Old Commerce Building

[richyb83]

Wow yall...thanks for all these replies; a bit suprising seeing the number of views since I posted this...128 views in 24 hours!!

Yeah the rendering(thanks for posting Dan) doesn't look that impressive; maybe the real thing will look better?? I'm stoked they would like to add a 9th floor on top; the street-level grocery store would be great! 114-units would be a nice step in bringing critical mass of residential downtown. The failed Capitol Lofts really hurt IMO.

[dan326]

No prob ya'll. Yeah, I think the actual shape of the buildings is ok, just the facade is . Yeah Buckett, I think I would be better is the colored it up like you example or the BREC building. Or personally, I would love to see a historic facade applied to it, similar in appearance to the Roumain building of Kress.

Of course, like Richy pointed out, the important thing is the residential addition.

[richyb83]

Nice article in this mornings People section..."Restoring History"...Preservationist brainstorm uses of Commerce Bldg & LSU pool..it's a shame they let the old pool get so deplorable...

http://www.2theadvocate.com/features/96623044.html

[richyb83]

BTW.....the advocate reports that the commerce building sold to the company that developed Hotel Indigo in BR and Rice Mill lofts in the Bywater area in New Orleans.

Thanks for the head's up Cajun! That's some good news!

Seriously...i was about to post this pic of the old Commerce Bldg. in reference to the Chase Towers...wondering what's up with this property...it's been over 2 years since posting on this thread

[richyb83]

Commerce Building in downtown B.R. sells to N.O. firm

New Orleans-based firm 5thfloor Company, which is led by developer TJ Iarocci on behalf of a group of private investors, has purchased the eight-story, 180,000-square-foot Commerce Building, located on the corner of Laurel and Third streets in downtown. A purchase price has not been disclosed. The Commerce Building was constructed in the early 1950s and has been vacant for the past three years. The Downtown Development District says numerous groups explored acquiring and renovating the building, without success, during that time. Iarocci, one of the partners behind the award-winning Rice Mill Lofts redevelopment project in the Bywater section of New Orleans, teamed up with Vision City Development Group partners John Schneider, Derek Fitch and Trey Godfrey to purchase the building from Bob Dean. VCDG previously acquired four other downtown buildings from Dean, with two of them having undergone renovations in excess of $20 million: Kress at Third & Main and the Hotel Indigo. "We have been eyeing the Commerce Building for years, and we have a bold vision to put it back in successful economic commerce. We are exploring a multi-use option that would include residential, retail and office spaces," reads a statement from Iarocci

http://www.businessreport.com/section/daily-reportPM

[richyb83]

3rd post on this....it would not let me copy the pic in article

Commerce Building sold

The vacant eight-story, 180,000 square foot Commerce Building in downtown Baton Rouge has been acquired by a New Orleans-based firm led by TJ Iarocci on behalf of a group of private investors for an undisclosed price

*rest of article*

http://theadvocate.c...g-sold-downtown

[richyb83]

Back into Commerce ....Discussion focuses on redeveloping building

Downtown stakeholders will get their chance on Nov. 1 to weigh in on the redevelopment of the 175,000-square-foot black box at Third and Laurel known as the Commerce Building.

Some of the goals of the $22 million project are known. In about two years, New Orleans developer T.J. Iarocci, the new owner, is looking to open a 100-unit loft apartment building with 75,000 square feet of retail along Third and Laurel streets.

Iarocci is keen on nabbing a grocery store tenant. And the roof of the eight-story building will become home to some kind of public space to take advantage of the view of the Mississippi River and, in the distance, Tiger Stadium.

But how the design team at New Orleans-based Eskew+Dumas+Ripple transforms the relatively nondescript, mid-century modern building — known mostly for the black coat of paint it got last decade by previous owner Bob Dean — is only in the early stages of conception.

The Commerce Building is mainly two footprints. The first is 26,000 square feet. It is made up of the basement and the first and second floor and stretches down Third and Laurel streets. A 16,000-square-foot footprint is made up of the third through eighth floors.

*rest of article

http://theadvocate.c...k-into-commerce

*cool pics unable to post

Edited October 22, 2012 by richyb83

[cajun]

I'll be surprised if it will make decent lofts.

Most buildings like that from that era have load bearing steel or concrete pillars everywhere. I haven't seen this building, but like many cheaply-built mid century contemporary setups, it may not be very flexible. Not as much of a problem for a grocery, but for residential, it can make things difficult.

I'd love to see it as housing either way.

Edited October 22, 2012 by cajun

[Antrell Williams]

Why will you be surprised? The exposed look is very popular now with pillars, concrete floors, and exposed brick walls being the main component of many loft style apartments all over the country. Steel ones aren't popular but anything is possible with money.

[SUSAstudent]

Took the words right outta my mouth Antrell. The concrete thing is popular now. Personally, I prefer the exposed brick, kinda warehousy look (look over that lol) like Cotton Mill in New Orleans. But new construction projects tend to lean that way now, (see 930 Poydras, New Orleans)

[richyb83]

[richyb83]

Commerce Building vision includes grocery, residences and rooftop venue

http://www.businessreport.com/article/20121106/BUSINESSREPORT0113/121109900/0/BUSINESSREPORT0117

Edited November 6, 2012 by richyb83

[Antrell Williams]

This is a pivotal project for downtown. With the renovation of this building and the construction of the Elysian, we should see much more commercial activity downtown.

[richyb83]

Sorry for small pic..won't let me copy larger one in article...Rendering looks nice with the addition on roof-top & at street-level

 

Marketers tout downtown BR's building plans

 

The team redeveloping the Commerce Building at Third and Laurel streets downtown has begun distributing to prospective commercial tenants images of what the building might look like when built out with ground floor retail and a rooftop restaurant.

The package indicates the building will have 92 loft apartments, a rooftop fitness center, a third-floor private events deck and a rooftop infinity edge pool.

Michael Lang, the project’s development manager and partner in the team lead by New Orleans developer T.J. Iarocci, said the goal is still to have one or possibly two retailers in the 7,300 square feet of ground-floor retail — preferably a grocery store — and a 5,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant.

*rest of article*

http://theadvocate.com/news/business/5385122-123/marketing-started-for-commerce-building

 

[dan326]

I think it would look nicer if they could cover the whole façade in glass or maybe those horizontal decorations like on the old Sears building on Florida.

[buckett5425]

I like what I see so far. The inclusion of the awning windows will add a lot of variety to the facade. 

[richyb83]

No grocery for redeveloped Commerce Building

 

A New Orleans company’s redevelopment of the Commerce Building in downtown Baton Rouge continues to progress, with developers on track to get the first bit of funding for the project next week. But the mixed-use development will not contain a grocery store. Michael Lang, the project’s development manager and partner in the team led by New Orleans developer T.J. Iarocci, told the Downtown Development District board Tuesday that negotiations to lease a 6,500-square-foot space on the ground floor to a grocery operator fell through.

 

“We got really, really far down the road and spent a lot of energy with a multi-unit local market user,” Lang said. “But we don’t have a deal.”

Lang said he is still in talks with a number of different commercial users about moving into the building.

 

There is a possibility of a larger grocery store moving into downtown, Lang said, thanks to all of the housing construction underway, such as the residential tower next to the IBM Services Center: Baton Rouge building and the Onyx Residences at Third and Convention streets.

 

Lang said he should close on $600,000 in financing for the redevelopment sometime next week. Once that happens, Milton J. Womack Inc., the contractor for the redevelopment, will start construction.

 

At the same time construction starts, a revamped website for the Commerce Building will be launched.

 

Plans are to have 93 apartments in the building, ranging from studio units to three-bedroom models, along with a rooftop restaurant, a fitness center, a third-floor private events deck and a rooftop infinity edge pool. There will be about 110 parking spaces inside the building.The redevelopment of the building is estimated to cost $22 million.

 

*rendering included

http://theadvocate.com/home/7563458-125/no-grocery-for-redeveloped-commerce

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2013 by richyb83

[Antrell Williams]

I'm not angry. Gives the chance for the grocery to move away from 3rd St.

[cajun]

I'm not angry. Gives the chance for the grocery to move away from 3rd St.

3rd is a silly place for a grocery anyways. Main, Florida, or Convention are more appropriate.

Edited December 10, 2013 by cajun

[Antrell Williams]

3rd is a silly place for a grocery anyways. Main, Florida, or Convention are more appropriate.

4th & Laurel is what I'm feeling. I wouldn't mind a development similar to West Ave in Houston on the SE lot of 4th and Convention, except with a local grocery.

[cajun]

An AG store is opening at 3rd and Main. I guess I was only half wrong

Matherne's Supermarket. Locally owned, operated, and serviced. This is your "larger" grocer.

I'm impressed.

Edited December 10, 2013 by cajun

[Antrell Williams]

Do you have a link?

Still don't like the location.

[dan326]

Neat! IBM is really helping things set off. I guess it's only a matter of time before some new construction starts popping up.

[itsjustme3]

Do you have a link?

Still don't like the location.

Old Capital One building from my understanding

[cajun]

Old Capital One building from my understanding

This is correct.

They'll be using parking that's already in place there. It will be a full service grocer and also sell the plate lunches that other Matherne's stores sell. It's an important development for downtown.

Edited December 11, 2013 by cajun