Baton Rouge Growth and Development

[garrett_225]

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

lol

 

Nobody said the word "quickly" but you, my friend. Nice try, though. 

 

 

 

 

lol

Edited November 13, 2013 by garrett_225

[Antrell Williams]

It could also begin gentrification in Valley Park.

[garrett_225]

If nothing else, the construction and potential legal hassles would put the neighborhood in the spotlight for a bit. It seems pitifully forgotten. 

[steve3n8]

_{CVS purchase at Burbank and Gardere signals neighborhood's resurgence}      

 

 

_{CVS has acquired a 1.7-acre tract at the intersection of Burbank Drive and Gardere Lane and plans to put a new store there, which will bring to 21 the number of CVS pharmacies in the greater Baton Rouge area. State Fuel Centers Inc. sold the property for $1.35 million, or $18.23 per square foot, in a deal that closed Wednesday. That a national drug store chain like CVS would invest at this intersection—which marks the entrance to what was once one of the city's most notoriously dangerous areas—suggests the area is on the upswing, according to local real estate agents. "I think it is turning," says Louis Barcelona Jr., of Triangle Realty, who represented the seller. "With the [L'Auberge] casino nearby, the sheriff's substation across the street and all the new road construction, the area is definitely improving." At nearby Burbank and Bluebonnet Boulevard, construction is underway on a Super Walmart and a new Sonic Drive-In. At Bluebonnet and Nicholson Drive, home construction has begun in The Preserve at Harveston, a TND. Meanwhile, L'Auberge Casino & Hotel at River Road and Gardere Lane celebrated its one-year anniversary in September. Read a Business Report cover story from February about the resurgence of the Gardere area. —Stephanie Riegel}

 

_{Businessreport.com}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 _{Garden View Assisted Living plans expansion into B.R. market}

 

 

_{Locally operated Garden View Assisted Living hopes to help fill a need in the area by opening an assisted living facility at 3130 Jones Creek Road, says Julie Comeaux, a representative from the corporate office. "The market seems like it's the perfect market," she says. The Jones Creek facility will be Garden View's first location in Baton Rouge and third location overall. Its two other facilities are in Lafayette and New Iberia. Comeaux says the company expects to begin construction on the two-story, 64,600-square-foot development by the beginning of 2014, which would have the suite-style living facility opening by January 2015. Garden View offers a wide range of services and amenities, from personal kitchenettes and daily activities to cooked meals and a secure memory unit for patients with dementia. They have already begun to sign leases and take deposits, Comeaux says. According to the permit application recently filed with DPW, the project will cost approximately $8 million. However, Comeaux says the project is still in the process of being put out to bid and the $8 million figure may not be the final cost. —Rachel Alexander}

 

_{Businessreport.com}

 

 

Edited November 22, 2013 by steve3n8

[cajun]

Ernie Matherne is opening a supermarket downtown......should be nice.

The Matherne's local chain of stores are very good. Great addition to downtown.

Edited December 10, 2013 by cajun

[timelordnerd]

DESOTO PARK RENOVATION

STATUS: 3rd party design 

 

ARTICLE: http://coolbrackets.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/from-city-to-river-desoto-park-redesign/

 

BATON ROUGE TRANSIT 

STATUS:  3rd party design 

ARTICLE: http://avellone.wordpress.com/urbantransformation/

Edited December 16, 2013 by timelordnerd

[dan326]

It seems interesting but I wonder if it's possible(=probable) to put a cafe on the other side of the levee?

[itsjustme3]

DESOTO PARK RENOVATION

STATUS: 3rd party design

ARTICLE: http://coolbrackets.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/from-city-to-river-desoto-park-redesign/

BATON ROUGE TRANSIT

STATUS: 3rd party design

ARTICLE: http://avellone.wordpress.com/urbantransformation/

So these fantasy renderings are considered "growth and development"?

[cajun]

I like the park idea better than a high cost ALIVE museum.

I'm curious about the transit plan.

[timelordnerd]

I like the park idea better than a high cost ALIVE museum.

I'm curious about the transit plan.

I agree; I think a larger park is needed for the Downtown area especially if developers have plans to turn the Downtown into a commercial and residential area of the city. For me there is a strange Burnham feel to having a park on the river. 

 

As for the transit plan I think that the main station should be Downtown rather then where the original designer placed it. That part of the city seems isolated to me. I would say that a Downtown station, LSU station, and one by the Mall of Louisiana could do it with additional stops in key areas.

[richyb83]

Curious to know how many floors the new law office building will be on the small 1.1 acre plot taking into account parking?? If your outgrowing/relocating your old office building that is currently 14,000 sq ft...if the new office building happens to be about 25,000 sq ft?? Maybe 4 stories?? Nice to see the vacant green patch adjacent to the Marriott finally be developed; good visibility from I-10

 

G. Gordon to build new office next to Marriott
 

Personal injury attorney Gordon J. McKernan, better known as “G. Gordon,” is clearing land and preparing to break ground on a new office building that he will develop on a 1.1-acre parcel adjacent to the Baton Rouge Marriott on Hilton Avenue. McKernan acquired the land in September for $590,000 from the estate of Marie Bickham, who at one time owned much of the property in that area. With its proximity to and visibility from Interstate 10, McKernan says, the lot, which is sandwiched between the Marriott and a Best Western hotel, will be an ideal location for his new digs. “I am sure the traveling public will know my law firm is there,” says McKernan, when asked if a “G. Gordon” sign will be visible from I-10. “I hope it is tasteful but conspicuous.” Ritter Maher Architects is designing the new building and Cangelosi Ward is the general contractor. McKernan says his staff of 60 full-time employees, including 17 attorneys, is outgrowing its existing 14,000-square-foot building on Bankers Avenue. “We are continuing to grow and have also branched into new markets in the past year so we needed more space,” he says. Those new markets include Lafayette and Alexandria, as well as Shreveport, where McKernan has partnered with a well-known personal injury firm in Dallas to form a new firm, McKernan Godsey Martin. McKernan hopes to begin construction on his new building in late February or early March and plans to move in on Jan. 1, 2015. —Stephanie Riegel

 

http://www.businessreport.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=daily-reportAM&date=20131230

[itsjustme3]

Tacky lawyer building.

yay

[Renzo]

Reminds me of the "Texas Hammer" building in Houston.

[richyb83]

Yeah lawyers can surely be tacky & rumor has it the dude is a real jerk! Does this mean the building will suck too? That location deserves something nice! Hope they don't screw it up too bad

 

"Texas Hammer Building" in Houston?? Got a pic?

[Renzo]

Had to search around for a bit but here's one of this ads. I believe there's another one that says the Texas Hammer but this ones equally as tacky. 

Edited January 2, 2014 by Renzo

[Antrell Williams]

Haha yes I remember this building.

[richyb83]

Thanks Renzo! And welcome to the BR Forum if I forgot to mention

 

Yeah that building looks familiar...it should be interesting to see what kind of building goes there...

[cajun]

Tacky lawyer building.

yay

I just hope this one doesn't suck and the scale is appropriate for the neighborhood.

You know they could stick that Texas Hammer lawyer logo on the downtown Library design and it would fit perfectly. It's the building equivalent to a Dodge Charger with chrome paint and a giant wing.

I bet this building is made entirely of reflective glass and chrome trim.

Edited January 6, 2014 by cajun

[buckett5425]

I bet it comes with tan stucco and a mansard roof, this is Baton Rouge after all!

[cajun]

I bet it comes with tan stucco and a mansard roof, this is Baton Rouge after all!

We'd thank our lucky stars for a decent building like that.

It's one of two possibilities...both horrideous

1. I'm thinking a take on the downtown library design but with a 1-800 number plastered across the roof.

2. Greek revival with lots of columns and vivid white paint.

Actually the legal field and architecture have a lot in common now that I think about it.

I'm saying this but I actually don't know the developer and have no reason to believe it would be anything bad. There probably is enough flexibility in that area where a clever architect could get away with making a huge 50,000 square foot billboard for himself...or a law firm. I really just wanted to see if I could get Bucket to post on the BR forum even though he moved away.

Edited January 7, 2014 by cajun

[buckett5425]

I think someone may have wanted to be an architect and is slightly bitter their life took them in a different direction?

[cajun]

I think someone may have wanted to be an architect and is slightly bitter their life took them in a different direction?

I thought about doing architecture.....but I passed my engineering courses and went into grad school instead.

That's a joke, BTW. I've always enjoyed architecture but I was drawn to engineering. Since the recession, I've positioned myself to be more or the development side of the table. It was the best thing that could have happened to me and it allowed me to move to a new city where my wife's career was also starting.

Nice to have you posting on the BR forum since you left us to be some fancy shmancy architect in NOLA.

Edited January 7, 2014 by cajun

[Antrell Williams]

He's not that far away Cajun, Mr. ATL.

[buckett5425]

Congrats on all the success btw.

 

 

It's not that I disagree with you, there are plenty of egotistical architects out there, but at the same time, architects are often blamed for decisions that were not their own. As someone who is on the development side of the table, I know you know this.

 

I can't tell you the number of times a developer asks for a certain design, the architect provides it, ignoring their own design instincts to give the developer exactly what they want, only for the developer to value engineer it and strip away every decent element of the project that would have most benefited the end user, the public. Often times an architect defending against value engineering is seen as being egotistical, while in fact, they are fighting to give the public the best possible building. But guess what, when the building does it get built and is unattractive, who often gets blamed, the developer or the architect?

 

When a contractor value engineers on site destroying the character of a building, who gets blamed for the final product by the public, the contractor or the architect?

 

When a mechanical engineer says screw the design and places an air return in the middle of a feature wall to save the owner money, who gets blamed for the ugly feature wall, the engineer or the architect?

 

 

That being said, and I have said this before, the new downtown library is ugly IMO. But some of that blame should be pinned on the owner, the Library Board. The building program and features they have requested far exceed the budget they have created. Yes, the architect could have done a better job with the design, but at the same time, the library has requested a "flashy modern building" trying to mimic the Bilbao effect, did the architect not provide that?

 

 

P.S. there are still many firms out their specializing in "traditional architecture" (w/e that means) but because the cost of construction is so high, they really only design high end homes for wealthy clients. Also, those design circles have their own publications and awards.

[cajun]

Good post.

Oh I agree. The Library board is making a huge mistake. I'm actually regretting my support for that tax. They are not being good stewards of the parish taxes they receive by insisting on a giant, ugly building downtown when that market can be served with a smaller building in any one of a half dozen other downtown spots.

I think they should be investing in more digital infrastructure and develop an online platform instead of a shiny building. Print is dying. That means we don't need as many square feet for a library.

I'd almost rather them flatten the old library and just install green space for cultural events and concerts....then build a new, smaller branch somewhere else downtown.

Edited January 9, 2014 by cajun