Denham Springs & Livingston Parish

[all2neat]

With the current retailer list I won't have any reason other than Target to go into Baton Rouge for shopping.

[richyb83]

If incorporated...Watson would have 22,000 people?? How much land would be incorporated; what would be the boundries??  What are they going to do?? Incorporate 62 square miles(nearly size of BR) like Central(26,864) did in EBR did??  Watson larger than Denham Springs?? That's misleading...while Denham Springs only has 10,375...it has a small city limits(only 7.2 miles)...they could easily incorporate more land in the surrounding subdivisions a remain Livingston's largest....

 

New push to incorporate Watson begins

A movement is afoot to create another new city in the Capital Region. A citizens group has scheduled a public forum for Thursday to decide whether to move forward with a petition seeking a vote to incorporate Watson. The community north of Denham Springs is the fastest-growing area in Livingston Parish. If incorporated, its estimated population would be 22,000 people, immediately propelling it past Denham Springs and Walker as the parish's largest city. Once a petition is formalized, organizers have 60 days to gather signatures from 25% of the roughly 12,300 registered voters within the proposed city limits to put a proposition on the ballot, possibly as early as Oct. 19. As an unincorporated area of Livingston Parish, Watson is currently governed by the Livingston Parish president and council. More than two decades ago, a similar proposal for incorporation failed. Gene Baker is spearheading the latest movement for Neighbors in Action, a grassroots organization that has also taken a stand against the Baton Rouge loop. "It's more or less about preservation, if you want to know the truth," Baker tells Daily Report. "There are a lot of things people moved out here for: excellent schools, low crime rates, and the quality of life in our community. We feel like if we have a voice, we'll have a better chance at protecting that. We're not opposed to growth at all; we just want to guide it." The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the cafeteria at Live Oak High School, 36079 La. 16

 http://www.businessreport.com/section/daily-reportAM&date=20130218#ixzz2LNavKuIM

Edited February 19, 2013 by richyb83

[Antrell Williams]

Their reasons sound like malarkey, I didn't know Watson was that large.

[steve3n8]

Developers seek tax benefit in Denham Springs

 

DENHAM SPRINGS — Developers say they are seeking creation of another economic development district across the street from Bass Pro Shops.

Coupled with that, they want an additional 1-cent sales tax collected within the proposed district to finance infrastructure, fill and wetland mitigation, Joe Moore of Re/Max First Commercial said Friday.

The developers said they plan to ask the Livingston Parish Council and the Drainage District 5 board to allow them to use 40 percent of road and drainage sales taxes collected in the district. That money would be spent on road and drainage work within the district, said architect Brent Bueche, a spokesman for the developers.

The group is not asking for any revenue that the council or drainage boards are currently receiving because there are no businesses open at this time in the proposed 19-acre district, said Bueche, president of BBI Architects.

From the new sales tax, 20 percent would be set aside to be used as matching funds for an envisioned Interstate 12 interchange on 4-H Club Road near the site of the development, Bueche said.

The developers are not seeking to use any taxes from the School Board, other parish governmental bodies or the state, said Jim Ryan, a financial adviser to the Parish Council, who has met with the developers.

The 40 percent of taxes used would come only from a half-cent sales tax collected by District 5 and from the road portion of the Parish Council’s 1-cent sales tax. It would apply only to sales occurring in the new economic development district, he said.

The economic development district would be outside of the city limits of Denham Springs, and the Parish Council would act as the board of the economic development district, Ryan said.

The developers plan to take the proposal to the Livingston Parish Council on May 9, Bueche said.

The two-phase development would create about 400 direct, permanent jobs and about 95 construction jobs, Bueche said.

The national companies planning to move into the first phase of the site want to open before school starts in 2014, he said.

The 19-acre development district would include 150,000 square feet of new retail development in two phases, Bueche said.

The first store to break ground next month will be Cavender’s, a Texas-based Western wear shop, he said.

The entire development, including the Bass Pro store, will become known as Riverside Landing, Bueche said.

Jacob Fakouri, the developer of the Bass Pro site, is one of the landowners in the new development on the south side of Bass Pro Boulevard, Moore said.

The southeastern part of Riverside Landing wasn’t made part of the proposed economic development district because a large part of it has not been sold, he said.

Also, it is in the city limits, which means it is part of a different political jurisdiction, Moore said.

 

http://theadvocate.com/news/5818373-123/developers-seek-tax-benefit-in

[itsjustme3]

So instead of planning ahead when they first sold the land to Bass Pro, they are now planning from behind and will make this area a complete mess.

ugh

[richyb83]

Yeah they dropped the ball...poor set-up around Bass Pro...(the back-end of Sam's facing the interstate is hideous and all the new hotels are on the other side of the interstate...they could have taken a lesson from Ascension will all their new hotels being built adjacent to Cabela's

[all2neat]

If the project is viable and the demographics of the area say it should be profitable then they shouldn't need a tif.

[richyb83]

True All2Neat

 

Waking up the Livingston thread instead of putting this in the TIF thread...18 acres for under $12,000?? Hmmm

 

Denham Springs Council considers annexation .... eyes Bass Pro area

 

The City Council is considering annexing land south of Bass Pro Boulevard to create a larger economic development district for Riverside Landing, possibly paving the way for a tax-increment-financing plan for the impending project.

 

*rest of article

http://theadvocate.com/home/7136549-125/story.html

[steve3n8]

Belk signs on to Juban Crossing; construction to begin soon on first phase

 

Funding was put in place earlier this week to begin construction on the long-stalled Juban Crossing mixed-use development in Livingston Parish, the developer says, adding "construction will begin soon on site." Creekstone Companies announced the progress this morning, and noted another retailer has signed onto the project: Belk, which is slated to open in October 2014 along with other retailers included in the first phase. Late last month, Creekstone announced it has signed deals with several other retailers, including T.J.Maxx, Michael's, Rouses supermarket, Bed Bath & Beyond, Petsmart, Ulta Salon, Shoe Carnival and Old Navy. Though the project planning dates back to before Hurricane Katrina, Creekstone held a groundbreaking for Juban Crossing in early 2011. Since then, multiple delays have occurred. The developer now anticipates having the first phase—which consists of about 374,000 square feet of retail space, including a movie theater—open by October of next year. Ultimately, developers anticipate Juban Crossing will include roughly 1.2 million square feet of retail, but a timeline for future phase completion was not provided this morning. "While the ever-changing landscape of the national economy has presented its challenges over the past years and months, we have never wavered on that dedication and that vision. We think Belk fits the development perfectly," says Creekstone Principal Stephen Keller in a prepared statement. Read a recent Business Report story on the Juban Crossing saga. —Staff report

 

Businessreport.com

 

[itsjustme3]

"We think Belk fits the development perfectly," says Creekstone Principal Stephen Keller"

hahaha. Sure they do. They could replace Belk with anything and Keller would be claiming its a perfect fit.

[richyb83]

Dine-in movie theater included in phase of Juban Crossing to open this year
 

Juban Crossing, the massive $350 million mixed-use development taking shape at Interstate 12 and Juban Road in Livingston Parish, is set to become the home of Louisiana's first Movie Tavern, a Dallas-based dine-in theater concept with nearly 20 locations throughout the country. Creekstone Companies, developer of Juban Crossing, announced earlier today that Movie Tavern has signed on to open later this year as part of the first of three phases planned for the development. Creekstone says ground and infrastructure work that began in November is about 40% complete, and construction of the retail stores has begun, including on the 55,000-square-foot Rouse's Supermarket and the 74,000-square-foot Belk. The first phase—which includes 374,000 of the planned 1.2 million square feet total—is set to open later this year, likely in the fall. Other retailers signed on to the first phase include Academy, Lane Bryant, Old Navy, PetSmart, Ross, Shoe Carnival, TJ Maxx and Ulta. Movie Tavern will be a 46,000-square-foot facility, with 11 screens and 1,089 seats. "After the years of preparation and build up, it's exciting to see our vision take shape in reality," says Creekstone Companies Principal Stephen Keller in a press release. "Our team is working seven-day weeks in order to deliver on our promise to the people of this parish and across south Louisiana of a premier shopping, dining and working destination." —Staff report

 

http://www.businessreport.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=daily-reportPM&date=20140402

[dan326]

I kind of have mixed feelings about this...... I wonder if Millerville Greens had any influence on Jubans retail line up.

[dan326]

"Wal-Mart buys land for Denham Springs Neighborhood Market

 

l-Mart has purchased a 5.8-acre tract in Denham Springs and plans to build a Neighborhood Market on the site.

The company’s real estate business trust bought the land at the corner of La. 16 and Vincent Road for nearly $1.4 million in a deal that closed Thursday, Randy Herring of Mike Falgoust & Associates said. Herring represented the seller, G & D Storage of Natchez, Mississippi.

The site plan calls for building a 41,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market on the land. Along with selling groceries, the store would sell gasoline on the premises."

 

http://theadvocate.com/news/business/9318684-123/wal-mart-buys-land-for-denham

[dan326]

I was thinking, wouldn't it be something if they really where planning to build a Disney-something in Livingston, and that's why they went ahead and widened I-12 and are trying to establish a toll road between Livingston and Ascension.

[richyb83]

That would be nice...however we missed the boat when NOLA's greedy/seedy politicians with their hands out made SE LA miss out! (back around 1970?).

 

Originally Disney World wanted to build around the Northshore...before Central Florida gave them some nice incentives...the rest is history. The small town of Orlando(40 million tourist) blossomed & NOLA (10 million tourist)remained stagnant...

[Antrell Williams]

I was thinking, wouldn't it be something if they really where planning to build a Disney-something in Livingston, and that's why they went ahead and widened I-12 and are trying to establish a toll road between Livingston and Ascension.

Interstate 12 needed to be widened regardless of a huge development like that. They would have to install some major infrastructure for that.

How nice it would be though!

[Mr. Burnham]

That would be nice...however we missed the boat when NOLA's greedy/seedy politicians with their hands out made SE LA miss out! (back around 1970?).

 

Originally Disney World wanted to build around the Northshore...before Central Florida gave them some nice incentives...the rest is history. The small town of Orlando(40 million tourist) blossomed & NOLA (10 million tourist)remained stagnant...

I'm a Disney nerd and I have to say your wrong. The Florida government had no idea about Disney buying land in Kisseemee as they did it under the facade of fake companies. No incentives were involved, except for Walt's ambition to build EPCOT and a large Magic Kingdom. 

 

Now it is not totally inconceivable to expect a Disney Hotel to be constructed here, Disney wants to build more nationally and I imagine New Orleans is high on their list. 

 

Now I may be wrong that Disney did not look here and I would not be surprised if they did, however incentives were never involved in the beginning stages of the resort. Now after Walt died is a different story...

Interstate 12 needed to be widened regardless of a huge development like that. They would have to install some major infrastructure for that.

How nice it would be though!

It would be very nice, but as a Floridan it kinda sucks. You get rude, uncultured fools walking around the place acting like you owe them something because they came here for Disney World. The people of Louisiana are too good and nice to deal with that group of  tourist. 

 

Was that too harsh?

[Antrell Williams]

It would be very nice, but as a Floridan it kinda sucks. You get rude, uncultured fools walking around the place acting like you owe them something because they came here for Disney World. The people of Louisiana are too good and nice to deal with that group of  tourist. 

 

Was that too harsh?

Yeah, the tourists down in New Orleans are usually friendly or incoherently intoxicated.

 

Isn't the first time I heard it!

[dan326]

Yeah,  it's definitely unlikely but still nice to daydream... 

[dan326]

Here's a pic of the planned development around Bass Pro Shop. I still wish they hadn't built that ugly Sam's butting up against the road. http://inspiredmedia-la.com/livingston-business/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/riverside.jpg

[Mr. Burnham]

Here's a pic of the planned development around Bass Pro Shop. I still wish they hadn't built that ugly Sam's butting up against the road. http://inspiredmedia-la.com/livingston-business/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/riverside.jpg

Damn Walmart ruining everything...

Then again, all those parking lots and wasted space makes me want to vomit.

[itsjustme3]

Damn Walmart ruining everything...

Then again, all those parking lots and wasted space makes me want to vomit.

Walmart didn't ruin it. Poor planning and zero building codes ruined it. That's not walmarts fault.

[Mr. Burnham]

Walmart didn't ruin it. Poor planning and zero building codes ruined it. That's not walmarts fault.

Walmarts fault for just being Walmart

[Antrell Williams]

Walmart didn't ruin it. Poor planning and zero building codes ruined it. That's not walmarts fault.

Bingo.

Walmarts fault for just being Walmart

That's how I felt when I passed by the new Burbank Walmart yesterday for the first time.

[cajun]

Looks like the Sams Club off Range has installed a sizable buffer zone that includes a lot of pine, magnolias, and other evergrees that will shield their store from view eventually.

Livingston clearly has very little restrictions on design and building layout. I guess I can say that about the entire capital region. I love that my area has restricted signage, stiff regulation on building colors and materials, and a draconian tree mitigation plan. It would be weird living in an area without that now.

Walmarts fault for just being Walmart

Then don't shop there. They are easily avoidable.

Their competition has forced other chains and local grocers/retailers into improving their game. You don't have to shop there to appreciate what stiff competition does for consumers.

Edited September 3, 2014 by cajun