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Old Commerce Building


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Welcome 2 da fourms dinner roll, check this thread out

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=35339

Thanks. Glad I found it.

I thought the Palms was a bust (fraud), but that it was slated for the old Richoux's/Parrot Beach location. Am I wrong on this? The spot I was talking about is on Third at Laurel (across from the Fuqua building).

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The Palms on Third Street was supposedly to go at the old Commerce bldg(across the Fuqua bldg). Since the mess up; developer(owner of the bldg.) Bob Dean and others are looking/hoping on starting something similar with Jazz/Blues Club. No details yet, I'm sure we will hear more as things are picking up around there.

The old Richoux's/Parrot Beach is currently being transformed into some type of trendy dance club with a roof-top terrace near the old Coca-Cola retro sign.

feb07038da2.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

Is Dean asking too much $$money for these two properties?? Will they just sit there for several more years??

Dean selling buildings near downtown hot spots

Businessman Bob Dean, a leading investor in downtown Baton Rouge real estate, has put the eight-story Commerce Building up for sale for $11.4 million a year after saying he would develop it himself as an entertainment destination.

Dean also wants to sell the former East Baton Rouge Arts and Technology School building at 400 North Blvd. for $5.9 million. He paid $1.5 million for property in early 2007, records show.

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Here's another article saying alot of the same thing....my question is HOW does a property value increase from $1.5 million when Dean purchased EBRATS to $5.9 million in that short a period?? Will the building be razed?? The Commerce Bldg. priced dropped a little; but enough?? It would only be Class B office space at best.

Downtown market tested

Unless it

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Good question Bryde, and parking will be even tighter as the Kress at Third takes shape. :dontknow:

For those that don't know; The Commerce Bldg. 8-story black building in the background at the corner of Third & Laurel; sorry don't have pic of entire building; it goes back quite-a-bit

71107026qp0.jpg

Here it is on the right; the Capital One Bank bldg.(middle); One American Place to the left

71107030kc6.jpg

Here's a "pipe-dream" of an idea :rolleyes: ...Implode/raze the hideous Capital One and shift the site over to directly front Main Street in this pic; covering this surface parking lot. Build a multi-level parking garage instead then "add" the Capital One office tower on top(add a few floors if they like)...the garage could serve Cap One in the daytime; and The Palms at Third in the evening. How's that sound?? Yeah right :rolleyes:

32608040go9.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

Wow! I had no idea they had such BIG PLANS for the Commerce Building! Chenevert won't let this die; it's on "hold" for now....Adding 117- residential units on Third Street would be great!! Wonder what type of retail might go at street level?? These roadblocks are so frustrating!

Financing problems delaying plans to renovate Commerce Building

Architect Norman Chenevert says his plans to renovate the Commerce Building at Third and Laurel streets and turn it into a 117-unit apartment building are on hold until financing becomes available. "It's not dead, but it keeps running into roadblocks," he says. "I'm not going to let it die." Chenevert and Chuck Rutledge, a New Orleans developer, are looking at turning the building into a mix of apartments, retail and parking. The goal is to offer market-rate housing for the state employees who work downtown and the young professionals who are interested in the area, Chenevert says. "We want to keep pricing at about $1.50 a square foot," he says, but there will be some higher end rental units on the upper levels of the building. Chenevert says he has been negotiating with Bob Dean, who owns the building, and had an option to purchase the property. The project is estimated to cost $25 million and would involve gutting the Commerce Building and redoing the exterior. The national recession has made it difficult and expensive to finance projects like remodeling the Commerce Building. Providing more downtown housing has long been a goal of many city leaders, but it has been difficult to keep prices affordable. Chenevert, a member of the Downtown Development District board, says getting more downtown residents is the key to getting things like a grocery store or pharmacy in the area. "We're still looking at different investors and sources of money," he says.

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/daily-report/latest/

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  • 4 weeks later...

The 8-story Commerce Bldg now up for auction?? As well as the 14-story Dean Tower(I like the old name Republic Tower down Florida Blvd in Mid City next to BRCC...Hopefully we hear Dean getting something done about the old EBRATS Bldg on North Blvd?? Tired of most of his properties remaining vacant.

Dean plans to auction properties in November

Bob Dean is putting some of his real estate holdings, including Dean Tower and the Commerce Building, on the auction block. Dean says he is working with Williams & Williams, an international firm, to sell the properties during an auction in mid-November. He says the time is right to sell, because the Baton Rouge real estate market is one of the best in the U.S. "This will bring in people who [wouldn

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  • 1 month later...
  • 6 months later...

^ All these months later...it remains a mystery Bryde.

This past Friday..a community discussion/presentation was given by the DDD with the old Huey Long pool(not familiar with; would have to ask my Dad)...and maybe new residents to a re-engineered Commerce Bldg.

fhlpresentation61110.jpg

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I don't want to reveal to much info, but I know there is a design charrete taking place right now to turn the Huey Long Field House into apartments funded by the Tiger Athletic Foundation. Not my most favorite option, but if it saves the building and turns a profit, im all for the plan!

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While I am a huge modernist, I am not a huge fan of that design either. It simply has no character and doesn't appear to be very inviting. If that design were for an office building, its fine, but i don't believe it looks to be a welcoming place to live. Maybe if some of the window louvers were colored, similar to the Tulane Student Center's, it would add some character to the facade?

It wouldn't let me attach and image, so here is a link to the union. Notice the coloring on the underside of the louvers. http://info.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek08/0404/0404d_minn3lavin_b.jpg

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that image dan, thanks for posting but why are they trying to save the extremely aweful complex, asides from having a movie filmed downstairs & 3 sisters dpt store, why don't they just implode that entire block and start over again, this building has no historical value & imo needs to be disposed of.

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that image dan, thanks for posting but why are they trying to save the extremely aweful complex, asides from having a movie filmed downstairs & 3 sisters dpt store, why don't they just implode that entire block and start over again, this building has no historical value & imo needs to be disposed of.

The most sustainable construction method, is adaptive reuse. While the building may be ugly, its structure is sound, and there is no reason to spend the energy to demolish the building, and spend even more energy building a new one. Not to mention the costs associated with demolition.

Chenevert Architects has recently begun attempting to be a more sustainable architecture firm and have been bringing those ideas to their newest projects. However, i question their decision to demolish a building on main street, just to build a new one? We have PLENTY of undeveloped lots in downtown, but they choose a site with a building on it? What a waste!

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The most sustainable construction method, is adaptive reuse. While the building may be ugly, its structure is sound, and there is no reason to spend the energy to demolish the building, and spend even more energy building a new one. Not to mention the costs associated with demolition.

Chenevert Architects has recently begun attempting to be a more sustainable architecture firm and have been bringing those ideas to their newest projects. However, i question their decision to demolish a building on main street, just to build a new one? We have PLENTY of undeveloped lots in downtown, but they choose a site with a building on it? What a waste!

Buckett, I realize that, but the new images are nothing impressive, its looks like they just tacked on some metal bars, I'm sure they know what they are doing. I will get over my concern, cities do have flashy buildings right next to ones that are just out right skary.

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Buckett, I realize that, but the new images are nothing impressive, its looks like they just tacked on some metal bars, I'm sure they know what they are doing. I will get over my concern, cities do have flashy buildings right next to ones that are just out right skary.

hagetaka, that is a completely different argument than the one you were making, sorry for the confusion. So Chenevert's design sucks, that doesn't mean i would suggest starting from scratch. There is a solution out there for the envelope of that building that would could be successful, that can still make use of the original structure.

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hagetaka, that is a completely different argument than the one you were making, sorry for the confusion. So Chenevert's design sucks, that doesn't mean i would suggest starting from scratch. There is a solution out there for the envelope of that building that would could be successful, that can still make use of the original structure.

OK

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