. They are more strict about development than anyone in the region though. It's extremely difficult to build anything there. Much easier for developers to get things going in nearby Zachary, which is quickly filling up. East Feliciana and St. Helena are sad. They can be so much more if their schools were better. I really wish we'd set up the Darlington reservoir and make a permanent lake up there - it would drive a lot of development in the area and help them grow, not to mention become a regional recreation hub.