Baton Rouge Growth and Development

[byrde]

Are these the pics you want?

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/Atchafal...amp-t24705.html

[BRPJ]

Wow. That is gonna be niiice. The renderings are kinda wack though. I wonder if that's because this is more like a demonstration rather than an actual model? Like richy said, you can't distinguish between the two, so I assume the project will not look exactly like this.

So if the tax passes in November when would they start building?

Wow, i can't believe Baton Rouge isn't even on the level of biloxi and shreveport when it comes to conventions! At least that's about to change.

[buckett5425]

Wow. That is gonna be niiice. The renderings are kinda wack though. I wonder if that's because this is more like a demonstration rather than an actual model? Like richy said, you can't distinguish between the two, so I assume the project will not look exactly like this.

So if the tax passes in November when would they start building?

Wow, i can't believe Baton Rouge isn't even on the level of biloxi and shreveport when it comes to conventions! At least that's about to change.

I agree, the renderings were kind of wack. I dint think they are the actual renderings though, and are the "get the ball rolling" renderings. Just to get the idea out to the public. I really think they would go more vertical too, which is another reason why I hope these renderings arnt more official. Regardless though, I am really excited.

[drew6974]

This development will be HUGE for the Baton Rouge Metro area and Louisiana as a whole. East Feliciana, West Feliciana and northen East Baton Rouge are part of this massive oil shale field and BR is poised with it's infrastructure to profit immensely from it.

Check out the channel 2 video from today at the bottom of this link.

http://tuscaloosamarineshale.com/index.html

Edited July 17, 2008 by drew6974

[cajun]

Is there a rendering of the new museum? With the cost of the project, we should be looking at a very eye catching building.

This development will be HUGE for the Baton Rouge Metro area and Louisiana as a whole. East Feliciana, West Feliciana and northen East Baton Rouge are part of this massive oil shale field and BR is poised with it's infrastructure to profit immensely from it.

http://tuscaloosamarineshale.com/index.html

Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana are already part of the "Tuscalosa Trend". In the 80s, there was an oil boom in the area centered around New Roads and Opolusas (sp?) regions...responsible for lots of the money in those towns.

They found one about 10x as large north of Shreveport.

Colorado also has enormous amounts of oil shale....large enough that I've read that if we were to open the area for oil extraction, America, for all practical purposes, could become a member of OPEC.

Edited July 17, 2008 by cajun

[drew6974]

Is there a rendering of the new museum? With the cost of the project, we should be looking at a very eye catching building.

Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana are already part of the "Tuscalosa Trend". In the 80s, there was an oil boom in the area centered around New Roads and Opolusas (sp?) regions...responsible for lots of the money in those towns.

They foun

d one about 10x as large north of Shreveport.

Colorado also has enormous amounts of oil shale....large enough that I've read that if we were to open the area for oil extraction, America, for all practical purposes, could become a member of OPEC.

This is oil. Haynesville is natural gas. This is not the original Tuscaloosa Trend. This is oil shale.

[gearjammer45]

Atchafalaya Freeway

I am new to this site and trying to find the person who posted several pictures of the Atchafalaya Freeway. I am writing a trucking memoir having driven in 44 of the lower 48 states. I have a huge number of pictures I need to cull for the book and am pretty sure I have one of this swamp but would like a backup if I can not find my pictures. This was right about the time I switched from a regular SLR to digital and don't remember which format this picture was taken with. I'd like written permission to potentially use a couple of the pictures, whoever took them got some great shots. Thanks gearjammer45

Well someone got back to me and gave me the link to the pictures I asked about but that's as far as I have gotten. I have no idea whether or not I have permission or not to use the pictures and won't unless I have specific permission from the photographer. I am months from being published so for now I will set this aside and hope if I can not find my pictures this person will give me permission to put their pictures in my book. Thanks for at least giving me the link to the pictures. Gearjammer45

[hagetaka]

Let's just say it can all look good on paper, I am still not excited about all this stuffs on paper. Someone is trying to get reelected, downtown BR does need some help, any help would do...any

[byrde]

Let's just say it can all look good on paper, I am still not excited about all this stuffs on paper. Someone is trying to get reelected, downtown BR does need some help, any help would do...any

I agree we shouldn't get excited about something that is only a theory right now. Let's wait until we see some dirt moving.

As for someone trying to get re-elected, Kip does not need this to get back in office. Of the 3 that have jumped into the race, I don't see any of them beating him. If anything, making this proposal at this time tells me Kip is confident he will win another term. Most politicians wait until they get back into office before making this type of pitch to the voters.

[hagetaka]

Most politicians wait until they get back into office before making this type of pitch to the voters.

,but Kip is doing it upfront!

[byrde]

Which makes him different from what you think of with most politicians. You know now where the man wants to take this town over the next 4 years. Simpson and McHugh would never be this straight forward with the public.

[BRPJ]

In my short years, I would have to say Kip is doing for baton rouge in a way i have never seen

[cajun]

In my short years, I would have to say Kip is doing for baton rouge in a way i have never seen

by bonding out projects that will take 30 years to pay off?

Really, though....overspending is what we need now because Baton Rouge was so behind. Eventually we need to think about curbing this spending and taxing, but only after our infrastructure and police protection are where it should be.

Edited July 19, 2008 by cajun

[richyb83]

Thanks for that link Drew The rest of the nation may view Louisiana as poor but with our fair share of offshore oil royalties and this as well...nothing could be further from the truth!

Kip Holden will have my Vote! 1st time I met him he was passing out water bottles on Third Street( we mentioned lack of hotels downtown) during lunch hour; a year later at the Riverfront meeting he remembered me from Third Street; my Dad doesn't believe the story; but it sure impressed me. He's remarkable as a people person. I see him winning in a near landslide.

There are still improvement s to be made; but he sure has/is getting alot accomplished! He got the Green Light Program started.; and Central Thruway will be a divided 4-lane road now bec. of him. He's already gotten further for a loop than the others. It's truly bothersome to see just how far BR lagged behind in so many areas; Kip's taking our city into a new era!

Edited July 19, 2008 by richyb83

[byrde]

Well we get to vote on Holden's tax package.

Read the story here

[cajun]

Well we get to vote on Holden's tax package.

Read the story here

Just curious...but what does Lori Burgess contribute to Baton Rouge? She hardly ever votes on anything, and she refused to support the "Old South" renewal project because she wasn't in charge of it.

I mean, anyone can avoid all real issues and collect a paycheck.

In any case, I am glad it is going to be on the ballot. That part was never in danger of NOT happening. The real sticky part is getting this vote passed.

I could understand the problem with the half cent sales tax. They are already high. What few should have a problem with is the property tax.

This vote needs to happen when the fiscially conservatives are all preoccupied with something else. I'd say hold it on an LSU gameday....Who do we play on November 4th?

Isn't this country awesome? I can be a complete fiscially conservative voter on state or national levels, but lean left on issues like this and it still makes total since.

Edited July 24, 2008 by cajun

[richyb83]

Hope I'm wrong, but I don't have a good feeling about this passing. Esp. reading the comments on WBRZ's website. No doubt the Police Bldg. on Mayflower Street is in shambles. I think Mayor Holden has explained this Win-Win situation somewhat; but some just don't get it. I'd be willing to pay what would equal to less than $10 a month. But others say many who have trouble making ends-meet won't be able to afford it??

It would be nice for BR to have a legit convention center hotel; Aububon Alive sounds great! Wayne Cater says "it's not a good time"; when will it ever be a good time?? Some just refuse to believe BR to ever be a tourist destination.

The traffic light synchronization is a MUST! The map was impressive.

Lori Burgess needs to move on along; she never even votes.

Nov 4th is a Tuesday; so it shouldn't interfere with LSU's home games...Nov. 1st they play Tulane; the 8th Alabama.

Edited July 24, 2008 by richyb83

[cajun]

It's not that people would struggle to pay, but that the sales tax may slowly drive retail business out of the parish...and the whole principle of the matter. Baton Rouge is a fiscally conservative town. I can understand the position, since many from New Orleans see high taxes with nothing but corruption and inappropriate spending to show for it.

This is a $1,000,000,000 tax plan. That's a really big deal, and it's going to take a few months for people to warm up to it.

I think they should split it up. We NEED traffic light synchronization, flood protection, new fire stations, and a new prison. We really want a new museum.

I'd vote yes for everything, but I think this is one of those cases where we will be lucky to get parts of the measure passed...and I'd rather have some of it pass than none of it pass. The scary part is that if the bill is broken up for the election, you can bet that the Alive museum and River Center expansion will not pass.

Edited July 24, 2008 by cajun

[byrde]

I will probably support the proposal, but I think we should have split it up. The public safety issues like new headqtrs for the police and sheriffs dept, new parish prison, lights and sewer/drainage is a must right now and we should fund it. We have done very little in the past 40 years in these areas. I think tacking Alive and RiverCenter improvements on to this will make it tough to get the items we need.

[twstdndmntd]

I was totally opposed to them splitting this up. I knew had it been split, then the economic development parts would have never passed. I say it needed to be an "all or nothing" type thing. Kind of like what the metro council did with their raise. They knew standing alone we would have NEVER voted for it, so they lumped it to other things we knew we needed and what happened it passed and they go their raise. I think this will pass by slim margins. However, if and when it does pass we need to demand to see progress being made on all fronts of what is promised to us and I'm not talking 10yrs down the road i'm talking within 1-2 yrs of this passing. I am fiscally conservative but very liberal socially, and I have have no problems paying a little bit more to get things like this done.

[byrde]

I was totally opposed to them splitting this up. I knew had it been split, then the economic development parts would have never passed. I say it needed to be an "all or nothing" type thing. Kind of like what the metro council did with their raise. They knew standing alone we would have NEVER voted for it, so they lumped it to other things we knew we needed and what happened it passed and they go their raise. I think this will pass by slim margins. However, if and when it does pass we need to demand to see progress being made on all fronts of what is promised to us and I'm not talking 10yrs down the road i'm talking within 1-2 yrs of this passing. I am fiscally conservative but very liberal socially, and I have have no problems paying a little bit more to get things like this done.

Kip also knows that if it were split the economic part would not make it.

[richyb83]

^ In Business Report a total 1,747 people responded so far...by the slightest of margins FOR leads 746...Against-736...Need more info - 265. I can only hope this is how it turns out??

Edited July 25, 2008 by richyb83

[cajun]

I want to see more details on all aspects of the proposal...including exact streets that are getting traffic light improvements, which fire stations are getting improvements as well as the nature of the improvements, renderings and expected cost of new fire stations, details on the drainage and flood protection, and expected capacity of the parish prison.

I'd also like to see renderings, site plans, and economic impact figures on the downtown projects proposed.

If there are no more details that what are already provided, then I'd be against it all. That's my responsibility as a voter (I'm still registered in East Baton Rouge though I haven't participated in a while). I don't vote for giving any mayor a blank check. That's why New Orleans is screwed up.

The Green Light plan was relatively straightforward. Thus far, this proposal is fuzzy at best.

Edited July 25, 2008 by cajun

[richyb83]

Ahhh...another Gated Community This actually looks like a nice upscale project out off Jefferson Hwy. between I-12 & Bluebonnet with some Carribbean-flavor. My question is where are all the $ high roller$ coming from; is there a big demand for this?? That's some seroius cheeze for these condo's.

$15 million residential project set

[cajun]

Expensive...but I guess that's the area to put them in.