Baton Rouge Developbits

[dan326]

dood holden will do just as much for his second term as he did for his first term...the thing that makes him different..is his drive for the world to KNOW Baton Rouge just as they know new york , LA, ATLANTA NEW ORLEANS and the rest...it seems the rest of our mayors have just taken that position just to they hey...im the Mayor ...but no work was being done.....i recall holden talking about this loop before he was running for mayor ....i think he'll turn this city into a 1st class city.....he's like me....im tired of traveling to other cities...i wan't people to come to BR and enjoy themselves

That's why I like Kip,he's like me in that he wants Baton Rouge to be knowm. I want B.R. to be the city of the South or at least the Gulf Coast.

[BRPJ]

I like kip. He is doing the most for baton rouge. His approach is more world wide than domestic.

Edited February 17, 2008 by BRPJ

[cajun]

I hope you guys are right.

[yis2003yis]

I hope you guys are right.

you don't remember that?....when he was just a senate...he said we'll need a loop in baton rouge....i think mike foster was the govoner back then...

he's always going out to LA...to see about getting them to shoot some movies in BR...he said he wants baton rouge to be the hollywood of the south....he's at every event thats held in BR......we've had mayors that i have neva seen in person anywhere.....and what got me was...i got tickets late to a SU home game...and i was in some seats that were not good at all for the price i paid.....kip could have been sitting in the pressbox with A.C. and great food....but i looked to my left...he was sitting 2 seats down with his wife....what mayor can we say we've seen sitting in the stands with us as a normal person???

[cajun]

you don't remember that?....when he was just a senate...he said we'll need a loop in baton rouge....i think mike foster was the govoner back then...

he's always going out to LA...to see about getting them to shoot some movies in BR...he said he wants baton rouge to be the hollywood of the south....he's at every event thats held in BR......we've had mayors that i have neva seen in person anywhere.....and what got me was...i got tickets late to a SU home game...and i was in some seats that were not good at all for the price i paid.....kip could have been sitting in the pressbox with A.C. and great food....but i looked to my left...he was sitting 2 seats down with his wife....what mayor can we say we've seen sitting in the stands with us as a normal person???

I'm not worried about the loop....too many people know about it and want it now for it to go away. I worried that the state will put it into law and all the funding will go to New Orleans like old times (TIMED) and another 40 years will go by and we will still be sitting in traffic.

That is out of Holden's hands, though. EBR, WBR, Livingston, Ascension and Ibberville all know about and want the loop....so you'd be pissing off the cajuns and the bonnie blue parishes if you take the loop away. That's a lot of political liability.

Maybe his next 4 years he'll try to literally clean up Baton Rouge's gritty streets. After spending so much time in Irving, TX and Atlanta, GA I can see where Baton Rouge is so far behind.

Now that we are on political talk:

Jindal is one of the "possible" running mates for McCain, who has a really good shot at winning. McCain is old as water, and will probably die in office if he beats Obama and wins a second term....so you could possibly see Jindal as president in the near future. If not as a running mate (he's only 36 years old), then wait 4 or 8 years, depending on who wins. I understand that he declined already, but the republican convention hasn't happened yet and he is a keynote speaker there.....and he also said that he wouldn't run for state office after he lost against Blanco.

My questions: Is it possible to get a Brown alumni connected to UL and LSU from Louisiana into the White House?

If so, do you think Jindal will have the connection with the younger votes, even at an older age, like Obama has with the democratic party?

Would this change the view of many towards Louisiana (a minority republican that's smart as a whip and talks faster than anyone in the South can understand?)

Edited February 18, 2008 by cajun

[dan326]

They are renovating the Holiday Inn at the Airline Higway/I-12 intersection on the outside and hopefully the infside also. This is great because I was alway thinking that they needed to update that horrible 70's rose drab color. They have also cleared the lot next to the buiding. Maybe more parking or something more? I could have sworn I saw plumbing pipes coming from the ground.

[drew6974]

Apple's Louisiana store is nearing completion in the Mall of Louisiana in BR.

Apple's Louisiana Store is also nearing completion in the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. Construction is virtually finished inside and workers are already installing exterior stainless steel. Apple's Louisiana Store stands as the only Apple retail outlet along the entire Gulf Coast, and is likely to open some time in March.

http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/02/26/uk.....store.opening/

[dan326]

This is great. B.R.is really coming into it's own as a shopping mecca by raggling in all these first time Louisiana ,big-name retailers.

Apple Store

Edited February 27, 2008 by dan326

[dan326]

Construction on the Constitution Avenue Holiday Inn should start anyday now. I saw an office trailer and bulldozer on the site and the site has been fenced off.

[buckett5425]

Well the belle of br parking garage is starting to get pretty tall, and have an impact on the skyline from the bridge. Hopefully, it will be a nice edition, and not an eye sore. Its in a great location though. Maybe one day they will consider adding a few floors on top for a restuarant, or maybe even some condos, it could make for a really nice project?

[buckett5425]

The Boulevard at the Mall will be opening tomorrow, and of course, Louisiana's first Apple store. I happened to be at the mall today so i took a stroll down the BLVD, its really nice, and the Apple store looks amazeing.

One thing i noticed though, is the huge turn over going on in the mall right now. I actully hadnt been in quite a while, and was shocked by all the store closeings, remodelings, or moving to another location in the mall. It actully makes the mall look rather sad, like they cant lease all of their space. But, almost every single "wall"(the ones the use to hide the store as they construct the inside) has a coming soon written on it. So i guess it will take a few months, but the mall should be packed soon, with a lot of nice retailers. Hopefully this will bring even more higher end stores to the mall

[dimebag1980]

This is great. B.R.is really coming into it's own as a shopping mecca by raggling in all these first time Louisiana ,big-name retailers.

Apple Store

I'm very jealous. I was pissed when they never announced one of these for the Boardwalk. I love these stores, but I must admit I'm really surprised there isn't already one somewhere in metro New Orleans.

[dan326]

Hopefully Louisiana will become a true upscale mall, so Cortana can take the place of mid-scale mall.

Edited March 6, 2008 by dan326

[NCB]

I'm very jealous. I was pissed when they never announced one of these for the Boardwalk. I love these stores, but I must admit I'm really surprised there isn't already one somewhere in metro New Orleans.

Apple has announced they'll have a store at the new Pinnacle shopping center in Slidell. It's scheduled to break ground in early May.

[dimebag1980]

Apple has announced they'll have a store at the new Pinnacle shopping center in Slidell. It's scheduled to break ground in early May.

I'm not surprised by that, except that they haven't had one in New Orleans for 5+ years now.

[NCB]

I'm not surprised by that, except that they haven't had one in New Orleans for 5+ years now.

There were some plans to bring an Apple store to Canal Place in downtown New Orleans, but those were pre-Katrina and basically disappeared as soon as the storm moved out of the city. But I'm very happy just to see Apple enter Louisiana. I'm not an Apple user, but the Apple Store has become a "cool" thing, (as have their products) so it's nice to see them entering two Louisiana markets.

[dimebag1980]

There were some plans to bring an Apple store to Canal Place in downtown New Orleans, but those were pre-Katrina and basically disappeared as soon as the storm moved out of the city. But I'm very happy just to see Apple enter Louisiana. I'm not an Apple user, but the Apple Store has become a "cool" thing, (as have their products) so it's nice to see them entering two Louisiana markets.

We're next, dammit. I think I even read that Little Rock has, or is getting one. With the emergence of Cyber Command, and Jindal stopping here today to officially announce the state's $50+ million for the Cyber center, I think we'll be more attractive to Apple now. If not, screw 'em. Of course I don't mean that, but ... well ... you know. Ugh.

[dan326]

We're next, dammit. I think I even read that Little Rock has, or is getting one. With the emergence of Cyber Command, and Jindal stopping here today to officially announce the state's $50+ million for the Cyber center, I think we'll be more attractive to Apple now. If not, screw 'em. Of course I don't mean that, but ... well ... you know. Ugh.

We'll ya'll defintelty need one. I'm sure I saw a pic of one being built in Northwest Arkansas.

[dimebag1980]

We'll ya'll defintelty need one. I'm sure I saw a pic of one being built in Northwest Arkansas.

You did.

Ugh.

Ugh.

Apple . . .

[byrde]

I went to the new Apple Store in The Blvd. and it is a cool store. The store is rather plane Jane, but they have everything an Apple Geek would want. I spent a lot of time talking with one of their associates about the new Apple TV service.

[NCB]

I went to the new Apple Store in The Blvd. and it is a cool store. The store is rather plane Jane, but they have everything an Apple Geek would want. I spent a lot of time talking with one of their associates about the new Apple TV service.

I've been to the Apple Store in the Pentagon City Mall outside of D.C., along with the store in The Woodlands Mall outside of Houston. Both were very plain, but I guess that just fits with Apple's "simple but effective" message. They're really fun stores; the kind that the average guy will just "take a look around," and end up spending 30 minutes there just pressing buttons and watching product promos.

[buckett5425]

I would have to disagree on calling the Apple Store plain. The "plain" look is simply the "new" style of design. The beauty is in the simplicity. Most stores are going to be having that look to them. After they finish remodeling Express in the mall, i gaurantee it will have that same "plain" look to it. But that is what is stylish right now for higher-end retail, and personally, i love it and think it looks great, lol

[richyb83]

Hey Bryde, what did you think of The Boulevard development itself?? I haven't been there too recently. It's a nice looking place from yesterday's pic; a perfect blend of open-air mixed with the Mall of La. I also like the way it connects the Mall of La. on one side with the Rave Theatre/new power center on the other.

Edited March 8, 2008 by richyb83

[twstdndmntd]

Went to The Boulevard today. It's nice I like it. For me it looks like it's a piece of Perkins Rowe that was broken off and moved to the mall, it's a nice addition to the mall. I love the Apple store, the front of it is magnificant. I love the whole polished steel and glass look.

[dan326]

I went to the mall today, myself. The Boulevard was very nice, especially the tall fountain. I got very excited when I saw the Apple store in the rendering, I knew that would help put us on the map. I can't wait for the rest to finish!

Edited March 9, 2008 by dan326