Baton Rouge City Profile

[hagetaka]

I like what they did on the ground level state parking garages with Main Street Market in one; and YMCA/retail in the other.

The new parking garages are doing good with the retail space at the bottom, at least its not a dead city block. Our city is changing, slowly, but for the better.

[dan326]

Look at this. It reminiscent of what is going to happen with the Westmoreland Shopping Center on Governmanet Street.

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.ph...5426entry715426

It's "proposed a re-development of Arlington Market that will include 110 condominium units, 54 townhomes and about 40,000 square feet of retail space"

Also going to have 2 5-story buildings, just like us.

Edited March 4, 2007 by dan326

[richyb83]

Thanks for the research there Dan Nice comparisons. That will be good to see the Mid-City area continue it's strong comeback. BRCC still growing; Bonne Carre/La.Tech Park; New BREC HQ's; The Design District; North Blvd. R.R. Overpass; and other redevelopments all around. They even converted a old gas station into a Smoothie King. The Westmoreland Village is a key-component of all of this.

Edited March 4, 2007 by richyb83

[dan326]

Hey Richy, have you heard anything lately about the proposed bus rapid transit system lately? It has probably been shelved, do to all these high prices, but I figured I'd ask anyway.

[richyb83]

Good question Dan. I have not heard of anything. I'll keep my eyes opened.

[dan326]

http://www.metro-magazine.com/images/brt/top25_2006.pdf

Here is a link to an article that mentions us briefly in it. But with the good ,former CEO I don't know if this will hold up. I hope it does, I would ride something like this if it every managed to happen. :sad:

[richyb83]

Te other day I wrote JR Ball Vice Pres.-Editorial from BRBusiness Report on Baton Rouge getting a new high-rise office "skyscraper". Saying BR seems to be "Vertically Challenged" when it comes to tall buildings. Here is his reply.

The simpliest answer is going vertical adds significant cost to a project... less expensive to go horizontal. As long as downtown demand remains where it is (not that high for housing and flat for office) there's no financial reason to build up.

Richard Preis is scaling back his project (including its height) because of escalating costs, not sagging demand from intial buyers. Mike Wampold cut the height of his planned office building (moving the parking garage to a separate structure on the property) due to soaring material costs.

Height is a by-product of huge demand and little land... neither of which applies to Baton Rouge at the moment.

JR Ball

*Looking around the U.S. there is not that much new office tower projects going -up. The demand is soft!

>>There are TOO MANY suburban garden offices going up in BR too; that doesn't help.

[dan326]

^That sucks. I really wanted to see some really tall building get build. If Richard Preis cut the height, then why are there more units than orginally proposed. I figured he did that so it could stay the same, and what about bidclerk? I guess we'll just have to wait until Asia builds something a mile high and 1000ft is the new norm.

How long ago did you send that question, because I sent a question and never got an answer.

BRBusinessReport had a small rendering of the new (redeveloped) 13-story 300-room Renaissance hotel on Bluebonnet Blvd; I am unable to find the rendering on a website.

Could you describe it? Was it sheathed in glass?

[hagetaka]

Could you describe it? Was it sheathed in glass?

BR Business Report had an ad in it from Wampold Compaines, the name was just Bluebonnet Hotel, it was nothing fancy, but better than what is there now. No shine and blind for Bluebonnet. Just brick.

Edited March 30, 2007 by Louisiana Thunder

[richyb83]

^That sucks. I really wanted to see some really tall building get build. If Richard Preis cut the height, then why are there more units than orginally proposed. I figured he did that so it could stay the same, and what about bidclerk? I guess we'll just have to wait until Asia builds something a mile high and 1000ft is the new norm.

How long ago did you send that question, because I sent a question and never got an answer.

Could you describe it? Was it sheathed in glass?

It's what I had already been saying. I talked to the developer(Preis) and he said it's now 30-stories. I don't hold Bidclerk as accurate as I first thought when it comes to that; Another example; They also went with he original 9-story new Courthouse last week. It will be at least 10 stories. Don't understand why they are wrong??

The BusinessReport(pg.61) was part of new ad by Wampold with 3 pics... "Live"(Crescent @ Univ.Lake), "Work"(II City Plaza), "Play" Bluebonnet Hotel. Actually it looked more like large concrete slabs( kind of like Shreveport's new Hilton Convention Center hotel). It looks nice, the pic is just set far back. Looks like there could be large meeting space.

The Bluebonnet corridor is under-going a serious transformation with the 13-story hotel, Perkins Rowe,and The Boulevard. a Hopefully the connector road will begin soon.

Edited March 30, 2007 by richyb83

[dan326]

According to wikipedia, census recorded an increase of 19,264 people raising the population to approximately 243,361.

[Trel-Ellis]

According to wikipedia, census recorded an increase of 19,264 people raising the population to approximately 243,361.

I saw on the news last week sometime, when they mentioned that number(closely), and kip holding ordered that the census bureau recount, becuse from his numbers" he says" the population increased well over 50,000 people due to katrina... SO it was said that the count would be rechecked, so that baton rouge could reap all the benefits needed for a 50,000 people increase rather than a rushed "19,000+..

so that would bump us up to around 274,000 give or take a couple thousand.

[dan326]

Here's a really neat midrise building that I think would be cool for the Advocate site.

[richyb83]

That's a great looking building Dan. Where did you find that ? That office would look great at the Advocate site!

[dan326]

I was looking on google maps and is saw this mall in the Woodlands entitled "The Woodlands Mall" and thought it was similar to the Mall of Louisiana.I admit, I probably did go a little outline crazy and found some rather common things, but I just wanted to make sure ya'll saw it.

For one they have an outdoor expansionlike the Boulevard(pink). There is also a strip mall near it like the Bluebonnet Parc Ithink it's called(yellow). Stores in the front(green). By an interstate,overpass, and side roads (blue and green).

[richyb83]

I like the way you think Dan. You got an eye for development. The Woodlands Mall is configured similar to Mall of La. Though I like the Mall of LA. better.

What you have outlined in yellow(to the left) in the Woodlands is called Market Street; it's nicer than Bluebonnet Parc and more of a Perkins Rowe type development. Here is a pic I took of Market Street last Summer. It was a pretty cool place. I wish I had taken more pics. It has more of an old Main Street theme.

*Not shown; cinema, parking garage, grocery store, etc.

This is Anadarko Tower; easily The Woodlands Tallest Building at 32-stories and 430'ft. & tallest between Houston and Dallas

This high-rise would look great in downtown BR

[dan326]

I like the way you think Dan. You got an eye for development.

Thanks. Speaking of developments, I was riding down Florida Boulevard, and the whole way is was looking at vacant lots and thinking that would be a neat place for some 3-4 story condos/apartments or Florida style strip mall. Actually I had seriouly considered being a developer at one time, but I no much of a public speaker.

The funny thing is that since I knew about it is was going to be a veterinarian,until about a few monts ago I lost interest. Now I'm considering something in architecture, linguistics, or a medical career. So what do ya'll think. I like to get opinions :)

Edited May 10, 2007 by dan326

[richyb83]

Wow Dan, that's some good choices. You are really well rounded!!! What grade will you been in??

I'm not too sure about the career path. Maybe pray about it and see what happens.

I know you like the emicons.

[dan326]

Wow Dan, that's some good choices. You are really well rounded!!! What grade will you been in??

Next year I'll be a junior in high school.

I know you like the emicons.

That's why I picked a pikachu for my avatar. I think it really imbodies the emoticon spirit.

You what I think would be a neat idea was if they took the vintage Broadmoor Theater sign and use it for an oldstyle downtown theater on 3rd street.

Edited May 11, 2007 by dan326

[NCB]

About the Baton Rouge parish/city government disputing the Census population stats...yea, welcome to the club. Orleans Parish and Ray Nagin say the same thing, along with Jefferson Parish, Saint Tammany Parish, and Saint Bernard Parish. In this post-Katrina world we live in, I trust local demographers more than the Census, especially in New Orleans, because of the methods they use to determine population. The Census uses normal methods, and "normal" just isn't accurate right now.

[richyb83]

I heard from somewhere that the population figures for the region won't become accurate til the 2010 census???

[NCB]

I heard from somewhere that the population figures for the region won't become accurate til the 2010 census???

That's correct, Richy; especially in the parishes that sustained the most damage from Katrina. For the next three years, we'll be stuck with these hit or miss "estimates" that will be disputed every time they're released.

[dan326]

A very early attept at a skyline rendering. Richy should remember this.

[richyb83]

I sure do Dan the man. I do remember seeing the rendering on Skyscraperpage.com That was really cool you did that. I really can't wait for the future skyline changes in the CBD

[NCB]

Just wanted to let everyone know that this thread is now pinned. It should be easier to get info and news from Baton Rouge to anyone just browsing the forum.