Baton Rouge Business Report

[dan326]

Howell Place

Cost: $ 250-400 million

Square footage: 200 acres

Description: In various phase of completion :Burger King, IHOP, Sonic, Hilton Garden Inn, Physicians Medical Center of BR, Howell Place Apartments , Neighbors Federal Credit Union, Country Kitchen, dental services and office building (Also coming: Fairfield Inn, Springhill Suites, Courtyard Inn, Microtel Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Subway, and possible 800+ unit complex, retail center, YMCA, and WalMart)

Estimated completion: 4 to 5 years

Has anyone driven by here lately?I hope they keep that name, it sounds kind of neat, maybe they could give the development an Arabian theme

Old Prince Murat Inn site

Cost: $7.5 million/ $50 million

Square footage: 20,000 sq ft retail center

Description: Mixed-use development with 400 unit apartment complex and retail center

Estimated completion:Retail center to be completed by 2007, apartments eary 2008

O'Connor Building at Celtic Media Center

Cost: $ 4.5million

Square footage: 35,000sq ft

Description: Complete interior for business/music studio with two sound stages

Estimated completion:August 2007

Smiley Heights

Cost: $300 million

Square footage: 200 acres

Description: ixed-income residences 1,200 housing units, community center, school, shopping center

Americana

Cost: ?

Square footage: 425 acres

Description: 1,500 unit traditional neighborhood develpment that will include an elementary school, a YMCA branch, retail and a town center

Groundbreaking: Fall 2007 (tentative)

[richyb83]

The development on this thread seems endless! Fantastic run-down Dan, and very much appreciated!

I am encouraged Celtic Media Centre went ahead and started despite the potential road-blocks. I'll be interested to see what develops at the Coca Cola plant and the torn down Plantation Inn.

Wonder when Smiley Heights(Arden) will start?? They should leave ample green space. I'll be in the neighborhood tommorrow to check it out! Nice large infil development!

Howell Place sucess has me buzzin'! What a great location! The amount of hotels is impressive. It's been a long time comin'.

The rendering I saw awhile back for the Old Prince Murat site looked modern-contemporay/boxy looking! It looked 4 or 5 floors?? Can't wait to see that finally start.

I think Americana would be Zachary's 2nd TND along with Cheval Trails.

[Rardy]

^This Prince Murat, is that between the Capitol and the river, like west of the Claiborne Building?

If so, that's a rather odd place for a retail center... What exactly do they mean by retail, do you know?

[byrde]

The Prince Murat location is just south of the I-10 bridge on Nicholson Drive. In my opinion, it is where Pinnacle should be trying to place their Casino. The Claiborne Building sits where the old Inn on the Lake Hotel was. There used to also be a Theatre/Arena there as well. Can't remember the name, but they used to host a ton of wrestling events there prior to the RiverCenter opening in the late 70's.

As for Howell Place, I didn't know about the Courtyard By Marriott and Fairfield Inn. I've been told by one a coworker that lives in the Banks neighborhood that the Wal-Mart is not going to happen. She stays on top of the developments in that area. The Country Kitchen building is complete, but there has been no activity there for about 8-9 months. Don't know what happened but I feel safe in saything that is not happening either. Construction on the Subway has started. The shell for that building is up.

[dan326]

Months before Springhill was announced a Courtyard and Fairfield were announced to go before the planning commision. And recently "By ADVOCATE BUSINESS STAFF

Published: Aug 3, 2007

Developer Richard Preis said Friday that a Mandeville developer closed on property at Howell Place for a new Microtel Inn on Harding Boulevard.

Sales records show Patrick Brackley bought the land for $650,000 through a Texas company. Preis said the Microtel will be on Harding Boulevard next to a Fairfield Inn going up there.

It

[dan326]

Sorry I

[cajun]

I don't remember where, but I found a website that had a dozen pictures of Alex Box. I didn't see a levee out by center field, though. Other than that it looks cool.

That's going to be sweet....what sucks is that the current Alex box is going to turn into some much needed parking.

[richyb83]

With all the development going on in and around BR, the list would not be complete without mentioning LSU.

The campus is undergoing so many changes; including Easy Streets(pedestrian-oriented campus). And all around the outskirts of LSU is transforming as well: Northgate, Crescent at University Lake, condos on the south side around West Parker and Brightside Lane too.

[dan326]

BREC Administrative Offices

Cost: $ 7 million renovation

Square footage: 145, 610sq ft retail

Description: Two story headquarters, meeting rooms, warehouse space, public fitness center, ballroom

Completed: Fall 2006

Winbourne Elementary School

Cost: $ 10.1 million

Square footage: 74,336 sq ft

Description: School complex, including media center and cafetorium( 660 student capacity cafeteria/auditorium)

Estimated completion: June 2007

University Hospital North Baton Rouge

Cost: $ 9 million

Square footage: 42,000 sq ft

Description: 24 internal medicine exam rooms, nine women

[richyb83]

This list goes on and on and on and on!!! And there's still more Dan! It's fun to watch everything keep rollin' along! Thanks to you and businessreport for breaking all of this down.

City Park's sure is undergoing a massive makeover!

Good to see BREC's HQ's move into the old Sears bldg. Another nice revitalization project for Mid-City between BRCC and Bonne Carre/La.Technology Park.

They should be starting the hospital up in NBR anyday now huh?? Nice to see Winbourne Elem. getting the new school too!

[buckett5425]

City Park looks amazeing. I know people complain of Baton Rouge being a green city, but i enjoy it. Driving over the I-10 bridge at the LSU lakes showcases one of baton rouge's most scenic areas. Enhanceing and imporving city park will simply make it an even better view. But, how much of that are the going to build, and how fast? Are the doing it in phases or all at once? Ive tried using the BREC website to get that info, and its never been much help.

To bad they are going to do all that work on city park, just to drain the lakes for a year or two , but, i suppose its for the best!

[BatonRougeToday]

City Park looks amazeing. I know people complain of Baton Rouge being a green city, but i enjoy it. Driving over the I-10 bridge at the LSU lakes showcases one of baton rouge's most scenic areas. Enhanceing and imporving city park will simply make it an even better view. But, how much of that are the going to build, and how fast? Are the doing it in phases or all at once? Ive tried using the BREC website to get that info, and its never been much help.

To bad they are going to do all that work on city park, just to drain the lakes for a year or two , but, i suppose its for the best!

[twstdndmntd]

Wait Wait Wait, what do you mean they are draining the lakes. This is the first I hear of this. Thats the oddest thing I have heard even for BR. Why are they draining them? That would be interesting to watch, and where exactly are they going to pump this water too?

[byrde]

Wait Wait Wait, what do you mean they are draining the lakes. This is the first I hear of this. Thats the oddest thing I have heard even for BR. Why are they draining them? That would be interesting to watch, and where exactly are they going to pump this water too?

[buckett5425]

This article is on the BREC Thread.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/8694927.html

[dan326]

ASCENSION PARISH

St. Elizabeth Medical Plaza

Cost: $ 4.6 million

Square footage: 24, 000sq ft retail

Description: Offices for pediatricians, physical therapy practice areas and community meeting space

Completed: May 1, 2007

Chef John Folse & Company

Cost: $ 7.5 million

Square footage: 47,000 sq ft

Description: Plant expansion, including cooler, freezer, refrigerated dock, warehouse and prep work area

Estimated completion: April 2008

Prairieville Crossing

Cost: $ 1.9 million

Square footage: 30,000 sq ft

Description: Two building retail center

Completed: January 2007

[richyb83]

Very active in Ascension too huh?? Cabela's should be complete/opened by late October. Also Tanger Outlet Mall is expanding nearby. Pelican Point continues to add more phases. Lamar-Dixon Expo Center was bought. Too many strip shopping centers in sprawl-burbia to count.

John Folse's place is going to be great for Donaldsonville!

[twstdndmntd]

Very active in Ascension too huh?? Cabela's should be complete/opened by late October. Also Tanger Outlet Mall is expanding nearby. Pelican Point continues to add more phases. Lamar-Dixon Expo Center was bought. Too many strip shopping centers in sprawl-burbia to count.

John Folse's place is going to be great for Donaldsonville!

[dan326]

Sorry it

[twstdndmntd]

Where are the Edenborne and Grand View developments going to be?

[richyb83]

Edenborne will be at HwY.44 and I-10.

[dan326]

LIVINGSTON PARISH

Suma Crossing

Cost: Not yet determined

Square footage: 610,000 retail space/1.1 million sq ft of office/medical space

Description: Traditional neighborhood development with school, residential, retail, office and medical space; 605 single family units and 380 condominiums

Completed: Fall 2008

Juban Crossing

Cost: $ 750 million

Square footage: 471 acres/more than 1.2 million sq ft of retail space, 385,000 sq ft of medical and office space

Description: Will include 625 single family units, 524 multi-family units, hotels, green space, restaurants, medical and office space

Estimated completion: Spring 2008

Greystone

Cost: $ 15 million (total development)

Square footage: 250 acres residential/ 100 acre golf course

Description: 500 single family homes, garden homes, townhomes and 12,000 sq ft clubhouse in 18-hole golf course setting

Completed: August 2006(golf course)

Other: Petco, Raising Cane

[Rardy]

^Thanks for the info.

Where's the PetCo and Cane's going? Do you know?

[drew6974]

The 25th Anniversary edition of the Baton Rouge Business Report came out today. Enough information to keep you occupied for several days reading about the last 25 years in BR and a glimpse of what the future might hold. What a wealth of information. Here is the online version. The printed edition is even more impressive. Pick up a copy if you get a chance.

http://69.2.58.8/print-edition/special/latest/

[richyb83]

Yes indeed Drew I got a copy today! Very nice job they did! Amazing to see how much BR has changed the past 25 years. And the before/after aerials are phenominal

Also one of my favorite but at the same time frustrating articles is found on page 166-167 " Fruitless Renderings"...this almost needs to be it's own thread?? What could have been But I do like how it states "at least for now"; like some of this may still one day happen??

Look at these failed attempts at downtown high-rise towers!!! BR really would have a nice skyline if all of these had been built!!!

This was my favorite rendering; and was most impressed with! This would have been a GREAT addition to the BR skyline(easily city's 2nd Tallest)!!! Would have been located on the block of Main Street, Third, Lafayette where the LaSalle parking garage is with the YMCA; located next to One American Place. Notice the tiny Kress Bldg. (bottom right) and old Advocate Bldg.(behind) BR sure could have used another 400ft'+ tower along with the State Capitol

^ *Fidelity Bank tower *(announced in '1987')

Plans for the $50 million, 30-story office tower never came to fruition. The bank was to have 500,000 square feet of office space, covering an entire city block.

This would have been really nice too and given BR a big city look adjacent to old Centroplex(now expanded RiverCenter). Hopefully in the future? a Hyatt on top of the RiverCenter (like left tower) could make for cool vertical convention center hotel!?!

^*Riverside Towers*

Construction was expected to begin in the fall of 1986 on twin 23-story buildings adjacent to the Centroplex. One building was to be a hotel, and the other was set to be an office complex. Robert Coleman III was to develop the project.

This is the most recent(late 90's) high-rise not get off the ground. This property (giant surface parking the entire block) between Hilton and RiverPlace has been mentioned several times in the forums. Hopefully Hartley & Vey will try again??

^ *Laurel Plaza* (also mentioned in PlanBR website)

Rick Hartley and David Vey planned a 26-story, 752,000-square-foot tower they said was going to reinvent the downtown mind-set. The building was to take up an entire city block between River Road and Lafayette Street and Florida and Laurel streets.

I still believe something like this is in the works to compliment RiverPlace....maybe Hartley/Vey can have a mixed-use tower like this??

^*River House condominiums*

The 15-story condominiums were supposed to offer high-rise living accommodations downtown. The Schild-Eaton development was expected to be open in 1987.

Maybe something similar to this will still happen as the Nicholson corridor between downtown & LSU transforms!

^ *City dock complex * '1986' (Old Municipal dock)

Smith and Dupree Development planned a $4 million, 35,000-square-foot restaurant/office complex on the city dock just south of the Interstate 10 bridge. The three-story complex was to have two restaurants on the first floor and office spaces on the second and third floors.

This would have been INSANE next to the Mall of Louisiana; and easily taller than the city's Tallest hotel the Marroitt!

*Centre Regency*

This 30-story luxury hotel, to be built near Interstate 10 and Bluebonnet Boulevard, was slated to cost more than $150 million in 1984 and was to be developed by the LeBlanc, Marrero, Webb Group.

Maybe far fetched?? What's up with the rendering with mountains in the background?? I believe Louisiana's Largest Retirement community St.James is at the site??

^*Eskan Group twin towers*(year ?)

An Egyptian motif would have been appropriate in the apartments in this twin-tower retirement community development to be built on Lee Drive by the Eskan Group. The towers were to house one- and two-bedroom luxury condominiums.