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Rouzan TND


Zackman

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Contractor says Spinosa's bond will cover Rouzan library infrastructure costs

    

The contractor hired by developer Tommy Spinosa to build the infrastructure needed to begin construction on the library included in the plan for the Rouzan development says the $209,000 performance bond Spinosa has secured is sufficient to cover his costs and complete that part of the project. Charlie Record, whose company Record and Associates has already done some infrastructure work on the Southdowns TND off Perkins Road, says his contract with Spinosa calls for clearing land, pouring concrete for access and installing storm drains in and around the library site. Record's contract with Spinosa states the work must be done within 277 days—or about nine months—from the start of construction. Record, whose construction company has been doing civil and site work since 1979, says he believes the amount of the contract and the time frame are more than adequate to get the site around the proposed library ready for construction to begin. On Thursday evening, however, the parish library board delayed for one month a decision on whether to continue working with Spinosa toward developing the long-awaited library. A parish attorney says the bond Spinosa secured does not guarantee completion of the drainage, streets and parking area at no cost to the library. —Stephanie Riegel

Businessreport.com

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At this point, only one (1) of the homes built has been sold (it's pending sale and won't close until March) and the asking price per foot for the other finished home in Rouzan TND (which is what it's called in MLS specifically) has dropped from $250+ per foot to under $200 per foot. ($193 to be exact.) Ithas been on the market for over a year. Perhaps, like at Perkins Rowe, Mr. Spinosa is starting to see that Baton Rouge residents are quite choosey if they have to drop over $200 per foot and a bit skeptical of developer planning until they see it with their own eyes. Last year, the only neighborhood that was even close to $200 per foot was the Settlement at Willow Grove. Perhaps a lack of sales has something to do with the change in plans. Just a thought. ;)

Edited by MykD
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I'm going by information in MLS on the couple of "Spec houses" that were built and put on the market by Rouzan's agents. They have put two on the market. One sold after staying on the market for 547 days, and the other has ben on the market for a year and a half. Looks like 14 lots have sold though. (It was late when I was looking at this and it was a long day.)

 

For some time, 70808 has been, and still is, the highest demand zipcode in Baton Rouge. With the lakes and overpass areas being the only part of Baton Rouge that has the ability to be walkable on any level, I expect it to remain that way for a while. (It's one reason my office of on Perkins. :))

 

As for property values, Rouzan hasn't changed the demand or values in Southdowns. The few lots left still sell over $100K, (and higher depending on the size/location) and a newer home in Southdowns, University Gardens, etc, with the same style and appeal as the rest of the area will still command a higher price per square foot than nearly anywhere else in the city, with the exception of newer houses ON the University Lakes, and some homes in CCLA.

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  • 2 months later...

Library board and Spinosa reach deal on Rouzan

After years of delays and negotiations, it appears the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Board of Control and developer Tommy Spinosa have reached an agreement over construction plans for the Rouzan branch library. Board President Travis Woodard tells Daily Report the board and the parish attorney's office expect to sign off on a revised cooperative endeavor agreement with Spinosa before the board's regular monthly meeting, which is Thursday. Under the terms of the agreement—which is an amended version of a document first signed in 2010—Spinosa will agree to complete by November all the infrastructure work that's needed to begin construction of the library. The infrastructure work includes constructing roads, parking lots and utilities within the area of the TND on which the library will be situated, as well as turn lanes and signal modifications on Perkins Road. Previously, Spinosa had agreed to post a performance bond, but the parish attorney's office did not think that was sufficient to guarantee that the developer's portion of the project would be completed. "There is a small escrow Spinosa will have to post (under this revised agreement)," Woodard says. "But the lion's share of this agreement centers on him completing the work, and it spells out exactly what he has to do." Once the infrastructure is completed, the library board will bid out the construction project, which is estimated to cost between $5 million and $6 million. Construction could begin as soon as early next year, with the library opening sometime in 2015.

Read more from Business Report here: http://www.businessreport.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=daily-reportAM&date=20130513#ixzz2TEcTxa5C

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Anyone else have low expectations on Rouzon?

What do the new construction housing look like in there? Is it selling or built to spec?

I did at first and I don't like Spinosa, but the neighborhood is shaping up beautifully and homes are selling well.

It looks much better than a worthless grassy field.

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  • 5 months later...

What a shame looks like the library will not be built at Rouzan! Thought it would fit the area nicely!

 

Loss of library not expected to greatly impact Rouzan success

 
Now that the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Board of Control is officially recommending the Metro Council end its agreement with developer Tommy Spinosa for a new library branch in the center of Rouzan, some aspects of the mixed-use development off Perkins Road are uncertain. While the traditional neighborhood development may suffer some setbacks if the cooperative agreement for the land—which was initially inked in 2010—is killed by the council, most local real estate experts believe Rouzan will be just fine without the library branch. Perhaps the biggest loss for Rouzan if the deal goes sour is the infrastructure the library would have provided the development. As Mark Hebert of Kurz & Hebert Commercial Real Estate notes, "If you don't have the infrastructure in to develop the property, [the land's] definitely not worth as much as you think it might be." Still, Hebert notes Rouzan is situated along one of the most desirable corridors for commercial development in Baton Rouge and says he doesn't think the library branch is a make-or-break aspect of the development. Donnie Jarreau agrees, saying he doesn't think the library board's decision will make Rouzan any less attractive to prospective tenants. "I think you've still got one of the better-located sites in south Baton Rouge in that Perkins-College corridor," says the owner of Donnie Jarreau Real Estate, "so it's still a great site." A spokesman for Spinosa has previously told Daily Report that the developer is exploring other options for the land that was set aside for the library, but could not provide specifics. —Rachel Alexander Read the full story.
Edited by richyb83
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  • 4 months later...

Frustration once again....all of the complaints from the get-go...even though they would add nice sidewalks(imagine that) along Glasgow Ave. Then the Southdowns library branch; that would have made a nice centerpiece to this development...but no...now this??

 

Frustrating also bec Lafayette can pull off a nice TND like River Ranch.....but not BR! Willow Grove is ok....Rouzan could have been really nice...

 

Court won’t rehear Rouzan invalid zoning ruling

 

The disputed zoning had authorized Spinosa’s firm to build commercial establishments and multifamily housing, as well as use small lots for single-family housing along Glasgow Avenue, immediately south of the Southdowns neighborhood.

Without that zoning, Spinosa’s development would revert to A-1 single family.

 

The Hoover and Welch families in two homes on five acres near the center of Rouzan’s surrounding 119 acres have argued for more than six years the TND rezoning was improper because city-parish rules required Spinosa to have control over the entire 124 acres. They also argued that 2590 Associates improperly blocked a recorded 30-foot-wide servitude they had used for direct access to Glasgow.

 

A three-judge panel of the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal — John T. Pettigrew, J. Michael McDonald and James E. Kuhn — agreed with Hoover and Welch last month.

 

Through attorney Brian L. McCullough, Spinosa asked the panel for a rehearing last week.

In that filing, Spinosa argued that allowing the panel’s February decision to stand would mean “there is essentially no immovable property susceptible to be rezoned as a (Traditional Neighborhood Development).”

 

*rest of article

http://theadvocate.com/news/business/8674643-123/court-wont-rehear-rouzan-invalid

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 7 months later...

Also posted on the Urban Planning Thread...

http://theadvocate.com/news/acadiana/10817825-123/alamo-drafthouse-cinema-coming-to

Neat, I guess they figured they'd draw a lot of LSU students, although I wonder if Burbank and Lee might have been a better location.

Yeah.....I'm a tad worried the "Walmart" crowd on College is going to ghetto up this theatre.

  • Like 1
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These places all make so much money...the riff raff would never be a problem if they'd just be willing to part with enough of their profit to have adequate security in place. 

 

It's too bad many places care more about $$ than the customers who keep them in business. 

Edited by garrett_225
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These places all make so much money...the riff raff would never be a problem if they'd just be willing to part with enough of their profit to have adequate security in place.

It's too bad many places care more about $$ than the customers who keep them in business.

Wait, it's the businesses fault for not making their retail development into a fortress? Do we need to see a ID to enter the stores or to park?

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