Baton Rouge Growth and Development

[dan326]

^And with the Walmart across the street this'll be a regular skid row in no time.

[itsjustme3]

Obviously, because only bums use the services provided by Goodwill.

You're right. I bet high class establishments will be jumping at the chance to move into a strip mall that's got a Goodwill in it.

[buckett5425]

You're right. I bet high class establishments will be jumping at the chance to move into a strip mall that's got a Goodwill in it.

You assume there is a market need for high class establishments in Gardere, an area who's medium household income is 20K? Sounds like the free market is catering to the needs of the residents, as it should be.

[Antrell Williams]

Gardere isn't the only neighborhood. And wealthy people can donate to Goodwill.

[itsjustme3]

You assume there is a market need for high class establishments in Gardere, an area who's medium household income is 20K? Sounds like the free market is catering to the needs of the residents, as it should be.

And you assume that the Burbank and Bluebonnet intersection is in Gardere. It's not. Drive down bluebonnet recently? A 600+ upscale subdivision is coming to Bluebonnet and Nicholson. It's not a bad area at all if you avoid Gardere.

[steve3n8]

Cottonport Bank buys land on Corporate

Cottonport Bank, a nearly 110-year-old community bank, has purchased a tract of land on Corporate Boulevard and plans to open its first branch in Baton Rouge. The bank paid $781,159 for the property in front of The Gates at CitiPlace. A.J. Roy, CEO of Cottonport Bank, says the plan is to open a branch "as soon as possible." "We should be open by the first quarter, perhaps sooner," he says. Cottonport Bank has 11 branches, most of them in small towns and communities in Avoyelles Parish. The bank does have locations in Brusly and New Roads, which led them to move into Baton Rouge. "We have a growing portfolio of loans in East Baton Rouge Parish; hence the need for an actual location there," Roy says. The plan is to attract small businesses that want to work with a community bank. "We think we found a niche," Roy says.

Businessreport.com

[buckett5425]

And you assume that the Burbank and Bluebonnet intersection is in Gardere. It's not. Drive down bluebonnet recently? A 600+ upscale subdivision is coming to Bluebonnet and Nicholson. It's not a bad area at all if you avoid Gardere.

Agree to disagree on this one....but,

What's your beef with lower income individuals? You act like every part of town needs to cater to the wealthy and look like Towne Center....

[itsjustme3]

Agree to disagree on this one....but,

What's your beef with lower income individuals? You act like every part of town needs to cater to the wealthy and look like Towne Center....

Not at all. But when you take a nice part of town and then make it trashy by building a super walmart and a strip mall with a Goodwill in it then you're basically ruining a good part of town and telling people "if you want a nice quiet neighborhood then pack your bags and your property taxes and run to Prairieville".

[buckett5425]

Not at all. But when you take a nice part of town and then make it trashy by building a super walmart and a strip mall with a Goodwill in it then you're basically ruining a good part of town and telling people "if you want a nice quiet neighborhood then pack your bags and your property taxes and run to Prairieville".

Interesting, I'd argue that Prairieville is the land of cheap strip malls and Super Walmarts.

[buckett5425]

Not at all. But when you take a nice part of town and then make it trashy by building a super walmart and a strip mall with a Goodwill in it then you're basically ruining a good part of town and telling people "if you want a nice quiet neighborhood then pack your bags and your property taxes and run to Prairieville".

Interesting, I'd argue that Prairieville is the land of cheap strip malls and Super Walmarts.

[richyb83]

Let's not forget about nice establishments like Southern Kumfort's in Prairieville

[itsjustme3]

Let's not forget about nice establishments like Southern Kumfort's in Prairieville

Yeah, you're right. What was I thinking. There's no disgusting places in Baton Rouge whatsoever.

Fact is Baton Rouge is going further in the toilet thanks to families fleeing to the suburbs. At some point BR has to look in the mirror and ask 1) Why? And 2) What can we do to stop people from leaving.

[steve3n8]

James Construction buys land for new offices

James Construction Group has purchased a 4.5-acre tract of land off Highland Road and plans to build its new headquarters there. The construction company paid just under $1 million for the land on East Petroleum Drive. Brent Garrett of Beau Box Commercial Real Estate brokered the deal between James and Cole Development, which owned the site. Don Bonaventure, chief financial officer of James, says the plan is to build a 30,000-square-foot office building on the site. The construction firm currently is headquartered in a 22,000-square-foot office on Industriplex Boulevard. There's no timetable set yet for the new building's construction. "Now that we have the land, we can start the planning process," Bonaventure says.

Businessreport.com

[itsjustme3]

On College drive, across from Walmart, there was a closed restaurant (don't remember the name of it but it was located next to Starbucks) has been demolished. Anyone know what's going up there?

[pm_arch]

On College drive, across from Walmart, there was a closed restaurant (don't remember the name of it but it was located next to Starbucks) has been demolished. Anyone know what's going up there?

Was that the old Koto's?

[itsjustme3]

Was that the old Koto's?

I believe so

[pm_arch]

On College drive, across from Walmart, there was a closed restaurant (don't remember the name of it but it was located next to Starbucks) has been demolished. Anyone know what's going up there?

Was that the old Koto's?

[richyb83]

I'm not sure what's going to be replacing the Koto's site...

Wonder what this all about?? A "Game-Changing" development or development(s)??

Vision City looking for 'game-changing' developments outside of downtown

Vision City Development Group principals John Schneider, Brace Godfrey III and Derek Fitch are closely associated with downtown Baton Rouge through their work in Cyntreniks, which redeveloped the Kress at Third & Main and the Hotel King, now known as Hotel Indigo. But Schneider says Vision City now is looking to identify projects in Mid City, Old South Baton Rouge and north Baton Rouge as well as downtown. "We've identified at least one or more projects within each of those areas that has the potential to meet the criteria of what we call 'game-changing,' " Schneider says. He mentions the Shaw Center downtown as an example of a quintessential game-changing development that had an impact on the surrounding area. He says Vision City is meeting with investment groups that work in the various areas, with an announcement planned before the end of the year. The group will be taking on at least one major project in 2012, he says, adding that their experience downtown will inform their future efforts. "Before, we had the excuse that we didn't know what we didn't know," Schneider says. "Now, we know what we should know."

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/daily-report/2011/jul/05/2332/

[Antrell Williams]

Maybe something big in 'West' Mid-City as I like to call it.

[dan326]

"College Drive demolition work clears way for Chick-fil-A

The old Derek Chang's Koto of Japan restaurant on College Drive has been demolished to make room for a new Chick-fil-A restaurant. The building was torn down last week. George Kurz of Kurz & Hebert Commercial Real Estate, who had the listing for the property, says Chick-fil-A has received a building permit and signed a lease for the site. Kurz says construction on the new restaurant should start in the next three months. Chick-fil-A has been rumored for more than a year to be interested in the property across the street from a Walmart Supercenter. The chicken chain has five locations in Baton Rouge."

businessreport.com

Also, a Jared's jewelry is being built by Red Lobster, which is kinda funny because the mall has plenty of empty spaces.

[itsjustme3]

"College Drive demolition work clears way for Chick-fil-A

The old Derek Chang's Koto of Japan restaurant on College Drive has been demolished to make room for a new Chick-fil-A restaurant. The building was torn down last week. George Kurz of Kurz & Hebert Commercial Real Estate, who had the listing for the property, says Chick-fil-A has received a building permit and signed a lease for the site. Kurz says construction on the new restaurant should start in the next three months. Chick-fil-A has been rumored for more than a year to be interested in the property across the street from a Walmart Supercenter. The chicken chain has five locations in Baton Rouge."

businessreport.com

Also, a Jared's jewelry is being built by Red Lobster, which is kinda funny because the mall has plenty of empty spaces.

That's a interesting spot for a Chick-fil-a in that it's a horrible spot for a food place. BUT Chick fil a's are known for their clean stores inside and out. So it could help the surrounding area. Hopefully the "folks" who live in the surrounding area don't successfully trash it.

[Antrell Williams]

. Hopefully the "folks" who live in the surrounding area don't successfully trash it.

Of course.

[steve3n8]

ShoppersChoice.com expansion to include a retail store on Coursey

ShoppersChoice.com is expanding its footprint in Baton Rouge, says CEO Corey Tisdale, with plans to open a retail store on Coursey Boulevard in about three months. The 13,000-square-foot building will also be home to some administrative offices and warehouse space. The building has been vacant for years and is located next to The Chimes East restaurant.

"We're going to start with fireplaces, indoor appliances, outdoor appliances and patio furniture on the retail floor," Tisdale says. Before going entirely online in 2002, ShoppersChoice.com operated a pair of retail stores in Baton Rouge under the name The Grill Store & More, as well as a New Orleans location. The company has been growing steadily ever since. Revenue grew by 31.6% in 2010, to $25 million. Tisdale says the company is retaining all of its current warehouse and administrative offices in the area.

Tisdale says the e-commerce business decided to open a retail store to better serve local customers, as well as to provide its sales staff face-to-face sales experience and enhance product familiarity. Local delivery and installation will be offered by the store, he adds.

Businessreport.com

[Antrell Williams]

Nice to fill a vacant building.

[steve3n8]

Highland Road tract sold for $2.4 million

An undeveloped 14-acre tract of land on Highland Road has been sold for $2.4 million to a local construction company. Deumite Construction bought the land, near Healing Place Church, in a deal that closed late last week. Scott Deumite says the plan is to develop the property, which is zoned rural, for commercial use. "What we do with it really depends on what the buyer and the market want," he says. Deumite says the fact that the property is easily accessible by Interstate 10, Airline Highway and even Interstate 12 made it appealing. "There aren't that many other big tracts of undeveloped land in town," he says. Beau Box of Beau Box Commercial Real Estate brokered the deal. The land had been owned by the William Edward Montan Charitable Trust. Capital One, which administers the trust, will donate the proceeds from the sale to local nonprofit agencies. There's been other recent activity along Highland Road. James Construction, for example, paid just over $1 million for a 4.5-acre tract near the Deumite land and plans to build its new headquarters there. Box says some of the activity is being driven by the recent four-laning of Highland from Perkins Road to Airline Highway.

Businessreport.com

Cane's moves downtown headquarters

Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers has moved its headquarters across downtown Baton Rouge this week. The chain's offices have been relocated to a 5,000-square-foot space on the fifth floor of II City Plaza. Cane's had taken up 5,350 square feet in One American Place. The move comes following the end of Cane's lease at One American Place, where it had been based for the past five years. "The new space has a more prominent reception area and is a better fit in terms of office layout," says Julie Perrault, a company spokeswoman. Staff and services will remain the same, with an eye for future growth, she says.

The newest Raising Cane's opened Tuesday in Frisco, Texas, marking the chain's 102nd location. The company expects to open three restaurants by the end of the month: in Gretna; Lewisville, Texas; and Pascagoula, Miss.

Edited July 13, 2011 by steve3n8