Baton Rouge *Rises

[BRPJ]

This looks like a nice development, but seems like it would've been better a bit further out from that location

[twstdndmntd]

Is this project going to be where the New Richmond Place Apts is at now? If so I am quite disappointed with this. I agree it looks like just about everything else. To me it is NOT something that fits into a downtown CBD. What caused this change? And just where oh where is Riverplace Condos?

[dan326]

Ya'll are right. I like the idea, but who would want to live in a brownstone isolated in a corporate sea?

[richyb83]

Thanks for posting this.

This is the future location....New Richmond Apts. to be demolished

http://img209.imageshack.us/my.php?image=feb07047wd6os9.jpg

Something like this was what I was hoping for...

[byrde]

Like most of you, I'd love to see something more vertical, but I'm not upset with this development. We need something like that that will help to generate foot traffic at the street level.

[richyb83]

You are right Bryde, it's another positive thing to happen for downtown. Definetly better than the dreaded surface parking lot and penitentiary-style New Richmond Apts. that is over there now.

[cajun]

brownstones are not a bad thing. It will probably spark a couple of more three to four story townhomes in the immediate area if demand is high.

I would have liked a taller, more eye catching structure, but brownstones are more important for a city like Baton Rouge. The plot of land is really too narrow to go too tall and have a building that wasn't mostly parking garage.

If residential development in downtown baton rouge continues, then I'd like to see things like this for infill projects to take over the smaller parking spaces.

[dimebag1980]

You are right Bryde, it's another positive thing to happen for downtown. Definetly better than the dreaded surface parking lot and penitentiary-style New Richmond Apts. that is over there now.

[richyb83]

Thanks for the heads-up Brian They are currently underway on a parking garage downtown on North Street at River Road. And a few more set to begin soon. I agree that a 2 story garage looks kinda stupid.

Since Plan BR was implemented, downtown has two new state parking garages 6 or 7 levels with ground level Main Street Market and YMCA. Another 7 or 8 level garage opened over a year ago on Third at Convention. Those have been a big help.

[twstdndmntd]

Although a little disappointed in the development on the site of the Richmond Apts. I do welcome any and all development. I was really expecting a verticle structure like the one that had been widely talked about for months or possibly even a year. I just think something like Brownstones would have been better suited for the Nicholson corridor or across from the atrium. In the middle of the CBD just doesn't seem like the best place for that. I really wish a developer would come in and buy up all the land between Nicholson Dr. and the river and do a big residential development that would be reminiscent of French Quarter style structures. I think that would look awesome in that area, granted if we could clean up the rest of Old South BR. To me that whole area is just too good of prime real estate to let go to waste and ruin. AND WHERE IS MY RIVERPLACE CONDOS?!!!!! lol I'm tired of hearing about that and we see no construction going on. Can anyone give us some insight on when we can start seeing cranes working on that site.

[richyb83]

RiverPlace lastest possible starting date was said to be Labor Day. BUT I would expect it to be sooner than that. It's been a long, hard road. I have grown weary of waiting so long after the 18 month delay by the stinkin' hurricanes. Keep in mind the original $price tag was $50 million and is now $75 million. It's gonna happen. The Third Street hospitality center is alive and well!

I can't wait to see all those cranes in scattered in the CBD either All at the same time too!!! RiverPlace, II City Plaza and New Courthouse!!! All these projects seem like they are taking forever! But I have a feeling the long wait will be worth it! We are in the stretch run now; it won't be very long from now.

[dan326]

I'm still kind of confused as to how RiverPlace will look in the end. Did they just take out a few floors or did they completely rework it? It might the same because I remember in one article Preis said he hired an engineer to take out as much a possible,but still keep the same design. And then an video clip of the news said it was 36stories, but then Richy asked a couple of times with the same answer 30. If it is shorter I think(and hope) it will have a different design because I don't see how they can fit 20 extra units(99 to 119) in less space (30-36) and because if you take the current RiverPlace rendering and take away(or add floors for that matter) it will look weird. But I guess in the end all that really matters is that something will get built on the site and at 75 million dollars something nice. And before (when it was 36 stories) and we could assume it be 460, then you take out the lobby(2stores/18ft) and what appears to be two penthouses(2stories/about 36ft) at the top. Subract(460-18-36) and divide(406/32stories) and multiply(12.7ft per floor * 26 floors) and add(18ft+ 36ft + 330ft) equals about 384 which is still a very tall for B.R., number 2 in fact.

[richyb83]

You bring up a good point Dan. I'm curious to see the redesign too. But I try to remind myself renderings can sometimes make a project look better than the final product; but on the flipside sometimes renderings don't do the final product justice. It is tricky.

That's some good vertical totals for the redesign you came up with at approx. 385ft'. If I look way back in previous post, that's about what I was guessing too!

[twstdndmntd]

Well 30 or 36 I'm just impatient and ready to see something. I've been here for 3yrs and for 3yrs I've been hearing, "it's coming, it's coming" and I have yet to see anything. LOL. Course I'd rather the 36 but at this point I'll take whatever we get. Thanks for the update. Can you imagine what downtown is gonna look like with all 3 of those developments going up at the same time? It's gonna be instant "city". Course I, like everyone else, am waiting to see whats going to happen with the old Advocate site. They teased us when they talked bout a possible "verticle neighborhood". Let's get it going boys. LOL

[richyb83]

Well stinkin' Katrina is to blame for 18 months of that wait RiverPlace would nearly finished by now. It's also responsible for dropping the floors from 36 to 30 as well.

People will be suprised just how much those 3 projects will change the look of downtown!!! Not to mention everything else going on.

No doubt downtown BR's malnutritioned skyline needs all the help it can get; whether it be vertical or density. Don't get me wrong, I am happy II City Plaza is going up. It will be really nice addition to the southern CBD. But now that it will be shorter than the design before it bec. of the parking deck below....that means it will have trouble making it above the "tree-line" from miles away like the Chase Towers, One American Place, State Capitol, and future RiverPlace.

This should have been done by now....I need to write "Ask the Advocate" whats going on with their old property??

[twstdndmntd]

Guys can we talk a little about the new State hospital that has been talked about? I, myself, have been totally disgusted with the planned sites for this new facility. They keep talking and talking about putting it in South BR. Now, I am not opposed one bit to the need for a new state hospital. I am, however, opposed to the planned sites. There is absolutely no need for them to put that facility in South BR. The people who use that facility the most are the residents in N.BR, so why take it away from them and leave them with no medical facility at all. Once again it shows how little thought is actually put into things. Not to mention all the sites that were talked about would do nothing more than add traffic to already burdened roads. There is plenty of room around the new state clinic on the old K-Mart site. We all really need to start protesting this before the final site is choosen.

[richyb83]

Is the new State hospital the same thing as a new University hospital?? It's ashame EKL has to close; Is the new clinic at the Old K-Mart totally inadequate or too small??In comparison to EKL??

It seems to me South-half of BR has plenty of hospitals. Does LSU just want to build near all the other hospitals around there for Doctors purposes?? Not sure what I heard?? In Houston thy have clustered many hospitals at the Texas Medical Ctr.

Howell Place off Harding Blvd. near the Airport has a new Surgery Specailty Clinic and there is talk of additional medical offices. I think it's at a great location to nearby Southern U. Much needed in the northern part of the city.

Talk is sounding definite that the ever growing Womans Hosp. will be moving south down Airline Hwy. at Briarwood CC; surely somebody (LSU?, State?) could use the Woman's Hsp. current facility?? That's a nice centralized location IMO.

[dan326]

You're right twstdndmntd. I do find it a little bit tiresome that almost everything new has to be in South B.R. sometimes. I guess I could understand Woman's Hospital moving because they have become landlocked, but aren't there any other closer locations? And if I'm not mistaken, didn't they breakground on a new hosiptal in North B.R. a few months ago? But regardless,I think North B.R. needs more than 1.

[twstdndmntd]

Yes the new state hospital is the University Hospital. There is going to be a state medical clinic on the site of the old K-Mart as well as a new charity hospital to take the place of the ageing EKL. The problem with the soon to be old Womens is the fact that, that facility is also aging and will soon be in the same shape as EKL. The state has already made the comment about not acquiring that building because they would be buying someone else's junk. Which I can understand. The problem is one location for the new charity hospital is on Bluebonnet near the General. Again the population that the charity hospital serves is not in S. BR it is in N. BR so why build it in the southern part of the city. You essentially leave N. BR with no hospital in close range. The closest would be the General at Mid-City. There is plenty of land in N. BR that would be sufficient for the charity hospital.

[brresident]

Those outpatient surgical centers seem to be booming now. Every one of them are expanding.

[dan326]

This 8-story mid-rise office building in BR's emerging medical corridor is set to begin in July

[buckett5425]

Okay, so im sure everyone here will probably agree, but, all of our downtown town high rises need to work on there night lighting. One america place becomes invisible at night, which i suppose it is fitting since it is such an unattractive building. But, it needs all the help it can get, and night lighting would help not to mention improve the overall look of the night sky line. The same goes for river side north and chase tower. Also, has any noticed that the beinville building never has it's lights turned on at the top, unlike the iberville building(incase i named the two buildings incorrectly, its the two gateway buildings that frame the capitol)? Anyway, it really bugs me that baton rouge dosnt have a better looking night skyline, but im sure two city plaza and the new courthouse will help immensly.

okay, im done ranting now, lol

[richyb83]

Nice post. Totally agreed! The night skyline needs a serious upgrade; esp. One American Place. You can barely see it from the upper deck at Tiger Stadium.

I wondered what was up with the Beinville bldg?? The Iberville bldg (1/2 the gate) looks fantastic!!! I was given a phone # to someone who could answer my question about the lighting; but I never called, I need to call now that you bring it up.

The Shaw Arts Center "Latern on the Levee" looks great at night; an excellent centerpiece for the growing skyline. You are exactly right; II City Plaza & new Courthouse will look great at night adjacent to the Shaw Arts Center.

Maybe I can make a request for someone to fix-up some lights for One American Place; tell them it's invisible at night

[cajun]

I'd like to see 2 or 3 more 8-12 story projects downtown, and eventually a 30+ story tower.

What we do have going on looks great, though. Any word on Riverplace? I sure hope the developer sells that land to someone who will develop it.

[twstdndmntd]

I was coming home from Lafayette early Sunday morning and I was truely disappointed with BR. The capital wasn't even lit. I was like what was up with that? We do need to address the lighting issue. All you can really see is word "Chase" on the Chase towers and with the Capital not lit up it was hard to tell anything was actually there. Even the Shaw Center was hard to find. But I have to say the southern portion of the CBD will look awesome once II City Plaza and the new Courthouse is done.