Plan Baton Rouge

[greg225]

Its funds dwindling, Baton Rouge redevelopment agency looks for new revenue sources to fight blight

Agency’s funding continues to fall                    

The agency tasked with reviving blighted areas in East Baton Rouge Parish is in a state of emergency and has been for more than a year as its limited funding continues to dwindle.

But officials with the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority say they’ve been able to extend its life for at least a few more months through deep cost cutting even as they continue to explore other possible sources of revenue to continue their work.

Last September, former RDA President Walter Monsour said the agency had just enough money to get through December 2015. Since then, Monsour has resigned and the agency has been dramatically thinned.

Interim President and CEO Gwen Hamilton said they now have extended the authority’s life through another nine or 10 months by scrubbing the budget.

For one, the agency has shed the weight of Monsour’s $365,000 compensation package, including benefits, which ate up more than one-third of the agency’s operating budget.

Hamilton earns a salary of $75,000 a year. The RDA, which at one point employed 16 people, now has three full-time employees, including Hamilton.

Operating expenses have been slashed to about $850,000 this year, down from $1.3 million last year. But they’re only surviving by dipping into reserve funds, which, at the current rate of spending, will be dried up within a year.

Hamilton said the work continues, even on a shoestring budget.

The primary role of redevelopment authorities is taking control of vacant, blighted properties and putting them back into commerce so they generate tax revenues and stop being nuisance properties.

One of the RDA’s most high-profile projects is Ardendale, initially called Smiley Heights, which will have residential, retail and academic centers for Baton Rouge Community College and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.

The authority’s other major project is redevelopment of the old Entergy building site on Government Street, which also will be a mixed-use project.

“Although we have not added to our scope of work, we are continuing to work on ongoing projects,” Hamilton said. “As we work diligently on moving this work forward, we will continue to seek sustainable funding and adjust our work accordingly.”

The agency has been living off of nonrecurring dollars, with the hope that the city-parish eventually would step up and provide an annual allocation to the agency.

In 2009, the authority was awarded $60 million in New Market Tax Credits, which is a federal program targeting investment and real estate projects in low-income communities. The tax credits have helped fund most of the projects the agency has invested in, and it has received operating funds by collecting administrative fees from allocating the credits to other organizations.

The funds are rapidly depleting, and Mayor-President Kip Holden has rebuffed requests for dedicated funding to keep the authority afloat. He’s criticized the agency’s effectiveness in the past, particularly under Monsour.

Uncertain of its future, and with financial assistance from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, a consulting firm was hired to write a business plan for the redevelopment authority that could identify sources of long-term revenue for the agency. What was expected to be a 90-day report has lasted almost a year.

Christel Slaughter, partner with SSA Consultants, which is writing the plan, said the issues surrounding the RDA are “much more complex than anyone realized.”

Most authorities nationwide do receive annual allocation from local government that are related to “the size and scope of what is expected by that community,” she said.

“So if there is lots of blight or many neighborhoods to be worked on simultaneously, the allocation is usually higher,” Slaughter said.

Allocations have ranged from $200,000 to several million dollars a year, she said, making up between 5 and 50 percent of the budgets of such agencies in other cities.

The allocations sometimes come from a city’s general funds, she said, but in other cases come from fines, fees, delinquent taxes and tax district proceeds.

Slaughter said some of the options require time to build up significant revenue, but the redevelopment authority will need a cash infusion in the short term.

Another possibility to consider, she said, is merging the RDA with the other organizations with similar functions such as the Office of Community Development, the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority and the Capital Area Finance Authority.

“Their missions are aligned, staff and overhead can be spread or allocated across revenue streams and, theoretically, better projects can be created,” she said.

But, she added, the potential downside is that each of the individual agencies’ missions could be diluted and “in particular, the RDA would lose its focus and nimbleness.”

Hamilton said she doesn’t necessarily believe the agencies should be merged but thinks there could be some opportunities to share or reallocate the federal dollars coming into the parish, which are distributed to the various agencies.

Slaughter said part of the reason the redevelopment authority has found itself in such a vulnerable position is that community and authority leaders initially underestimated the resources necessary to deliver the results they were seeking and were perhaps overly ambitious in their goals.

In the long term, projects like the Entergy building could generate funding sources for the RDA because it could collect lease payments and management fees from the retailers and renters. But the problem is the agency didn’t have enough money to get through that hurdle to effectively set those revenue sources into motion.

“Big and bold is often expensive,” she said. “If we fund that effort modestly, we should expect modest results. Nothing wrong with that, but we need to do a better job of managing expectations with whatever path is chosen.”

The redevelopment authority is still continuing to make strides.

It received a grant from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation to hire John Fregonese, an Oregon-based planning consultant whose work is well-known in Baton Rouge, to draft and request for proposals for a project developer.

Part of the developer’s job will be to identify funding sources for the project, Hamilton said.

As for the agency’s future, Hamilton said she’s anxiously awaiting Slaughter’s report but is open to all options.

While Holden’s administration has mostly ruled out the possibility of dedicated funding, he will leave office by the end of next year — possibly sooner if he wins his bid to be the next state lieutenant governor.

“I think every option is on the table,” Hamilton said, when asked if the agency eventually would ask for city-parish funds again. “It’s important that we demonstrate our ability to earn the support of community and government to provide those services.”   http://theadvocate.com/news/13664735-186/its-funds-dwindling-baton-rouge

                                        

[greg225]

Number of downtown improvement projects on track to get underway early next year    

Multiple downtown Baton Rouge improvement projects are slated to begin in early 2016, including the City Hall Plaza and the River Road multi-use path.

The design for City Hall Plaza should be complete by the end of the year and, if the Metro Council approves the money for the project, construction should begin in early 2016, Downtown Development District Assistant Executive Director Gabe Vicknair told attendees of this morning’s DDD meeting.

City Hall Plaza is a one-acre site behind City Hall that will connect Galvez Plaza and Repentance Park—which is one month away from completion—to create a massive green space that can be used for a variety of entertainment, recreational and civic functions. Reed Hilderbrand, a Massachusetts landscape architecture firm with Louisiana ties, is doing the $300,000 design for the plaza.

For the River Road multiuse bike and walking path, Vicknair said survey work should start soon while they are finalizing the request for proposals to send out. DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer said that project will consist of some stabilization work from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including a flood wall being built.

Vicknair also said plans for the $2 million second phase of the North Boulevard Town Square are expected to be approved by the state Department of Transportation and Development in the next few months. Once the plans are approved, DOTD will send the project out for bids.

Construction of phase two is expected to take less than a year to complete because the work does not involve altering roadways and only includes streetscape improvements, Rhorer said.

Other downtown projects set to begin early 2016 are the Florida Boulevard-Lafayette Street streetscape improvements and new bike racks. The plans for the streetscape improvements—which include replacing some of the trees along Florida and Lafayette streets and adding some seating areas—are being finalized by the city-parish Department of Public Works and should go to the Metro Council for approval soon.

DDD Development Project Coordinator Whitney Cooper said the bike rack project will add about 70 new ring racks that are prominent in Town Square to the rest of downtown. That project will cost about $25,000.    https://www.businessreport.com/article/number-downtown-improvement-projects-track-get-underway-early-next-year

[greg225]

Downtown collaborative workspace Creative Bloc offers expanded rental options             

Creative Bloc, the collaborative downtown workspace, has expanded its lineup of rental options for small businesses, artisans and consultants looking for professional workspace or a quiet place to meet.

Work spaces are available at $14.95 per hour, conference rooms can be booked for $75 an hour and workstations can be reserved for $125 per day. Monthly memberships are also available from $85 for use of the work space eight hours each month; $200 for 10 to 15 hours of workspace, conference room and co-working space use; $475 for a semi-private workstation and locked cabinet for personal items; and $825 for an individual private office and 24-hour access.

“There’s only so much business you can do at home or at a coffee shop,” says Creative Bloc and Launch Media founder John Jackson. “You want a nice place to meet clients and a few hours to prep for those meetings beforehand. There’s no substitute for a real office when you need one.”

Some of the current occupants of the space in 804 Main St. include web developers, media and advertising professionals, a photography studio and Launch Media.

Jackson, the 2014 Young Businessperson of the Year as named by Business Report and Junior Achievement, opened Creative Bloc in late 2014 after spending two-and-a-half years and $3 million renovating an 11,500-square-foot building at the corner of Eighth and Main streets.

Those interested in reserving work space can visit Liquid Space, while those interested in becoming members of Creative Bloc can join on the company’s website.     https://www.businessreport.com/article/downtown-collaborative-workspace-creative-bloc-offers-expanded-rental-options

[greg225]

East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority OKs $800K loan for Elysian II  

The East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority Board of Commissioners today approved $800,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funding for The Elysian II, the planned second phase of the successful mixed-income apartment complex on Spanish Town Road and North 13th Street.

The Elysian II will be adjacent to the original 110,300-square-foot complex, which opened in 2013 and has helped breathe new life into a blighted area. Like the first phase, which is 100% occupied, the second phase will be 100 units. The RDA loan will provide just a fraction of the estimated $17.2 million price tag for the development, but RDA Interim CEO Gwen Hamilton says it’s enough to help the project get off the ground.

“They’re ready to move forward,” she says.

The Gulf Coast Housing Partnership is the lead developer of the project. The organization’s director, Kathy Laborde, could not be reached for comment in time for publication this afternoon.

In other business today, the RDA received an update from its South Carolina advisers, Tax Advantage Group, on five redevelopment projects it funded with federal New Markets Tax Credits. Those projects included the ExxonMobil YMCA at Howell Place, which received $6.1 million in tax credits; the YMCA at Americana, which received $11.4 million; the Hampton Inn & Suites, which received $11.7 million; and the Honeywell expansion, which received $17.5 million. The Emerge Center also received $8 million in tax credits through the program.

Tax Advantage Group CEO Tammy Probst told the RDA board all five projects are performing well financially, and that those located in “target zones” are meeting the requirements that their patrons or employees live within a certain census tract.

While the RDA is continuing the business of redevelopment on a limited basis, its long-term future remains unclear. It lacks a steady funding source and has lost several key employees since its president and CEO Walter Monsour resigned last November.

Consulting firm SSA Consultants is working with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation on a business plan for the agency, but that plan is not ready yet.

“It’s turning out to be way more complex than they anticipated,” says Hamilton.   https://www.businessreport.com/article/east-baton-rouge-redevelopment-authority-oks-800k-loan-elysian-ii

[richyb83]

It would be nice for them to give a loan to get a Class "A" Signature high-rise office tower for Fourth Street....build it and they will come!   &while they are at it another loan to the perpetually stalled River Place condo tower

Edited October 16, 2015 by richyb83

[greg225]

It would be nice for them to give a loan to get a Class "A" Signature high-rise office tower for Fourth Street....build it and they will come!   &while they are at it another loan to the perpetually stalled River Place condo tower

If the EBR RDA get their money issue worked out it may be possible, but if the new downtown boundaries tax get vote for and pass I could see more high rise developments.     

Edited October 16, 2015 by greg225

[greg225]

Riegel: Trying to build a bus culture in car-loving Baton Rouge is proving futile     

As the Capital Area Transit System takes steps to eliminate a pair of routes serving downtown Baton Rouge due to low ridership, plans for two other new routes—announced more than a year ago—have also completely stalled out.

But Business Report Editor Stephanie Riegel says, you can hardly blame CATS for treading cautiously when it comes to introducing new routes.
“Early this year, the agency proudly unveiled the Garden District Trolley, a special line that runs between the Perkins Road Overpass area and downtown via the Garden District. Charming little buses designed to look like trolleys make the loop several times a day,” Riegel writes in her latest column. “Most of the time, however, they’re empty.”

In August, the latest month for which ridership numbers are available, just 392 passengers used the trolley, up slightly from 323 in July. That’s about 10 per day, Riegel notes.

“The lack of buy-in from the so-called riders of choice CATS is trying to attract with services like the Garden District Trolley and the theoretical LSU Express is just the latest indignity the beleaguered transit system has suffered,” she writes. “Another sign of how little respect CATS engenders from the community is its inability to find a site for even a temporary hub in the downtown area. CATS administrators have been looking for one for more than a year now, ever since the new route system rendered the old Florida Street hub obsolete.”

For all of its efforts since voters approved a dedicated tax for the bus system in 2012, CATS has failed to attract the riders of choice it so desperately needs, Riegel says.

“Maybe it’s not possible to cultivate a bus culture in a car town,” she writes. https://www.businessreport.com/article/riegel-trying-build-bus-culture-car-loving-baton-rouge-proving-futile

[greg225]

Riegel: Trying to build a bus culture in car-loving Baton Rouge is proving futile     

As the Capital Area Transit System takes steps to eliminate a pair of routes serving downtown Baton Rouge due to low ridership, plans for two other new routes—announced more than a year ago—have also completely stalled out.

But Business Report Editor Stephanie Riegel says, you can hardly blame CATS for treading cautiously when it comes to introducing new routes.
“Early this year, the agency proudly unveiled the Garden District Trolley, a special line that runs between the Perkins Road Overpass area and downtown via the Garden District. Charming little buses designed to look like trolleys make the loop several times a day,” Riegel writes in her latest column. “Most of the time, however, they’re empty.”

In August, the latest month for which ridership numbers are available, just 392 passengers used the trolley, up slightly from 323 in July. That’s about 10 per day, Riegel notes.

“The lack of buy-in from the so-called riders of choice CATS is trying to attract with services like the Garden District Trolley and the theoretical LSU Express is just the latest indignity the beleaguered transit system has suffered,” she writes. “Another sign of how little respect CATS engenders from the community is its inability to find a site for even a temporary hub in the downtown area. CATS administrators have been looking for one for more than a year now, ever since the new route system rendered the old Florida Street hub obsolete.”

For all of its efforts since voters approved a dedicated tax for the bus system in 2012, CATS has failed to attract the riders of choice it so desperately needs, Riegel says.

“Maybe it’s not possible to cultivate a bus culture in a car town,” she writes. https://www.businessreport.com/article/riegel-trying-build-bus-culture-car-loving-baton-rouge-proving-futile

We need more then just buses we need streetcars, more trolleys, BRT System and better transit shelters. CAT also need close the transfer station and replace it with machines like in Chicago. More bus or transit only lanes may be a option that could be used. On our parish side more sidewalks throughout the parish on the main roads. 

[Antrell Williams]

Build it correctly and they will come. The park and ride from O'Neal was just a waste to begin with, we really need a regional system that can take people from Livingston and Ascension Parishes into Baton Rouge's employment centers. Park and ride routes have been on a downward trend lately, and with the congestion on I-12, it's a no-brainer. 

 Once downtown and South Medical District have a larger employment base and increased daily traffic it will be easier to rationalize mass transit options to those areas. Rail transit is a must in this century.

[greg225]

What I would like to see done is for CATS to be 50/50 Public Private operated and for the CATS board to be a elected position, and If they didn't do good job vote them out. CATS a public owned company, but their board members don't have to answer to no one that have to change. More public meets must happen to ask what changes the people want and more experience CEO that actually know what he or she is doing.  

Edited October 20, 2015 by greg225

[dan326]

Like someone in the businessreport comments said, they need to scale back and focus on making the most used routes excellent then exchange from there.

[greg225]

I saw this link in the business report comments   https://images.washingtonpost.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.washingtonpost.com%2Fblogs%2Fwonkblog%2Ffiles%2F2015%2F08%2F7hAJ4qG1.gif&op=noop

[greg225]

DDD ready to explore possibilities for development with newly expanded tax base         

Voters handed Downtown Development District Executive Director Davis Rhorer a major victory Saturday when they overwhelmingly voted to renew the 10-mill property tax that funds the DDD.

The tax renewal, approved by 78% of voters, was not unexpected. Still, it was significant because it was the first time new voters, who were included in the DDD’s boundaries under a 2012 expansion, were allowed to vote on the millage renewal.

“This is a strong mandate for downtown development,” Rhorer says. “This will give us an opportunity for all sorts of new development.”

The DDD now stretches from the river north to Choctaw Drive, east to 14th Street and south to the Water Campus site on River Road. It encompasses 2.2 square miles and includes more than 2,132 registered voters. The properties included in the expanded zone will generate about $87,000 in property taxes, in addition to the $500,000 the DDD currently collects.

Rhorer believes the outer reaches of the DDD are ripe for redevelopment, and he particularly sees opportunity to bring more residential development to the area. He also sees potential for new mixed-use development in the industrial corridor along Choctaw Drive.

“There is unused warehouse space up there, and there is also some vacant land, too,” he says. “That could be a job center location up there.”

The DDD plans to further explore the possibilities of the area by doing a master plan and feasibility study.

Says Rhorer: “We are going to start working now.”   https://www.businessreport.com/article/ddd-ready-explore-possibilities-development-newly-expanded-tax-base

[greg225]

New downtown music club, 1913, to open next month   

Downtown’s latest nightclub at 336 Third St. is set to open in the next few weeks. The club, which was previously announced but unnamed, will be called 1913—the year the historic Louisiana Theater Building in which it is located was built.

“We want to tie into the history of the building,” says John Delgado, the metro councilman who co-owns the club with partners Andrew Bayard and Christian Walther. “This was the first theater in Baton Rouge. Now we are looking to create the premier entertainment venue in Baton Rouge so we want to tie back to the historical roots.”

The partners have invested nearly $1 million in renovating the historic building, which they are leasing from the Leblanc family, but it’s running a few weeks behind its originally scheduled opening date in October because of the scope of the renovation.

When completed next month, Delgado says the nightclub and dance venue will be like no other in Baton Rouge. It will have ability to accommodate a variety of touring musical acts, including bands and deejays, and have a capacity of between 650 and 700 with seating on two floors.

“It’s going to be very technologically sophisticated,” he says. “We’ll have LED curtains throughout.”

1913 is the fourth nightclub for Delgado, Bayard and Walther. The partners also own Huey’s Bar and Draft House, both on Third Street, as well as Brickyard South, which is located on South Boulevard at Brickyard Street near River Road.    https://www.businessreport.com/article/new-downtown-music-club-1913-open-next-month

[richyb83]

Are music clubs & night clubs the same thing??  LOL! Thanks for not putting this in the Arts & Entertainment District thread if it's just gonna be another bar!  But it's supposed to be like no other in BR?? Hmmm...

 

1913....interesting year!

 

 

[greg225]

Downtown Baton Rouge to get new Starbucks on ground floor of Courtyard Marriott   

Downtown will get its first Starbucks in 2017, when the Courtyard Marriott opens at the corner of Third and Florida streets. The hotel’s developers confirm that a Starbucks will anchor the hotel’s 1,425-square-foot ground-floor retail space, which will have an outdoor seating area and access from both streets.

When the store opens it will be the eighth Starbucks in the local market, and the third licensed-owned, or franchise, store in the area. Windsor Aughtry Hotel Group, which is developing the 135-room Courtyard Marriott, will own the store, though Starbucks regional business development manager Troy James says customers shouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a company-owned store and a franchise location.

“The only difference is that the employees don’t work directly for Starbucks,” he says. “Everything else is the same. There is no delineation.”

Starbucks has long wanted to enter the downtown market, and the Courtyard project presented the perfect opportunity, James says. Marriott and Starbucks already have a partnership so the deal was something of a no-brainer, he says. Starbucks will join two other locally owned coffee store chains, PJ’s Coffee, which has a location on the ground floor of The Shaw Center, and CC’s Coffee House on North Boulevard.

“The Courtyard development is fantastic and the future of downtown is very exciting, and we’re happy to be able to work with a partner that we have a long and successful relationship with,” James says.

The Starbucks announcement is the latest feather in the cap of Downtown Development District Executive Director Davis Rhorer, who championed the hotel and has long wanted to see development on the underutilized corner of Florida and Third streets, which he describes as “Baton Rouge’s ground zero.”

“Their announcement to locate on the bottom of the Courtyard Marriott is an example of how investment spurs additional private investment,” Rhorer says.

The Metro Council cleared the way for the Courtyard last week, when it approved a tax increment financing measure to help fund construction of the hotel. Windsor Aughtry has told Daily Report it expects to break ground on the hotel within the next four months and hopes to have it open in time for the 2017 football season.    https://www.businessreport.com/article/downtown-baton-rouge-get-new-starbucks-ground-floor-courtyard-marriott

Smart Growth Summit returns to downtown Baton Rouge for 10th year  … AAF-Baton Rouge hosts Media & Creative Services Auction           

Tuesday-Wednesday: The Center for Planning Excellence presents the Smart Growth Summit at the Manship Theatre at the Shaw Center for the Arts downtown for two days of guest speakers and panel discussions. Among the lineup of events, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx will deliver the keynote address at 3 p.m. Wednesday. The summit lineup includes a wide range of local, national and international experts who will discuss issues such as transportation, real estate and community resiliency in the wake of major disasters. Cost is $125 for one day; $175 for both. See the full lineup of events and get tickets.

Wednesday: The American Advertising Federation of Baton Rouge hosts its Media & Creative Services Auction at Restaurant IPO, 421 Third St. The event kicks off with cocktails and networking at 5:30 p.m., with bidding to begin at 6:30 p.m. Complimentary food and drinks will be provided, and the event is free. Review the bid book containing all auction items and RSVP to attend.    https://www.businessreport.com/article/business-report-planner-startup-assistance-offered-military-veterans-smart-growth-summit-returns-downtown-baton-rouge-10th-year-aaf-baton-rouge-hosts-media-creative

[greg225]

10 places that changed the landscape of Baton Rouge

 

Representing some of the tenants and organizations housed in the Shaw Center, from left, Manship Theatre interim executive director Melanie Couvillon, Forward Arts executive director Chancelier “Xero” Skidmore, Tsunami executive chef Tracy Nguyen and LSU Museum of Art events coordinator Renee Bourgeois. Photo by Collin Richie

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Shaw Center for the Arts (2005)

More than any other downtown building, the Shaw Center (above) provided the anchor for the renaissance of downtown Baton Rouge. As home to three restaurants, theater spaces and the LSU Museum of Art and the Glassell Gallery, the Shaw Center remains the icon of culture in the Capital City.

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Photo by Allie Appel

The rise of Zachary & Central

Incorporated shortly before Katrina devastated the region, the City of Central and the community of Zachary are the fastest-growing areas of East Baton Rouge Parish. Proximity to Baton Rouge, top-rated school systems and new residential and commercial developments have encouraged an increasing number of families to move to the northern part of the parish.

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Photo by Allie Appel

Towne Center (2005)

Opening shortly before Hurricane Katrina, Towne Center has weathered many storms and a recession. Anchored by Baton Rouge’s only Whole Foods, the development continually entices new national retailers and restaurants to the Jefferson Highway/Corporate Boulevard corridor.

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Celtic Media’s leaders include, from left, lead stage manager Todd Kelso, manager of operations Derek Elkins, marketing and events director Brooke Laney O’Neil, executive director Patrick Mulhearn, facilities coordinator Jennifer Gaudin and director of studio operations Aaron Bayham. Photo by Collin Richie

Celtic Media Centre (2005)

For a decade, Baton Rouge has been seeing stars as they arrive to film Twilight Saga: Parts 1 & 2, Pitch Perfect 1 & 2, Battle: Los Angeles, Fantastic Four and other blockbusters at Celtic Media Centre. With its 40-acre flagship studios located off I-12, Celtic rocketed Baton Rouge to the No. 1  spot in Movie Maker’s 2015 Small City to Live and Work listing.

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Chesley Heymsfield of the Louisiana International Film Festival, which hosts its events at Perkins Rowe. Photo by Allie Appel

Perkins Rowe (2008)

With special events like Rockin’ the Rowe concert series and Louisiana International Film Festival, plentiful shops, restaurants and the Cinemark theatre, and even apartment and condo housing, Perkins Rowe has distinguished itself as a destination for upscale entertainment, shopping and living.

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Photo by Allie Appel

II City Plaza (2009)

City Plaza has been an imposing landmark towering over North Boulevard and Fourth Street since 1985. The eight-story polished-granite and mirror behemoth offers tenants laundry service, a bistro, a coffee shop and a 700-space parking garage. Standing 12 stories high, its sister tower II City Plaza was the first new Class A commercial construction in downtown Baton Rouge in 25 years when it opened in 2009.

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Mayor Kip Holden and Downtown Development District Executive Director Davis Rhorer in North Boulevard Town Square. Photo by Collin Richie

North Boulevard Town Square & Galvez Plaza (2012 redesign)

Guided by the Riverfront master plan, the Downtown Development District breathed new life into old downtown Baton Rouge by refurbishing Galvez Plaza and North Boulevard Town Square. By providing better venues for outdoor concerts and events, those enhancements continue to attract more patrons, businesses and nightlife to Third Street and provide a new hangout for the lunchtime crowd.

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Mike the Tiger. Photo by Collin Richie

Newest addition to Tiger Stadium (2014)

With a stadium capacity of 102,321, the renovated Tiger Stadium is now the nation’s fifth-largest college football venue and the second-largest stadium in the SEC, behind Tennessee, which seats 102,455.

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Photo by Allie Appel

Matherne’s Supermarket Downtown on North Third Street (2015)

Before downtown Baton Rouge could truly be settled by a new generation of urban dwellers, it needed a neighborhood market. Local gourmet grocer Matherne’s made history by being the first supermarket to open downtown in 50 years.

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Photo by Allie Appel

IBM Building (2015)

Besides bringing 800 technology jobs to the area, IBM is enhancing the downtown skyline with its first high-rise, riverfront, residential and office building constructed in 50 years. The complex will also feature apartments and luxury townhomes. The two towers are joined by a private garden terrace, which overlooks the Mississippi River.    http://www.225batonrouge.com/community/10-places-changed-landscape-baton-rouge

[richyb83]

Hard to believe I joined here on UP nearly ten years ago (Jan of 06')....and these 10 year  articles bring a bit of nostalgia with it...things were starting to click around the year 1999 (Plan BR) w the New State Buildings at Capitol Park  & the new domed Planetarium  added some flair along the river front across from the old State Capitol....

Then the Hilton Capitol Center(06') & Shaw Center(05') for the Arts came along taking the downtown renaissance to another level....a signature landmark condo high-rise tower River Place was in the works..that is about the time i joined here & it was an exciting time w much anticipation!...thanks to NCB for getting the La.(& BR) Forums...w/o him there is no telling what this place would look like now?

Other parts of BR there was the Southgate Towers about to be completed..with talk of BR's first urban village Perkins Rowe in the suburbs  & new Towne Center along the huge green chunk of land in the middle of the city. As well as Bass Pro(Livingston) & Cabela's (Ascension) too...things contiued to click!

The great recession(& Katrina with inflated construction co$t) seemed to throw a kink in some promising game changers for BR....River Place(biggest disappointment); River Park(never thought it would really happen) & River District & a Loop for BR got hopes up...but didn't deliver...enthusiasm ebbs & flows...most of the time trying to find a balance btwn  being a sunshine pumper & a negative nancy....

Downtown BR has come a long way! But has a long way to go...  the projects tend to come in waves of activity w lull's in between...North Blvd Town Square, New II City Plaza; Courthouse has definitely added the urban landscape in the southern CBD...the new IBM Block/Commerce Bldg/440 on Third w new grocery store will liven up the north end of Third Street..looking forward to the new Courtyard by Marriott; Watermark & Onyxx residences at the Arts block coming soon to the south end of Third!!

Looking forward to more nice developments for all of BR & surrounding areas...but it moves at a snails pace...the enthusiasm wanes and burn-out can ensue when youve been following this stuff that long...

Sorry for the long post

 

 

Edited November 7, 2015 by richyb83

[richyb83]

Oh yeah....the above article states the New IBM  Block enhances the skyline...which sure is true....however it's technically a mid-rise development (anything 12+ stories is considered high-rise)...but this is vertically challenged BR we are talking about lol

Looking forward to the Water Campus building on the old City Dock soon!

[greg225]

Oh yeah....the above article states the New IBM  Block enhances the skyline...which sure is true....however it's technically a mid-rise development (anything 12+ stories is considered high-rise)...but this is vertically challenged BR we are talking about lol

Looking forward to the Water Campus building on the old City Dock soon!

Most developments 8 stories and up is considered high rise.

[richyb83]

Guess it depends on the individual...but this is pretty much the "Official" stats

^A Emporis categorizes high-rises as buildings between 35 to 100 meters tall, or at least 12 floors high, whether or not its height is known. Buildings of unknown heights and 12 to 40 floors high are also categorized as high-rises.^[1] High-rises are categorized by Emporis apart of skyscrapers, which are considered by Emporis to be buildings at least 100 meters tall.^[51] Numbers provided in this list include both high-rises and skyscrapers (as per Emporis' definitions of).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_with_the_most_high-rise_buildings

4 or 5 to 10/11 stories is considered Mid-rise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G4BZO1IIZw

And with their definition of "Skyscraper"...BR "Technically only has ONE "Over" 100 meters Tall(328'ft. tall) ....State Capitol 460'ft/ 140 meters.....2nd Tallest One American Place is close at 94 meters/ 310'ft tall....that's Why i started the BR Needs a New 2nd Tallest thread....

Edited November 7, 2015 by richyb83

[dan326]

Hard to believe I joined here on UP nearly ten years ago (Jan of 06')....and these 10 year  articles bring a bit of nostalgia with it...things were starting to click around the year 1999 (Plan BR) w the New State Buildings at Capitol Park  & the new domed Planetarium  added some flair along the river front across from the old State Capitol....

Then the Hilton Capitol Center & Shaw Center for the Arts came along taking the downtown renaissance to another level....a signature landmark condo high-rise tower River Place was in the works..that is about the time i joined here & it was an exciting time w much anticipation!...thanks to NCB for getting the La.(& BR) Forums...w/o him there is no telling what this place would look like now?

Other parts of BR there was the Southgate Towers about to be completed..with talk of BR's first urban village Perkins Rowe in the suburbs Perkins Rowe & new Towne Center along the huge green chunk of land in the middle of the city. As well as Bass Pro(Livingston) & Cabela's (Ascension) too...things contiued to click!

The great recession seemed to throw a kink in some promising game changers for BR....River Place(biggest disappointment); River Park(never thought it would really happen) & River District & a Loop for BR got hopes up...but didn't deliver...enthusiasm ebbs & flows...most of the time trying to find a balance btwn  being a sunshine pumper & a negative nancy....

Downtown BR has come a long way! But has a long way to go...  the projects tend to come in waves of activity w lull's in between...North Blvd Town Square, New II City Plaza; Courthouse has definitely added the urban landscape in the southern CBD...the new IBM Block/Commerce Bldg/440 on Third w new grocery store will liven up the north end of Third Street..looking forward to the new Courtyard by Marriott; Watermark & Onyxx residences at the Arts block coming soon to the south end of Third!!

Looking forward to more nice developments for all of BR & surrounding areas...but it moves at a snails pace...the enthusiasm wanes and burn-out can ensue when youve been following this stuff that long...

Sorry for the long post

 

Thanks for the summary. For a while I had thought it was Katrina that had caused BRs growth on account of that's when I started paying attention to devedevelopment, but Katrina was just a turbo boost.

Yeah I know what you mean.

[Antrell Williams]

Hard to believe I joined here on UP nearly ten years ago (Jan of 06')....and these 10 year  articles bring a bit of nostalgia with it...things were starting to click around the year 1999 (Plan BR) w the New State Buildings at Capitol Park  & the new domed Planetarium  added some flair along the river front across from the old State Capitol....

Then the Hilton Capitol Center(06') & Shaw Center(05') for the Arts came along taking the downtown renaissance to another level....a signature landmark condo high-rise tower River Place was in the works..that is about the time i joined here & it was an exciting time w much anticipation!...thanks to NCB for getting the La.(& BR) Forums...w/o him there is no telling what this place would look like now?

Other parts of BR there was the Southgate Towers about to be completed..with talk of BR's first urban village Perkins Rowe in the suburbs Perkins Rowe & new Towne Center along the huge green chunk of land in the middle of the city. As well as Bass Pro(Livingston) & Cabela's (Ascension) too...things contiued to click!

The great recession(& Katrina with inflated construction co$t) seemed to throw a kink in some promising game changers for BR....River Place(biggest disappointment); River Park(never thought it would really happen) & River District & a Loop for BR got hopes up...but didn't deliver...enthusiasm ebbs & flows...most of the time trying to find a balance btwn  being a sunshine pumper & a negative nancy....

Downtown BR has come a long way! But has a long way to go...  the projects tend to come in waves of activity w lull's in between...North Blvd Town Square, New II City Plaza; Courthouse has definitely added the urban landscape in the southern CBD...the new IBM Block/Commerce Bldg/440 on Third w new grocery store will liven up the north end of Third Street..looking forward to the new Courtyard by Marriott; Watermark & Onyxx residences at the Arts block coming soon to the south end of Third!!

Looking forward to more nice developments for all of BR & surrounding areas...but it moves at a snails pace...the enthusiasm wanes and burn-out can ensue when youve been following this stuff that long...

Sorry for the long post

 

 

You should post this in the City Profile thread!

[richyb83]

DDD Commission Meeting November 10, 2015, 8:00 a.m. Lyceum Ballroom, 124 Third Street AGENDA
1. Call to Order 2. Declare Quorum 3. Approve Agenda 4. Approve October 13, 2015 Minutes 5. Board Action 6. Update from Previous Board Meeting a. Governmental Issues • DDD 2016 Budget
b. Development Initiatives
	•	DDD Renewal
	•	LaSalle State Parking Garage
	•	Courtyard Marriott/ Starbucks
	•	Water Campus
	•	Expresit App
	•	Festival of Lights
	•	Commerce Building/ Magpie Cafe'
	•	City Hall Plaza
	•	Repentance Park
	•	North Boulevard Town Square Phase II
	•	River Road Multi-Use Path
	•	EPA Bike Share
	•	Downtown Greenway
	•	Downtown Maintenance Committee
	•	Florida and Lafayette Streetscape
	•	New Businesses
		-	1913
	•	Events
		-	Veterans' Day Ceremony - November 11
		-	Christ in the City - November 12 & 20
		-	Mistletoe Market - November 14 & 15
		-	Turkey Trot - November 26
		-	Festival of Lights/ Reindeer Run - December 4
		-	Running of the Santa's - December 5
		-	Champagne Stroll/ Holiday Shop Hop - December 10
		-	Christmas Parade - December 12
		-	FUMC Christmas Concert - December 20
		-	Foundation for Historical Louisiana/ Old Governor's Mansion
		-	Manship Theatre Events / LSU MOA
		-	Capitol Park Museum
		-	Old State Capitol
		-	River Center Events
		-	BRSO
		-	LASM
		-	USS Kidd
7. Strategic Plan a. Plan Baton Rouge II 8. Ongoing Projects
	•	CPEX
	•	BREADA
	•	DBA
9. Correspondence 10. Public Comment

[greg225]

Beauregard Town multifamily development to break ground in coming weeks                       

A new four-story, 25-unit multifamily housing project is set to break ground in Beauregard Town in the next two weeks, Baton Rouge developer Steve Duplechain told those gathered at The Lyceum Ballroom this morning for the Downtown Development District’s monthly commissioners meeting.

Beauregard Quarters initially was announced last August, but Duplechain has since redesigned the exterior to “better complement the aesthetics of the neighborhood” after some area residents expressed concern about the project. He said the building has been redesigned from “the outside in, rather than the inside out” and has been met with approval in the neighborhood.  

The development will include one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, with garage parking on the ground floor. Duplechain said it will also be the only gated apartment complex he’s aware of in the Beauregard neighborhood.

Beauregard Quarters will be located at the corner of North and America streets, just across from The House on The Hill residential development also underway. That project includes the renovation of five historic structures into seven two- and three-bedroom homes, and five studio residences.

Duplechain said Beauregard Quarters should be complete in about 12 to 14 months. He confirmed the development’s total cost has increased from the $3 million he estimated it at last year, but declined to say by how much.

Also at this morning’s meeting:

• DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer presented the proposed 2016 budget for the agency. At $656,360, the proposed budget is up from this year’s roughly $641,000 spending plan, due to higher tax revenues. The DDD Commission will vote on the budget at its meeting next month.

• A groundbreaking ceremony for the $22 million, 33,000-square-foot building that will serve as the headquarters for The Water Institute of the Gulf will be held at the old city dock at 11 a.m. Friday. The building will be the second to break ground as part of The Water Campus. Stakeholders are touting the project as the next iconic building on Baton Rouge’s riverfront skyline. It is expected to be completed in July 2017. See a rendering.

• James and Lina Jacobs, owners of Magpie Café, said they hope to begin renovations in January on the roughly 3,000-square-foot space they’ve secured in the Commerce Building, with an opening expected sometime next summer. It will be the second location for Magpie Café, which opened in the Perkins Road overpass area about four years ago. Magpie Cafe is the first commercial tenant that has been announced for the Commerce Building, which is being redeveloped for mixed uses.

• Rhorer said he will continue to work with the Capital Area Transit System to help find a new location for a downtown bus hub. CATS was recently sued by Secretary of State Tom Schedler, who is trying to force CATS to move its downtown hub away from outside the Old State Capitol on North Boulevard because of safety concerns and added congestion. https://www.businessreport.com/article/beauregard-town-multifamily-development-break-ground-coming-weeks

Repairs needed for Mississippi River levee in south Baton Rouge, Corps of Engineers accepting public comments    

High water levels in the Mississippi River during the summer and the subsequent rapid drawdown of the river in August led to two large cuts in the east bank of the levee near Duncan Point in south Baton Rouge, with 45 million gallons of water slipping through those cracks into an uninhabited area in a six-day span.

Now the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans is proposing a plan to fix levee and is asking for public comments on the plan.

The cuts—one 12 feet deep and the other 20 feet deep—were created when the receding water washed away sediment on the levees, the corps says. Now engineers have proposed clearing away about 2.5 acres of vegetation surrounding the cuts and recreating the slope of the levee. The proposal calls for filling in damaged areas with sand and sediment, covering the cuts with a protective geotextile material and armoring the area with 8,000 tons of stone.

The corps will also need to clear away about half-acre tract of forested area less than a mile upstream from the area that requires repairs to use as an off-loading site for the barges carrying the stone.

The engineers want to move quickly on the project because the anticipated high water levels that normally occur in the winter could lead to additional scouring of the levee. So they are expediting the public review timeframe, ending on Nov. 21, and will not hold any public meetings.

The cuts occurred in area closely watched by residents of Riverbend subdivision, near a seepage berm built by the Corps of Engineers in 2011 as part of an $8.85 million project following massive flooding that year.

Rene Poche, a spokesman for the Corps of Engineers in New Orleans, says the corps does not yet have an estimate on how much the project might cost and adds that plans are to begin work once the public comment period ends.

https://www.businessreport.com/article/repairs-needed-mississippi-river-levee-south-baton-rouge-corps-engineers-accepting-public-comments

Edited November 10, 2015 by greg225