Towne Center

[dan326]

LOL! Ok, that one was pretty good because it looks like the apartments by Town Center and by the LSU Lakes and is also a believable height. Lol, maybe one day...

[richyb83]

Ha ha Dan....was going to leave it alone this year being Easter & all...+ Giving somebody else a Chance to Throw some April Fool's...but no one stepped up to the plate; so it was getting late; too hard to pass up    It does get harder to Fool y'all by the year

 

On 4/1/2018 at 11:02 PM, richyb83 said:

Not sure how i missed this??     Cool new Mid-rise condo development adjacent to Towne Center off Corporate Blvd...the area continues to grow

You can check out all the latest new developments on April Fool's.com

HAPPY EASTER  to y'all!

 

[richyb83]

Hey Dan326....moved this to Towne Center thread hard to believe last post here nearly 3  years ago! Hope you didn't mind...

Two two-story buildings over there sound nice. It's been cool to see the ring of businesses around Towne Center

Permit granted for new shopping center near Towne Center

Kristopher Klar, who owns Stone and Cloth nearby on Lobdell Avenue, received the permit Monday, which estimates the center will cost $2.15 million to build. The 21,570-square-foot center will include two, two-story buildings—one more than 18,000 square feet with eight units, while the other will have one unit comprising nearly 3,000 square feet. 

 

https://www.businessreport.com/realestate/permit-granted-for-new-shopping-center-by-towne-center

 

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/article_0cc2605a-5a70-11eb-80bb-6faabc029c9f.html

Louisiana Farm Bureau gets permit for new offices

Louisiana Farm Bureau has obtained a building permit for its $21 million office that will be built off Corporate Boulevard.

The building at 7000 Commerce Circle will be three stories and have 84,355-square feet of space. It is set to open by mid-2022, just in time for Farm Bureau’s 100th anniversary.

•  

[dan326]

Oops, I forgot about this thread, we've had so many over the years. It's all good!

[richyb83]

Nike files plans for 12,000-square-foot apparel store in Towne Center

https://www.businessreport.com/business/nike-files-plans-for-12000-square-foot-apparel-store-in-towne-center

[dan326]

Cool. Also does anyone else have trouble viewing Business Rep. sometimes? Some times the whole page wont load for me.

[richyb83]

Only issue w Business Report wanting me to become an "Insider";  may or may not be worth it.

Would be nice to know exactly what the plan is for Towne Center. Could it include  Residential Lofts above some of the retail?? But it says developer "behind" Towne Center....

Towne Center moves to add multifamily residential as ‘permissible use’

The developer behind Towne Center at Cedar Lodge wants to rezone the lifestyle development to also allow for multifamily residential use.

https://www.businessreport.com/realestate/towne-center-developer-moves-to-add-multifamily-residential-as-permissible-use

[richyb83]

New  84,000' Sq Ft  Louisiana Farm Bureau office building UNDER CONSTRUCTION .....from back of Commerce Circle next to Towne Center

Took what i thought was a better pic  from Corporate Blvd. side ..  but it messed up. Maybe next time?

Good to see something finally built on  that vacant/ undeveloped tract of land!

 

[dan326]

7 hours ago, richyb83 said:

New  84,000' Sq Ft  Louisiana Farm Bureau office building UNDER CONSTRUCTION .....from back of Commerce Circle next to Towne Center

Took what i thought was a better pic  from Corporate Blvd. side ..  but it messed up. Maybe next time?

Good to see something finally built on  that vacant/ undeveloped tract of land!

 

Yup, even at only 3 stories it looks pretty impressive.

[richyb83]

Yes it sure does Dan ...just think the original plans called for Two TWIN 5 - story offices nuildings

Here is the view from Corporate Blvd

[cajun]

19 minutes ago, richyb83 said:

Yes it sure does Dan ...just think the original plans called for Two TWIN 5 - story offices nuildings

Here is the view from Corporate Blvd

Cool!  They are taking up that whole semi-circle area.   

Wonder if Forte & Tablada will move into  the Farm Bureau insurance company's old digs on Airline Highway.   F&T were trying to move downtown, but recently decided to find bigger offices in the Airline/I-12 location because they needed a large parking area for their work vehicles.   I think the Amazon investment gave them a little more faith that the Airline corridor might see additional investment.

I like the design of the Farm Bureau office building that's going up.    It looks much cooler than the Lamar corporate office a couple of miles west of there.....which HAD to have been designed by the same architect that did the Chase Towers downtown. 

I know the Lamar offices look great on the inside and are VERY nice.   And I'm glad that they are maintaining an older building like that.   But I'm glad there are mature oak trees and very heavy landscaping  in front of it.  Before to long the folks in the window offices are going to feel like they are in a forest.  

On 5/21/2021 at 1:57 PM, richyb83 said:

Only issue w Business Report wanting me to become an "Insider";  may or may not be worth it.

Would be nice to know exactly what the plan is for Towne Center. Could it include  Residential Lofts above some of the retail?? But it says developer "behind" Towne Center....

Towne Center moves to add multifamily residential as ‘permissible use’

The developer behind Towne Center at Cedar Lodge wants to rezone the lifestyle development to also allow for multifamily residential use.

https://www.businessreport.com/realestate/towne-center-developer-moves-to-add-multifamily-residential-as-permissible-use

Multi-family housing is massively over built in Baton Rouge.    I doubt they move forward with this.   

The problem here is that retail is sort of stagnant in the era of e-commerce.   Their best bet might actually be office buildings (which aren't a great market now) or hotels.

19 minutes ago, richyb83 said:

Yes it sure does Dan ...just think the original plans called for Two TWIN 5 - story offices nuildings

Here is the view from Corporate Blvd

 

Is "two twin" office buildings 4 office buildings?  

No way those Bocage neighbors would be okay with anything they could see from their back yards.   3-4 stories is about all you can do on the front parcels.   The back ones near Republic Finance might have more flexibility though. 

I'd also bet that the land that is currently occupied by the nearby Witter horse farm will eventually be developed into something that would include an office campus, housing, hotels, green space, lakes, parks, etc.  That's probably extremely valuable property given its location.

Edited June 10, 2021 by cajun

[richyb83]

This should be interesting....this could go up to 6 floors on the West-end  of Towne Center

Article also talks about other projects ; including Highland/Bluebonnet mentioned on other thread + South Chase Tower residential project on upper floors

Developer Steve Keller planning high-end apartments at Towne Center

Developers Steve Keller and Dan Moody III, are planning to develop a 300-unit multifamily complex at Towne Center on the site of the retail strip that houses the long-shuttered Books-a-Million space, two restaurants and a tuxedo rental store.

Keller’s attorney Scott Crawford says that if the proposed development is approved tonight by the Planning Commission, Keller and Moody will demolish the retail strip and relocate the existing tenants to other spaces within Towne Center.

The 4-acre site will then be redeveloped into a complex of up to six stories of high-end units with an enclosed, multilevel garage.

*rest of article

https://www.businessreport.com/realestate/developer-steve-keller-planning-high-end-multifamily-complex-at-towne-center

The proposed development at Towne Center is one of several high-end multifamily projects on the drawing board. Later this month, the Metro Council will consider approval of a controversial 300-unit multifamily complex proposed for @Highland by New Orleans developer T.J. Iarocci’s Key Real Estate Development.

Meanwhile, Mike Wampold is well underway in his redevelopment of the former Chase South Tower, now I Rivermark Centre, into a mixed-use development with 150 high-end residential units. 

Appraiser Wesley Moore says the market appears to be overbuilt, though in 2020 occupancy rates increased over 2019, suggesting the new inventory is being absorbed.

“It doesn’t seem like we should be able to absorb as much as we are,” Moore says. “But, we are.”

The Planning Department staff has recommended approval of Keller’s project.

The Planning Commission meets at 5 p.m. in the Metro Council chambers at City Hall.

 

 

[dan326]

Well, it does sound like a nice idea. Still kinda sad they couldn't find any other retail to go in that space.

[cajun]

14 minutes ago, dan326 said:

Well, it does sound like a nice idea. Still kinda sad they couldn't find any other retail to go in that space.

I think Covid is finishing what E-commerce started unfortunately.    Retail centers like Town Center or Mall of LA will not be built again at that scale.    Juban Crossing might have been the last one in the area to get built.  

Sounds like the Five Guys and the other businesses in that smaller building will be relocated to the other parts of Town Center.    It's probably not a bad idea.    I do wish there was more demand for office space in Baton Rouge, because that would mean more white collar jobs.   Which means that more educated people are staying in Louisiana instead of moving to Atlanta or Houston.    A larger office building would look pretty cool right there, and would definitely keep those restaurants busy during lunch hours (which is probably their slow time).

I think they could have gotten away with something "taller" there (maybe 8-10 floors) since it's farther away from single family homes in the area than the Farm Bureau HQ building is.    The FB building will definitely look cool at least.   

Edited July 21, 2021 by cajun

[richyb83]

Under Construction ; Across Jefferson Hwy from Towne Center

New retail and office development Coterie Exchange adds two tenants

https://www.businessreport.com/realestate/new-retail-and-office-development-coterie-exchange-adds-two-tenants

https://buildcc.net/coterie-exchange/

 

[richyb83]

 

New  84,000' Sq Ft  Louisiana Farm Bureau office building UNDER CONSTRUCTION .....from back of Commerce Circle next to Towne Center

 

[dan326]

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/article_630d316c-789a-11ec-a7b7-d35a822c95e3.html

Bonefish Grill closes Towne Center restaurant

[richyb83]

Saw that! What a bummer ; but i hadn't been there in a while. Interesting NOLA & Lafayette's still open

[dan326]

On 1/19/2022 at 3:42 PM, richyb83 said:

Saw that! What a bummer ; but i hadn't been there in a while. Interesting NOLA & Lafayette's still open

Right I wonder how Lafayette kept theirs? Although they want to relocate Zea's there? I was kinda hoping they forgot about that idea to demolish that strip if that's what they're still going to do.

Edited January 21, 2022 by dan326

[cajun]

On 1/19/2022 at 8:10 AM, dan326 said:

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/article_630d316c-789a-11ec-a7b7-d35a822c95e3.html

Bonefish Grill closes Towne Center restaurant

Bonefish is struggling nationwide.   Which sucks because it's one of my favorite chain restaurants.

[dan326]

5 hours ago, cajun said:

Bonefish is struggling nationwide.   Which sucks because it's one of my favorite chain restaurants.

Yeah, I liked them too.

[richyb83]

Curious to see what  286-unit "The Standard" @ Towne Center will look like?

So it's going in the  old Books A Million bldg. ...does this mean Five Guys hamburgers will be moving too?

District Donuts to close Baton Rouge location ahead of Towne Center redevelopment

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/article_c7a3f30a-9b08-11ec-971c-4b954049cd71.html

District Donuts Sliders Brew will close its Towne Center location after nearly 5 years in business.

The doughnut shop will shut down on March 15.

In a statement, District Donuts said it was closing because Towne Center is relocating several businesses to make room for redevelopment of the lifestyle center.

Towne Center officials declined to comment on a potential redevelopment.

But in September, the East Baton Rouge Planning Commission approved plans for The Standard @Towne Center, a 286-unit apartment complex with a parking garage. The complex would be built on the site of a building that was anchored by the former Books-A-Million store. There are several existing businesses in that building, including the popular restaurants Five Guys and Zea Rotisserie & Bar.

District Donuts has six locations: three in New Orleans, one in Jefferson, one in Jackson, Mississippi and one on the Las Vegas Strip.

District Donuts is the second restaurant in Towne Center to close this year. Bonefish Grill shut down in early January, the same month the restaurant's lease was up.

Edited March 4, 2022 by richyb83

[dan326]

13 hours ago, richyb83 said:

Curious to see what  286-unit "The Standard" @ Towne Center will look like?

So it's going in the  old Books A Million bldg. ...does this mean Five Guys hamburgers will be moving too?

Yeah me too. I'm guessing they'll just put them in the District spot.

Hopefully, the style of the apartments  fit with everything else. I almost wonder why they couldn't find a hotel to build there instead of boring ole apartments? Or some new stores....but as Cajun said I guess this is expected in a post online-consumer era.

[richyb83]

Been waiting for these renderings!   Going to give Towne Center a nice city - vibe!

Five Guys, Zea set to relocate in Towne Center to make room for apartments, see development here

• https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/article_1d2790fa-bc0d-11ec-9e58-07778c117bf1.html

• Five Guys and Zea Rotisserie & Bar are moving to new locations in Towne Center at Cedar Lodge in order to make room for a 286-unit apartment complex.

  Five Guys will go into the space fronting Corporate Boulevard that had been occupied by District Donuts Sliders Brew, while Zea will move into the building that had been home for Bonefish Grill. Both District Donuts and Bonefish Grill closed this year.

  The building that housed Five Guys and Zea and had been anchored by Books-A-Million will be demolished for The Standard at Cedar Lodge. The Standard will be a gated development with a 354-space parking garage.

• Units in the Standard will be spread across two five-story buildings.

  The complex will feature amenities such as a resort-style swimming pool, a barbecue pavilion, a dog grooming salon, a free coffee and tea bar and a 24-hour fitness center.

[dan326]

^i guess they look nice enough...

Edited April 17, 2022 by dan326