Third Street

[richyb83]

Along Third Street in Capitol Park

Third Street becomes a "One-Way" with Lafayette Street veering off to the right

Opposite side of Third Street

Entrance to Shaw Center for the Arts; Roux House (right) popular hang-out

Phase II of Shaw Arts Center(left) to begin soon

Looking North

Baton Rouge's First Skyscraper built in 1927 at 12-stories

Third Street at Convention Street; Hilton Capitol Center (back right)

The jagged brick building to the left is being renovated; the wall has been knocked down;

It will be a mixed-use bldg. with Chenevert Architects new home; new loft living on the

3rd floor

The 7-story State National Life Building

During renovation

After New MAPP Construction HQ's with modern 3rd floor addition

Older pic of the Kress/Levy & Welch Building

Currently being renovated into a mixed-use of office, retail, and lofts on an additional floor

Please pardon the lighting; I wanted to get a pic of the new Street Signage

with Third Street in the background

[dimebag1980]

Please pardon the lighting; I wanted to get a pic of the new Street Signage

with Third Street in the background

[NCB]

Yes, very nice tour Richy! Thanks for posting!

I always find it interesting that in direct sunlight, the exterior of One American Place looks very brown, sort of a muddy color, and the windows take a deep black color:

But during more cloudy conditions, the exterior can look almost jet black in color, and the windows take more of a brown color:

Or maybe it's just me?

[dimebag1980]

Yes, very nice tour Richy! Thanks for posting!

I always find it interesting that in direct sunlight, the exterior of One American Place looks very brown, sort of a muddy color, and the windows take a deep black color:

But during more cloudy conditions, the exterior can look almost jet black in color, and the windows take more of a brown color:

Or maybe it's just me?

[dan326]

[byrde]

Nice pics along 3rd street.

[richyb83]

Nice pics along 3rd street.

[Rardy]

Great pics! *Sniff* (I miss BR)

That green 3rd street sign is new to me. Cool!

[yis2003yis]

i Jus passed through 3rd street today and ive been lookin @ the 3rd st. daquri sign for a while.....does anyone know when that project is expected to open??

[richyb83]

The new Schlittz & Giggles pizza joint is a nice addition for Third Street; at street level in the old Taylor bldg. Little flat screen TV's all over the place w/ vaulted ceilings

Their new neon sign looks great at night and compliments the old retro Coca-Cola sign across the street; just wonder what will become of the prime property underneath it?? I guess the plans for the club were scrapped??

*BEFORE*

*AFTER* Chenevert Architects did a nice job with replacing the old jagged-brick facade; and Boudreaux & Thibodoux's did a nice job adding awning to the 2nd level balcony

Third Street has come a long way; but still has a ways to go.

[SUSAstudent]

Okay . . Im not one to knock down or criticize buildings and what not . .. but am I the only person that things One American Place is hideous ? and I also remember reading somewhere that the building was supposed to compliment or resemble the waters of the Mississippi in color, hence the dirty brown color the building gives off. Another thing that I noticed was that One Shell Square and One American Place sort of share a similar design. I really wish that BR and NO would have chosen these buildings, by them being the tallest in both cities, to display architectural character and have used those as "landmark buildings" if you will. I think that if the Shaw HQ building was in downtown and stood at about 30-35 stories, if would have really stood out.

This would really be a massive building also, and in so many ways it displays architectural traits common to Louisiana. The columns and the extensive exterior molding at the crown of the building. . .even so much as the color to me. I wish I could find someone to take this building and stretch it about 15 stories.

[richyb83]

^I can't get your pic to come up on screen.

^ Agreed. One American Place (built in 74') was nice for the 70's and 80's, but is outdated now. My wife thinks it's ugly too. Oh well, it's BR's 2nd tallest building anyway.

Yeah the Shaw HQ's is no doubt BR's Best Looking 12+story building. It sure would look great as a 30+story high-rise tower downtown Then it might resemble something you might see in Charlotte NC with style and color. Shaw also has the best lighting at night too; esp. with the festive lights at the top during specific times of the year.

[dan326]

I love the look of that new pizza place.

I like One American actually. I think Chase is the ugly one. I you can find me a nice picture of Shaw, I'll try to stretch it.

Also, I'd rather have several towers spread out, than all of them in downtown. That really make a city look larger.

[SUSAstudent]

lol @ richie. . Your wife has great architectural taste. lol But I swear One American Place looks like a high rise verson of SU's Moore Hall (Center for Technology).. .. its HIDEOUS. . . good thing that SU has made plans to build a new one. . . and a new School of Business . . . . . . . and that rec center . .. . Southern is really aggressively fixing campus up . .. about time !! lol

James Blaine Moore Hall. . .Center for Technology and Information Systems (CTI) . . .the Architecture building is right across the street and is also undergoing extensive renovation. Now compare that to One American Place. lol

[richyb83]

Yeah you right, Moore Hall sure does resemble One American Place, in a flat way. That old International Style sure was popular back in the day. One American Place is so boxy, with little variation. It's ashame it could not have been built later, like in 1986 to resemble something like Shreveport's AmSouth Tower(86').

SUSAstudent, keep us up to date on the campus improvements at Southern Good to see!

[NCB]

Third Street is really looking good these days. Thanks for the pictures, Richy! I really liked the first picture you posted, with the pizza place in the foreground, as I don't remember much of anything being on that street just a few years ago. I'll try to dig up my downtown BR photos from 2006 for some comparisons.

Two questions I have for anyone in Baton Rouge, that are also my extremely basic suggestions for downtown, based on the time I've spent there.

1) The streets downtown seem pretty beat up, along with many of the sidewalks. Are there any plans to repave/replace them in certain sections downtown? It seems like BR is going to great lenghts to improve its street lights, street signs, and add downtown wayfinders, so you'd think the next thing on the list would be to improve its sidewalks and roads?

2) Are there any plans to add any parks or greenspace downtown? To me, the most appealing aspects of the areas around the Old State Capitol and the current Capitol would have to be greenspace. But between the Old Capitol and the "gateway" buildings, greenspace is noticeably absent. A park or open plaza replacing some of those parking lots could make the central portion of downtown BR look much more appealing, and could help keep people impressed and interested as they make their way from the USS Kidd, Shaw Center, or Old Capitol towards the Louisiana State Museum and the State Capitol.

[richyb83]

Thanks Nate! There's just something about Third Street; it was the place to be back when my parents were growing up. It looks like it becoming that way again on Friday & Saturday nights for different reasons.

You are right, those areas of greenspace around the Old Capitol & current Capitol are very nice. The State Capitol grounds have been said to be among some of the best in the country; it will get even nicer once they complete the amphitheatre at Lafayette Street and Third.

I'll have to pay closer attention to the sidewalks and streets; but I know there are some beat-up/tricky spots. I almost broke my ankle running across Florida Street. Seems that I remember some improvements are being made to the sidewalks; I'm sure there is plenty of work left to do.

They have some small little open plaza's with park benches in a few spots along Fourth Street between the Old Capitol and current Capitol. A pocket park is planned for Convention Street at Seventh. Some parks in some of those empty parking lots on Fourth Street might be nice; but a few more mid-rise & high-rise office towers would be even nicer; esp. between the Chase Towers and One American Place

[twstdndmntd]

I don't think we need to add anymore green space downtown. I feel we have enough with the grounds of the new and old capital buildings. I think if they wanted to add more green space downtown then they should do it with regards to the river and the levee. I think we could do so much more with the levee if they didn't have those railroad tracks. Those tracks take up valuable land. They could level it off with the top of the levee, plant some trees, plants, more benches, etc...

[buckett5425]

the levee is a mess. It looks great in front of the river center, but then north of the river center, there isn't any connectivity to downtown. The path way just dead ends onto the railroad tracks at laurel street and your just left you walk on the rocks. There are no sidewalks from river road to the levee. There aren't even side walks on river road, so you have no where to walk but on the street, or the railroad tracks when your trying to get from river road to the levee walk. They did a great job in front of the river center, but it sure would be nice if they would continue that up to the casino rouge and build desoto park, too. I am sure if river place gets built, they will push for more connectivity, since I'm sure most of the residents would love to be able to access the levee walk without walking up the side of grass, then over railroad tracks with no sidewalk.

[twstdndmntd]

the levee is a mess. It looks great in front of the river center, but then north of the river center, there isn't any connectivity to downtown. The path way just dead ends onto the railroad tracks at laurel street and your just left you walk on the rocks. There are no sidewalks from river road to the levee. There aren't even side walks on river road, so you have no where to walk but on the street, or the railroad tracks when your trying to get from river road to the levee walk. They did a great job in front of the river center, but it sure would be nice if they would continue that up to the casino rouge and build desoto park, too. I am sure if river place gets built, they will push for more connectivity, since I'm sure most of the residents would love to be able to access the levee walk without walking up the side of grass, then over railroad tracks with no sidewalk.

[buckett5425]

Well said!!! One of my biggest complaints I have had is the fact that the levee top walking path did not go all the way to the Capital Building. It just seemed to me they would have done that. I think instead of doing that god awefull floating park that they want to do, it would be money better spent to transform the city side of the levee into something like is in NOLA. I say build a nice brick wall along River Rd. and levee off the land with the top of levee to make a "bigger" park area with trees and more benches. Then I say on the River Rd side do a nice big mural of BR on the wall. I think it would be a fantastic edition. I just really HATE that whole floating park idea, I think it's going to look horrible...

[cajun]

I'd much prefer a levee modification or expansion to make enough of a flat surface to have a riverfront park.

Widen the levee so the top is a good 40' of flat land (right now the railroad tracks take up most of the flat part of the levee)Plant some cypress trees, landscaping, put in a walking trail up top, fancy lighting, and some benches and call it a day. Maybe on the side facing the river they can put in their steps all the way down to the water (even when the water is low). To me that would be the best thing to do...and it's not that big of a deal money wise....and I am sure the Army Corp of Engineers wouldn't have problems with a wider levee (though they might not like the trees on top). North Little Rock, New Orleans, and Memphis all have a similar riverfront and they look good.

At most, I could see a fancy floating pier near at convention street for fishing or.whatever..I'm sure that a wider levee wouldn't be that expensive, and it would beat the hell out of driving thousands of piles and building a park over the water (LAME!). That stupid barge park will undoubtedly seperate the river from downtown, so I think that the levee should be expanded and maybe they should add a sidewalk up to the levee on River Road and nice steps at each intersection.

I like the idea of a murial on the retainer wall holding up the tracks like someone mentioned earlier. Oklahoma City has one and it looks pretty cool.

New Orleans has a nice riverfront and they did something similar with theirs.

Maybe the batture out there by the capitol building can be expanded/excavated enough for enough space for some big fancy monument about the instroma bluff and how the indians marked their territory. How about a 300' high red structure with an observation tower? Maybe a private boat launch for folks who want to put their watercraft in the river.

[twstdndmntd]

I vote for the wider levee top....

[richyb83]

*need to get out car next time

*was hoping these night pics came out a little better...sorry hegetaka

[hagetaka]

*need to get out car next time

*was hoping these night pics came out a little better...sorry hegetaka