Plan Baton Rouge

[jefften10]

I really want it to be residential. With the new pharmacy and grocery store in the pipeline, this is exactly how the neighborhood should develop.

I like the idea of residential with retail on the lower floor. There is not enough retail space on that side of downtown.

[steve3n8]

_{B.R.'s oldest skyscraper on state's surplus sale list}  

    

_{Among the buildings on the list of state-owned properties the Jindal administration is planning to sell to help balance next year's budget is Baton Rouge's so-called oldest skyscraper—the 12-story State Office Building at 150 N. Third Street, at the corner of Commerce Street. DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer says he couldn't be happier about it. The art deco—era building, which was built in 1926, is an architectural gem with potential for redevelopment into condos or a hotel, he says. "It's got beautiful windows and murals in the board room," says Rhorer. "People do not realize what an asset it is." Last week, Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols told a legislative committee the state is planning to sell $47 million worth of surplus properties to help make up for an $800 million revenue shortfall that is largely the result of cuts to the health care system. The state has budgeted $10 million for the building, though it is not at all certain the property would fetch that much. The State Office Building is the latest of several downtown buildings to either go on the market or change hands. As Daily Report reported last week, the Capital One Building went under contract earlier this month. Last fall, a group of investors from New Orleans acquired the Commerce Building. —Stephanie Riegel}

_{Businessreport.com}

[cajun]

Thanks for posting that Richy.

Maybe someone can buy it and turn it into more modern office space or lofts like the article said.

The state fire sale downtown may be to the advantage of Baton Rouge. This could be a unique time for downtown. Cheap property on the verge of a market upswing may make some of these properties more viable. The timing of the state sales could be a good thing.

Edited February 26, 2013 by cajun

[buckett5425]

This is good news. I am glad the state has occupied the building for 20 or so years instead of letting it sit vacant, but I've been hoping for it to be returned to private developers, especially now that downtown can support more private development.

[richyb83]

Your welcome cajun...but i can't take the credit from Steve3n8

 

Good news indeed! Here is a pic of BR's 1st Skyscraper(mentioned many years back)...great view from the roof-top...will have to retrieve those pics soon...

[steve3n8]

^Thanks Richy! Just glad to see so many old buildings being put to residential use. Just wish we can see new highrise residential construction! 

 

Maybe we will see the Riverplace property soon breakground with something Awesome!

[richyb83]

True dat Steve3n8! Hopefully Bernhard can get the ball rolling soon  I have been ready to see a sleek vertical neighborhood!

 

With the 3 vacant riverfront blocks(Hartlet&Vey/RiverPlace/old Advocate site)....Lafayette Street really has a chance to be special if done right! The new Hampton Inn is a nice start...+the new lofts a few blocks down to start by now?? + redevelopment of the old Cap One Bldg & Commerce bldg(next to it) on Third Street...all in close proximity!

[oneman83]

I can visualize a 10-15 story skyscraper in Downtown Baton Rouge, with the IBM logo on it….

[richyb83]

Sounds good to me oneman83!  The old Advocate site would be a nice location! Hopefully we will hear some more news sooner than later!

 

Wonder how this will turn out??

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2013 by richyb83

[Antrell Williams]

I wish they would hold the public meetings on weekends.

[itsjustme3]

I wish they would hold the public meetings on weekends.

You want to pay for non-essential city officials to work overtime on the weekend? I don't.

[buckett5425]

I am also frustrated they planned these events while people are at work, they do it with the intent of inviting less public comments. In the past when I've attended these meeting, they rarely listen to the community anyway and simply ask which bench design would you prefer..... I am going to try and make workshop 3. 

[Antrell Williams]

You want to pay for non-essential city officials to work overtime on the weekend? I don't.

 

I want working people to be able to attend and voice their opinions. One weekend of overtime will not turn us into California.

I am also frustrated they planned these events while people are at work, they do it with the intent of inviting less public comments. In the past when I've attended these meeting, they rarely listen to the community anyway and simply ask which bench design would you prefer..... I am going to try and make workshop 3. 

Exactly. I want to try and make one of the meetings.

[itsjustme3]

No, it won't turn us into California. But the idea of paying overtime for a meeting is ridiculous in a world of tight budgets across the country.

[buckett5425]

The DDD staff is salaried (I believe) and paid through funds collected from residents and business in the DDD boundaries. The least they could do is schedule the meetings so that those who pay for their salaries, could give their feed back about projects that will affect their neighborhoods and property values.

[itsjustme3]

The DDD staff is salaried (I believe) and paid through funds collected from residents and business in the DDD boundaries. The least they could do is schedule the meetings so that those who pay for their salaries, could give their feed back about projects that will affect their neighborhoods and property values.

You could say that about a lot of government workers who don't work on weekends.

[richyb83]

MAP shown of the change along East Blvd on 2nd pic in article

 

Downtown Greenway shifts away from I-110

 

The planned downtown greenway that will connect City Park and Memorial Stadium through downtown will not run under Interstate 110 as much as originally planned because of logistical complexities in the area between Expressway Park and North Boulevard.

Instead, designers are looking at incorporating East Boulevard into the 3-mile bike and pedestrian pathway, with two major nodes under the elevated highway.

Those nodes, which would be at Expressway Park and at North Boulevard, are opportunities for transit stops, retail shops, skate parks, bike lockers, lighting, public art, pop-up markets and similar programming, designers said at public workshops Tuesday.

 

http://theadvocate.com/home/5355379-125/downtown-greenway-shifts-away-from

 

[itsjustme3]

Why Memorial stadium? Why not just stop at the Capital park? Who in the world is going to take their kids on a bike ride to Memorial stadium? Ridiculous waste of money.

[Antrell Williams]

East Blvd will surely benefit from the greenway. I like the shift.

 

While I don't think we will see immediate change in the area around Memorial Stadium (or that it's necessarily a great idea at this time), it's called investment. That's how you bring more development to an area.

[itsjustme3]

You don't bring development to that awful area by building a bike path.

[buckett5425]

I believe the DDD is planning the Greenway in a way that incorporates existing BREC parks in order to secure some funding from BREC.

[Antrell Williams]

You don't bring development to that awful area by building a bike path.

How would you go about developing it?

[richyb83]

DDD Commission Meeting
Tuesday, March 12, 2013, 8:00 a.m.
River Center, 275 S. River Rd. , Meeting Room 9

 

AGENDA

 

1. Call to Order

2. Declare Quorum

3. Approve Agenda

4. Approve February 14th, 2013 Minutes

5. Board Action

6. Update from Previous Board Meeting

a. Governmental Issues

b. Development Initiatives

 

• Ameritas

 

• North Boulevard Town Square Update

 

• Repentance Park Update

 

• Downtown Greenway Update

 

• Expressway Park

 

• State Historic Tax Credits

 

• Commerce Building Update

 

• Hampton Inn Update

 

• Downtown Residential Checklist

 

• Riverboat Schedule/ Dock Improvements

 

• Downtown Pharmacy Ribbon Cutting

 

• New Business Announcements

 

• Events
  o Capitol Park Museum - Lunch Hour Lecture Series - March 13,20,27
  o Foundation for Historical La. Lecture - March 14
  o St. James Gumbo, March 15, 22
  o Belle of Baton Rouge Concerts - March 15, 29, April 5, 26
  o LSU Cycling Criterium, March 17
  o Arts Council Community Gallery Public Reception - March 22
  o Providence Corporate Cup / Great American Clean Up - March 23
  o Live After Five - April 5, 12,19,26
  o Fest For All - April 6 & 7
  o Sunday in the Park - April 7,14,21,28
  o The Storybook Ball 2013 - May 18
  o Viking Cooking School Outdoors
  o Manship Theatre Events / LSU MOA
  o River Center Events
  o Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra
  o LASM

7. Strategic Plan

a. Plan Baton Rouge II

8. Ongoing Projects

>>>>>Construction Updates

 

• CPEX

 

• BREADA

9. Correspondence

10. Public Comment

[steve3n8]

  Raising Cane's eyeing historic Richoux Building for downtown restaurant

The Richoux Building on Florida Boulevard and Third Street—which, with its iconic Coca-Cola sign, is one of downtown's best-known landmarks—is set to change hands in the next few weeks, and the building's buyer confirms Raising Cane's is interested in opening a restaurant in the ground-floor space. Mike Crouch, a local businessman and property owner, tells Daily Report he has signed a purchase agreement for an undisclosed price to acquire the 11,000-square-foot building from attorney Danny McGlynn, who bought the historic, mid-century building eight years ago and has had difficulty redeveloping it. "It has great potential and is probably the number one corner for exposure downtown," McGlynn says. "But it was difficult for me, so it was a better move for me and downtown that someone else come in and do something." Crouch declines to discuss specifics of what he plans to do until after the sale closes, which he hopes will be later this month or in early April. However, he says he has been in discussions with the Baton Rouge-based chicken fingers restaurant about opening a downtown location in the 8,000-square-foot ground-floor space. Raising Cane's did not return calls requesting comment. Crouch also has an undisclosed restaurant tenant lined up for the 3,000-square-foot second floor space. "It's a historic landmark," he says of the building. "It's going to be a very viable and useful space—and we are going to keep the Coca-Cola sign." —Stephanie Riegel

Read more from Business Report here: http://businessreport.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=daily-reportPM&date=#ixzz2MxsRit8y

 

 

 

 

 

Entrepreneur fund secures $1.8 million

Seven private donors have committed a total of $1.8 million for a fund intended to boost early-stage companies, says Research Park Corporation Chairman Terrell Brown. The fund will be managed by Step One Ventures, which the RPC and BRAC are in the process of setting up. The immediate goal is to raise at least $6 million, which officials hope will include $1 million from the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation. Step One already has been turned down once while seeking the LEDC grant, partly because at the time Step One didn't have the necessary $1.5 million in matching funds. Eventually, the plan is for Step One to support a nonprofit fund, a for-profit fund and an angel investor network. A search for Step One's CEO is under way; Cleveland-based JumpStart, which led creation of Step One's business plan, is helping to screen the candidates, Brown says. The RPC, which also runs the Louisiana Technology Park, plans to fund Step One's operations for the first three years, although officials say the new entity will operate separately from the Tech Park. —David Jacobs

Read more from Business Report here: http://businessreport.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=daily-reportPM&date=#ixzz2MxsiwAE9

[Antrell Williams]

Do you guys think Canes is the best for that location?