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Baton Rouge Developbits


dan326

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A strip center is the sign of progress? In that case Prairieville must be the Mecca of progress.

I didn't say (or mean to imply) that life and business would cease to go on near Cortana. Just saying that people, developers and retailers should lower their expectations ALOT knowing the facts of the area.

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This national retailer is responding to market demand. That can mean several things, but it is better than a lack of investment.

Which retailer?

I'd like to see a Super Target on Florida.

Itsjustme is right about the area. The mall format for that neighborhood has become obsolete. The average income is too low to support a regional mall....and Cortana is a huge mall.

On the other hand, the site is near middle and high income areas (for Louisiana) in Tara, Broadmoor, and Goodwood. Retailers like Target or Stage may have a shot there.

Edited by cajun
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Which retailer?

I'd like to see a Super Target on Florida.

Itsjustme is right about the area. The mall format for that neighborhood has become obsolete. The average income is too low to support a regional mall....and Cortana is a huge mall.

On the other hand, the site is near middle and high income areas (for Louisiana) in Tara, Broadmoor, and Goodwood. Retailers like Target or Stage may have a shot there.

 

 

Big Box Clothing Store. 

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Hmm, Stage, TJMaxx, Ross, and Cato come to mind...maybe even Belk on a good good day. I think a Target here would be too near the other one and Walmart to do very well.

 

Speaking of Cortana:

 

"Meno says he'd like to attract a "state-of-the-art theater" to the area, which he believes could serve as a catalyst for Cortana's rebirth."

Read more from Business Report here: http://businessreport.com/real-estate-weekly/4092013/Cortana_manager_confident_mall_can_succeed_after_sale#ixzz2QsL0gd9m

 

 

I think a small theater about the Grand Cinema's size would do well. They'd just have to make sure to hire extra security to handle all the teenagers.

Edited by dan326
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Put a Target there and it will fail. People who shop at Target aren't going to the Cortana area.

False.  Having moved to Capital Heights in 2011, I have found that my neighbors (and I) do use the Cortana shopping area and would go to Target there.  We do drive to Siegen or Millerville to Target, but would much rather go to one at Airline/Florida.  And yes, we currently go there for Sam's, Old Navy, Lowes, etc.  We do not, however, use the mall all that much except for the department stores.

 

I would also add that you are over-valuing the average Target shopper... my experiences, especially at Siegen, are completely comparable to Wal-mart, not some "upscale" shopping experience.  Millerville, in my experience, is much better but that is more from lack of the overcrowding that happens at Siegen.

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Put a Target there and it will fail. People who shop at Target aren't going to the Cortana area.

 

Considering Target sometimes becomes an anchor for under-performing malls when they fail to attract a more traditional anchor, I don't see the logic. 

 

People who shop at Sam's also shop at Target. 

 

Also, what's this "bad roads" thing you harp on in some posts? Cortana is at the intersection of two major highways. Airline was expanded from Florida to a little ways south. Florida is being repaved from Foster to Airline. 

 

And even before that, getting to Cortana wasn't exactly an off-road experience...

Edited by garrett_225
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I would rather see a smaller market in Mid-City than a Target near Cortana. The area isn't horrible but I honestly cannot see them risking that amount of investment in that area.

Roads are fine in the area, most of our roads in Baton Rouge are perfectly fine.

Wal-Mart is generally, noticeably cheaper and Sam's also caters to the business owners in the area, not just household items.

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Also, what's this "bad roads" thing you harp on in some posts? Cortana is at the intersection of two major highways. Airline was expanded from Florida to a little ways south. Florida is being repaved from Foster to Airline.

The frontage road that parallels Cortana and Florida is a business killer. The "paving" has been going on for a while. The short sharp circular exits off airline onto Florida. All successful/profitable business killers.

Face it, the area was poorly designed. Poorly maintained and the economical mess we are in (with other factors) have killed this area.

People will still live there avd shop there but it's heyday is long gone.

Blame the awful city planners of Baton Rouge.

Prairieville and Livingston will be next.

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The frontage road that parallels Cortana and Florida is a business killer. The "paving" has been going on for a while. The short sharp circular exits off airline onto Florida. All successful/profitable business killers.

Face it, the area was poorly designed. Poorly maintained and the economical mess we are in (with other factors) have killed this area.

People will still live there avd shop there but it's heyday is long gone.

Blame the awful city planners of Baton Rouge.

Prairieville and Livingston will be next.

 

 

We agree on something. Forum, take note. 

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The frontage road that parallels Cortana and Florida is a business killer. The "paving" has been going on for a while. The short sharp circular exits off airline onto Florida. All successful/profitable business killers.

Face it, the area was poorly designed. Poorly maintained and the economical mess we are in (with other factors) have killed this area.

People will still live there avd shop there but it's heyday is long gone.

Blame the awful city planners of Baton Rouge.

Prairieville and Livingston will be next.

 

The one thing you mention that does get slightly irritating is the cloverleaf, but for me, it beats making the trek out to Bluebonnet or Seigen. I'm sure some people feel differently. The paving on Florida has gone on for a few months. At least it looks like they're doing it right.  

 

The beautiful thing about places that are past their heyday is that there is often tremendous potential for a revival. A la Downtown Baton Rouge. Talk about surrounded by poor neighborhoods. But coming back strong, nevertheless. I don't think anyone would argue that the outlook for Cortana is particularly bright, but I'm in the number who isn't ready to write the area off just yet.

 

We will see. 

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I wouldn't compare downtown Baton Rouge to Cortana in any way.

edit: and the paving job they are doing is bad. Apparently the city is going on the cheap and not tearing up the old pavement and instead just laying a new layer ontop of the multiple layers already put down. Give it 5 years before it starts tearing up.

Edited by itsjustme3
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I wouldn't compare downtown Baton Rouge to Cortana in any way.

edit: and the paving job they are doing is bad. Apparently the city is going on the cheap and not tearing up the old pavement and instead just laying a new layer ontop of the multiple layers already put down. Give it 5 years before it starts tearing up.

 

Well since I was driving on the concrete base a few months ago after they stripped the layers off, that's not true. 

 

Also they're replacing the concrete curbs for the median. That's not cutting corners. 

 

But don't take my word for it...

 

http://theadvocate.com/home/3880433-125/florida-boulevard-repaving-to-begin

Edited by garrett_225
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I don't have much faith in the longevity of the pavement. 

 

DPW performed the same type of over lay on Nicholson, maybe two years ago? They stripped off the asphalt down to the original concrete before over laying again. Nicholson is now riddled with pot holes once again and some areas of the road bed are collapsing  mainly due to poor surface drainage, and DPW has already begun to repair some sections. But as always, the patch jobs are sub par and create their own series of bumps. 

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The frontage road that parallels Cortana and Florida is a business killer. The "paving" has been going on for a while. The short sharp circular exits off airline onto Florida. All successful/profitable business killers.

Face it, the area was poorly designed. Poorly maintained and the economical mess we are in (with other factors) have killed this area.

People will still live there avd shop there but it's heyday is long gone.

Blame the awful city planners of Baton Rouge.

Prairieville and Livingston will be next.

The frontage roads are the height of stupidity in tha area west of Airline. If Florida must be a surface road with at-grade intersections, those frontage roads have to go.

I'd like to see them build an 8 lane road with sidewalks all the way to the edge of the right of way. This would leave enough space to allow for U-turn lanes and green space in the median.

I absolutely hate those frontage roads. They discourage retail development and are inhibiting investment in the area....all for a negligible traffic payoff that could easily be overcome with more capacity on Florida.

Edited by cajun
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I don't have much faith in the longevity of the pavement. 

 

DPW performed the same type of over lay on Nicholson, maybe two years ago? They stripped off the asphalt down to the original concrete before over laying again. Nicholson is now riddled with pot holes once again and some areas of the road bed are collapsing  mainly due to poor surface drainage, and DPW has already begun to repair some sections. But as always, the patch jobs are sub par and create their own series of bumps. 

 

That Nicholson pavement is seriously pissing me off. I have to wonder if wasn't something on the end of the construction company. Remember when parts of I-10 between Acadian and Washington mysteriously began breaking up just two months after the warranty expired? And it was supposedly the same formula used without issues on other roads in the area. Unbelievable. 

 

I think the pavement on Florida will fare better than Nicholson. Doesn't collect water like Nicholson and also doesn't carry as many large trucks. 

 

Anyway, regardless of whether or not the pavement lasts, the point is that it was stripped down to the concrete base. It's not just an overlay. 

Edited by garrett_225
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The frontage roads are the height of stupidity in tha area west of Airline. If Florida must be a surface road with at-grade intersections, those frontage roads have to go.

I'd like to see them build an 8 lane road with sidewalks all the way to the edge of the right of way. This would leave enough space to allow for U-turn lanes and green space in the median.

I absolutely hate those frontage roads. They discourage retail development and are inhibiting investment in the area....all for a negligible traffic payoff that could easily be overcome with more capacity on Florida.

Traffic numbers on Florida just don't warrant that kind of project, even in rush hour. Not sure if the potential investment return is worth the price of construction with all the crap on Florida.

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It's pretty congested at rush hour east of Airline. There is a choke point around Sherwood and another around Oak Villa.

This reminds me....how did the redevelopment of Broadmoor Shopping Center go? Any anchors? I know a fitness club is in there. Did they remove the old Theater?

I wanted to see a pharmacy and neighborhood grocery setup there.

Edited by cajun
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It's pretty congested at rush hour east of Airline. There is a choke point around Sherwood and another around Oak Villa.

This reminds me....how did the redevelopment of Broadmoor Shopping Center go? Any anchors? I know a fitness club is in there. Did they remove the old Theater?

I wanted to see a pharmacy and neighborhood grocery setup there.

I drove that stretch everyday on my route during, before, and after rush hour and it is not nearly bad enough in my opinion to warrant that much money on widening. If the service roads were removed and the roadway widened, I would imagine it would be in an attempt to beautify the corridor more than relieve traffic congestion. Planted Fitness and Dollar General are there that I know, can't remember the others. It looks good though. Broadmoor Theater is still there and I would love for it to be redeveloped, I love the shape of the building.

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