Northern EBR Parish Development

[greg225]

Study revives debate over relocating Baton Rouge Zoo, but politics could make it a tough sell               

A recent study has revived an off-and-on again debate in Baton Rouge about where the Baton Rouge Zoo’s animals should slither, swim and scamper.

The study by a Philadelphia-based consultant found that many residents want to relocate the zoo as part of a massive overhaul. Some local leaders say it makes sense to move the zoo to a more accessible location but wonder if political obstacles can be overcome.

Among the suggestions for the zoo’s location that have been pitched past and present are: off Interstate 12, off Interstate 10, in the central heart of the city, near L’Auberge Casino and Hotel on the south side of the city, in an area closer to LSU and on land near LSU’s Rural Life Museum.

BREC and zoo officials say they are not ready to scout for a new home just yet. Before they can look at locations, they need to know what they want out of a massive zoo overhaul and how much space the multimillion-dollar project would take.

Still, developers, politicians and others are not shying away from the conversation about where they believe zebras should roam and spectacled bears should bathe. Baton Rouge has had these discussions before, with some turning into a tug-of-war between the northern and southern parts of the parish.

In the end, the zoo has always remained at its now 45-year-old home in north Baton Rouge on Thomas Road.

Philadelphia-based Schultz and Williams conducted the study that found many people believe the location of BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo is out of the way and inconvenient. Another finding was that the zoo is often mistakenly called the Baker Zoo because it sprawls toward Baker’s city line.

As zoo and BREC officials turn their gaze on rebuilding and rebranding a “uniquely Baton Rouge” zoo, where it goes is the biggest point of controversy and backlash that they face.

“As a personal belief, I think that location to a more accessible area would be more beneficial for the zoo,” said developer Mike Wampold, who also sits on the BREC Foundation’s board of directors and who is part of a committee looking at the zoo’s future. “I don’t know in the cost/benefit ratio if it’s worth it.”

He pointed to land by LSU’s Rural Life Center, land south of L’Auberge and land on River Road as possible good locations for the zoo.

“If you have people that understand economics and understand business that have a voice in relocating it, I think that it’ll get relocated,” said developer Ted Hicks, who tried to move the zoo more than a decade ago. “But if the politicians get involved and they use it as a political football, economics doesn’t matter.”

North vs. south

For Hicks, the conversation about the zoo’s location carries a sense of déjà vu.

In 2004, Hicks planned a development on O’Neal Lane off Interstate 12. He offered to donate 150 acres of land to BREC for the zoo. The zoo currently has more than 140 acres of space, but it only occupies part of it.

It looked like there was interest in the move at first, Hicks said. But the conversation quickly became political and the deal soured.

“The public officials at that end of the parish felt it would give them a political problem moving the zoo out of the northern end because it was taking business away from north Baton Rouge and putting business in south Baton Rouge,” Hicks said in a recent interview.

Hicks dropped his option to buy the land — where he also wanted to build a high-end outlet mall and other amenities — and said he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process.

He stopped investing in East Baton Rouge Parish after the loss. He said he still believes the zoo could be more successful in a location like the one he offered, given that I-12 is a tourist corridor for road trips from California to Florida.

But some politicians who represent areas near the zoo are already digging in their heels.

State Sen. Sharon Weston Broome, D-Baton Rouge, and Metro Councilwoman Chauna Banks-Daniel both said the zoo should stay where it is.

“Why would you remove the zoo other than the fact that somebody wants to use it for leverage for something else in south Baton Rouge?” said Broome, who is running for mayor.

Banks-Daniel said the zoo’s problems stem from a lack of innovation rather than a problem with location.

“I have never heard of one person say they would support the zoo being relocated,” Banks-Daniel said in an email.

State Rep. Dalton Honoré, D-Baton Rouge, was slightly more open to a change, saying the zoo needs something to make it better. If the decision is made to move the zoo, Honoré said it should go to an area in the central part of the parish.

Broome worried that moving the zoo from north Baton Rouge would give that part of the city another negative, while south Baton Rouge would gain another positive.

BREC Superintendent Carolyn McKnight said leaders and residents of north Baton Rouge should not worry that losing the zoo would mean losing one of their best assets. McKnight said BREC would collect input from residents about what could replace the zoo, should it move.

Possibilities for replacing it could range from another Liberty Lagoon-style water park to ball fields or zip lines, McKnight said.

Along with raising the money for the zoo renovation - which the study pinned at arouond $110 million, though the zoon does not have a funding goal yet - the money would also have to be raised for the zoo's replacement at its current location.

“Whether it is a zoo, or whether it is something else, we will not leave them empty-handed,” McKnight said of the northern part of the parish. “We will not.”

Asked if the people of her district might prefer something else in place of the zoo, Banks-Daniel responded: “That’s out of the question.”

A different zoo

Zoo Director Phil Frost said talk of relocation will not be more conclusive until zoo officials and committees know more about what they want in a future zoo.

“We’re writing a book, and we’re just now starting Chapter Two,” he said.

Frost said research shows that successful zoos in today’s environment need to be interactive. He wants the zoo to capture the flavor of Baton Rouge, with exhibits that are specific to the area.

Some of his ideas include “destination lodging,” like luxurious safari-style tents where people could spend the night. He’s also interested in adding ropes courses near primate exhibits, and building more facilities for events like weddings, proms, concerts, educational conferences and more.

Frost said adding more animals could present a challenge. He said the zoo will ask the public what they want to see and would have to work with other zoos across the country to try to bring in new animals.

The consultants concluded that paying for all of the changes will probably cost similar figures if the zoo stays in its current location or if it moves, aside from the cost of the land.

Regardless of where the zoo goes, Frost and McKnight said, the public will have to help pay for the changes. The zoo will first try to raise the private money for it, and then look for capital outlay money, grant money and turn to the public.

It is possible that residents will be asked to vote on a new tax to help pay for the zoo’s renovations, though it’s unclear what kind of tax.

“Whatever it is, we know that it needs to be temporary and not permanent,” McKnight said.

Past talks about moving the zoo have included connections between the Baton Rouge Zoo and the New Orleans Audubon Nature Institute. Hicks had proposed Audubon have involvement at Baton Rouge’s zoo. Audubon surfaced again several years ago as the possible operator of a riverfront development Mayor-President Kip Holden proposed that was to be called “Alive.”

Holden did not return interview requests.

Frost said discussion of possible connections to Audubon has come from people outside the zoo, not within it. He said the Baton Rouge Zoo has no need for an affiliation with Audubon.

“There definitely is not a need for it any more than we need to get Louis Armstrong to come up and run our airport or Tulane to run LSU,” Frost said.

Audubon echoed that it is not part of the current conversation about the future of the Baton Rouge Zoo.

“Conversations between Audubon Nature Institute and the Baton Rouge Zoo took place before Hurricane Katrina and no further discussions have been held since then,” reads a statement from the Audubon Nature Institute. “Audubon supports our friends at the Baton Rouge Zoo as they explore options for future success.”           http://theadvocate.com/news/13238003-123/study-revives-debate-over-relocating

[greg225]

I think the BR Zoo could stay in the same area if they move to the park at Hwy 19 and Thomas Rd. That would put the zoo at a main road and easier to find for tourist. The Zoo need to become modern and more parking need to be add .  If  Cortana Mall is ever torn down that would be another great location for BR Zoo it would be close to Mid City not far Downtown.  

Edited August 24, 2015 by greg225

[greg225]

Exxon acquires more property for growing greenbelt in north Baton Rouge

 

 

ExxonMobil recently purchased four lots in Standard Heights to add to the company’s growing Greenbelt Program around the sprawling north Baton Rouge plant.

The company bought the lots Aug. 20 for a combined $211,000 from Danny Lee Arledge, according to records in the East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court’s office. Two of the lots are at 2758 and 2768 Lupine Ave. Addresses were not given for the other two properties.

“The addition of these properties to our greenbelt will continue to improve the aesthetic of the neighborhood, improving the quality of life for our neighbors and employees,” says Stephanie Cargile, public and government affairs manager for ExxonMobil Baton Rouge. She adds the properties are maintained regularly.

In the past 10-12 months, ExxonMobil has purchased about a dozen properties around the plant, Cargile says. The Greenbelt Program was first implemented in 1988 and is used at ExxonMobil plants around the world.

Hundreds of indigenous trees have been planted in the eastern section of the greenbelt, including dozens of Live Oaks and Shumard Oaks, Cargile says.

ExxonMobil also created learning ponds, nature trails and wildlife habitat areas in the greenbelt, Cargile says. The company is currently working with Baton Rouge Green to cultivate a pocket park in one of the properties near the plant.

A recent study by iTree Eco USA valued the greenbelt property at slightly more than $2 million, taking into account the air quality improvement the trees provide and the value of the trees themselves.   https://www.businessreport.com/article/exxon-acquires-property-growing-greenbelt-north-baton-rouge

[greg225]

News roundup: Public meeting set on future of former Earl K. Long site in north Baton Rouge                                                        Mark your calendar: To follow on a public input meeting that took place in March on the future development of the former Earl K. Long hospital site at 5825 Airline Hwy., local elected officials have set a meeting on Thursday to present two LSU student designs completed over the summer that incorporate ideas shared by the roughly 100 people who attended the March meeting. The meeting will take place beginning at 6 p.m. at the Mackey Center, 6543 Ford St. Along with the presentation of the LSU students’ ideas, representatives from Southern University College of Business, including dean Donald Andrews, will present the results of an economic development study. Get complete details.   https://www.businessreport.com/article/news-roundup-public-meeting-set-future-former-earl-k-long-site-north-baton-rouge-capital-area-united-way-sets-9-8m-fundraising-goal-year-cats-brings-touchdown-e

[greg225]

LSU students’ development design proposals for former Earl K. Long site get positive public reaction 

Armed with ideas taken from a March meeting on what to do with the site of the former Earl K. Long hospital on Airline Highway, LSU students drew up two plans over the summer and presented those conceptual renderings to local politicians and residents Thursday night.

The plans call for a mixed-use development, including restaurants, retail and grocery stores, as well as a community center, child care center and medical facility to surround a park in the middle of the tract. Renderings of the plans show a park with a playground, outdoor fitness area and ample green space with several trees providing shade.

In one plan, parking spaces will surround the interior space on three sides and those parking spaces will front businesses that make up the outside of the development. See the rendering. In the other plan, businesses will flank the interior space on two sides with the main parking areas sitting on the opposite ends of the tract. See the rendering. One of the plans also would incorporate a residential component. 

“I think they did a good job of trying to make a good balance and balance the site conditions with the wants of the community,” Diane Jones Allen, an adjunct landscape architecture professor at LSU, says of her master’s landscape architecture students who participated in the project.

State Sen. Sharon Weston Broome, D-Baton Rouge, one of the local leaders spearheading the project, agreed and called the plans a step in the right direction.

“I thought that the plans, the conceptual plans, really captured the ideas that the citizens passed along at the first meeting,” Broome says. The students, she adds, stayed away from things the residents did not want to see, such as strip malls or discount stores.

Surveys collected from those who attended Thursday’s meeting will now be reviewed, which could lead to some alteration in the plans presented, while a steering committee will begin sharing the concepts with developers, Broome says. Developers are also being sought by the committee to lay out their vision for the 14.25-acre property.

“Our goal is to really collaborate with the citizenry. We have no pre-conceived plans for the property, except we want it to add value to the community,” Broome says of her and the other politicians working to make the plans a reality.

Broome says she has had preliminary discussions with interested businesses, but has nothing concrete yet. The property is owned by the East Baton Rouge Housing Authority, and there is no timeline for completion right now.   https://www.businessreport.com/article/lsu-students-development-design-proposals-former-earl-k-long-site-get-positive-public-reaction                                      

Edited September 11, 2015 by greg225

[dan326]

Neat.

[greg225]

Additional land purchased for The Settlement at Shoe Creek in Central                  

A Lafayette developer building a traditional neighborhood development in Central recently purchased an 18-acre tract on Sullivan Road to go along with the 102-acre parcel of land he purchased about a month ago.

Shoe Creek LLC and Robert Daigle, the Lafayette developer behind River Ranch, bought 18 acres for roughly $686,000 from Rupert Gene Cobb in Central for The Settlement at Shoe Creek in a deal that was filed Tuesday with the East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court’s Office. In August, Daigle paid $3.5 million to Larna Davis Gervasi Andrews of South Lyon, Michigan, and William Rufus Gervasi of The Woodlands, Texas, for 102 acres on Sullivan Road, south of Wax Road.

Daigle co-founded Lafayette-based Southern Lifestyle Development, which is developing The Settlement at Shoe Creek. Attempts to reach representatives of Southern Lifestyle Developments for comment on the most recent land acquisition were unsuccessful as of this afternoon’s deadline.

As planned, Shoe Creek will feature 447 single-family homes, 250 apartment units, more than 100,000 square feet of commercial real estate, neighborhood parks, green spaces and a village square for events.

Three Central residents have filed a lawsuit against the City of Central and city officials to try to stop the development, arguing it violated city ordinances. District Court Judge Wilson Fields denied the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary injunction on Aug. 19. Both sides are due back in court on Oct. 23 for a permanent injunction hearing. The project is expected to break ground before the end of the year.      https://www.businessreport.com/article/additional-land-purchased-settlement-shoe-creek-central

 

[greg225]

After successful fight against barge-cleaning facility environmentalists and others turn their attention to north Baton Rouge                     

The public outcry over a proposed barge-cleaning facility in south Baton Rouge has now rippled northward, with renewed efforts to fight the pollution befouling communities in north Baton Rouge.

 

About 70 people, including elected officials, university professors and other residents, attended a meeting Tuesday evening organized by the Louisiana Environmental Action Network and the Green Army.

The purpose of the meeting, held at Greater King David Baptist Church, was to give the community a better understanding of pollution concerns in north Baton Rouge.

“This state has sacrificed so much to the development of this nation,” said retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, who is leader of the Green Army coalition of environmental groups based in Louisiana. That progress, many times done with the best of intentions, means there are legacy pollution sites in the parish, he said.

“We’re here as a community looking in the rearview mirror as we move this ship forward,” Honoré said. “It’s up to us to organize ourselves like previous generations had to organize.”

East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council member Chauna Banks-Daniel said the meeting came about because as the Metro Council debated whether to rezone a property for a proposed barge-cleaning facility in south Baton Rouge, she got a phone call from Honoré, who offered any help she might need to move environmental work forward in the northern part of the parish.

Banks-Daniel said she realized through the experience with the south Baton Rouge fight that people are only aware of what affects them directly. After the meeting in which the council voted to rezone the south Baton Rouge property, she said, her email inbox filled up with notes from people in south Baton Rouge thanking her for her vote and saying anytime there is another fight in north Baton Rouge, they would be there in support.

“Let’s take them up on that offer,” she said.

Wilma Subra, chemist and technical adviser to the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, on Tuesday presented condensed histories of the lengthy legacy and current industrial history of north Baton Rouge.

The area includes several industrial waste sites from the 1960s and 1970s, some of which are now Superfund sites; several landfills currently operating; and a host of chemical plants that line Scenic Highway.

“The communities are in desperate need of having their chemical exposure reduced and their quality of life improved,” Subra said.    http://theadvocate.com/news/13579808-123/after-successful-fight-against-barge-cleaning

Edited September 30, 2015 by greg225

[Mr. Burnham]

Cleaning up North Baton Rouge combined with better interstate connection and better airport connection/new flights would be a huge boon for the area. Probably bring on some more development. 

[cajun]

Cleaning up North Baton Rouge combined with better interstate connection and better airport connection/new flights would be a huge boon for the area. Probably bring on some more development. 

Got to feed the beast.  It's too damn hard to get to BTR or the Howell Place area from AP and parts of LP...and since we don't have a northern loop or a highway network north of I-10, there isn't much development north of town.   The highway network there is absolute garbage.  It's like the airport is on a dead in street on the opposite end of a very congested town to most of its potential business.   

They've got to get Airline moving and increase the capacity of roads connecting to north Baton Rouge, particularly around the airport.   If we do this right, we'll see a lot of new business development there.

As far as pollution concerns....there has to be a way to clean up the environmental resources without disrupting business investment along the river.   It's just too valuable of a resource to close off with regulatory tape because some players can't follow the rules.

Edited October 1, 2015 by cajun

[greg225]

205 acres sold for $1.2 million at Wax, Hooper roads in Central       

A 205-acre tract of land between Wax and Hooper roads in Central has been sold for $1.2 million to a group of investors.

 

Central City Investment Group LLC bought the land in a deal that was filed last week with the East Baton Rouge Clerk of Court’s office. The seller was Capital One.

Central City is represented by Ryan Jumonville of Baton Rouge.

The plan is to hold on to the land as a long-term play because of the growth in Central.     http://theadvocate.com/news/13579498-128/205-acres-sold-for-12

 

[cajun]

I think the BR Zoo could stay in the same area if they move to the park at Hwy 19 and Thomas Rd. That would put the zoo at a main road and easier to find for tourist. The Zoo need to become modern and more parking need to be add .  If  Cortana Mall is ever torn down that would be another great location for BR Zoo it would be close to Mid City not far Downtown.  

I think you are right...they need to at least move the entrance to a larger highway and vastly expand parking.   

I'm not sure where else they'd have enough room to build a new zoo.  The development off Lobdell and Ardenwood would take what I see to be the best alternative spot to what they have now.

[richyb83]

 

I'm not sure where else they'd have enough room to build a new zoo. 

There had been rumors of a possible move into part of the 850 or so acres near I-12 btwn O'Neal Lane & Amite River...more centered where most of the vistors have been coming from...doesnt seem likely, but never know...the decision should be made in the next 3 to 6 months

[richyb83]

Baptist group looking to revive spirit of former Leland College in Baker with retreat, convention center....

A Baptist church association is pursuing ambitious plans to build a retreat and convention center in Baker at the site of the former Leland College, a historically significant black Baptist school that closed in 1960.

The land off Groom Road has sat mostly idle since the college’s closure, drawing numerous proposals over the years for development possibilities, including a museum, residential developments, shopping centers and even a brewery. None of those plans, however, aligned with the goals of the college’s board of trustees, which still owns and maintains the 227-acre site.

http://theadvocate.com/news/13649358-124/baptist-group-looking-to-revive

[greg225]

Baptist group looking to revive spirit of former Leland College in Baker with retreat, convention center....

A Baptist church association is pursuing ambitious plans to build a retreat and convention center in Baker at the site of the former Leland College, a historically significant black Baptist school that closed in 1960.

The land off Groom Road has sat mostly idle since the college’s closure, drawing numerous proposals over the years for development possibilities, including a museum, residential developments, shopping centers and even a brewery. None of those plans, however, aligned with the goals of the college’s board of trustees, which still owns and maintains the 227-acre site.

http://theadvocate.com/news/13649358-124/baptist-group-looking-to-revive

I wonder if it's the same property where the Katrina trailers set at in Baker after Katrina?

[greg225]

I wonder if it's the same property where the Katrina trailers set at in Baker after Katrina?

I answered may own question its close, but not the same location based on the map.     

[greg225]

Lots in Village at Magnolia Square’s Highland District to go on sale later this month     

Bardwell Homes later this month will begin selling its 43 lots in the Highland District portion of the Village at Magnolia Square in Central for buyers and home builders looking for land on which to build in the sprawling traditional neighborhood development.

Bardwell Homes owner Scott Bardwell says crews recently finished building the streets in the Highland District and created the lots, nine of which have been presold, just in time to release the filing. Bardwell adds he will build two spec homes on the lots as show homes.

Bardwell Homes purchased 12 acres in the Village at Magnolia Square for $1.08 million in January and turned that tract into Highland District.

The 43 lots sit on West Waterside Drive, Chennault Way and North Elsworth Avenue inside the TND. Prices range from $70,000 to $95,000 per lot, with available lots ranging in width from 65 to 98 feet and 118 to 209.5 feet in depth. The homes on those lots are expected run between $350,000 and $500,000, and they will have backyards and front porches.

It will take Bardwell Homes about two years to build that entire section of Highland District, Bardwell estimates. Some of the lots on North Elsworth Avenue are up against a large green space.

Bardwell Homes is working on other projects besides Highland District, including the Village at Long Farm and Veranda at City Club, and the owner says he feels the market for new homes is picking up.

Magnolia Square is being developed by Jimmy Nunnally and Steele Pollard. It will feature a town square, restaurants, office and retail space. The pair bought the 185-acre tract in Central in 2006 for $1.7 million.  https://www.businessreport.com/article/lots-village-magnolia-squares-highland-district-go-sale-later-month

[greg225]

Judge dismisses case related to Shoe Creek development

http://www.wafb.com/story/30335439/judge-dismisses-case-related-to-shoe-creek-development

[greg225]

North Baton Rouge becoming new focus for economic redevelopment efforts            

Multiple movements to revive north Baton Rouge have sprouted in recent weeks, as politicians have begun questioning what some see as disparate economic development efforts in north and south Baton Rouge.

 

State Rep. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, has been at the forefront of the efforts, bringing legislation through the Legislature this spring to create an economic development district for north Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge North Economic Development District, would be somewhat similar to the Downtown Development District and would be a group of public officials and stakeholders trying to bring economic development projects to the area.

The district’s boundaries are Florida Boulevard on the south, Harding Boulevard on the north, Scenic Highway on the east, and Mickens Road and North Sherwood Forest Drive on the west. Barrow said she wants to push up the northern boundary, perhaps as far as Thomas Road.

Conversations during the election cycle have also led other political leaders to affirm the need for a north Baton Rouge economic development district. Metro Councilwoman Chauna Banks-Daniel, who has been working with Barrow, announced earlier this week her interest in pursuing the district.

On Thursday, Metro Councilman John Delgado stepped into the ring and proposed his own version of a North Baton Rouge economic development district. The proposed boundaries of his are north of Florida Boulevard, within the city limits of Baton Rouge, and excluding Downtown and the industrial corridor.

Barrow said Thursday that she had not heard of Delgado’s proposal.

Barrow’s economic development district is still in its initial stages, and she said she is working to assemble a board of commissioners from community leaders in the area.

She said she also wants to pursue a tax in the future to help pay for some of the district’s projects, as the Downtown Development District does. The legislation the legislature passed gives the Baton Rouge North Economic Development District the authority to bring a tax.

But before pursuing a tax, Barrow, said she wants the community to see and recognize the impact that the district can have on their quality of life.

“There are a lot of people like myself who live in community who would like to be able to go and buy in the community,” Barrow said.

She said she hopes to start off by bringing grocery stores and retail businesses to north Baton Rouge. Barrow also envisions adding a green space that could be a town square for north Baton Rouge.

Barrow already has some investors behind her, including Rinaldi Jacobs, who is one of the people looking to develop the area and is working with the legislator on plans for the district.

Last week, Mayor-President Kip Holden said at a forum that investors have not been interested in north Baton Rouge. Jacobs said Thursday that developers should be attracted to the area.

“I believe that it makes sense to go to north Baton Rouge from a development standpoint,” Jacobs said. “No. 1, there’s more land available for opportunities, there’s a greater need. They don’t need grocery stores in south Baton Rouge. They don’t need apartments around LSU, they need them around Southern.”

Jacobs is working on a project to build a new Gus Young Pool on the north side of Baton Rouge, after BREC demolished the out-of-date pool earlier this year. He also said he is working with the Redevelopment Authority to bring a grocery store to Scotlandville.

While Barrow’s proposal has passed through the legislature, Delgado’s proposal would go through the Metro Council.

The type of development district Delgado is proposing would allow businesses and developers to apply for property tax abatements. That means that if someone develops a blighted lot, they can pay the property taxes at the original value for 10 years rather than the taxes for the improved value of the land after its developed.

“If your current property taxes are $100 a year, and you put a million dollar building on the lot, you can lock those property taxes in for 10 years, instead of paying the $10,000 it might be worth,” Delgado said.

Delgado said he was motivated by recent discussions about the lack of economic development and job availability in North Baton Rouge compared to other parts of the parish.

He said he did not blame the mayor for the lack of development in North Baton Rouge, pointing to some projects in low income areas like the Ardendale mixed use project that’s being developed off Florida Boulevard.

Jacobs also said that while politicians can help add incentives for people to invest in an area, the onus for redevelopment is on the developers themselves.

Delgado said noted that Downtown Baton Rouge, which has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, offers several business incentives and tax rebate programs to developers.

“This is not a magic wand that will cure all the ills in Baton Rouge,” he said. “This is the first step in what I see as many steps that will improve the economic situation in Baton Rouge. We as a community and parish cannot grow if all that growth is existing in only one part of the parish.”        http://theadvocate.com/news/14035625-123/metro-councilman-delgado-pitches-development

[dan326]

I wonder if they read the Urban Planet forums because that "magic wand" comments sounds like what I've said a few times. 

I don't understand the comment about the lack of the development not being the mayor's fault? He can't do anything if people don't want to develop there. I think their best hope is to find a way to provide new, nice housing that is affordable (as opposed to "affordable housing") to draw back young professional and middle-class black people that are themselves avoiding this area. Then the businesses would probably be more interested.

Edited November 19, 2015 by dan326

[greg225]

Hopefully this happens one way this could work if they would build more mix income residential area's. They also need focus on adding more diversity in NBR and they need to have BTR as partner. Adding high paying jobs and tax breaks for businesses that bring jobs to the area. 

Edited November 19, 2015 by greg225

[greg225]

15 hours ago, dan326 said:

 

I don't understand the comment about the lack of the development not being the mayor's fault?

I get it people feel that since he is from NBR he should understand what needs to be done. Do I believe its the mayor fault  that the area haven't seen as much development since he been office yes. Where the mayor could have help i n NBR is update infrastructure, dealing with blighted property and draw more businesses around the airport. Most people in NBR want change in their community if they didn't the mayor wouldn't be asked  any question's about this area.   

[dan326]

That area hasn't seen much development since probably the 1970's. The infrastructure should be updated though.

Edited November 20, 2015 by dan326

[Antrell Williams]

Kip has put all of his efforts into downtown and surrounding neighborhoods so they have a point. I always thought a rebuilt Plank Rd with facade upgrades would go a long way into spurring development here. 

[all2neat]

I think at some point gentrification will happen in N. BR. This might be the start.