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dan326

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Ochsner starts work on Gonzales clinic

 

Construction has started on the Ochsner Health Center – Gonzales clinic at the intersection of La. 30 and South Burnside Avenue.

The $24.2 million clinic is set to open in summer 2022 and will offer primary and specialty care. The 51,600-square-foot building will have 18 exam rooms, a lab and full radiology suite with MRI. It will complement Ochsner’s existing facilities in Ascension Parish: Ochsner Health Center – Prairieville, Ochsner Urgent Care – Lagniappe Center on Airline Highway and Ochsner Therapy & Wellness – Gonzales on North Burnside Avenue near Cannon Road.

Ochsner Gonzales

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The state is looking into adding a new interchange in Ascension. 
Cornerview Road (just south of it) -which seems to be supported by a local developer that doesn't appear to be very serious.  This would require a couple of new access roads and links to other highways.
Highway 74 - which makes the most sense, but would require repurposing land currently used for trailer homes where the on-ramp would have to be.    Highway 74 is also a narrow  two lane road (although not as bad as most in AP) and will likely have to be widened to support this.
Both alternatives would help get truck traffic to and from the industrial developments along LA 30 and enable better traffic flow to a future Mississippi River Bridge either at Bayou Goula or Plaquemine Point.  

 

 

New I-10 interchange in Ascension Parish receives new look from DOTD

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/weather_traffic/article_fb0913da-5511-11eb-aec7-5313be01d833.html
 

GONZALES — Perhaps a decade from now, 18-wheelers headed to Ascension Parish's industrial corridor will use a new Interstate 10 interchange and access road shooting them onto La. 30, the main street of parish chemical plants in Geismar.

The proposed I-10 interchange southeast of Cornerview Road and related connector roads are receiving renewed scrutiny from state highway officials as parish government officials continue negotiations with major landowner and home builder, Grady Melancon, who owns the more than 600-acre Buzzard Roost property crucial for the plan to come to fruition, the officials and builder have said.

 

Full article at link above.

 
If there was a textbook example of how not to handle inevitable suburban sprawl, it's lower Ascension Parish (not that northern AP is much better).   
I'm hoping that eastern Livingston,  West Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee, Ibberville, and West Feliciana see what's happening in Ascension as a cautionary tale and develop plans to control and guide growth properly.   It will eventually happen for them too.     The parish is so poorly run, that I'm surprised anything happens when people flush their toilets.     
I barely frequented southern AP but northern AP is horrendous. I've always preferred if they extended Hwy 42 to I-10 with an interchange.

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Ascension Parish is not, and has never been a priority for state funding despite their growing population and spending power.    The few dollars they've gotten to widen various roads has been very hard fought and about 10-15 years after it was needed.
I would imagine is also pretty cash poor as their aren't many large businesses pahing taxes compared to how bad the infrastructure is. Plus the state has such a massive backlog of projects.

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Quote

 

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_f9ff8bfe-8595-11eb-aaac-23a7cb3795a8.html

Homebuilder and lumber company owner Grady Melancon recently won approval to begin selling lots in the first 77-home filing of the Riverton neighborhood that has been under construction for several years in the Burnside area.

But, before the developer of Riverton can get too deep into selling more lots in later filings, he must conduct a new traffic study for the 780-home subdivision and also build a roundabout in front of his new neighborhood, an Ascension Parish planning official said.

Commissioner Aaron Chaisson recently brought the four-year-old requirements on the Riverton project to light in an attempt to correct the record before there were any misunderstandings, he said.

 

New parish planning documents associated with the first filing's approval on March 10 had indicated Melancon and Riverton wouldn't have faced those requirements until much further along in the project, prompting Chaisson to research the minutes and online video recordings of past meetings.

It turns out what was in the commission's planning packet this month, Chaisson said, was incorrect and effectively pushed back the requirements by several filings.

"So, I just want to make sure there's no misunderstanding between staff, the commission and the developer on the trigger for both the roundabout and the new traffic impact study. … That's about 300 lots difference," Chaisson said.

 

 

 

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If the Sunshine Project (Formosa in St. James) gets built, you will probably see 10 more developments just like it in that area along with retail and support businesses to match.    Hopefully those developments will be a little more inter-connected.   

 

I-10 between LaPlace o Prairieville will eventually look like I-10 between Colton and Pomona....or I-45 between League City and Houston.  Not counting the swamp area of course.  :)

Edited by cajun
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https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_f9ff8bfe-8595-11eb-aaac-23a7cb3795a8.html

Homebuilder and lumber company owner Grady Melancon recently won approval to begin selling lots in the first 77-home filing of the Riverton neighborhood that has been under construction for several years in the Burnside area.

But, before the developer of Riverton can get too deep into selling more lots in later filings, he must conduct a new traffic study for the 780-home subdivision and also build a roundabout in front of his new neighborhood, an Ascension Parish planning official said.

Commissioner Aaron Chaisson recently brought the four-year-old requirements on the Riverton project to light in an attempt to correct the record before there were any misunderstandings, he said.

 

New parish planning documents associated with the first filing's approval on March 10 had indicated Melancon and Riverton wouldn't have faced those requirements until much further along in the project, prompting Chaisson to research the minutes and online video recordings of past meetings.

It turns out what was in the commission's planning packet this month, Chaisson said, was incorrect and effectively pushed back the requirements by several filings.

"So, I just want to make sure there's no misunderstanding between staff, the commission and the developer on the trigger for both the roundabout and the new traffic impact study. … That's about 300 lots difference," Chaisson said.

 

 

 
575195ef4ae9a.image.thumb.jpg.1f283191b231390dc42bf0ada2cefe71.jpg
604f7eb4b0203.image.thumb.jpg.672f8022c9a2455309949d1e5fdfaf58.jpg
 
If the Sunshine Project (Formosa in St. James) gets built, you will probably see 10 more developments just like it in that area along with retail and support businesses to match.    Hopefully those developments will be a little more inter-connected.   
 
I-10 between LaPlace o Prairieville will eventually look like I-10 between Colton and Pomona....or I-45 between League City and Houston.  Not counting the swamp area of course.  [emoji4]
You know dang well they won't be interconnected, for fear of "people."

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This is a really ugly old development in a very hot area, so I'm glad they are reworking the whole thing.   According to the article, the new grocery anchor isn't Rouses, but it's close to the LeBlanc family.     The LeBlanc's stores that were converted to Rouses aren't particularly well run, and a lot of long time customers noticed.     LeBlanc's was a very successful Associated Grocers chain, and maintained that relationship with AG for decades.

So -  Hi Nabor,  Ralph's, Calandro's,  or Matherne's are definitely possibilities as LeBlanc's had a decades-long relationship with Associated Grocers of Baton Rouge before they took a lucrative offer from Rouses.    Dorignac's, Alexander's, and Oak Point are other outside possibilities.     It's quite possible another new LeBlanc's branded store opens up there - which is something that a lot of locals would be very excited about.  

I'd also look for a Starbucks, PJ's,  or CC's coffee house along with a nicer, newer location for Rotolo's, Autozone, and Verizon.    They might also throw a curve ball and add in a bank branch and a fast casual restaurant to diversify their tenant base.    If they had space for it, a mid market hotel chain would probably do well there too (Hampton Inn, Courtyard, Holiday Inn, etc.)

Quote

 

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/article_60ed3916-cae5-11ec-882d-4f4d78e13814.html

The owners of a historic Gonzales shopping center are demolishing it and planning to develop a new retail center with a grocery store anchor, injecting new investment into an older part of a city that has seen more commercial growth on its fringes in recent years.

LeBlanc's Plaza, which also goes by the name the Mall on Burnside Shopping Center, is near the southeast corner of the intersection of Airline Highway and North Burnside Avenue in one of the busiest commercial areas of Gonzales. Marcy LeBlanc said his father built the first building in the shopping center in the late 1950s

But the center is home to just a handful of business with a deteriorating parking lot that has prompted safety concerns from city officials.

Demolition started last week on some of the buildings as LeBlanc and partnership group, Galleries Gonzales LLC, plan a new roughly 60,000-square-foot complex on the 11-acre site.

Other investors in Galleries Gonzales include Marcy's brother, Randy; family friend, Mike LeBlanc; and local businessman Arthur Scanlan.

Reached at his office Monday, LeBlanc said Galleries Gonzales are trying to finish a deal with a grocery store anchor.

"We're real close," said LeBlanc, who is part of the family that owned the old Gonzales-based LeBlanc's Food Store chain.

He declined to name the grocer at this point — "Everybody knows it," LeBlanc said — but was hopeful the deal could be completed by early June.

He also shot down rumors circulated on social media that Academy Sports was headed to the center.

 

 

Edited by cajun
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 2/24/2021 at 2:35 PM, dan326 said:

Ochsner starts work on Gonzales clinic

 

Construction has started on the Ochsner Health Center – Gonzales clinic at the intersection of La. 30 and South Burnside Avenue.

The $24.2 million clinic is set to open in summer 2022 and will offer primary and specialty care. The 51,600-square-foot building will have 18 exam rooms, a lab and full radiology suite with MRI. It will complement Ochsner’s existing facilities in Ascension Parish: Ochsner Health Center – Prairieville, Ochsner Urgent Care – Lagniappe Center on Airline Highway and Ochsner Therapy & Wellness – Gonzales on North Burnside Avenue near Cannon Road.

Ochsner Gonzales

Oschner wasted no time on this.   Place already looks nearly ready to open.  

@Richey - it's right across from one of those massage parlors you might like.  :tw_lol:

But seriously - if you stood in front of this place, you'd see the "new format" of development in Ascension, which is quite nice.   But it's surrounded by the "old format" stuff that was done when the parish was semi-rural - with the exception of the medical offices immediately north of it that look decent.     I think Rouses is going up sort of behind the nearby Walgreens.   That's going to be a nice development if they ever finish it.    Glad someone finally told Acension Parish that there are other building materials than corrugated metal.

Edited by cajun
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On 3/19/2021 at 6:15 PM, Antrell Williams said:

 


You know dang well they won't be interconnected, for fear of "people."

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At the moment, there isn't anything to connect to.    I'm only seeing one road connecting to another property (which is undeveloped), but there's also no way to get to that plot without going through Riverton or building a road across a railroad track.    

It's easier to connect to other streets in the part of Ascension where there is a rural grid pattern.  But since it's Ascension, you still have a neighborhood of $400,000 homes immediately adjacent to a sketchy mobile home park that hasn't yet been turned into a DLSD community.   And I imagine the people who have spent a huge chuck of their life earnings on a nice home wouldn't want to connect directly to a trailer park full of Jessie Pinkman types.  

What I think might save Riverton from being a huge traffic disaster is that I think they are making them eventually build a roundabout to link it to LA22.    I'm hoping that the main roads within the development are wide enough to handle a bit of traffic.   Because they are all going to have to funnel into that circle.   Or eventually a traffic light if they don't go with a roundabout.   A traffic light would be frustrating there, especially if there aren't any turn lanes.

Edited by cajun
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Why is the sky red like 'a sunset' in the early afternoon? Residents blame chronic dust from plant

Almatis Premium Alumina

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_1f9d2f6c-048c-11ed-bd4c-1bda6d5145d6.html

Trina Reulet's daughter told her to come look out the window Friday at the red sky, weird for early in the afternoon.

Reulet, 47, looked and told her daughter they were looking at airborne red dust from the LAlumina LLC waste pile near their home in the River Ridge neighborhood, a familiar problem for their area.

"It was almost like a sunset," she said.

River Ridge, Pelican Crossing and other suburban Ascension neighborhoods in the Burnside area south of Interstate 10 are close to a roughly 500-acre waste pile, or "red mud lakes," for a shuttered processing plant along the nearby Mississippi River.

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Large tract along I-10 near Gonzales goes for $1.2 million; commercial planned

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/large-tract-along-i-10-in-gonzales-goes-for-12-million/article_087dfa50-eb77-11ed-9864-ab1a3ae8c4b0.html#tncms-source=the-latest

Robert Brothers LLC completed the $1.2 million purchase on Thursday, May 4, 2023, of this 89.5-acre tract at the Interstate-10/La. 44 interchange in Gonzales. La. 44 runs north-south in this image. The tract is outlined in blue. A Popingo's gas station can be seen on the west side of La. 44. Held by a prominent landowning family with interests in gas stations and oil distributing, Robert Brothers has long-term plans to turn at least part of the tract into a commercial and light industrial center. The land has significant wetlands and a bayou running through it that could limit development, according to parties to the sale. The family company already owns the corner tract that touches I-10 and La. 44, also known South Burnside Avenue. 

Robert_purchase.050623.JPG

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Not sure what they could do with that....about half of it is too low for development, but it has excellent frontage and visibility on I-10.   I'd probably sit on it for a while to get through the recession and maybe even longer to see how the rest of that Edenborne area develops.    

Industry/manufacturing on larger scale right there would generally need some kind of rail connection.  The nearest rail line is 2.7 miles away.   And Edenborne has struggled to take off with machine works/industry; with Emerson being the only tenant they have like that.   There's also a community college and a couple of smaller offices in Edenborne, but there are still massive swaths of land available and it just isn't really on fire right now.

Hotel and/or retail might be a safer bet.   I-10 gets a lot of traffic right there, and that exit is pretty busy being almost the centerpoint between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.   If they can somehow fit it, I'm sure a certain Beaver-themed lifestyle gas station would kick their tires.   Condolences to the Exxon station across the street if that happens.     With Conway, Pelican Pointe, and all the Gonzales residential development - you'd think a Rouses or something would do well there, but we already have a nicer, higher end store under construction at Heritage Crossing less than a mile north of there.   That's already permitted and the dirt is already moving.   No way to catch up to that.  

Apartments would probably do well there, but you'd need to have more retail and jobs.   So my conclusion is that the owner/developer would be best to wait and see how things develop.   They sort of missed the boat already on some retail, but there may be demand for unique things in a few years.   

This is the nearby Heritage Crossing BTW: 

image.png

 

My guess is that it will end up being retail with something like the mixed use/Industriaplex style development behind it: 

image.thumb.png.d2ffbe6da03249cf147b26e02d85022d.png

But they can probably get some huge distribution tenants if they can somehow fit the footprint of those giant warehouses right there.   Hard to do with that bayou running right through it.

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See what's being built in Gonzales, near Cabela's | Business | theadvocate.com

American Factory Direct Furniture is set to open its sixth store in early July, across the street from Cabela's in Gonzales. About 16 people will work in the 34,000-square-foot store at 2760 S. Outfitter's Drive. Kent Design Build and Guidry Land Development are the contractors. Officials with Covington-based American Factory Direct said the store will be a replica of its Lafayette location. 

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On 8/30/2023 at 2:58 PM, richyb83 said:

This might be worth a try....

Need to relieve some stress? There's a new rage room now open in Gonzales

https://www.wbrz.com/news/need-to-relieve-some-stress-there-s-a-new-rage-room-now-open-in-gonzales

Interesting that you'd post this less than a month after Happy Spa was shut down in that sting operation.......don't you have a loyalty card with them?  

In all seriousness, it does look like fun.   Rage Rooms are great for team outings after a difficult project.   Bring the AMEX, because it can get expensive.

Edited by cajun
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Monarch Energy Proposes $426 Million Investment to Create Carbon-Free Hydrogen Production Facility in Ascension Parish

 

ASCENSION PARISH, La. – Monarch Energy, an energy company focused on decarbonizing the hydrogen production process, announced it is exploring building a $426 million facility in Ascension Parish. The company estimates the proposed facility would employ a carbon-free process to manufacture 120,000 kilograms of hydrogen per day to be sold as a “green” feedstock for a wide range of industrial and chemical processes.

If the project moves forward as outlined, Monarch Energy expects to create 44 new direct jobs with an average annual salary of more than $63,000. It also anticipates the creation of about 300 construction jobs at peak construction. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project would result in an additional 105 new indirect jobs, for a total of 149 potential new jobs in the Capital Region.

“Monarch Energy’s commitment to decarbonizing hydrogen production aligns perfectly with Louisiana’s all-of-the-above energy strategy,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “If this project moves forward, it will provide another economic boost to the Capital Region, create good-paying jobs and further solidify Louisiana’s standing as the first choice for energy innovation investment.”

Monarch Energy plans to utilize electrolysis, the use of electricity to break down water into hydrogen and oxygen, in the manufacturing process. This would qualify the hydrogen as “green” or no-carbon because its production would not release carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

“We are pleased to be working with LED to develop a project that supports the local community by bringing investment and jobs to the region,” Monarch Energy CEO Ben Alingh said. “We are looking forward to adding to the legacy of the local industrial community of Ascension Parish and helping to support the energy transition.”

The company expects to make a final investment decision and begin construction in 2025. It anticipates commercial operations to commence in 2027.

 

Monarch Energy Proposes $426 Million Investment to Create Carbon-Free Hydrogen Production Facility in Ascension Parish | Louisiana Economic Development (opportunitylouisiana.gov)

Element 25 Proposes EV Battery Materials Facility in Ascension Parish

 

BATON ROUGE, La. – Element 25, an Australian mining company, announced it is exploring plans to invest $480 million across two phases to build a high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate production facility in Ascension Parish. The new facility would be the first in the Western Hemisphere to manufacture HPMSM, a critical component in electric vehicle batteries.

If the facility is constructed, the company expects to create up to 220 new direct jobs with average annual salaries of more than $90,000. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project would result in an additional 408 new indirect jobs, for approximately 628 new jobs in the Capital Region.

“Louisiana’s emergence as a national leader in clean energy investment is no accident,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “It is the result of our state’s commitment to climate action and an economic development strategy that emphasizes an all-of-the-above approach to energy. Companies like Element 25 see the strategic advantages of doing business in our state, from top-notch logistics to our skilled, dynamic workforce.”

Element 25 plans to import raw materials from its Butcherbird Mine in western Australia, while many of the remaining HPMSM inputs would be sourced from Louisiana companies. Element 25’s production process results in three reusable by-product streams which can be repurposed as fertilizer feedstocks, steel manufacturing and other industrial operations. As a result, the facility is able to minimize its solid and liquid wastes.

“Element 25 is excited to consider Louisiana in progressing our vision to build the first new HPMSM facility outside of China to supply the EV transition,” Element 25 Limited MD Justin Brown said. “The attractive incentives offered by the state fast tracked approvals processes and the far-reaching impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, has moved Louisiana to the number one location for Element 25’s first HPMSM facility, with other developments expected to follow.”

The company has completed a feasibility study for prospective sites and expects to make a final decision on the location in the coming months. Construction on the new facility is anticipated to begin in the third quarter of 2023 with operations projected to start in 2026.

“Ascension Parish has an exceptional workforce, robust infrastructure and a thriving business community,” said Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment. “We’re pleased that these compelling location attributes led Element 25 to consider Ascension for their first United States manufacturing plant. This project would provide a remarkable amount of local employment opportunities in a growing sector of the clean energy industry.”

The state of Louisiana has offered Element 25 a competitive incentives package to support a final decision in Louisiana. The offer includes the comprehensive workforce development solutions of LED FastStart and a $6 million performance-based grant for reimbursement of infrastructure expenditures, contingent upon the company meeting employment and payroll targets. The company is also expected to apply for the state’s Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.

“We are always looking to build on our success by creating new partnerships,” Ascension Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Kate MacArthur said. “Combining process inputs from our well-established chemical and industrial gas manufacturers with Element 25’s technology will help create a sustainable operation to supply the rapidly growing electric vehicle supply chain in the United States while continuing to grow our local economy.”

Element 25 Proposes EV Battery Materials Facility in Ascension Parish | Louisiana Economic Development (opportunitylouisiana.gov)

 

Element 25 will be supplying battery materials to General Motors and Stellantis (Chrysler).  Likely more will partner with them.   This is the first step in establishing the southern US as a core EV manufacturing region, centered around the gulf coast.

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New School boundaries are now "official"

New Prairieville HS will open next year.....Dutchtown(approx 2,600) had the most student enrollment in the state(along w Denham Springs)  ; until this.  Also taking some from St.Amant and EA even this all out now.

Ascension school officials settle on maps for new Prairieville High. See the changes

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/broad-attendance-changes-adopted-for-new-prairieville-high/article_58ed3476-7dab-11ee-8a64-7b6b9e20dd2a.html#tncms-source=the-latest

image.thumb.png.e843bb160dc2175d5d667e5a34d06cac.png

Edited by richyb83
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