Baton Rouge Photo of the Day

[fla_tiger]

That is the shot from BR heading west towards Port Allen.

That is a nice shot.

Be careful though, that is a hairy curve with all those semis around you!

[NCB]

Looks like you're headed the wrong direction.

So were you in BR or Port Allen when you took this? I'm all turned around.

Like bryde said, that was taken from Baton Rouge headed towards Port Allen. It was taken off of the overpass to get onto I-10, if you keep going strait your on I-110 through downtown which takes you up to Southern University and the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport.

That is a nice shot.

Be careful though, that is a hairy curve with all those semis around you!

Thanks! And that is a very hairy curve, especially with the huge increase in traffic in Baton Rouge since Katrina.

[byrde]

State Office Building for Motor Vehicles and the Office of Management and Finance

[dimebag1980]

State Office Building for Motor Vehicles and the Office of Management and Finance

Good photo, byrde.

Just curious, what part of town is that in? Is that in or near downtown, or further out?

[NCB]

Nice shot, bryde.

I'm curious as to where in Baton Rouge that's located as well.

[richyb83]

That's located in Independence Park, the eastern-edge of mid-city. Near the Bonne Carre Business Park.

Approx. 5 miles east of Downtown.

Edited April 29, 2006 by richyb83

[dimebag1980]

That's located in Independence Park, the eastern-edge of mid-city. Near the Bonne Carre Business Park.

Approx. 5 miles east of Downtown.

Ahh.. gotcha! So it's not too far outside of downtown.

[NCB]

Thanks, Richy! I think I'm pretty sure I know where it is now as I've been around that area numerous times, but I've never noticed that building.

[byrde]

It is in the same complex as the State Police Headquarters.

[fla_tiger]

That's located in Independence Park, the eastern-edge of mid-city. Near the Bonne Carre Business Park.

Approx. 5 miles east of Downtown.

A little history lesson folks......

The Central section of Baton Rouge is undergoing a renaissance of sorts.

Because of rapid growth in the area, for safety reasons, the old "Downtown Airport" was closed in the late seventies and converted into Independence Park. Its large area provided for much used park lands including an Public Gardens, Playhouse/Theatre, soccer fields, baseball/softball fields, jogging trails and picnic areas.

Parts of the site were developed as a one-stop Public Safety complex, with new buildings utilized by state agencies. On a side note, FEMA is located here.

The original airport:

1933 photo

terminal building

1941 map

1963 map

1984 aerial of airport conversion to park

1989 aerial of park

Public Safety Complex

LSP Building

Other developments of note in the Central area include:

Wooddale Park, one of BR's original office parks outside of the CBD

Wooddale Tower

Mid-City is home to the Baton Rouge Community College, BR General Hospital's Main Campus and dozens of supporting companies.

General Health Systems Operations Building

Dean Tower

Bon Carr

[NCB]

^Thanks for the info and photos, fla_tiger! That was something that I wasn't aware of. Very interesting!

[dimebag1980]

Wow, fla_tiger... that was quite the history lesson, thanks.

I like the fact that they developed that area into such a unique complex. And I like the fact that the community college is located in that area along with everything else.

[richyb83]

Good stuff Fla.Tiger ! I can rememember as a little kid when that was a airport.

Yes, it's good to see Mid-City coming back ! BR Comm.College is bursting at the seams. It opened in 2000 ? Now it has an enrollment over 7,000. And they still have 40% left to build(add-on) on to the campus. Bonne Carre Business Park has really helped revitalization too. Vacant properties along Government Street are being bought and redeveloped. It used to be they were running from there. Now they are running back to it !

Edited April 30, 2006 by richyb83

[dimebag1980]

Vacant properties along Government Street are being bought and redeveloped. It used to be they were running from there. Now they are running back to it !

This is always good to see. I certainly don't want to take this thread way out in left field by talking about Shreveport, but I have witnessed that same type of thing here this year. Wal-Mart is building a Supercenter in the blighted Shreve City area which once was a huge shopping area for the city. With the news of Wal-Mart store, many businesses are starting to open in this area once again.

I'd much rather see this than see another shopping center being built 10 or 15 miles out from the city center.

I think Baton Rouge has a good thing going with this redevelopment, so maybe this and the investments in downtown are the beginning of the end of the sprawl problem.

[byrde]

New Medical Clinic/Outpatient Surgical Facility

This is in North BR along Harding Blvd. It is in the new Howell Place Development.

[dimebag1980]

New Medical Clinic/Outpatient Surgical Facility

.photo snipped.

This is in North BR along Harding Blvd. It is in the new Howell Place Development.

I've been to that site before. I don't remember how I found it before, but as soon as I went to it I recognized it. It seems that developers in Baton Rouge integrate medical buildings into many of their developments, further enhancing the appeal. For instance, the medical complex at Perkins Rowe as well.

[byrde]

I've been to that site before. I don't remember how I found it before, but as soon as I went to it I recognized it. It seems that developers in Baton Rouge integrate medical buildings into many of their developments, further enhancing the appeal. For instance, the medical complex at Perkins Rowe as well.

I'm sure the thinking is, Medical Clinics create traffic during day time hours, thus providing sources of people for the restaurants during the day.

[NCB]

This is in North BR along Harding Blvd. It is in the new Howell Place Development.

That looks like an interestng project. I don't think I've seen anything about it, but it looks pretty nice.

[richyb83]

I posted this development on March 29, BR Growth & Development; post # 114

[NCB]

I posted this development on March 29, BR Growth & Development; post # 114

Thanks Richy!

I had forgotten about that, and I went over and reviewed the post.

[dimebag1980]

I posted this development on March 29, BR Growth & Development; post # 114

That must be where I first saw that website.

Very well... thanks for sharing, guys.

[NCB]

Baton Rouge traffic...it was some of the worst traffic in all of the South before Katrina, and now, yea...

This was taken at around 1:00pm last friday.

[dimebag1980]

Baton Rouge traffic...it was some of the worst traffic in all of the South before Katrina, and now, yea...

This was taken at around 1:00pm last friday.

Holy crud, man... Yeah, it was bad before but OH MY...

I have 2 co-workers who spend most of their days in Baton Rouge these days (fixing problems... nothing Katrina-related,) and I kind of thought they were full of crap when they told me just how bad it had gotten. Seeing is believing!

As many times as I've driven that exact stretch of road I never realizedit was 8 lanes. Of course I never realized that hotel was over 20 stories either. I'm beginning to think the only thing I noticed in Baton Rouge was Krispy Kreme... because I did find that place pretty easily.

Thanks, Nate. I think I know one city to avoid for a while.

[NCB]

Yea it's bad. But I believe they're widening that part of I-12, or maybe it was just I-10. Richy or Bryde could tell you more I'm sure.

Thanks, Nate. I think I know one city to avoid for a while.

Oh you definately shouldn't avoid Baton Rouge, but you should avoid driving in it.

It's the "New New Orleans" as so many say, and just driving in the city on smaller roads off of the interstate, you see just how much action the city has picked up since Katrina.

[NCB]

Oh and since we're on the subject of Baton Rouge traffic, here's another picture.

Traffic was backed up all the way over the Mississippi River Bridge..