The Water Campus

[greg225]

River District, Water Campus up for final OK from Planning Commission                                                                                                                                                                                    Two major projects with promise to transform the Nicholson Drive corridor between LSU and downtown Baton Rouge are expected to get the OK of the Planning Commission at its regular monthly meeting this afternoon.

Up for approval of its final development plan is the Water Campus, a 33-acre research park devoted to coastal and deltaic studies that will be developed south of Interstate 10 between River Road and Nicholson Drive. Construction began in February on the $16 million Center for River Studies; it’s first of several buildings planned on the campus, and it will house a full-scale model of the lower Mississippi River.

The project is the brainchild of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, and it’s expected to be a major catalyst for redevelopment along the Nicholson Corridor.

The Planning Commission is also expected today to sign off on the River District. The proposed mixed-use development would encompass multifamily, retail and entertainment components on a roughly 20-acre site that straddles Nicholson Drive near Magnolia Mound plantation. Though the project is moving through the official approval process, there’s no word on when construction might begin on the first apartment units at the site.

The River District project has been in the works since the mid-2000s. Though Lafayette developer Dalis Waguespack unveiled detailed plans and renderings for the project in January 2014, work still isn’t underway.

Once the Planning Commission gives the green light to the projects, both move to the Metro Council, which will introduce them at its meeting Wednesday for a public hearing and for a final vote on Wednesday, May 20.

The Planning Commission meets at 5 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall, 222 St. Louis St.See the full agenda.

—Stephanie Riegel       https://www.businessreport.com/article/river-district-water-campus-final-ok-planning-commission

[oneman83]

Once those major projects get their okay's, there will be another problem.  I'm tired of getting excited of "renderings", something needs to be built. I hope to see the finished product in my lifetime. 

[richyb83]

Understand your frustration  oneman83.  Seems like these things are taking forever to get started; if it's not finances; delays; then there is always the historical character crowd that I understand to only a point.  These projects are so big they are done in Phases...making it harder to be patient.  Thankfully the Water Campus is getting started; so the other projects River District & River House have a better chance to get off the ground!

 

Have been waiting for you to chime in on the BR's 2nd Tallest thread that you helped revive...

[Mr. Burnham]

Good things coming out of Arizona, hopefully this encouragement will lead to something concrete happening:

 

Tucson leaders urge Baton Rouge to move forward with Nicholson Trolley, saying it would stimulate growth between downtown and LSU

[greg225]

Good things coming out of Arizona, hopefully this encouragement will lead to something concrete happening:

 

Tucson leaders urge Baton Rouge to move forward with Nicholson Trolley, saying it would stimulate growth between downtown and LSU

They right it could have been close to being finished if Baton Rouge started much early. I hope they listen and start very soon the streetcar will take downtown and LSU to another level.

[Mr. Burnham]

They right it could have been close to being finished if Baton Rouge started much early. I hope they listen and start very soon the streetcar will take downtown and LSU to another level.

Well Baton Rouge needs 100 million dollars...we only have two million and we are wasting it on an environmental impact study. Not to mention Tuscon got almost $68 million from the Feds...we only got $1.8 million. 

 

Essentially an electric train will either come from Private investment (which has not been helpful thus far) or from the taxpayer which seems more likely at this point. So essentially this is never going to happen.

[greg225]

Well Baton Rouge needs 100 million dollars...we only have two million and we are wasting it on an environmental impact study. Not to mention Tuscon got almost $68 million from the Feds...we only got $1.8 million. 

 

Essentially an electric train will either come from Private investment (which has not been helpful thus far) or from the taxpayer which seems more likely at this point. So essentially this is never going to happen.

The first problem Baton Rouge haven't even started the study which have to be done to get the money from the feds. Second CATS Tax bring in around 20 million a year which some of that money should go to the streetcar. 

[Mr. Burnham]

The first problem Baton Rouge haven't even started the study which have to be done to get the money from the feds. Second CATS Tax bring in around 20 million a year which some of that money should go to the streetcar. 

Okay, I didn't know you had to do that study to receive federal grants, and I think the article I linked to mentioned the study is starting soon. 

 

CATS is not going to pour its entire budget into the street car. I will say that doing such a thing would probably be a great investment, but I would only expect at most $7 million to go towards the streetcar. 

 

Now lets say the Feds are generous and give us $70 million, combine that with the $7 million from CATS and lets say $5 million from private investments and you are still short of around $18 million dollars. That massive amount of money will have to come from somewhere and the only thing I can think of would be a tax hike. Tax hikes that we will maybe not see until 2016.

Edited April 22, 2015 by mr. bernham

[Antrell Williams]

We could probably stop giving tax breaks to mutli-billion dollar corporations. Just maybe.

[Mr. Burnham]

We could probably stop giving tax breaks to mutli-billion dollar corporations. Just maybe.

I agree, but in this state...good luck with that.

[greg225]

Nicholson streetcar project to get federal assistance via new pilot program                                                                                                                                                                           The federal government will soon be helping city-parish officials bring together Baton Rouge residents, real estate developers, philanthropic foundations and land-use experts to identify ways to bring an idea for a streetcar line along Nicholson Drive to fruition.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced today that Baton Rouge is among seven U.S. cities that will receive technical assistance via the department’s new LadderSTEP pilot program. The assistance does not come with any funding. The six other cities to receive assistance through the pilot program are Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Phoenix and Richmond, Virginia.

“The Nicholson Drive corridor is poised to be completely transformed by the transportation and development projects we have in the works, and this technical assistance means the U.S. Department of Transportation recognizes its potential,” says Mayor Kip Holden in a prepared statement. “As we develop the new streetcar line on Nicholson and implement our Complete Streets standards, their assistance will not only provide valuable support but is critical to its success.”

The idea for a streetcar between the LSU campus and downtown Baton Rouge is part of the FuturEBR master plan, and it was initially announced in early 2014. Since then, city-parish officials have been working to identify possible funding sources.  https://www.businessreport.com/article/nicholson-streetcar-project-get-federal-assistance-via-new-pilot-program

[Mr. Burnham]

Nicholson streetcar project to get federal assistance via new pilot program                                                                                                                                                                           The federal government will soon be helping city-parish officials bring together Baton Rouge residents, real estate developers, philanthropic foundations and land-use experts to identify ways to bring an idea for a streetcar line along Nicholson Drive to fruition.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced today that Baton Rouge is among seven U.S. cities that will receive technical assistance via the department’s new LadderSTEP pilot program. The assistance does not come with any funding. The six other cities to receive assistance through the pilot program are Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Phoenix and Richmond, Virginia.

“The Nicholson Drive corridor is poised to be completely transformed by the transportation and development projects we have in the works, and this technical assistance means the U.S. Department of Transportation recognizes its potential,” says Mayor Kip Holden in a prepared statement. “As we develop the new streetcar line on Nicholson and implement our Complete Streets standards, their assistance will not only provide valuable support but is critical to its success.”

The idea for a streetcar between the LSU campus and downtown Baton Rouge is part of the FuturEBR master plan, and it was initially announced in early 2014. Since then, city-parish officials have been working to identify possible funding sources.  https://www.businessreport.com/article/nicholson-streetcar-project-get-federal-assistance-via-new-pilot-program

 

Wow! This city is doing something with Atlanta, Charlotte, Indianapolis, and Phoenix...! 

Edited April 24, 2015 by mr. bernham

[dan326]

Neat, that's definitely some good company to have. I wonder how much the assistance is worth.

[Mr. Burnham]

Neat, that's definitely some good company to have. I wonder how much the assistance is worth.

Yeah, really. Then again no one really wants to hear "I'm from the government and here to help". 

[dan326]

Lol yeah, I guess the question is was asking is how much will the city save by not having to pay for these technical services?

[greg225]

Second Water Campus building delayed by high river                                                                                                                                                                                                                A groundbreaking for the second building to be developed at the Water Campus on Baton Rouge’s riverfront has been delayed more than two months because of the height of the Mississippi River, according to a spokeswoman with Commercial Properties Realty Trust, which is developing the Water Campus.

The building that will house the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority was supposed to have gotten under way in March, based on what officials said in February when they broke ground on the first building at the Water Campus. But because the river level is so high, any construction within 1,500 feet must be put on hold until the river goes down, says CPRT spokeswoman Tina Rance.

Flood stage for the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge is 35 feet. This morning the river was at 30.9 feet. By June 2 it’s expected to be at 18 feet, and Rance says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has told Commercial Properties Realty Trust it should be cleared to begin construction by then.

The Water Campus is a 33-acre riverfront research park devoted to deltaic studies and coastal issues. In early February, Gov. Bobby Jindal joined other state and local officials, LSU administrators and business leaders at a ceremonial groundbreaking on the site of what will be the first building on the campus—the $16 million Center for River Studies, which will house a full-scale model of the Mississippi River.

The CPRA building will be the second building developed on the site and will cost around $9 million. The third building planned for the campus is the signature Education and Research Center that will be constructed on the old city dock and house the offices of the Water Institute of the Gulf

—Stephanie Riegel    https://www.businessreport.com/article/second-water-campus-building-delayed-high-river

[dan326]

So has work begun on the first building?

[greg225]

So has work begun on the first building?

Yes it start in February 

[dan326]

Is it a new building or that one fronting Nicholson being renovated?

[greg225]

Is it a new building or that one fronting Nicholson being renovated?

I think its a new building

[greg225]

Destined to be new Baton Rouge skyline feature, construction of Water Campus building on river to begin this year      

 

 

The Water Institute of the Gulf’s headquarters will be a futuristic feat of glass and metal that’s propped up above the Mississippi River and adds a dramatic flair to the Baton Rouge skyline, a rendering released Monday shows.

 

Construction of the $22 million headquarters, research and interpretative center will start later this year. The building is one of many that will make up The Water Campus, a national and international hub of river and coastal research. Two other buildings have already broken ground, and they will be the LSU Center for River Studies and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

But the headquarters is the iconic piece of the three. It will light up the old city dock, where it will reach out into the river like a lower-level neighbor to the Mississippi River Bridge.

“We wanted to create something that was really iconic for the Baton Rouge skyline, something everyone could see as they came over the bridge and something that would make the Water Campus recognizable all over the world,” said Tina Rance, marketing director for Commercial Properties Realty Trust, which is developing and managing the campus.

The 33,000-square-foot building will be home to an interpretive gallery, exhibits, offices, research labs and meeting rooms. Rance said the building’s funding is coming from a mix of public and private investment, though she said she was unsure how the financing was broken down.

The developers expect to finish construction on the headquarters by July 2017. Louisiana architectural firm Coleman Partners Architects, LLC, worked with the global architect firm Perkins + Will to design the building.

The property will be one of few developments actually on the waterfront of the Mississippi, though downtown Baton Rouge has grown in waterfront adjacent property over the last decade.

“The building on the dock will return Baton Rouge to the riverfront, extend the revival of downtown to the Nicholson corridor and be an emblem for the future of our region,” said John Davies, president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, in a statement.

Rance said the architects and developers have been working on the final design for about a year. She said she expects excitement about the new building to spur change and energy into the surrounding areas of Baton Rouge.

Rance also said the design should entice people to move their businesses to the Water Campus.

The current buildings are only the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come in a planned 33-acre center for research and water science.

Future phases of Water Campus planning include mixed-use and commercial space, which would transform the campus into a place where people can live, dine and play as well as work.

Rance said another building that will house multitenant offices could still break ground this year.    http://theadvocate.com/help/13322780-125/construction-of-iconic-building-of              

Edited September 1, 2015 by greg225

[Mr. Burnham]

Destined to be new Baton Rouge skyline feature, construction of Water Campus building on river to begin this year      

 

 

The Water Institute of the Gulf’s headquarters will be a futuristic feat of glass and metal that’s propped up above the Mississippi River and adds a dramatic flair to the Baton Rouge skyline, a rendering released Monday shows.

 

Construction of the $22 million headquarters, research and interpretative center will start later this year. The building is one of many that will make up The Water Campus, a national and international hub of river and coastal research. Two other buildings have already broken ground, and they will be the LSU Center for River Studies and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

But the headquarters is the iconic piece of the three. It will light up the old city dock, where it will reach out into the river like a lower-level neighbor to the Mississippi River Bridge.

“We wanted to create something that was really iconic for the Baton Rouge skyline, something everyone could see as they came over the bridge and something that would make the Water Campus recognizable all over the world,” said Tina Rance, marketing director for Commercial Properties Realty Trust, which is developing and managing the campus.

The 33,000-square-foot building will be home to an interpretive gallery, exhibits, offices, research labs and meeting rooms. Rance said the building’s funding is coming from a mix of public and private investment, though she said she was unsure how the financing was broken down.

The developers expect to finish construction on the headquarters by July 2017. Louisiana architectural firm Coleman Partners Architects, LLC, worked with the global architect firm Perkins + Will to design the building.

The property will be one of few developments actually on the waterfront of the Mississippi, though downtown Baton Rouge has grown in waterfront adjacent property over the last decade.

“The building on the dock will return Baton Rouge to the riverfront, extend the revival of downtown to the Nicholson corridor and be an emblem for the future of our region,” said John Davies, president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, in a statement.

Rance said the architects and developers have been working on the final design for about a year. She said she expects excitement about the new building to spur change and energy into the surrounding areas of Baton Rouge.

Rance also said the design should entice people to move their businesses to the Water Campus.

The current buildings are only the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come in a planned 33-acre center for research and water science.

Future phases of Water Campus planning include mixed-use and commercial space, which would transform the campus into a place where people can live, dine and play as well as work.

Rance said another building that will house multitenant offices could still break ground this year.    http://theadvocate.com/help/13322780-125/construction-of-iconic-building-of              

That's supposed to be an iconic feature of the skyline? Looks a little boring TBH.

[cajun]

Looks okay to me.  It's one of the few locations downtown where modernist architecture would work since it's usually incompatible with their surroundings.   

I'm skeptical of the Water Campus, but I'm really hoping it comes together.   

[dan326]

Yeah, it looks ok. I'm not sure about iconic on the level they were saying but its hard to get an impression from a rendering. Although I do think the design should be simple, I think they could have done a little better.

[Mr. Burnham]

Would've liked to see something like the Sydney Opera House.