Denham Springs & Livingston Parish

[byrde]

I think that if they start ripping up the freeways and cause construction delays, they might as well widen them 2 lanes in either direction.

I live in the Northen part of the city so I don't have to travel I-12 much, but tonight I had to come down to Biloxi for a meeting on tomorrow. Well, it took me 30 frickin' minutes to go from Airline Hwy to the Amite River. This was after 6:00pm. I-12 needs to be 3 lanes in each direction from BR clear across the Florida Parishes into to MS. :insert frustration smiley here:

[dan326]

An articile on Livingston development. It really is amazing how much they are growing.

http://www.businessreport.com/newsDetail.cfm?aid=10913

List of projects:

• Juban Crossing : 1.3 million retail; 500,000 office/medical; 4 hotels; 19 restaurants; movie theater; 1500 housing units
  
• Bass Pro and retail complex
  
• Warren Movie "Palace"; going to be used for film festivals; will include side attractions such as a adjoining wax museum
  
• A new unanounced project to be anounced in late spring/early summer
  
• Several small scale developements such as a Hampton Inn, Petco, and Ihop
  
• To neighborhoods to count and a few schools in the planning phases
  

Edited March 4, 2007 by dan326

[dan326]

Finally !!! !!!

Work starts on Bass Pro site

Construction crews are on the site of the Bass Pro shop, one day after the deal to build the outdoor store closed. "They've got earth moving equipment out there right now," says Denham Springs Mayor Jimmy Durbin. "The site has laid fallow for two years, so they're putting in fresh dirt." The title to the 24-acre site was transferred Tuesday from developer Jacob Fa-Kouri to the Denham Springs Economic Development District. VCC, the Atlanta-based contractor building the $40 million to $50 million store, plans to install lights on the property so construction can go on around the clock. "They're taking an 11-month project and doing it in eight months," says Durbin. "They want to squeeze in as much work as possible while the weather is dry." Bass Pro is set to open in November. Now that the site has been sold and work has started, Durbin says this will trigger retail development from businesses wanting to be near Bass Pro. "That will open that area up in a big way," he says.

[richyb83]

I like the fact that an 11 month project will become only an 8 month project with night-time work speeding things up! That will be cool to drive by there late and see the lights with things moving at a break-neck pace.

Simply impressive what's going on in western Livingston Parish.

* There are talks of widening I-12 from the new Juban Overpass Interchange to O'Neal Lane in EBR. That's really going to be needed with all the new massive development.

The Mayor of Denham Springs said Livingston Parish had a Pop. of 35,000 in 1970; and now it's over 120,000??

Edited March 22, 2007 by richyb83

[dan326]

The Mayor of Denham Springs said Livingston Parish had a Pop. of 35,000 in 1970; and now it's over 120,000??

Do you know by any chance were all those people are coming from?

[Rardy]

Do you know by any chance were all those people are coming from?

Flight from Baton Rouge, and also people who move to the Baton Rouge area tend to move directly to Livingston or Ascension. If you consider that EBR hasn't grown much over that period, but the BR MSA has grown nicely, that explains the growth in Livingston and Ascension.

[BRPJ]

An articile on Livingston development. It really is amazing how much they are growing.

http://www.businessreport.com/newsDetail.cfm?aid=10913

List of projects:

• Juban Crossing : 1.3 million retail; 500,000 office/medical; 4 hotels; 19 restaurants; movie theater; 1500 housing units
  
• Bass Pro and retail complex
  
• Warren Movie "Palace"; going to be used for film festivals; will include side attractions such as a adjoining wax museum
  
• A new unanounced project to be anounced in late spring/early summer
  
• Several small scale developements such as a Hampton Inn, Petco, and Ihop
  
• To neighborhoods to count and a few schools in the planning phases
  

WOW, this is real suburbia sprawl

[Rardy]

WOW, this is real suburbia sprawl

Yeah...let's hope it's sustainable.

[bobby255BR]

Yeah...let's hope it's sustainable.

For some reason I can't see this sprawl being sustained because the people of Livingston, like Ascension, have always had to go to Baton Rouge through gridlock traffic to go to restaurants, movie theaters, and different stores. And now that these developments are starting to come, I don't see them stoping here. I love smart growth, but an ordinary individual would argue why stop here when I can have everything that I want and need in my back yard. Personally, I feel that too much growth will take away the small town country feel of Livingston and Ascension, and make them another part of sprawling, traffic filled Baton Rouge.

[richyb83]

Yeah a much smaller scale Atlanta which is probably the world's worst sprawl. I am glad to see more Smart Growth coming to the region.

Edited April 4, 2007 by richyb83

[dan326]

Dillard's is the first tenant to sign on to the Juban Crossing development. It is actually going to be two developemnts pushed together. Juban Crossing at 838,000 sq. ft. and Juban Market Place at 457,000 sq. ft.

Other info is

• Restaurant Sites:15
  
• Hotel Sites:4
  
• Single Family: 625 sites
  
• Multifamily: 524 units
  

It is groundbreaking this summer. I can't wait for it to be finished.

The only thing I have against these kinds a developments is how are people supposed to walk around if it's raining?

Edited April 10, 2007 by dan326

[byrde]

Will the developers of Juban Crossing/Market work with the state and local officials to widen Juban Road beyond the exit?

[richyb83]

Juban Road interchange opens

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/suburban/7130076.html

Widening to Walker has been mentioned. Good question Bryde.

Edited April 21, 2007 by richyb83

[richyb83]

Good to see the dirt moving 24/7 at Bass Pro. They want it open in time for the Christmas shopping season.

Juban Road interchange has been opened for a couple of weeks now.

North Oaks medical center purchased 11 acres of land at the Satsuma/I-12 interchange. This is more geographic center of the parish. I thought this would go to Juban Crossing near the population triangle(western Livingston) of Denham Springs, Watson, Walker.

[dan326]

Here's a pic of the Bass Pro shopping center.It's old so it may have changed.

Edited June 10, 2007 by dan326

[dan326]

Isn't the "Antique Village" the downtown of Denham Springs?

[richyb83]

Yes it is Dan. I need to get a pic of that one of these days. Small towns like Denham Springs tend to have some neat little downtowns.

[Rardy]

How's the progress coming on Bass Pro? Anyone got a pic?

[richyb83]

Hey Rardy, good to hear from you again! Where have you been??

Bass Pro is going up FAST!!!! I'll have to try and get a pic when it's Sunny which hasn't been much lately.

[Rardy]

Hey Rardy, good to hear from you again! Where have you been??

Bass Pro is going up FAST!!!! I'll have to try and get a pic when it's Sunny which hasn't been much lately.

Hey! I took a 6-month hiatus from UP. I was getting too addicted to it (the truth has more to do with internet connection and time).

Trying to get caught up on all that's going on in Baton Rouge. There's a LOT!

[dan326]

Here's some new renderings of the huge Juban Crossing, dubbed

[twstdndmntd]

Wow!!! Juban Crossing looks very nice. I'm glad to see that DS is getting something like that. Course I'm always ragging on DS and Gonzales LOL. But I'm happy to see both towns growing. My biggest question with Juban Crossing, is does DS have the population to support such a development like that with such names as Dillard's in it?

[richyb83]

Here is the site plan of Juban Crossing once again that was posted on the 1st thread. No doubt this will be huge! Still a ways to go on this IMO + Juban Road needs to be widened up to Hwy 190. A two-laned road won't work with this type of project. Live/Work/Play is the trend these days.

Good question?? I am guessing Dillard's researched demographics and thought it would work?? Esp. if western Livingston continue to grow like this(2nd Fastest Growing Parish in LA). It's amazing to see all the new nieghborhoods too.

Edited August 26, 2007 by richyb83

[twstdndmntd]

I assume that the retailers that will be in Juban Crossing are thinking they will pull the shopping population from DS, Walker, etc... that would normally come into BR to shop. Which is great, maybe it will help curve a little of the suburbia traffic from coming into BR. The design plans and the site plans look great. I really wish that Towne Center would have put more residential in it's development.

[dan326]

I sure hope that they don't close down any of the shops at Cortana to open up new ones at Juban, especially the anchor stores. Of course, last time I went to Cortana they seemed to have a good amount of people and a new selection of stores.