Baton Rouge Coffee House

[buckett5425]

So I was in Austin over the weekend and headed downtown, and i noticed something very funny. As I was admireing Austin's amazeing Frost Tower, I noticed a building to the left of the tower that looked eriely familar, so i snapped a quick picture. Can anyone tell me why? lol

*wouldnt frost tower look great in between one american place and the chase towers?

Edited January 14, 2008 by buckett5425

[yis2003yis]

So I was in Austin over the weekend and headed downtown, and i noticed something very funny. As I was admireing Austin's amazeing Frost Tower, I noticed a building to the left of the tower that looked eriely familar, so i snapped a quick picture. Can anyone tell me why? lol

*wouldnt frost tower look great in between one american place and the chase towers?

it looks like BR With a big tower on that pic

[richyb83]

Wow! that sure does look alot like BR with the Frost Bank Tower added to it; that's a One American Place clone

You are right buckett; between Chase Towers & Onen American Place would an ideal location! BR needs another +400 foot high-rise!

They need to back to the drawing-board and get the old plans to something maybe similar to thisdesign; maybe just change the color to the same crystal-clear look of the Frost Tower??

[MobileLSUboy09]

Gee buckett, didn't you also have another thought in mind about that picture...some other building that it looks like?? hahaha

[buckett5425]

Gee buckett, didn't you also have another thought in mind about that picture...some other building that it looks like?? hahaha

HMMMMMM, MobileLSUboy09, I have no idea what you are talking about. Frost Tower and RSA Tower look nothing alike!

[dan326]

HMMMMMM, MobileLSUboy09, I have no idea what you are talking about. Frost Tower and RSA Tower look nothing alike!

They do actually. You just have to think creatively.

[twstdndmntd]

OMG I love the Frost Tower, that is a fantastic building. God how I wish BR could get some great looking buildings like that. I think all it would take would for one developer to make a plunge with a development like that and more would follow. I think thats why it is so important for us to get RiverPlace off the ground. I think that would be a great catalyst for downtown. I feel that if we could get an office tower like that we could lure some of our "suburbian" buisness to relocate to downtown.

[buckett5425]

Im wondering, if Bobby Jindal is able to turn this state around, if more Businesses would be willing to relocate to Louisiana. If a developer were to take the plunge and build a landmark tower, maybe a corporation looking for a tax break coming to LA, would love to move in to this new tower. Assuming this all happens, it could mean a big boom for all of the major cities of Louisiana. Who knows, but lets keep our fingers crossed!

[MobileLSUboy09]

They do actually. You just have to think creatively.

Haha he was joking, thats why he took the picture, and then when he told me about it said, "hey i got mobile and baton rouge in the same picture! haha"

Edited January 16, 2008 by MobileLSUboy09

[richyb83]

Excellent point you bring up buckett. I had sort of been thinking the same thing. More Businesses will probably want to move(back) here. Not to mention; Heaven forbid another major hurricane effect the NOLA Metro area; the businesses tend-to get sucked-into cities like Houston, Atlanta, etc. instead of staying in our state! Occupancy levels are running at high % downtown. Seems to me a need would be there?

Jacobs has outgrown their 13-story office on Essen and moved some into the 6-story CDCI Center just off of So.Sherwood Forest Blvd. Shaw continues to expand with; and Raising Canes continues to grow and still yet to build a new HQ's. Those three company's together should be able to occupy some serious office space!

I attempted on many occasions to contact BRAC's Stephen Moret concerning a landmark tower; he's not easy to find. He finally returned one of my call's outta the blue when I wasn't around I don't carry my cell with me either.

Jindal has just recently hired Moret for the new La. Economic Secretary?? so he will probably be even harder to reach.

No doubt the face of Louisiana is finally changing for the better with Jindal now in office.

[twstdndmntd]

"Build it and they will come" thats the old saying. I guess developers don't want to take that chance. But I think with the way business in BR is growing I believe that if they would build it they would come. I'm glad that Mike Wampold took the plunge to build II City Plaza even tho he didn't have 100% occupancy for the building. I think it will fill up fast once it's open.

[richyb83]

Going a little off track....with a couple of recent observations I made.

I was suprised at how easily visible the cranes downtown are when driving on Stanford Ave. at BR Beach across from the new Crescent condo's at University Lake.

Being the "dead" of Winter now; when driving along the Interstates at "night"; BR looks bigger. All the trees and brush have really thinned out and you can see alot more lights around the city.

[twstdndmntd]

Going a little off track....with a couple of recent observations I made.

I was suprised at how easily visible the cranes downtown are when driving on Stanford Ave. at BR Beach across from the new Crescent condo's at University Lake.

Being the "dead" of Winter now; when driving along the Interstates at "night"; BR looks bigger. All the trees and brush have really thinned out and you can see alot more lights around the city.

Ya see prime example of why earlier in a post I said I thought we needed to do a cleaning of some of the trees. I just think it would be great if when you got to College Dr. you could actually some sort of city in the distance. Course we need to get buildings that are taller than what we have. If at some point in time we could get buildings around the 40 story range they would totally be visable above the trees.

[buckett5425]

So I was bored and happened to stumble across this website with many old pictures of BR. Its interesting to see how things used to be. For example, look at this picture below, there are almost zero surface parking lots! But I must say, capitol park looks much better now. Also, riverside north and one american place have yet to be built. Chase Tower must have looked massive back in its day.

[richyb83]

Thanks for posting this old photo(and website); gotta be somwhere between 68' & 74....Chase Tower sits all alone(you are right; bet it seemed so massive). The Two hideous buildings in front were blown -up for 4 new state buildings! BIG IMPROVEMENT for Capitol Park. No Shaw Arts Center either.

II City Plaza says first Class A Office building in nearly 25 years(City Plaza); when Riverside North was actually built after that in 88'.

Edited January 25, 2008 by richyb83

[byrde]

Interesting pics from that website. I especially like the pics of the old hotels and businesses along Airline. I can remember a few of them. I was surprised to learn that the current Pines Motel on Airline was a Howard Johnson's back in the day.

[twstdndmntd]

I like the Capital Park area but I wish they would do more than just trees. I would like to see some sort of different plants and flowers to brighten it up some. I just feel it could be more manicured. I don't find they keep it up enough, it's the front lawn of the Capital for God's sake.... It should be one of the most beautiful green spaces in the state.

[richyb83]

Corporate Square combined with CitiPlace and new Towne Center have made the Corporate Blvd. corridor an Uptown type of enviroment. JMO

Edited February 13, 2008 by richyb83

[richyb83]

Did not know where to put this? What's up with this??

Pedi-cabs coming to downtown

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/15546982.html

A new business venture downtown will provide bicycle-powered carriages for tourists or people who simply want to get from point A to point B more quickly.

She said they will start at 9 a.m. and run as late 11 p.m., though the start and end times will fluctuate depending on special events. Drivers will be able to respond to demand at their discretion.

The boundaries will be from River Road to Interstate 110 and from the Pasttime Lounge to the State Capitol.

[twstdndmntd]

Did not know where to put this? What's up with this??

Pedi-cabs coming to downtown

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/15546982.html

A new business venture downtown will provide bicycle-powered carriages for tourists or people who simply want to get from point A to point B more quickly.

She said they will start at 9 a.m. and run as late 11 p.m., though the start and end times will fluctuate depending on special events. Drivers will be able to respond to demand at their discretion.

The boundaries will be from River Road to Interstate 110 and from the Pasttime Lounge to the State Capitol.

I absolutely LOVE this idea. The casino's, Hilton, and the new hotel's coming can really play this up. It kind of goes along with my trolley idea I spoke of earlier. I don't think it's necessarily the big ideas that will make downtown a destination but a combination of big things with quirky little things that will. This pedi-cab thing is an awesome, quirky idea that makes BR unique.

[yis2003yis]

I absolutely LOVE this idea. The casino's, Hilton, and the new hotel's coming can really play this up. It kind of goes along with my trolley idea I spoke of earlier. I don't think it's necessarily the big ideas that will make downtown a destination but a combination of big things with quirky little things that will. This pedi-cab thing is an awesome, quirky idea that makes BR unique.

yea..i hope it comes and does good

[byrde]

This should be a nice shot in the arm for the local economy in June of 2010

Baton Rouge Awarded National Soccer Tournement

Local soccer association, CVB, Sports Foundation, and city-parish team up to land event

Baton Rouge

[twstdndmntd]

Okay so I am a little late ranting on this subject but none the less here it is. I am always amazed at how our city officials continue to complain that parking is a huge issue for downtown. I am assuming that during business hours it could get a little tricky. Now what I have found is that whenever we have a festival, the after 5 concerts, etc..... none of the big parking garages are open to the public. I once again noticed this for the Krewe of Mutts parade. We have 3 city/state parking garages and another state in the process, why are none of these utilized? I'm not even saying that it has to be free parking, charge a small fee like up to $5. Granted the state garages are on the opposite end of where the action is going, but bout time you find a place you are just as far. The city or organizers of the event could get some offduty BRPD officers to do security. To me it seems like a win win for the city and for us. Just my thought...........

[dan326]

If anybody likes rock, I just picked up the 2006-7 Evanescence album "The Open Door", and I would definetly recommend it.

This is in my opinon the best song.

Lithium

Edited March 2, 2008 by dan326

[buckett5425]

I randomly found this

on youtube. I have no idea what its about, or why it was created, but it has baton rouge in some video game.