Plan Baton Rouge

[greg225]

Couple pays $435,000 for 36 homes in south Baton Rouge, plans renovations for all              

A husband and wife duo who say they are committed to renovating properties in south Baton Rouge and near downtown have purchased 36 homes for $435,000 from a 94-year-old property owner who wanted someone to care for the homes and the properties after he dies.

Adrian and Walter Mayes, through their company Daystar Property Management LLC, purchased lots that sit on myriad streets, including North Acadian Thruway, Stearns Street, North 36th Street and Packard Street from Ethiel LLC, and its sole member, Voltaire Sterling.

Adrian Mayes says Sterling approached them about three years ago about making a deal for all 36 properties.

The homes all have tenants, but the couple is going to wait until the current tenants decide to leave before renovating each home and cleaning up the land. The homes, Adrian Mayes says, are located in areas of the city that are generally ignored and do not feature a large selection of nice homes for rent.

“We’re not going to in make big profits,” Adrian Mayes says. “It’s more to lend a hand to people in need.”

Adrian Mayes, an accountant who owns Accounting Solutions Services on Myrtle Street, says she and her husband have renovated homes in south Baton Rouge since the late ’90s.

At that time, they bought 21 homes in a bulk deal. Adrian Mayes says they have only a few homes left to renovate from that original purchase before beginning work on the homes they purchased Monday.

She says they have no idea how long it will take them to renovate all 36 homes. Walter Mayes leads the renovation teams.   https://www.businessreport.com/article/couple-pays-435000-36-homes-south-baton-rouge-plans-renovations

[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:

 

https://www.businessreport.com/article/beauregard-town-multifamily-development-break-ground-coming-weeks

I like the development the only thing I hate about it that it's gated hopefully that change.

Edited November 10, 2015 by greg225

[richyb83]

Thanks for posting that Greg225...been waiting for this one...like this...should be a nice fit for Beauregard Town! Look forward checking that out & the Houses on the Hill renovation project...that Facade grant should be paying dividends!

Only wish that larger 5-6 story residential complex(Capitol Lofts?? name/and forgot units/but a lot?) near the West-end of Spanish Town on Sixth Street had gone thru; a few years ago in the shadows of the 450'ft State Capitol...but  plenty residents seemed to oppose it complaining of density; parking/traffic, etc...It's that type of thinking that keeps BR a mid-size city mentality instead of a thicker urban core...

It(Capitol Lofts) would have been the perfect fit for that block of land next to the block w old 9-floor Insurance building that was imploded...that is just a huge hole in the ground...

It would be nice to see proposed new La. Economic Bldg come to fruition in it's place...but that looks like it was a pipe-dream as well

[Antrell Williams]

Couple pays $435,000 for 36 homes in south Baton Rouge, plans renovations for all              

A husband and wife duo who say they are committed to renovating properties in south Baton Rouge and near downtown have purchased 36 homes for $435,000 from a 94-year-old property owner who wanted someone to care for the homes and the properties after he dies.

Adrian and Walter Mayes, through their company Daystar Property Management LLC, purchased lots that sit on myriad streets, including North Acadian Thruway, Stearns Street, North 36th Street and Packard Street from Ethiel LLC, and its sole member, Voltaire Sterling.

Adrian Mayes says Sterling approached them about three years ago about making a deal for all 36 properties.

The homes all have tenants, but the couple is going to wait until the current tenants decide to leave before renovating each home and cleaning up the land. The homes, Adrian Mayes says, are located in areas of the city that are generally ignored and do not feature a large selection of nice homes for rent.

“We’re not going to in make big profits,” Adrian Mayes says. “It’s more to lend a hand to people in need.”

Adrian Mayes, an accountant who owns Accounting Solutions Services on Myrtle Street, says she and her husband have renovated homes in south Baton Rouge since the late ’90s.

At that time, they bought 21 homes in a bulk deal. Adrian Mayes says they have only a few homes left to renovate from that original purchase before beginning work on the homes they purchased Monday.

She says they have no idea how long it will take them to renovate all 36 homes. Walter Mayes leads the renovation teams.   https://www.businessreport.com/article/couple-pays-435000-36-homes-south-baton-rouge-plans-renovations

I love the idea that they aren't going to make huge profits. Now, how much of that is true, we don't know. It would be nice if the people aren't priced out like in New Orleans.

[dan326]

Yeah, I do wonder how much the houses will cost after their renovations. I know people have been flipping houses in Broadmoor andand and the prices have definitely gone up.

[Antrell Williams]

Didn't know people flipped houses in Broadmoor. 

As long as these people are priced out, I'm fine. It's mostly older folks anyway.

[greg225]

Baton Rouge’s first conference on graphic design to take place downtown in April              

CROP 2016, a new conference focused on all things graphic design, will take place in Baton Rouge over two days next April. Organizers announced the event this morning, saying it is the first graphic design conference to take place in the city.

The conference will feature workshops, speakers, networking opportunities and more, with designers, illustrators, developers, agencies and freelancers from Baton Rouge and beyond taking part.

The first day’s events will take place at Creative Bloc on Thursday, April 14, and will focus on workshops with local designers and firms including Winston Scully, Wes Kennison, Kyle Adams, Kenny Nguyen, Vivid Ink, Jody Johnston and Michael Tucker. The day’s events will conclude with a dual presentation by the Industry Print Shop in Austin and Aaron Draplin.

The events on Friday, April 15, will take place at the Manship Theatre and will focus on presentations from some of the nation’s top designers from Portland, Atlanta and New Orleans, as well as Newport Beach, California, and Columbus and Augusta, Georgia.

The CROP conference was co-founded by Matt and Ariadne Dawson, LSU grads who own and operate the Studio Gray graphic design company. VIP tickets for both days of events are being sold for $130, while tickets for Friday’s speakers are available at $65. Get complete details and tickets.   https://www.businessreport.com/article/baton-rouges-first-conference-graphic-design-take-place-downtown-april

[cajun]

Yeah, I do wonder how much the houses will cost after their renovations. I know people have been flipping houses in Broadmoor andand and the prices have definitely gone up.

I looked into some demographic data for a company looking to build a retail location in that area.   Broadmoor is full of older, pretty wealthy residents.   I'm not sure who is replacing them as the older folks move on, but they definitely have some spending power.

Didn't know people flipped houses in Broadmoor. 

As long as these people are priced out, I'm fine. It's mostly older folks anyway.

Housing stock is older, large ranch homes with good bones and a large, shaded lot.  You can buy an older home for cheap, install granite counter tops, paint, replace the floors and roof......and pretty easily sell the house for a healthy profit.

Edited November 13, 2015 by cajun

[Antrell Williams]

 

Housing stock is older, large ranch homes with good bones and a large, shaded lot.  You can buy an older home for cheap, install granite counter tops, paint, replace the floors and roof......and pretty easily sell the house for a healthy profit.

There are some great opportunities to be had, just didn't know that people flipped houses there. 

[greg225]

New downtown Baton Rouge banquet and reception hall renamed The Trademark           

Local restaurateur Andy Blouin’s planned banquet and reception hall in the former Latil’s Stationery and Office Supplies building on Third Street downtown is set to open in the next few weeks as The Trademark.

The venue was originally to be called The Watermark on Third and was supposed to open last spring, but the project was delayed for several reasons, not the least of which was a dispute over the name.

Unbeknownst to Blouin and his partner, Sean Malone, developer Mike Wampold owns the federal trademark for the Watermark name. Wampold secured the rights in late 2014 for his 148-room Autograph hotel, which is currently under construction just a block away from Blouin’s venue on Third Street. Blouin and Malone had only registered the Watermark trademark with the Louisiana Secretary of State.

Last summer, Wampold’s attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Blouin and Malone over the use of the name. Federal trademark rights supersede those of state trademarks. The two sides have since “worked something out,” Blouin says.

There’s still no firm opening date for The Trademark, a 6,000-square-foot venue on the second floor of the 1920s-era building, but Blouin is optimistic it will be soon. The project is more than 95% complete but work on air conditioning diffusers is still underway. Blouin and Malone bought the former Latil’s building in 2011 for $850,000.

Meanwhile, the building’s new first-floor tenants are scheduled to open a new bar and restaurant before the end of the year. Bryan Lott and Zac Love, who own Uncle Earl’s bar on Perkins Road, are leasing the entire first floor space and developing an establishment will be an “upscale bar with a down-home feel and good food.”      https://www.businessreport.com/article/new-downtown-baton-rouge-banquet-reception-hall-renamed-trademark

[greg225]

Infrastructure work begins on House on the Hill development in Beauregard Town     

After more than 10 years of planning, construction crews are finally laying down the infrastructure for House on the Hill, an infill residential development in Beauregard Town that will be developed on a 1.5-acre city block bordered by Louisiana Avenue and Napoleon, America and St. Joseph streets.

But the project is still a long way from become a reality, says Beauregard Town resident and landscape architect Suzanne Turner, who is developing the House on the Hill along with her husband, Scott Purdin.

“It’s moving more forward lately than it has in the last 10 years,” Turner says. “But we still have a ways to go.”

As envisioned, House on the Hill will be a communal neighborhood developed around a 100-year-old Acadian-style home on Louisiana Avenue. Plans call for using the historic home—the original “House on the Hill”—as a shared space for neighborhood meals, cooking demonstrations, farm-to-table dinners and other community gatherings.

The development will also encompass 12 new single-family homes of around 2,000 square feet each, four studio residences of around 600 square feet each, shared green space and four existing structures on the site—a private art gallery, two occupied homes and a historic residence undergoing restoration.

Once infrastructure work is complete, Turner plans to begin marketing the project to potential buyers. So far, she has talked to several interested parties but doesn’t have any firm offers.

“We’d like someone to be interested enough to build the first house,” she says. “We hope there will be a mix of families, empty-nesters, people of all ages.”

Turner first conceived the concept more than 20 years ago, when she began sharing family meals with her neighbors on Louisiana Avenue.

“I have a long commitment to neighborhoods and community, and I have a commitment to food and eating healthy,” she says. “The aim is to develop a community that is based on an interest in being a community.”

See an overhead illustration of the House on the Hill development layout.    https://www.businessreport.com/article/infrastructure-work-begins-house-hill-development-beauregard-town              

Edited November 17, 2015 by greg225

[greg225]

Wampold bringing traditional Jewish deli, upscale restaurant to Watermark on Third Street   

Mike Wampold plans to open a traditional Jewish deli on the ground floor of his new Marriott Autograph Hotel, The Watermark, on which construction will begin next month.

Milford’s on Third, as the deli will be called, will be named for the developer’s late grandfather, who was a Jewish grocer in Alexandria, and will feature dishes made from his traditional recipes. The deli will front Third Street, adjacent to the hotel’s main entrance at 150 N. Third St.

“It will be a cool little Jewish deli,” says Wampold, who completed demolition work on the interior of the building earlier this year and is finalizing the permits to begin construction this week. “There will be table seating and some counter seating, and a lot of takeout and delivery stuff.”

The deli will be one of two dining options at the 146-room hotel, which is expected to open in August 2016. The Watermark will also have an upscale restaurant on its ground floor centered on the historic Angela Gregory murals that adorn the first-floor walls of the 1920s-era building. The restaurant will have a bar on the Convention Street side of the hotel and a display kitchen.

Greenwood Hospitality Group, a Connecticut-based firm that specializes in upscale and boutique hotels, will manage the hotel, including the restaurant and deli. Rather than bringing in a local chef to develop his own signature eatery, Wampold decided to keep that portion of the business in house but under the management of a specialty firm.

“They have a hospitality side to their business and also a food-service side with expert chefs, so they really know what they are doing,” he says.

Milton Womack Construction has been selected as the general contractor for the project, which Wampold estimates will cost a total of some $32 million. That includes the $10.2 million purchase of the 12-story building, which he acquired from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation in 2013.  https://www.businessreport.com/article/wampold-bringing-traditional-jewish-deli-upscale-restaurant-watermark-third-street

[richyb83]

A MESSAGE FROM THE DDD Downtown Shines!   225 Magazine commemorative issue There is no doubt that since 2005, Downtown Baton Rouge has seen a surge of growth and development. Downtown has flourished with the development of new public greenspaces, residential opportunities, office buildings, and a full service grocery store. As evident in a recent special 225 Magazine issue, the progress is being noticed by others. In the Commemorative Tenth Anniversary Edition of the 225 Magazine, Downtown Baton Rouge was recognized as helping change the landscape of the Capitol City throughout the last 10 years. Out of the 10 locations that were highlighted in the magazine, Downtown was fortunate enough to have 5 of the locations: Shaw Center for the Arts, II City Plaza, North Boulevard Town Square, Matherne's Market, and the IBM development. See the links below for the entire 225 Magazine article, and the Downtown Development Yearbook which offers more information on upcoming projects. Happy Thanksgiving from the DDD, as we are thankful for your continued community support of downtown development efforts.   225 Article >> DDD Yearbook >>

[greg225]

Saltz Building on Main Street to become latest multifamily development downtown    

The historic Saltz Building at 442 Main St. across from St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Baton Rouge will be redeveloped into a six-unit, multifamily complex beginning in the first quarter of the new year.

Developers Helena and Kevin Cunningham, who bought the 5,015-square-foot building several years ago, recently received approval for historic building tax credits—the green light they needed to move forward with the $1 million redevelopment project.

The red brick building was built in 1924, which is prominently noted on its façade. It is currently vacant and gutted.

Unlike the adjacent mixed-income apartment complex at 438 Main, which the Cunninghams also own and developed in 2013, The Saltz Building will be market rate and lease rates will average between $1,085 and $1,200 per month. The first floor will contain two two-bedroom units, while the second floor will have four one-bedroom units.

The Cunninghams have long planned to redevelop The Salz Building, which they acquired at the same time they bought 438 Main. That project has done so well they were convinced of the need for more downtown housing.

“We have turnover, but we fill up exceedingly quickly,” Helena Cunningham says. “We typically have a waiting list for our market rate units. That’s why we decided to make this one all market rate.”

Besides tax credits, the Cunninghams will use conventional financing to finance the project. Construction is slated to begin in early 2016 and is expected to take about 12 months.    https://www.businessreport.com/article/saltz-building-main-street-become-latest-multifamily-development-downtown

[richyb83]

DDD Commission Meeting December 8, 2015, 8:00 a.m. Hilton Capitol Center Baton Rouge - Heidelberg Ballroom, 201 Lafayette Street AGENDA 1. Call to Order 2. Declare Quorum 3. Approve Agenda 4. Approve November 10, 2015 Minutes 5. Board Action 2016 DDD Budget 6. Update from Previous Board Meeting a. Governmental Issues DDD Nominating Committee b. Development Initiatives Water Campus Groundbreaking Festival of Lights Recap Butler Building Saltz Building Rotary Centennial Project Capitol Park Building City Hall Plaza Repentance Park Downtown Greenway Downtown Maintenance Committee Florida and Lafayette Streetscape Forgotten Baton Rouge Holiday Shop Hop New Business 1913 Events Champagne Stroll / Holiday Shop Hop - December 10 BRSO - Holiday Brass - December 11 Christmas Parade / Kiwanis Santa Fun Run - December 12 B.R. Arts Market - December 12, 19 FUMC Christmas Concert - December 20 Red Stick Revelry - December 31 Foundation for Historical Louisiana/Old Governor's Mansion Manship Theatre / LSU MOA Capitol Park Museum Old State Capitol River Center Events LASM USS Kidd 7. Strategic Plan a. Plan Baton Rouge II 8. Ongoing Projects CPEX BREADA DBA 9. Correspondence 10. Public Comment

[greg225]

DDD OK’s $656K budget for 2016      

The Downtown Development District Board of Commissioners this morning unanimously approved the agency’s 2016 budget, which at $656,360 is a 2.4% increase over the current year’s budget of $641,150.

Next year’s spending plan is buoyed by a roughly $15,000 increase in property taxes collected in the downtown taxing district supporting DDD. And as in previous years, the DDD budget is supplemented by $142,500 from the city-parish general fund.

DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer says he thinks the extra revenue in this year’s budget could be attributed to property tax abatements ending, meaning building owners now have to pay property taxes based on the current value of the property, rather than its purchase price.

The additional revenue will fund a 2.1% increase in the five DDD employees’ salaries, small increases in retirement and benefits costs, and a $2,720 increase in other contractual services.

In October, voters approved expanding the boundaries of the DDD district, but the 10-mill property tax for the additional businesses in the expansion area won’t take effect until the 2017 budget. That millage is expected to bring in an additional $88,000 the first year.

Aside from the budget, other issues discussed at this morning’s DDD meeting include:

• Rotolo Construction placed the low bid, at just below $250,000, for the Florida and Lafayette Streetscape project. The Metro Council will introduce the contract at its meeting Wednesday and will vote on the matter at its first meeting of 2016. If approved, construction is expected to begin in early January. The project includes placing trees and seating areas on portions of Florida and Lafayette streets downtown.
• Renovations to the former Butler Furniture building at 640 Main St. are expected to be completed in mid-January. The 7,400-square-foot building will be home to three new tenants, including Chenevert Architects. The building is being renovated using state and federal historic tax credits. Developer Gordon Leblanc says he is still seeking two tenants.
• The DDD is waiting to see if the Metro Council approves the $3.9 million request in the 2016 budget for City Hall Plaza project, which will create green space behind City Hall and link Galvez Plaza with the soon-to-be-opened Repentance Park. If the money is approved, construction could begin in early 2016.      https://www.businessreport.com/article/ddd-oks-656k-budget-2016

[greg225]

Partners in Beausoleil, Juban’s buy Christina’s downtown            

Beausoleil owner and chef Nathan Gresham and three partners, including the owners of Juban’s, have bought Christina’s, the iconic downtown diner that’s as well known for its hearty breakfast fare and plate lunch specials as for its well-connected cadre of regular patrons.

Gresham and his partners—Jeff Conaway, Michael Boudreaux and Kenny Juban–recently acquired the restaurant from Michael Bannister, who had been running the establishment since the death of his sister, Christina Bannister, in late January.

Christina Bannister founded the St. Charles street restaurant that bore her name more than 20 years ago and was a beloved personality in the downtown community.

The new owners, who jointly own Beausoleil, do not plan to make any significant changes to the restaurant or its menu, Conaway says.

“We’re going to fine tune it a little and update it,” he says. “But other than that it is going to stay pretty much the same.”

Conaway says Gresham, who has been recognized as one of the area’s best young chefs and was recently named one of Business Report’s Forty Under 40 honorees, has loved Christina’s since moving to Baton Rouge from his native Mississippi several years ago.

“Our plan from the beginning was always to have a diverse group of restaurants, so when this opportunity became available it just seemed like a great decision,” Conaway says. “And it’s one of Nathan’s absolute favorites.”

Conaway did not disclose the price of the acquisition, which includes the restaurant’s furniture, fixture and equipment, as well as the brand and recipes. The sale did not include the building at 320 St. Charles St. that houses Christina’s and is separately owned    https://www.businessreport.com/article/partners-beausoleil-jubans-buy-christinas-downtown

[greg225]

Changes coming to Baton Rouge’s historic preservation ordinance, zoning code          

The city-parish Historic Preservation Commission will vote next month on a revised ordinance that will make it easier to renovate and redevelop in the city’s two historic districts. If approved, the changes will go before the Planning Commission and the Metro Council, which will also have to sign off on the revisions.

The revised historic preservation ordinance will make it easier for property owners to obtain approval from the commission—technically known as certificates of appropriateness—to make changes to buildings and homes in Spanish Town and Drehr Place.

Under the current ordinance, property owners need a certificate of appropriateness if they are planning any changes to the exterior of their property—even if it is in the back yard and not visible from the street. The revised ordinance only requires approval for changes that are visible from a public right of way.

The revised ordinance also eliminates the 10-day waiting period between the time a certificate of appropriateness is awarded and goes into effect.

“This really simplifies and streamlines the whole process of dealing with properties in historic districts,” says Planning Director Frank Duke, whose staff drafted the revised ordinance as well as other changes to the city’s zoning code. “We’ve addressed some inconsistencies in the law and made some improvements.”

Revisions to the historic preservation ordinance are among several changes to the city-parish zoning code the Planning Commission staff made in 2015. Though the process of rewriting the code has taken longer than Duke had hoped, he says significant progress has been made.

Among the other changes: revisions to the Government Street overlay district, revisions to the parking requirements and a rewrite of the law dealing with nonconformities.

In 2016, the Planning Commission staff will begin working on changes to the Jefferson Highway overlay district, which has restrictive and outdated rules that stymie developers, and to the city’s signage ordinance.

“I can’t control how signs look,” Duke says. “But I can control their placement, their size and their number.”    https://www.businessreport.com/article/changes-coming-baton-rouges-historic-preservation-ordinance-zoning-code

[greg225]

Rotolo Consultants win contract for North Boulevard portion of Downtown Greenway                  

North Boulevard between Fifth Street and East Boulevard downtown will undergo a transformation beginning as soon as January, when construction gets underway on the next phase of the Downtown Greenway project.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development recently awarded the contract for the .75-mile North Boulevard portion of the greenway to Rotolo Consultants of Slidell, which was the low bidder on the project at $1.46 million.

The Downtown Greenway is a two-mile biking and pedestrian corridor that links the Mississippi River at Florida Street via River Road to North Boulevard, then connects to East Boulevard and continues over to City Park. It will eventually connect with other paths constructed by BREC and the city-parish, stretching as far as Siegen Lane.

“This part of the project is very special,” says Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District, which is spearheading the project. “North Boulevard is one of the premier streets downtown.”

As new renderings show, the majestic Live Oak trees that line North Boulevard’s median will be the focal point of the greenway. They will be lit up at night and there will be seating areas with unique botanicals, as well as amenities like an exercise station and a bike station.

“North Boulevard will come alive,” Rhorer says.

Construction is expected to take eight to 10 months, Rhorer says. While it is underway, the next piece of the greenway—the East Boulevard section, which runs from North Boulevard to Expressway Park—will be bid out in the first quarter of 2016 with construction due to begin by midyear.

Federal Transportation Enhancement Funds that were jointly awarded several years ago to the DDD and city-parish will fund construction of the Downtown Greenway.  https://www.businessreport.com/article/rotolo-consultants-win-contract-north-boulevard-portion-downtown-greenway

    

BRAF office building under contract            

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation and Commercial Properties Realty Trust have apparently found a buyer for their three-story office building at 402 N. Fourth St.

According to the Louisiana Commercial Database, a sale is pending on the 19,736-square foot building, which currently houses the offices of BRAF and CPRT. Realtor Hank Saurage, who has been marketing the building, confirms the property is under contract, though he declines to provide additional details.

BRAF and CPRT put the 12-year-old building on the market in July, and subsequently announced they would be relocating their shared offices to the top floor of the new downtown riverfront building that houses IBM.

Among the potential buyers that were interested in the building, which was listed for $4.08 million, was the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. In late October, BRAC President and CEO Adam Knapp confirmed his organization’s interest in the property, saying, “it’s no secret we’ve been in discussions. Would love to see it happen. No concrete plans at this time.”

Knapp is out of town today and would not comment on whether BRAC has a purchase agreement on the building. CPRT spokeswoman Tina Rance also was tight-lipped about the potential deal, saying, “We’ve had conversations with several interested parties so I don’t know who the purchaser is.”   https://www.businessreport.com/article/braf-office-building-contract

[Antrell Williams]

Very nice! Let's hope the job is well executed and not delayed.

[richyb83]

Hope everybody here on UP had a Merry Christmas! 

	A MESSAGE FROM THE DDD   DDD YearBook >> DDD Milestones >>

Edited December 27, 2015 by richyb83

[richyb83]

Nice article in this mornings Advocate...Downtown was once considered a wasteland...now the residential options have improved & demand is growing. The new Matherne's Grocery store is a game changer; & recent additions of  pharmacy & urgent care clinic were much needed.

Downtown Baton Rouge on upswing as demand for residential housing grows

Since 2008, 309 apartments have come on the market downtown. They include new apartments on Main Street, the Kress Building’s luxury apartments and the apartment project called 440 on Third. There also are new apartments on Lafayette Street built in conjunction with the IBM commercial building.

Another 156 residential units are under construction and expected to be finished by next year. Those projects include two high-profile historic building renovations of the Onyx Building and the Commerce Building, both off of Third Street.

An additional 163 units are in the planning stage but haven’t yet broken ground, including the House on the Hill, a project by developer Suzanne Turner and her husband, Scott Purdin. The project involves creating a town square development in Beauregard Town featuring new homes, studios for artists and an open space for relaxed living, meeting and entertaining.

*entire article

http://theadvocate.com/news/14365115-148/downtown-baton-rouge-on-upswing-as-demand-for-residential-housing-grows

 

Edited December 28, 2015 by richyb83

[greg225]

142-unit apartment complex proposed for downtown Baton Rouge                   

A site plan for a 142-unit apartment complex that would be built at Florida and North Sixth streets in downtown Baton Rouge has been submitted to the city-parish Planning Commission.

 

John O. Hearin, who owns several downtown properties and parking lots, is proposing building The Lofts at 6C, a six-story complex. Along with 58 one-bedroom and 84 two-bedroom units, the development will include a clubhouse, swimming pool, landscaped courtyards and 2,859 square feet of commercial space.

Hearin has long discussed plans for a mixed-use building along a section of Sixth Street that he owns between Florida and Convention, which would include apartments and ground-floor retail. Currently, he operates a parking lot on the site, but that would be demolished to make room for the apartments.

There’s been a boom in apartment construction downtown in recent years. In 2015, the 440 on Third and 525 Lafayette developments opened, adding 150 units. Another 176 units are currently under construction in five apartment developments: the Commerce Building redevelopment at Laurel and Third, which will add 93 units; the 24-unit Maritime One Building, across from the Baton Rouge RiverCenter; the 28-unit Onyx Residences at the corner of Third and Convention streets; the 25-unit Beauregard Quarters development at Napoleon and America; and the redevelopment of the Saltz Building at 442 Main, which will add six units.

The commission is set to vote on the plans for The Lofts at 6C at its Feb. 15 meeting.Also going before the commission is a request to close Community College Drive, which connects Government Street and Florida Boulevard, through Baton Rouge Community College. The application said that closing the street would provide safer and more aesthetically pleasing pedestrian routes through BRCC.      http://theadvocate.com/news/business/14505831-125/142-unit-apartment-complex-proposed-for-downtown-baton-rouge

City-parish to begin negotiations with two local architecture firms for River Center remodel                

The city-parish will enter into contraction negotiations with a joint venture of Baton Rouge-based Post Architects and New Orleans-based HMS Architects to do the design work for a $12 million renovation of the River Center Theater.

The city-parish Professional Selection Board chose the team at a meeting Thursday night from among five architecture firms interested in designing the theater that responded to a Request for Qualifications.

Upgrading the theater, which was built in 1977 and has had only minor improvements over the past four decades, is one of several elements identified several years ago in a strategic plan for improving the larger River Center facility.

River Center Manager Michael Day says it’s too soon to say exactly what the theater renovation will include. But several suggestions were identified in the strategic plan. They include

new seating; a new, continental-style seating arrangement with more aisles; the addition of several private boxes; a relocated and expanded concession area; an expanded and improved restroom; and an expanded lobby and balcony.

“We hope the architects will be able to accomplish all of those things,” Day says. “We’ll have to wait and see what they come up with in their plans.”

The Mayor’s office has asked the Metro Council to allocate $1.8 million in design funds for the project. The money will come from state sales tax rebates dedicated to the River Center expansion.

Crump Wilson Architects and Remson Haley Herpin Architects were selected as alternate firms in the event the city-parish cannot come to an agreement with Post-HMS on the terms of a contract, according to Tom Stephens, president of the Professional Selection Board, who says the city-parish hopes to have a contract in place by the end of February.

There’s no word yet on when construction on the project might begin, but Day estimates it will likely be 2017.  https://www.businessreport.com/article/city-parish-begin-negotiations-two-local-architecture-firms-river-center-remodel

Edited January 8, 2016 by greg225

[richyb83]

That's some really good news!   The irony...yesterday just posted about the failed Capitol Lofts....turns out this is about 7-blocks to the south on Sixth Street!  142 -units is a nice sized development for that parking lot....this is also where the failed 10-story  Sixth Street office tower that never got off the ground post-Katrina

Here is the surface parking lot (right) where the new Sixth Street Lofts will be built...7th Street pocket-park not shown that the lofts will border

*old pic

[richyb83]

* delete double-post...temporary glitch in UP Website....

 

Can't wait to see a rendering of the Sixth Street Lofts..hopefully they can get started on construction soon

 

Edited January 9, 2016 by richyb83