Baton Rouge Growth and Development

[richyb83]

Sorry about above..tried to imbed You Tube Video...i'm gonna step away from this too frustrating...too late...can only try so much

 

Traffic engineers have idea for improving one of city's worst intersections

http://www.businessreport.com/article/20131022/BUSINESSREPORT0112/131029951

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIypFKBz4YI

[Antrell Williams]

I don't really see the improvement in this. Traffic will still back up past the stop lights. Traffic entering the freeway doesn't have to make a left turn against traffic, yet all the cars will have to cross, all the while stopping the cars on the other side.

 

Does the video show up for you guys?

[richyb83]

Yes sir Antrell! It shows up...Thanks!  I need to go back to You Tube imbedding class...if it's not repetitive then I forget w my ADHD...

 

I'm not sure about that design either...some are comparing it to the Airline/Siegen/Sherwood intersection

[Antrell Williams]

It's simple for me. Copy and paste the link from the address bar.

 

It is similar to that intersection. I don't see much of an improvement on Airline either.

[buckett5425]

While I am sure it has been resolved by the engineers, there is no mention in the article about the intersection at Constitution. I think it would need to be eliminated to permanently reduce traffic congestion. 

[Antrell Williams]

Maybe the same on ramp for I-10 east bound will be used to enter Constitution.

[cajun]

DDIs are great, but that intersection should be a single point interchange, moved underneath the freeway (ideally we could move the freeway underneath college). Constitution Ave would have to be realigned to the east after demolishing the gas station, and a decorative curb barrier in place to prevent people exiting I-10 east to go directly onto constitution.

It amuses me that the YouTube model has landscaping and trees already in place. You know Baton Rouge won't even try to make it look as soft or appealing as those posh St Louis suburbs, which pretty much have gold plated freeway intersections complete with pedestrian access, iron fencing, decorative lighting, and extensive landscaping. Few places mitigate the visual appearance of an interchange like what I've seen in Missouri.

I'm actually familiar with the Dorsett/270 area outside St Louis. There was a pretty serious tornado there not long ago. It's not that far off from College in development style, but it's light years away from a design perspective. They just sweated the details, which Baton Rouge can't do for $2 million. Check it out on google maps....they have a similar situation to Constitution ave as well. It's an ideal benchmark in both traffic control and in appearance except for the pesky fact that College isn't traditional diamond because the west bound on ramp is on the east side of College. It's not apples to apples. The DDI concept would yield less savings because the lights for the east bound on-ramp and west bound off ramp are so far apart.

A better benchmark is the beautiful single point interchange just south of there at I-270 at Olive. There is less confusion, better flow, and a much nicer appearance with that style interchange.

Both Olive and Dorsett easily have similar traffic volume as College. The infrastructure is just infinitely better. Louisiana is Busch league compared to Missouri when it comes to interchanges and highway design like this. What St Louis did to widen 64 while shielding the surrounding areas should be the model for widening I-10 between College and downtown.

They can do it right in Baton Rouge, but it will costs $30 million to upgrade the overpass, widen College, re-align Constitution, install retaining walls, pedestrian access, and landscaping, and expropriating some houses and businesses. I can't think of a way to do this right that doesn't involve demolishing that Chevron at the Constitution interchange to realign constitution. Another possibility is to move the northbound College lanes to the east by about 40' and route them under a different opening beneath the freeway....this would allow J lanes but would require demolishing two service stations between Bennington and I-10 and creating a median on College.

It would really help if Corporate was lined up with Bawell and the small businesses that used to be houses on I-10 service road near the Wendy's didn't exist. This whole area is a planning disaster.

They've spent far more money on dumber things than upgrading College. St Louid area interchanges are a very high benchmark. Where Texas is 100% function over form, Missouri is the perfect balance between the two for freeway design.

Don't Shrute this up by going the cheap route. Spend the money and do it right. It's a critical interchange. Either do it right or leave it alone.

Either way, the interchange really could use a significant dose of beautification, pedestrian, and landscape improvements. I feel bad for Baton Rouge drivers when the city finally does decide to overlay that stretch of road between I-10 and Perkins.

Edited October 23, 2013 by cajun

[steve3n8]

Second phase of Siegen shopping center to break ground by end of year

 

The second phase of Siegen Place Shopping Center—which will bring the retail outlet at 6555 Siegen Lane to nearly 30,000 total square feet—will begin construction by the end of the year, says Charlie Colvin of Beau Box Commercial Real Estate. At 17,000 square feet, the second phase will be slightly larger than the first, with the potential to house as many as 10 tenants in suites that range from 1,600 square feet to 3,000 square feet. "We're in the final stages of negotiating with a couple of tenants," Colvin says, "but the leases haven't been signed yet." Colvin says he expects the shopping center to be ready for tenants by around July of next year.

The first phase of the center, which welcomed its first tenant in January, houses Mattress Firm, Batteries Plus Bulbs, New Orleans Original Daiquiris and Mooyah—which is the first Louisiana location for the Texas-based burger chain. —Rachel Alexander

 

Businessreport.com

 

[steve3n8]

Kean's to open new location near Alexander's Highland Market

 

A new Kean's Fine Dry Cleaning location is planned for the Highland Park development near Alexander's Highland Market and should open some time in mid 2014, says Kean's owner Rock Rockenbaugh, who is a partner in the Highland Park project. Rockenbaugh declines to discuss specifics of where his new store will be located within the shopping center on Highland Road because other tenants have not yet disclosed their plans. The new store, which will be located across from Alexander's, will make Kean's 15th location in the market and will give the company a presence in a rapidly growing area where it currently has no stores. "Our closest store to that area is Jones Creek," says Rockenbaugh. "This will enable us to serve customers from Santa Maria and the Country Club of Louisiana." Earlier this year, Kean's closed two stores in underperforming locations—one on Old Hammond Highway at Sherwood Forest, the other at Hooper and Joor roads. "Neither of those locations was growing," he says. "Our focus is on locations where we can grow." —Stephanie Riegel

 

Businessreport.com

[Antrell Williams]

They have a location right on Airline in Prairieville. It's not like the area is terribly under-served.

[cajun]

They have a location right on Airline in Prairieville. It's not like the area is terribly under-served.

They have a "keen" sense for site selection.

[steve3n8]

Beer distributor looking to build new distribution facility

 

Crescent Crown Distributing, which carries Coors and Miller beer products as well as dozens of other domestic and import brands, is planning to build a new distribution warehouse on Tom Drive near Cortana Mall on a 15-acre tract it is in the process of acquiring. In a filing submitted today with the East Baton Rouge Planning Commission, the Arizona-based distributor—which has its regional headquarters in New Orleans—is applying to rezone the property to Commercial/Warehouse 3, which is required for facilities of more than 100,000 square feet. "They are in the process of purchasing the property, which is a piece of vacant land," says engineer Kevin Norman, who filed the rezoning request on behalf of the distributor. "It is contingent on whether they can get it rezoned and re-subdivided, but we do not anticipate any problems." Norman says the size of the warehouse has yet to be determined. Crescent Crown's local distribution facility is currently based at 9550 Dawnadele Ave. A company representative did not return a call requesting comment in time for publication. —Stephanie Riegel

 

Businessreport.com

[Antrell Williams]

I wonder if this has anything to do with Costco.

[itsjustme3]

Why would it have anything to do with Costco?

[cajun]

I wonder if this has anything to do with Costco.

I think you are mixing up Costco and Cosco.

Costco is coming to BR. Cosco is a distribution company.

[Antrell Williams]

I think you are mixing up Costco and Cosco.

Costco is coming to BR. Cosco is a distribution company.

No, I know. Just did not know if the new construction and roadwork had anything to do with this.

[byrde]

I think you are mixing up Costco and Cosco.

Costco is coming to BR. Cosco is a distribution company.

 

Why would it have anything to do with Costco?

 

The current facility for Cresent Crown is right next to the location where the new Costco Store is being built.

[itsjustme3]

So?

[garrett_225]

In response to the discussion of the College Drive at I-10 Intersection:

 

If they would connect Corporate with Bawell and widen Bawell, they could distribute onto Acadian some of the traffic that currently uses College Drive 

 

A lot of Southeast Baton Rouge traffic with destinations on Corporate and beyond are forced onto College to get where they're going. 

Edited November 12, 2013 by garrett_225

[Antrell Williams]

In response to the discussion of the College Drive at I-10 Intersection:

 

If they would connect Corporate with Bawell and widen Bawell, they could distribute onto Acadian some of the traffic that currently uses College Drive 

 

A lot of Southeast Baton Rouge traffic with destinations on Corporate and beyond are forced onto College to get where they're going. 

There's no room. Maybe they could widen Bawell and Bankers to diverge some traffic.

[steve3n8]

Benny's files zoning application for seventh area car wash

 

Benny's Carwash is making plans for a new Benny's Express on Siegen Lane just north of Perkins Road and across from Winn Dixie. The company filed an application earlier this month with the Planning Commission for a zoning change to allow the facility, which will be the seventh Benny's—and fifth Express—location in the local market. Benny's has not yet closed on the property, which it has under contract, and Justin Alford, whose family has owned Benny's since 1951, says it is still early to discuss plans for the new site. "We have a little ways to go before this is a done deal," he says. "But this is an area we have been looking at for a long, long time and we would like to be there." Benny's closest location to Siegen Lane is its full-service facility on Essen Lane. The Benny's zoning request comes as a Central-based competitor, Geaux Clean, is moving forward with plans to open its third car wash in the market on the north end of Siegen near Champs Collision Center. While that might suggest plenty of demand in the local market for car wash outlets, Alford says the business is both expensive and risky. Stephanie Riegel Read the full story.

 

Businessreport.com

 

 

 

 

M-Tec/Rise plans new office, warehouse behind Celebration Station

 

Industrial sales company M-Tec/Rise is planning to build a new office and warehouse on land near the intersection of Airline Highway and Interstate 12, just behind Celebration Station, says owner John Guillory. Although the company has yet to close on the Patriot Drive parcel, Guillory says it's under contract and should close in approximately 15 days, once the developer, Donnie Jarreau Real Estate, has Baton Rouge water services connected on site. The property consists of two lots, one on which M-Tec/Rise will build, and one which Guillory says he may lease or use for future expansion. JEG Holdings, Guillory's LLC, has already filed a permit application with the Department of Public Works to build the 3,500-square-foot office and warehouse. The office will comprise about 2,100 square feet and the warehouse roughly 1,400 square feet, Guillory says. That's about 1,000 square feet larger than M-Tec/Rise's current space at 12232 Industriplex Blvd. According to the permit application, the new building is expected to cost $200,000. Guillory expects to break ground by Dec. 1, which would have the company moving in by April 1. —Rachel Alexander

 

Businessreport.com

[garrett_225]

There's no room. Maybe they could widen Bawell and Bankers to diverge some traffic.

 

On the contrary. Room would be made by bulldozing a minimal number of homes with very low property value to make the connection between Corporate and Bawell. 

[itsjustme3]

On the contrary. Room would be made by bulldozing a minimal number of homes with very low property value to make the connection between Corporate and Bawell.

lol, yes, very easy to bulldoze a few peoples homes. That wouldn't take years on top of years on top of years in the courts.

[garrett_225]

lol, yes, very easy to bulldoze a few peoples homes. That wouldn't take years on top of years on top of years in the courts.

 

You mean like with every other project ever done in EBR?

 

People living on on the route of the Staring Lane expansion/extension practically begged to be bought out...and their homes didn't even get in the way of construction. I feel certain at least several of the residents in that misbegotten neighborhood would be more than happy to sell out.  

Edited November 13, 2013 by garrett_225

[itsjustme3]

You're right. The city can quickly come along and bulldoze anyone's house(a) as has been done countless and countless times.

lol