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Two City Plaza


richyb83

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Yeah cajun, Laurel Tower has now become where the brownstone/lofts will be instead.

Hopefully the River Center's talks of a "convention center" type hotel will happen?? A "vertical" Hyatt would be ideal!!!

There's a open tract of land on North Street east of the state bldgs. for $sale; it looks like prime property for a decent sized office building.

The old Advocate site should have a nice office building too; BRAC, BRAF and Commercial Properties would share the office tower. A final plan shoulsd be announced by the end of the year!

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Yeah cajun, Laurel Tower has now become where the brownstone/lofts will be instead.

Hopefully the River Center's talks of a "convention center" type hotel will happen?? A "vertical" Hyatt would be ideal!!!

There's a open tract of land on North Street east of the state bldgs. for $sale; it looks like prime property for a decent sized office building.

The old Advocate site should have a nice office building too; BRAC, BRAF and Commercial Properties would share the office tower. A final plan shoulsd be announced by the end of the year!

I saw that for sale sign myself. That would be a good place for another office building. Also, wasn't there talk a while back, about a possible office building on Florida Street, across from the Chase tower, maybe between about 6th and 7th streets? I think across from the Firestone service center?

I'm also waiting to see if anything develops on the lagre tract of land that was recently put up for sale across from the DOTD building. A mixed use development would go nicely there with an elevated walkway across I-110. A small shopping area with a good restaurant or two, possibly some reasonably priced apartments for state employees who could walk to work.

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North Blvd. east bound has been closed and a construction fence is in place for construction to begin on the new courthouse building. Looks like both the courthouse and City Plaza II will both be going up at the same time, as scheduled. Now if we could get the RiverPlace condos going by Labor day.

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:thumbsup: It's cool to see BOTH the New Courthouse and II City Plaza will be going up at the same time so close(only a block apart) to each other. Out of one construction zone into another!

Once RiverPlace starts, I think there will be a true "buzz" in the air downtown! This will spur more developments.

^^You are right drew. Last year there was mention of a possible 10-story office tower on Sixth Street in the parking lot between First Baptist Church and the rental car place across Firestone service center. But not much else was ever said?? Not sure what's up with that now??

Trahan bought the entire block to the south of that(bordering 6th/7th, North Blvd./Convention St.) ; wonder what will become of the block after the demolition of the four-story building at the end of the year??

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Yes, agree...... I think once we get some of this construction actually going on I think alot of buzz will be in the air and I think it will really spur more growth. I feel and hope that this is actualy just the begining. People want to see something actually happening before they commit to anything down there. Right now all they hear is talk... they are waiting for some results.

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^ Sure I'm disapointed it will only be 12-stories; and not 17, but originally it was only 14, so it's not really that bad. For me it's easy to be enthusiastic! Being a lifelong resident in BR and seeing downtown being left for dead in the mid-90's, it's easy to be postive + it will look MUCH better/nicer than the parking lot that's there now. :thumbsup: + it's the 1st "private" project this size since 89'.

RiverPlace sure has been tenuous! But many projects "anywhere" in the U.S. could have easily shut things down after the hurricanes jacked-up $construction co$t out the roof. The fact it's still will happen has me buzzin'.

I understand that your enthusiasm for downtown BR's developments can be a let-down; when compared to what downtown Orlando is currently going thru. O-Town has some really nice projects on the board (not sure how many are being built now?). But not many cities around the South are doing as well with the "high-rises" as Orlando is currently. Of course no city's skyline is growing as faster than Miami's(not even close). And as other cities like Mobile(have) and maybe Nashville look to build "landmark" towers; BR could be doing worse; plenty of other Southern cities BR's size would love to have a 30-story residential tower.

Places like Austin, Orlando(nearly 2 million metro). are finally getting some impressive looking downtown's for city's that size. Baton Rouge(metro 750,000?) is not there yet, but progress is being made. There are some long range projects that could really help too!

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^ Sure I'm disapointed it will only be 12-stories; and not 17, but originally it was only 14, so it's not really that bad. For me it's easy to be enthusiastic! Being a lifelong resident in BR and seeing downtown being left for dead in the mid-90's, it's easy to be postive + it will look MUCH better/nicer than the parking lot that's there now. :thumbsup: + it's the 1st "private" project this size since 89'.

RiverPlace sure has been tenuous! But many projects "anywhere" in the U.S. could have easily shut things down after the hurricanes jacked-up $construction co$t out the roof. The fact it's still will happen has me buzzin'.

I understand that your enthusiasm for downtown BR's developments can be a let-down; when compared to what downtown Orlando is currently going thru. O-Town has some really nice projects on the board (not sure how many are being built now?). But not many cities around the South are doing as well with the "high-rises" as Orlando is currently. Of course no city's skyline is growing as faster than Miami's(not even close). And as other cities like Mobile(have) and maybe Nashville look to build "landmark" towers; BR could be doing worse; plenty of other Southern cities BR's size would love to have a 30-story residential tower.

Places like Austin, Orlando(nearly 2 million metro). are finally getting some impressive looking downtown's for city's that size. Baton Rouge(metro 750,000?) is not there yet, but progress is being made. There are some long range projects that could really help too!

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Well said Richy!!! Regardless of how small or large a development is, it's still a development and I'm glad to have any and all developments we can get. People tend to forget in relative terms BR is a small city, for now. We are very much a growing city, every city went threw what we are going threw now, so yes I will get excited.

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  • 4 weeks later...

It's what we've been waiting for!!! :w00t: :w00t:

Work under way at II City Plaza

Construction has started on the downtown II City Plaza office building, even though the project has not received final approval. The State Bond Commission deferred granting final approval to all projects receiving GO Zone funding until a special meeting next week. II City Plaza will serve as the local headquarters for Regions Bank and Phelps Dunbar.

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Yes I read that in the BR Business Report today that work has started. Started without the bonds that Wampold says he needs. My question is what happens if by some chance he doesn't get the approval for the bonds? Will he still be able to build the building or will it be a dead project?

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

How's the progress going downtown on the site? I haven't been downtown in a while to see anything.

I drove by the site about a week ago, it looks like they are digging out what will be the basement. I didn't see any workers (but it was Sunday). Its hard to see what's going on at the site of the new courthouse since it is blocked off by green fences, but it also looks to be underway. It appears that construction on the town square is also in progress, since most of North blvd. is closed. Its going to be great once these projects are completed, if only they could do something with the other surface parking lots on the corner of 4th and Convention st. But I guess one step at a time is OK as long as progress is being made.

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Welcome to the forums Nick. I appreciate the imput on the progress downtown. Defenitely good to see!

The new Courthouse had some metal-walls driven into the ground; like you said hard to see thru the green construction fences. Looks like II City Plaza is going forward despite the confusion with GO Zone fund$. These large projects;along with Town Square and Shaw Arts Center's next phase will dramatically change the streetscape around those blocks!

I totally agree with the surface parking lot on Fourth Street @ Convention Street; that would be an ideal location for a new mixed-use "landmark" tower! Or another good location; go up Fourth St. a couple of blocks to the north @Laurel; tear-down that puny-little single-story office.

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I totally agree with the surface parking lot on Fourth Street @ Convention Street; that would be an ideal location for a new mixed-use "landmark" tower! Or another good location; go up Fourth St. a couple of blocks to the north @Laurel; tear-down that puny-little single-story office.

A mixed use tower would be great for that lot, especially one with modern styling. I would like to see something with a penthouse, why not? I like the 2 or 3 penthouses down Third st, it would be nice if something like that continued.

As far a Laurel St. goes, we might see changes there too. The new Brownstones will be nice, I'm not sure what's going to happen with the old LaCap building, but someone could fit a decent mid-rise there if they wanted to.

Or maybe another surface parking lot :sick: .

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Sweet!!

How long do you think it will take before we start to see some framework?

Looks like soil stabalization already to me from that picture. They must have driven piles already?

If that's the case then you'll see it in 3 wks to a month....but there's always a delay.

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