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"Uptown"

Antrell Williams

By Antrell Williams
in Baton Rouge

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Antrell Williams Town

Antrell Williams

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Most cities have an designated uptown area, generally historic or an alternate part of the city comparable to downtown where things like shopping are the main activities. Of course you all know that. I don't really know what I'm trying to get across here but my vision of our uptown would include Corporate Blvd, Jefferson, Bluebonnet, and Essen Ln. I see this area as upscale for Baton Rouge standards and fills the criteria of an uptown area.

What do you think?

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richyb83 Megalopolis

richyb83

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Cool topic Antrell...I spoke on this subject a few years back here on UP. 100% agree about the area mentioned being BR's version of an "Uptown"! BR's Largest Hotel District; Old Corporate Square with the Marriott (BR's Tallest hotel) mixed with numerous offices/banks & entertainment complex (Click's Billiards; Sullivan's; Fox-n-Hound Hooters) + Citi Place + Constitution Ave with string of hotels would be the heart of the Uptown...Corporate Blvd going toward Towne Center; as well as Jefferson Hwy-south has been refered to as BR's Beverly Hills & Diamond District...

Extending it toward Essen & Bluebonnet which some refered to as the New Baton Rouge...Shaw's 12-story office tower Essen/I-10 is a landmark with the nearby Medical Corridor/ largest hospitals. Mall of La/Perkins Rowe sort of Uptowns edge...a new 256-room Renaisance Hotel would only enhance this...

The area does lack nice taller mid-rise type residential living...there is some potential something special along the undeveloped sections Corporate Blvd corridor...

This was my request for the north side across from Citi Place a while back...maybe a condo nearly as tall as the Marriott...kind of help offset the dramatic difference in height in the area...nothing is taller than 8 stories in the immediate area a few blocks surrounding the Marriott...

atlantabrookwood.jpg

Of course something 17-stories in this shaky economy is only a pipe-dream...the tallest proposed residential for Corporate I ever remember hearing has been 4-stories next to Gates at Citi Place & Jefferson Hwy... 5-stories next to Miilenium...

Wish Perkins Rowe original plan of 8-story condo's had worked out...zoning for that area is as tall as 150'ft/14-stories

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Antrell Williams Town

Antrell Williams

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With the new hotel being built in the old dorms on Bluebonnet it can only draw more and more to the area. The plot of land behind the Mall of La and between Essen and Bluebonnet along I-10 should be develop to help anchor the area. And some sort of shuttle/trolley to connect shoppers in both the Mall of La and Perkins Rowe. It could be our 2nd business district with the medical center on Essen and the 2 large hospitals in a mile from each other. The area is immediately surrounded by families that live on Perkins, Jefferson, and along Staring so it just seems so natural to help bring this area of the city alive.

I can easily see an uptown skyline in the future that outshines our current downtown skyline. Marriott, New hotel/old dorms, Shaw building, Jacobs Tower, Drury hotel, and other potential mid-rise mix-income living, and high-rise hotels. This city has so much opportunity to make our culture shine with downtown, mid-city, and "uptown." I could go on and on about my visions of this city.

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itsjustme3 Burg

itsjustme3

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The plot of land behind the Mall of La and between Essen and Bluebonnet along I-10 should be develop to help anchor the area. And some sort of shuttle/trolley to connect shoppers in both the Mall of La and Perkins Rowe. It could be our 2nd business district with the medical center on Essen and the 2 large hospitals in a mile from each other.

funny you say that. I was dating a chick at a architect firm and she told me there were plans for a road behind Perkins Rowe that streteched from Picardy (mall of la) to Perkins (behind/side of Perkins Rowe). This was to be a medical corridor and a cancer hospital treatment center thingy was going to be the center hub. Sounded like a great idea that would have really exploded Perkins Rowe, but that was over a year and a half ago and looks like it's been put on the shelf.

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Antrell Williams Town

Antrell Williams

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funny you say that. I was dating a chick at a architect firm and she told me there were plans for a road behind Perkins Rowe that streteched from Picardy (mall of la) to Perkins (behind/side of Perkins Rowe). This was to be a medical corridor and a cancer hospital treatment center thingy was going to be the center hub. Sounded like a great idea that would have really exploded Perkins Rowe, but that was over a year and a half ago and looks like it's been put on the shelf.

Thats really too bad. Something to anchor Bluebonnet is needed. If everything got of the ground here, we'd be the next big thing.

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cajun Town

cajun

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funny you say that. I was dating a chick at a architect firm and she told me there were plans for a road behind Perkins Rowe that streteched from Picardy (mall of la) to Perkins (behind/side of Perkins Rowe). This was to be a medical corridor and a cancer hospital treatment center thingy was going to be the center hub. Sounded like a great idea that would have really exploded Perkins Rowe, but that was over a year and a half ago and looks like it's been put on the shelf.

That road isn't just planned. It's actually being designed....I don't know anything about the hospital there though.

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Antrell Williams Town

Antrell Williams

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As of May 2010, I believe, he is still operating in many countries and various channels.

Another idea I would like to bring up is to make the shopping center on the opposite side of Bluebonnet "flow" with the "urban village" approach. The intersection connecting the two is a feasible pedestrian crossing isn't it? Perkins Rowe seems somewhat like a closet more than an entire village or community. Some of the current tenants don't fit in with the PR group as far as shopping but this is just wishful thinking.

I also would like to see this area a whole lot more walkable. Walking to immediate places outside of PR and a cheap shuttle service to the mall and Rave from PR should be in BRs future. The residents that live in the (hopefully) mix-income condos and apartments in uptown could support a bring this area more alive. Once again, wishful thinking.

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