Gonzales & Ascension Parish

[all2neat]

Fresh market would be awesome. My wife goes to whole foods for about half our weekly groceries. It would be great to have something local.

Of course they see potential, the parish is growing extremely fast.

I sure hope all of Hwy 44 is widened, as well as all of Hwy 42.

Me Too. Its needed very badly. Edited June 15, 2013 by all2neat

[cajun]

They just can't help but try and ruin Leblancs.

Wal Mart will hurt Albertsons, Winn Dixie, and other mid sized chains before it hurts LeBlancs.

The AG and IGA stores can be price competitive when they want to....and Louisiana (especially in Cajun areas) is remarkably "independent friendly".

Edited June 16, 2013 by cajun

[Antrell Williams]

Wal Mart will hurt Albertsons, Winn Dixie, and other mid sized chains before it hurts LeBlancs.

The AG and IGA stores can be price competitive when they want to....and Louisiana (especially in Cajun areas) is remarkably "independent friendly".

This location is being built to tap into LeBlancs customer base.

[itsjustme3]

Chick Fil A has bought property in Prairieville on Airline near Germany Rd. Supposedly this was on Business Report but I don't see it. It's not a desirable location (right now) but that'll change over time.

Edited June 24, 2013 by itsjustme3

[cajun]

Chick Fil A has bought property in Prairieville on Airline near Germany Rd. Supposedly this was on Business Report but I don't see it. It's not a desirable location (right now) but that'll change over time.

Good...hope for AP's sake that they install a dual drive through. Traffic will spill out into the street otherwise.

It's not Highland/Airline or 42/Airline, but considering traffic counts on Airline and all of the residential in that area, that corner is is due for retail or restaurants.

Edited June 24, 2013 by cajun

[all2neat]

I saw it on business report also.

http://www.businessreport.com/article/20130621/BUSINESSREPORT0112/130629944

[richyb83]

I saw it on Business Report too...was not sure it was worthy enough to post...

 

A Chick-Fil-A for Ascension...it was only a matter of time

[all2neat]

Here is the lstest on LA42. The clearing and utility project will be let in August and should be completed early next year. This will include building the parish’s $5M sewer system and moving utilities in anticipation for the roadway project which is scheduled to let March 2014.

[cajun]

Ascension planning officials consider large tract off I-10

 

http://theadvocate.com/home/6948201-125/ascension-planning-officials-consider-large

 

GONZALES — Representatives of the heirs of deceased cattleman M.P. Evans and his late wife, Ruth, head back to the city Planning and Zoning Commission at 6 p.m. Tuesday with a revised plan to rezone 341 acres near the Burnside exit of Interstate 10/Burnside exit.

The Evans estate is seeking to rezone the cow pasture from the city’s most restrictive residential zoning to a mix of uses that includes retail spaces and small office warehouses, houses built at varying densities and about 20 acres of apartments.

In July, the City Council sent the plan back to the commission because of questions about the proposal. The commission had previously recommended denial.

With cows milling about the broad tract, the property has been a scenic fixture along I-10.

Residents living near the property have opposed the rezoning out of concern for the future strain on roads and drainage and the loss of the rural quality of life. The tract, which is on the southeast corner of the I-10 interchange, is rimmed by two two-lane state highways, La. 941 and La. 44.

 

[richyb83]

Prairieville ranked No. 2 on list of 'Top Booming Suburbs in America'

 

http://www.businessreport.com/article/20130910/BUSINESSREPORT0113/130919997

 

 

Check out the complete list...

http://www.coldwellbanker.com/real_estate/learn/coldwell_banker_announces_top_booming_suburbs_ranking

 

Ascension county

2.   Prairieville, La. (Suburb of Baton Rouge / Ascension County)

Growth in Employed Persons: 2.7 percent

Average Commute Time: 30 minutes

Prairieville, La., is one of the fastest growing areas in the state, with more than 25 specialty chemical and petrochemical flagship plants clustered along the Mississippi River. With more reciprocal industries populating the town and forming an individual supply chain for products, it captures a strong resident labor force specializing in manufacturing, education, health and social services.

[Antrell Williams]

There was a list where we were #1 that my realtor Aunt told me about.

 

I could think of a few more suburbs I'd rather live in though. Lol.

[steve3n8]

BASF to build $42.6 million facility in Geismar

 

BASF announced plans today to expand its footprint in Geismar with a new $42.6 million polyurethanes blending facility. Construction of the facility will begin this month, officials say, with completion expected in the second quarter of 2015. To secure the project, LED's Business Expansion and Retention Group provided a custom incentives package to BASF that includes a $1.2 million Modernization Tax Credit to be claimed over five years. The company is also expected to take advantage of the state's Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs. LED officials estimate the project will create 22 new direct jobs, 145 indirect jobs and 175 construction jobs. "Today's announcement is great news for Ascension Parish and our entire state," says Gov. Bobby Jindal, who was onhand to help BASF officials make the announcement. "BASF continues to be one of the largest economic drivers in Louisiana, investing more than $350 million in projects since 2009. The continued success of this Geismar chemical complex led to today's latest expansion, which will allow BASF's polyurethane blending to take place right here in Louisiana rather than being shipped out of state." Jindal has more details on today's announcement at his website. —Staff report

 

Businessreport.com

 

 

 

 

 

La. officials hope construction boom brings some natives back for good    

 

With more than $60 billion worth of new plants and expansions planned over the next several years, Louisiana will need more than 86,000 new skilled workers by the end of 2016, according to the state's just-released Craft Workforce Development Plan. However, the state only has the ability to recruit about 50,000 current residents into industrial construction during that time and only has the capacity to train roughly 64,000. Many of the experienced workers will have to come from out of state. A lot of those mobile workers are Louisiana expats, says Louisiana Workforce Commission Executive Director Curt Eysink, and he expects some of them will return and then stay long-term. While the construction jobs will be temporary, he says perhaps 20% or more of those workers will have a chance to transition into permanent jobs in maintenance or operations at those plants. Jimmy Sawtelle, senior vice president for workforce solutions with the Louisiana Community & Technical College System, says moving current residents who are unemployed or underemployed into the craft workforce is the first priority, but bringing former residents home is a close second. "We want to be here for our Louisianans who remigrate back to our great state," he says. Officials are preparing as if industrial construction employment will peak in 2016, although engineering and permitting backlogs could push some of that work back to 2017 and 2018. "We still have to produce the same numbers of people," Eysink says. "Maybe we get a little more time to do it." —David Jacobs

 

Businessreport.com

[steve3n8]

Man, this is a HUGE announcement!!!

 

 

Ascension to potentially get $12.5 billion facility

 

 

 

Shell is considering building a $12.5 billion gas to liquids facility in Ascension Parish that would create 740 new direct jobs with an expected average salary of $100,000, plus benefits.

Shell is evaluating a site near Sorrento and will make a final decision on the project based on the findings and a preliminary engineering study. Construction would follow on what could be Shell’s second natural gas-related facility in Ascension.

In March, Shell and its affiliates announced plans to build a small-scale natural gas liquefaction plant in Geismar and another in Canada that will provide fuel for commercial transportation customers.

The Geismar facility will produce 250,000 tons of liquefied natural gas each year, or around 400,000 gallons a day, according to Shell. The unit, planned for its Geismar Chemical facility, will supply LNG along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, to onshore exploration areas in Texas and Louisiana, and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Shell did not release the estimated cost for that facility

At its peak, the project announced Tuesday near Sorrento would lead to 10,000 new construction jobs.

“Today’s announcement is a historic new opportunity for Shell to potentially expand its manufacturing operations onshore in a world-class, gas-to-liquids facility in Ascension Parish on the Mississippi River,” said Gov. Bobby Jindal in a statement. “Here in the heart of Louisiana’s world-scale petrochemical industries, the Gulf Coast GTL project would give thousands more of our people an opportunity for a rewarding career right here at home. We know that the final investment decision is yet to come, but we also know that Shell’s selection of Louisiana proves once again that there’s no better place in the world for major business investment.”

The Louisiana’s economic development department said the project would create 3,900 new indirect jobs and have a total economic impact of $77.6 billion.

 

http://theadvocate.com/home/7146237-125/ascension-to-potentially-get-125

 

[cajun]

Wow! I'm speechless. That's a huge development.

I'm worried that I'll come back to Louisiana as an old man in 30 years and won't recognize AP.

[Antrell Williams]

This is a very impressive announcement.

[all2neat]

Its not a done deal.

[itsjustme3]

Trust me. It's done.

[all2neat]

They have 2 years to back out. You never know what happens.

[LAWdesigns]

We have some new construction sites going up!

 

Hwy 44 next to Big Ben & Pizza Hut.

 

Hwy 30 next to Walgreen's

 

Hwy 30 Across from The RaceTrac 

 

Hwy 73 next to the Chevron will be Chabill's Auto Repair (NOT) Dairy Queen.

 

Cabela's parkway Shopping Center anchored by P.F. Changs. VooDoo BBQ backed out from that location, They are looking at another piece of land.

 

 

 

now lets hear the Rumors

 

Raising Cane's to be built next to Sonic in cabela's parkway.

 

Lamar Dixon Road will be expanded to Hwy 44

 

Emerson & River Parish College built on same site

 

[dan326]

Don't they already have a Cane's relavtively near, down the street from Cabela's?

[Antrell Williams]

Nope. The nearest one is on Airline and E Ascension St by Piccadilly's.

[LAWdesigns]

Murphy Express is going up next to walgreen's on hwy 30.

[all2neat]

Trust me. It's done.

 

They have 2 years to back out. You never know what happens.

 

I hate to say I told you so but the Shell plant fell through. This would have been huge for Ascension.

 

http://theadvocate.com/home/7767006-125/shell-wont-build-125-billion

Despite the ample supplies of natural gas in the area, Shell said the gas-to-liquids project is not viable in North America at this time. The likely development and the uncertainty of long-term oil and gas prices were leading causes for the decision, according to the company.

 

[cajun]

They think oil prices will be too low to justify a gas to liquid product.

It's bad for Louisiana in more ways than one.

[all2neat]

It looks like the long awaited widening of LA42 is going to be started within the next month.

http://theadvocate.com/home/8129684-125/long-awaited-work-on-la

 

 

 

DOTD officials plan to issue the notice to proceed for the land-clearing phase Friday.

 

Annison said the notice means Wharton-Smith can start assembling equipment and has 30 days to start work, expected to last 10 months.

The road construction will take another 14 months afterward for a total of two years for the whole project.