Baton Rouge Growth and Development

[greg225]

I have always thought a small aquarium/"RiverQuarium" would have been the perfect fit for the BR Water Works property in front of the Shaw Center for the Arts. Cant seem to find an old pic to show the location...

 

BTW...there is a BR Water Works property "Topic" page is waay back on Page #5 talking about that.

Been saying that for years that Baton Rouge need aquarium. Would be nice if that plant not far from downtown would move it would be a good location for zoo/aquarium.

Edited February 8, 2015 by greg225

[Mr. Burnham]

Been saying that for years that Baton Rouge need aquarium. Would be nice if that plant not far from downtown would move it would be a good location for zoo/aquarium.

If that plant moved I would throw a damn party. I get's it provides jobs, but downtown could actually connect to Southern if it was gone. 

I always felt that BR was strange in that regard...this whole damn city is divided in some way. Downtown is cut off by the interstate and the plant, NBR and SBR are divided by Florida Blvd, crap that fact Port Allen exists rather then both sides being Baton Rouge. 

Edited February 10, 2015 by mr. bernham

[Antrell Williams]

That Exxon-Mobil plant is one of the largest facilities in the world. Forget about it.

[Mr. Burnham]

That Exxon-Mobil plant is one of the largest facilities in the world. Forget about it.

Doesn't mean they will not want to take advantage of LA tax breaks and build an even larger facility. 

[dan326]

^ Yes, an even bigger one on the same location.

[richyb83]

Construction at the 333 Flats on East Boyd near LSU

 

Entrance at West Parker for Sterling Burbank next to Southgate Towers

 

Sterling Southgate wedged between these duplexes on Burbank & the Southgate Towers parking garage...had hoped pic come out better  than this

[greg225]

Construction at the 333 Flats on East Boyd near LSU

 

Entrance at West Parker for Sterling Burbank next to Southgate Towers

 

Sterling Southgate wedged between these duplexes on Burbank & the Southgate Towers parking garage...had hoped pic come out better  than this

I like these developments it will make Baton Rouge feel like a big city in next 10 years. Just can't wait for all development around LSU, Downtown and Mid-City is done.

[dan326]

I had been meaning to post my pics of the development too. They could definitely market the complex to parkour enthusiasts.

 

Edited February 17, 2015 by dan326

[greg225]

Riverboat cruise dockings in BR to increase 47% this year

                                                                                                                                                              On Thursday, the first of 84 scheduled Mississippi riverboat cruises will dock at Baton Rouge, bringing hundreds of tourists to the city and marking the start of what local tourism officials say will be a record year for cruiseline dockings.

“What makes it so promising and exciting for us is that you’ve got in excess of 10,000 passengers who will coming to Baton Rouge this year on these cruises,” says Visit Baton Rouge President and CEO Paul Arrigo.

The 84 dockings by American Cruise Lines—parent company of the American Eagle, Queen of the Mississippi and American Eagle riverboats, all of which will dock here—represents a 47% increase over the 57 dockings in 2014. There were 51 dockings in 2013 and 26 in 2012, the year riverboat cruises returned to the city after the last of a number of operators stopped offering the trips in 2008.

Philipa Blair, Visit Baton Rouge director of destination services, calls 2015 a “monumental year” for riverboat tourism in the city.

“We will see the most dockings we have ever seen from the riverboats,” she says. “It’s an incredible amount of progress in the three short years we have had the riverboats back.”

Two of the three riverboats that will dock in Baton Rouge through the year accommodate up to 150 passengers, and the third can carry as many as 400. When docked in Baton Rouge,  travelers usually have about a day to take in the city and surrounding areas.

“And you’re talking about well-seasoned travelers on these cruises,” says Arrigo. “It’s not cheap to take these cruises, and those who do are going to go home and talk to their friends and families about Louisiana and Baton Rouge and what a wonderful time they had here. So, not only are they likely to come back if we show them a good time, but you’ve got 10,000 ambassadors for Baton Rouge.”  http://www.businessreport.com/article/riverboat-cruise-dockings-br-increase-47-year

Edited February 25, 2015 by greg225

[greg225]

Groundbreaking signals progress along the Nicholson corridor                                                     The redevelopment of Nicholson Drive officially got underway earlier this month, when officials from LSU, the state and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation broke ground on the first of several buildings that will be constructed on the Water Campus. Several other high-profile projects along the corridor that have been in the works for years, remain on hold, despite assurances from their developers that construction will start soon.

Take the River House. The planned mixed-use development on the site of the former Prince Murat Hotel was supposed to get underway early this year. But with February coming nearing its close, developer Marc Blumberg  predicts it will be April before he breaks ground.

Blumberg and partner Emmanuel Organek have been working on the 10-acre project—which will include 224 market-rate apartment units with a 34,000-square-foot office building and 15,000 square feet of retail space—since 2008. The project was delayed, first, because of the recession then because of bureaucratic tie-ups with the federal loan program the partners were using. Late last year, they switched gears and secured conventional financing for the project.

Now, they’re reworking original budget projections, since construction costs have increased over the past few years. Blumberg says the project is still on track but that he is trying to “iron out some issues with the construction agreement and pricing.” He says he is confident construction will begin sometime this spring.

Meanwhile, developers remain tight-lipped about progress on the River District—Lafayette developer Dalis Waguespack’s proposed 40-acre, mixed-use project on Nicholson Drive near Magnolia Mound plantation. In January 2014, architects unveiled a concept plan for the first phase of the project, which then was approved by the Planning Commission. Nearly 14 months later, work has yet to begin.

The River District has been in the works since the mid-2000s and was also delayed by the recession. Architect Steve Oubre says the project remains on track and that an update is expected soon but he could not provide details.

Oubre and Blumberg say they are heartened the Water Campus, a 33-acre research park devoted to coastal and deltaic studies, has broken ground. Real estate experts familiar with the area say the campus could be the catalyst to help get the other mixed-use projects done—or started—though they’re not willing to hazard a guess as to when that might be. 

http://www.businessreport.com/article/groundbreaking-signals-progress-along-nicholson-corridor

 

 

[richyb83]

BR multifamily market experiencing biggest building boom in years

 

If it seems like a lot of apartment complexes are under construction in the Capital Region, it’s because there are. Currently, 14 multifamily developments are in various stages of the construction process. When completed later this year, they’re expected to add more than 2,150 new units to the market—about 300 more than were expected to come online last year at this time.

 

Can the market absorb that many?

 

Probably so, according to local real estate experts. But in a market where the post-Katrina absorption rate has been averaging about 900 units per year, more than 2,000 in the space of 10 months is a great deal of inventory.

 

“We have a substantially greater pipeline than we did 12 months ago,” says appraiser Wesley Moore of Cook, Moore and Associates, who has been crunching the multifamily numbers as he prepares his report for the upcoming Baton Rouge Trends real estate seminar. “We could conceivably have a six-year supply built in a two-year span.”

 

That’s because in addition to inventory added to the market over the remainder of 2015, more than 3,700 units are expected to be completed in 2016—and that’s not including several major projects that have been announced but not yet gotten off the ground, like the River District on Nicholson Drive or LSU’s mixed-use development near the south gates of the campus.

 

Several factors are driving the building boom. The local economy is strong, rental and occupancy rates are high and interest rates are low. Banks are in the business of lending, and developers are in the business of developing. All the pieces are in place for a wave of new construction.

 

*rest of article

http://www.businessreport.com/article/br-multifamily-market-experiencing-biggest-building-boom-years

[dan326]

It's definitely a lot. I don't know what they're gonna do with the LSU area, in regards to traffic.

[greg225]

‘Business Report’: Old homes increasingly being demolished in BR to make way for new ones                                                                                                                                               If you’ve ever bought a house, you know that finding a home that ticks all your boxes in the neighborhood where you want to live can be next to impossible. Some homebuyers, however, aren’t letting that deter them. Instead, they identify the location they want, buy a house, then tear it down and build their dream house.

As Business Report details in a feature from the new issue, buying a house for the purpose of tearing it down is a growing trend in Baton Rouge, according to local real estate agents and contractors. Teardowns typically occur in older, well-established, centrally located areas. In Baton Rouge, those neighborhoods include Bocage, University Acres, Jefferson Place, the LSU Lakes and Old Goodwood.

City of Baton Rouge records show 346 residential demolition permits have been issued since 2012, and 86% of all demolition permits that have been issued since 2012 are for homes.

“There’s definitely an increasing trend in teardowns, mainly because of lot availability,” says Daryl May of Daryl May Construction. “Young affluent families are searching for large, treed lots in the heart of town, which also allows them to be close to schools, shopping centers, church and sometimes work. I see this as being a driving force in bringing families back into these older, quaint and charming areas of town. However, with the challenge of lot availability, teardowns will continue to increase.”

This means homebuyers wanting larger lots have two options. For one, they can turn to the suburbs and outlying areas, where more land is available. However, this often means a long commute on Baton Rouge’s congested roadways.

“People don’t want to sit in traffic,” says Donna Wolff, a professional with RE/MAX Louisiana. She says this leads homebuyers to the second option: purchasing an existing home in Central Baton Rouge not for the house, but for the land under it. For example, Wolff says, people are tearing down homes because they “want to be close to everything, they want to be in a good, established school district and in a good place to raise kids. And, if the average lot size is 75 by 150, they’re going to have a nice, big yard.”

Guy Oliver, owner of Guy Oliver Construction, agrees.

“It’s very common for a client to buy a home in an older neighborhood, where the home has little value, but the lots are worth a lot,” he says. “Maybe the home was built 40 or 50 years ago for $40,000, but now the lot is worth more than $300,000.”

In many cases, older houses have not been well-maintained. “Sometimes there’s just nothing to salvage,” Oliver says.

In other instances, the house is so old and outdated that extensive renovations are needed. In both situations, demolishing the house is often the most logical—and cost-effective—choice.    http://www.businessreport.com/article/business-report-old-homes-increasingly-demolished-br-make-way-new-ones

[greg225]

Metro Council punts on upscale Bocage area housing development, but green lights high rise on East Boyd Drive                                                                                                                                                                           The Metro Council punted on whether to approve a rezoning request to allow a luxury apartment complex on Jefferson Highway near the Bocage neighborhood, deferring the vote until next month to give the developer time to try to appease neighbors who oppose the development.

 

The council also voted Wednesday to approve a seven-story apartment building targeting LSU students that will be built on East Boyd Drive, close to the southern entrance on campus.

The luxury apartment complex proposed near the Bocage neighborhood, called Tapestry Park Luxury Apartments,is opposed by the Jefferson Place/Bocage neighborhood association because of concerns about traffic congestion in the already highly-traversed area. The complex would include 124 apartments.

But the developer has pointed out that they have the right to build 105 units — a mix of apartments, townhomes and single family homes — without governmental permission. That renders the issue of traffic congestion moot, he said, because the area is going to be developed either way.

George Kurtz, a Kurtz and Hebert commercial Realtor for the developer, said the traffic problems on Jefferson Highway are a local and state issue. He said developers will try to continue to work with concerned residents for the next month, but he cautioned that their option was likely better than the alternatives.

“The property can and will be developed at some point,” he said.

A few neighbors attended the council meeting to speak in favor of the apartment complex, noting that the developers made eight concessions, including more-natural buffers, to accommodate surrounding homeowners.

The Metro Council will take up the rezoning issue on April 22.

The council, meanwhile, gave the green light to a high-rise to provide housing for LSU students. Park 7 developers will build a seven-story building and parking garage on East Boyd Drive, between Dodson Avenue and Swire Avenue.

It will have 280 units, ranging from studio apartments to five-bedroom apartments. Construction is slated to begin in August.   http://theadvocate.com/news/11882397-123/metro-council-punts-on-upscale

[greg225]

Miss USA coming back to Baton Rouge in 2015                                                                                                                        Miss USA coming back to Baton Rouge in 2015

Baton Rouge hosted the live entertainment beauty pageant created by Donald Trump in 2014.

On Thursday, the Mayor's Office submitted a request to the Metro Council to approve an allocation of $230,000 to provide the funding for expenses associated with hosting the competition again.

Check back for more details.  http://theadvocate.com/news/11887718-123/miss-usa-coming-back-to

[Mr. Burnham]

I guess that's a good thing 

[cajun]

There is a lot of housing being built south of the LSU campus along Burbank.   I'm actually surprised and how dense everything is going to be in that area.  I hope they can remove some of those older, crappier developments facing Burbank and replace them with something that isn't hideous.   

 

Gaslight, Embassy, El Cid....those things are absolutely horrendous.  It seems like you are dodging dumpsters just by driving along Burbank in those areas.  There are sidewalks in some areas that end abruptly in others and landscaping doesn't exist.  It's within walking distance to the south side of the LSU campus.  That property is definitely marketable into higher end housing and retail for students and faculty.  

Edited March 28, 2015 by cajun

[dan326]

^I agree! I figured I had used up my critique points for the month, but since you brought it up, yes they need to be razed and replaced.

I wonder if any other city in the country has a little Italian Renaissance styled district??

[greg225]

Developer looking to build new grocery store in Scotlandville

 

 

 

A Baton Rouge developer says he plans to build a new grocery store in Scotlandville by early next year, potentially bringing new supplies of fresh foods to a part of the Capital City with few options for grocery shopping.

 

 

The proposed grocery store, which would include a pharmacy and sit near the intersection of Harding Boulevard and Scenic Highway — would create about 100 jobs and boost sales tax revenue coming from the area, said Mike Kimble, who briefly presented his preliminary plan on Saturday at a Baton Rouge meeting of Together Louisiana.

The plans are still preliminary — funding has not been fully secured and the specific grocer has not been finalized. Kimble aims to open the store sometime early next year.

“The focus is on bringing those products to the community,” Kimble said. “It’s going to be pretty exciting.”

Two weeks ago, Kimble broke ground on another grocery store in Grambling, in Lincoln Parish, that also brings goods to an area lacking similar alternatives, he said. Kimble aims to mimic the process in Baton Rouge. Kimble noted that the closest stores nearby would be the Piggly Wiggly on Plank Road and grocery stores in Baker.

 

More than 70,000 residents of the Capital City live in “food deserts,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture — and city officials have said between 17 and 23 percent of the residents in East Baton Rouge Parish have limited access to grocery stores.

In Scotlandville, residents spend an estimated $38 million a year on food but are forced to buy goods outside the neighborhood because no grocery store exists nearby.

 

http://theadvocate.com/news/11959320-123/developer-looking-to-build-new

 

 

 

[greg225]

Work to widen Essen Lane gets underway Thursday                                                                                                                                         Work will begin Thursday to widen one of Baton Rouge’s most congested roadways. More than 55,000 autos roll up and down Essen Lane every day, and you can just about set your watch to the congestion that brings traffic to a near standstill each afternoon between Interstate 10 and Perkins Road.

Both the city-parish, under its Green Light Plan, and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development have projects on tap to help alleviate traffic along Essen. When both projects are completed, about one mile of Essen, between I-10 and Perkins, will go from a five-lane roadway with a center turn lane to six lanes with a continuous, two-way center turn lane.

The city-parish will spearhead the first project, which involves adding two additional turn lanes to Essen between I-10 and United Plaza Boulevard. In addition, one lane will be added to the I-10 intersection of Essen Lane and Essen Park Avenue, as well as the two on- and off-ramps at I-10. A ceremony to mark the start of the first phase is planned for 10 a.m. Tuesday, with construction expected to last about six months. Command Construction Industries was awarded a $2.1 million contract in February to complete the first phase.

A second phase, to be spearheaded by DOTD, will include utility relocation and bridge widening. The work is expected to cost $12 million and be completed in the spring of 2018.

DOTD will manage the second phase of the Essen Lane widening project. It is estimated that the cost for the utility relocation, in addition to the roadway and bridge widening, will total roughly $12 million. DOTD has more details on both projects.  http://www.businessreport.com/article/work-widen-essen-lane-gets-underway-thursday

[all2neat]

Really :{sodEmoji.|} spring 2018... the way Louisiana does road work we might see this by 2020.

[greg225]

What I'm hoping is with the widen of Essen they add sidewalks because it would be need for the Baton Rouge Health District.

[dan326]

Apparently they're building a Neighborhood Walmart on Coursey between Sherwood and Airline by where Ryan's and Semolina used to be. Did we post something about this before?

[richyb83]

Yeah we posted that somewhere...I remember replying thinking that sure is a lot of Neighborhood Wal-Mart's....when you consider that's the 2nd on Coursey Blvd... & then the one off Airline Hwy at Old Hammond Hwy.

 

Hope Tapestry Park goes thru at Jefferson Hwy across from Bocage...it looks nice...of course there is going to be traffic...it's in the middle of the city not far from Towne Center.

 

I'm stoked about the 7-story residential building just SE of LSU getting the go-ahead

 

Cajun said El Cid  ....that name trips me out!

[Mr. Burnham]

Yeah we posted that somewhere...I remember replying thinking that sure is a lot of Neighborhood Wal-Mart's....when you consider that's the 2nd on Coursey Blvd... & then the one off Airline Hwy at Old Hammond Hwy.

 

Hope Tapestry Park goes thru at Jefferson Hwy across from Bocage...it looks nice...of course there is going to be traffic...it's in the middle of the city not far from Towne Center.

 

I'm stoked about the 7-story residential building just SE of LSU getting the go-ahead

 

Cajun said El Cid  ....that name trips me out!

Do you have any pictures?