The IBM Block

[steve3n8]

Yep, typical 10-12 stories buildings!!! Whats new!!!

[buckett5425]

I agree with Cajun, that this development will renew interest downtown and spur further development, at least along Lafayette Street. There are still two empty lots along River Road, each could fit two towers each, for those of your hoping for something big and tall  

[Antrell Williams]

I have always liked the idea of the future buildings along river road being no taller than lets say 12 stories, while the taller buildings are several blocks back, I think it creates a nice profile for the skyline. Either way, I am glad that if they state is going to give out candy to corporations, that they at least invest that money downtown.

That's a good point, however it seems waterfront views produce the most demand. Either way, I'm happy.

They'll be a taller chain hotel in that part of downtown within 5 years. I'd bet my boots on it.

What about a River Center hotel tower? Been waiting on that for a while now.

 

I agree with Cajun, that this development will renew interest downtown and spur further development, at least along Lafayette Street. There are still two empty lots along River Road, each could fit two towers each, for those of your hoping for something big and tall

River Place...?

[richyb83]

Good news indeed on this major investment!!  Better than the barren wasteland pic  I posted way back in 09'.......

 

An 8-story office tower & 11-story residential tower...wish it were a little taller but that's ok, it's about what was expected! Mostly agree w/ Buckett that the Taller buildings would look better couple blocks away from the river; along the Fourth Street corridor(with the exception of the River Place block to the south...I believe that property deserves a striking landmark residential tower in the skyline).But for the old Advocate block this will definitely do!  Can't wait for construction to start!

 

http://www.businessreport.com/daily-report/3272013/News_alert-IBM_bringing_technology_center_800_jobs_to_Baton_Rouge#axzz2OZZgwNvC

 

[bobby255BR]

I like the rendering.  For Baton Rouge skyline, I don't expect to much as far as height goes.

 

 

 

 

 

P.s. I just remembered my password to this site.

[nickels]

Not impressed by the architecture. I do like the investment however. Maybe in the future it can have some floors added.

I agree. The architecture is nothing special. However, anything is better than a pile of rubble.

[dan326]

Cool, great to see a big, new residential building going up downtown. I'm just glad this wasn't an April fools joke.

[buckett5425]

Both the Advocate and NOLA.com have different renderings at different perspectives.

 

http://photos.nola.com/4500/gallery/baton_rouge_ibm_unveils_architectural_renderings/index.html

 

http://theadvocate.com/home/5551260-125/ibm-to-bring-800-jobs

 

I think the building responds intelligently to each street it fronts. Lafayette receives the most storefront, Main receives the business entrance, and laurel has town homes, that compliments the Coffee House across the street and can't support retail regardless. 

[itsjustme3]

What's the parking situation for this new building and apartment?

[garrett_225]

I'm worried about this parking situation, too. 

 

I'm unfamiliar with the two adjacent garages during the work day. Do they fill up with people working in One American and those state buildings, or is there a chance IBM will be able to claim some space in them? 

 

I would really hate to see another garage go up along the riverfront. 

 

Makes more sense for riverfront buildings to be shorter. 

Edited March 27, 2013 by garrett_225

[buckett5425]

Judging by the design, it looks like there are two to three levels of parking. 

 

Also, the Welcome Center Garage sits empty all day long, not exactly sure why the State built it. The other adjacent state garage is never at capacity either. 

Edited March 28, 2013 by buckett5425

[cajun]

Buildings on Lafayette street can have a nice view beyond only 6 or 8 floors.

I'd be happy if the state made a similar deal with another company and another mid rise opened downtown.

Economically this is huge news. The partnership is great for LSU as well.

[all2neat]

Judging by the design, it looks like there are two to three levels of parking. 

 

Also, the Welcome Center Garage sits empty all day long, not exactly sure why the State built it. The other adjacent state garages is never at capacity either. 

 

Have you forgotten what state we live in? . Odds are someone got a handout to build that garage.

[nickels]

Both the Advocate and NOLA.com have different renderings at different perspectives.

 

http://photos.nola.com/4500/gallery/baton_rouge_ibm_unveils_architectural_renderings/index.html

 

http://theadvocate.com/home/5551260-125/ibm-to-bring-800-jobs

 

I think the building responds intelligently to each street it fronts. Lafayette receives the most storefront, Main receives the business entrance, and laurel has town homes, that compliments the Coffee House across the street and can't support retail regardless. 

After this new renderings I have a different opinion of the building. It looks like they put more consideration into the buildings program that I initially thought.

[cajun]

The renderings of the residential tower look taller than I thought....closer to that of the state building near it, and at least twice as tall as the Hampton.

Since Bernard bought the block to the south from Pries, I guess this means that will be developed before the one closer to the Hilton.

Kind of lucky to have those vacant blocks available when businesses finally start spending their cash again.

Any idea who owns the parking lot adjacent to the Hampton on the east side of Lafayette? That could be the money spot in the future.

Edited March 28, 2013 by cajun

[oneman83]

I'm glad for the development but I am not pleased with the renderings...I hope they add at least 5 more floors to the residential building. 

[Antrell Williams]

I would wish the River Rd facade would be alot more interesting.

[richyb83]

The night-time rendering looks cool...nice to have you vist Bobby! Welcome to the forum Nickles...

 

Edited March 29, 2013 by richyb83

[richyb83]

Would like to finally see that mixed-use development on Sixth Street....what will ever become of River Park....

 

IBM announcement stirs excitement in downtown BR...Deal with tech company seen as a possible ‘game changer’

 

Downtown planners and property owners say they expect the mixed-use riverfront development anchored by IBM will show a demand for downtown living in Baton Rouge and spur other projects by bringing more workers and residents to the central business district. However, observers cautioned that while they expect the project to transform downtown, the unique nature of the deal that landed the tech giant limits how applicable it is to other major projects in the works or on the horizon.

 

The $55 million development announced last week will take up the block bounded by River Road and Main, North and Lafayette streets. When it opens in 2015, IBM will employ 800 office workers in the eight-story building along North Street. An 11-story residential tower along Main Street will include 95 apartments and nine luxury townhomes

 

Branon Pesnell, a broker with Beau Box Commercial Real Estate, said the project is significant for downtown in two ways.

 

First, it will spur development because the employees at IBM will probably be younger, recent college graduates who are more interested in living downtown and are more inclined to want entertainment options within walking distance in the evenings and on weekends. “It adds a different type of employee than we’ve seen downtown in the past,” he said.

 

Second, technology companies that want to do business with IBM will likely begin to target downtown, Pesnell said. “The hope for everybody is that there will be businesses that feed off of IBM and it actually becomes a hub,” he said.

 

Downtown’s renaissance has been marked by successful developments large and small, both public and private. They include the addition of several state office buildings and parking garages, The Main Street Market, The Shaw Center for the Arts, the II City Plaza office building, Kress at Third and Main, the new courthouse, Hotel Indigo, the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, the Hampton Inn & Suites and the North Boulevard Town Square.

 

But the past 15 years also have seen the announcement of several major residential and mixed-use projects that have fallen by the wayside — Richard Preis’ One River Place, the Hartley/Vey riverfront condo tower and the Brownstones, which was Commercial Properties Realty Trust’s planned apartment building . Other projects, like Pete Clements’ River Park and the redevelopment of the Commerce Building, are still in the works.

 

Preis, who finally sold the One River Place site to former Shaw Group chief Jim Bernhard late last year, said there is demand for residential development downtown. He said Hurricane Katrina, the financial crisis and national recession just made the last decade difficult, and that it is still tough to get ambitious projects financed. “If it hadn’t have been for the hurricane and the credit crunch, there would have already been downtown living,” he said. The deal that brought IBM to Baton Rouge consisted of major incentives from the state and city-parish, and the involvement of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, making comparisons with other projects difficult. It will be interesting to see whether the IBM project will have any direct effect on other projects in the works.

“Are (banks) gonna say, ‘That’s great, we will now do a Richard Preis-type development here, here and here,’ or are they going to say, ‘Let’s see how the market absorbs these 90-plus units.’ ”

 

Trey Trahan, an architect who owns four pieces of downtown property, including the rest of the block Bernhard bought from Preis, said he thinks the IBM project improves the prospects for everyone downtown.

“We’re really excited about IBM coming to town and are in discussions about what the opportunities will be as a result of it,” he said.

 

John O. Hearin, who owns a half-block along North Sixth Street between Convention and Florida streets and would like to do some kind of a mixed-use development there, agreed. “Something like this definitely helps. People are taking a harder look at their real estate and what they can do with it,” Hearin said.

 however, said it is difficult to say whether the IBM deal improves anyone’s prospects in the short term.Each project has its own hurdles and not every deal gets the kind of public-sector muscle that the IBM deal did. “I don’t see this IBM deal alone changing things,”  Pesnell agreed, noting the project probably wouldn’t work financially in a traditional deal. “This deal would be very difficult to work if it was an arms-length transaction,” he said.

 

Preis offered a similar assessment. “In my opinion, the days of the private sector doing that type of development are gone,” Preis said.

 

http://theadvocate.com/home/5592193-125/ibm-announcement-stirs-excitement-in

[richyb83]

With the downtown opening of IBM coming in mid 2015...should we expect construction to begin later this Summer...or is that to soon??

[steve3n8]

With the downtown opening of IBM coming in mid 2015...should we expect construction to begin later this Summer...or is that to soon??

 

Probably sometime this summer or early fall at the lastest.

[all2neat]

I interviewed last week at IBM for a software developer job and yesterday the recruiter gave me a heads up that they were forming an offer and waiting for management's approval.

[cajun]

Congrats!

I think it will be a great place to start a career. IBM is everywhere. With the right attitude and a great work ethic, you can go very far.

[richyb83]

Yes indeed! Congrats all2neat! Hope nothing but the best

[all2neat]

Thanks ya'll.