The Health District

[richyb83]

The new FuturEBR refers to this area as the South Medical District...has often been refered to as BR's Medical Corridor long before this...this is an interesting area continuing to see steady growth. The Picardy Extension connecting Essen Ln & Bluebonnet Blvd was a nice start...but a more connective street-grid will need to be implemented to accommodate future growth..there is still plenty of vacant land for infil-development.

 

Here's Wikipedia's take...

The research hospitals Our Lady of the Lake, Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital (affiliated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital), Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, and Earl K. Long, helped by an emerging medical corridor at Essen Lane/Summa Avenue/Bluebonnet Boulevard, are positioning Baton Rouge to eventually support a medical district similar to the Texas Medical Center. LSU and Tulane have both announced plans to construct satellite medical campuses in Baton Rouge to partner with Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center and Baton Rouge General Medical Center, respectively.[12]

 

Southeastern Louisiana University and Our Lady of the Lake College both have nursing schools in the medical district off Essen Lane. Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, which conducts clinical and biological research, also contributes to research-related employment in the area around the Baton Rouge medical district.

 

*only 12 seconds* at the end of video the future street-grid is shown extending Essen Park Drive & a new Midway Ave; the Perkins/Picardy connector on the east end is not accurate; just the idea

 

 

 

Since BR's Area Code is 225...figured it needed a 225th Topic here on UP

[steve3n8]

Yes...this very well could be almost as large as the Texas Medical Center within the next 20-30 years as they say. It will be interesting to see it transform.

[richyb83]

Yeah..there is only "one" Texas Medical Center...anything just 1/4 it's size would still be BIG!

OLOL Regional Medical Center is planning to build a 9-story tower on Essen Lane. The building would include a trauma center & serve the hospital's heart patients.

*here's the site...construction has started..but nothing vertical yet

The expansion project at the BR General at Bluebonnet set to start soon...

[Antrell Williams]

Yes...this very well could be almost as large as the Texas Medical Center within the next 20-30 years as they say. It will be interesting to see it transform.

I seriously doubt that. I passed by TMC daily for 3 months, its skyline is comparable to New Orleans, minus the height. It is much more active than downtown Baton Rouge, much less SMD. It is also the largest medical complex in the world, we'd have to surpass cities like Boston and Philadelphia first, and I doubt that, even in 30 years. Not to mention it already has light rail, that is the heaviest used line in Houston.

I think SMD could be much larger in the future, if every thing works perfectly. A connected grid is needed and a ramp to the hospitals on I-10. And some residential with sustainable retail, especially if the streetcar line is nearby.

Those hospitals look good.

Edited August 7, 2011 by Antrell Williams

[steve3n8]

I seriously doubt that. I passed by TMC daily for 3 months, its skyline is comparable to New Orleans, minus the height. It is much more active than downtown Baton Rouge, much less SMD. It is also the largest medical complex in the world, we'd have to surpass cities like Boston and Philadelphia first, and I doubt that, even in 30 years. Not to mention it already has light rail, that is the heaviest used line in Houston.

I think SMD could be much larger in the future, if every thing works perfectly. A connected grid is needed and a ramp to the hospitals on I-10. And some residential with sustainable retail, especially if the streetcar line is nearby.

Those hospitals look good.

True, maybe not that large....wishful thinking i guess, but it will definitely see major growth. I would love to see more residential and retail in the area. There will certaintly be more towers and office buildings as well.

I'm glad to see Bluebonnet move with its project...

[dan326]

Cool stuff.

[richyb83]

The sign for the Summa office tower still up after 3 years...have made inquiries to the developer a while back to no avail...this would have looked nice on this site next to Jacobs Plaza

[Antrell Williams]

Sure would've been a nice addition to the area.

[steve3n8]

Baton Rouge General plans $40 million expansion to Bluebonnet campus

Baton Rouge General plans to break ground on a $40 million expansion at its Bluebonnet Boulevard medical campus within the next six months. Plans call for a 105,000-square-foot medical office building, which will have a skywalk over Picardy Avenue, along with four new operating rooms equipped with minimally invasive robotics technology. A hybrid operating space, which will have room for imaging and surgery, will also be added to the hospital. "We are pleased about the positive impact these physician-guided enhancements will create for our patients and their experiences while in our care," says Bill Holman, president and CEO of Baton Rouge General. The medical office building is expected to create 200 permanent jobs and 300 temporary construction jobs, according to information filed with the state bond commission earlier this year.

Businessreport.com

[itsjustme3]

So if I'm looking at google earth correctly, they will build on the land at the corner or Bluebonnet at the railroad overpass (directly across the street from Pier 1). I wonder if they bought all that land.

Speaking of Picardy, the fact there there isn't a light at the Picardy and Essen intersection has really hurt the development along Picardy in-between Essen and Bluebonnet. Lots of space for development.

Edited August 31, 2011 by itsjustme2

[buckett5425]

Just for some clarification, there is a light at Essen and Picardy.

Also, I am very disappointed in the design BR General expansion. In contrast, the new expansion to OLOL seems like its going to be a very sexy building. But once again WHLC Architecture continues to disappoint with there generic lack luster designs for BR General and Pennington.

[itsjustme3]

My bad. Yes there's a light there.

[Antrell Williams]

Where are these designs? This location calls for something sexy.

[buckett5425]

Where are these designs? This location calls for something sexy.

Post #3 by Richy contains images of both the OLOL and BR General projects.

[dan326]

Yh, WHLC does make pretty lackluster desgins. I do have to admit, I wasn't particularly fond of their tallest rendition of Riverplace.

[Antrell Williams]

Not all of their projects are so bland. Especially out of state designs.

[richyb83]

There is a rendering of the Picardy Skywalk in this mornings Advocate I wanted to post...but can't seem to locate on their website

Yes there is a lot of undeveloped land along Picardy...some nice 5 to 8 story condo/apts would work well...FuturEBR renderings would favor this...

When going south along Essen..Picardy has been a nice alternative when getting to Bluebonnet/Mall of La... plenty of people were stuck in the left-turn lane further up at Summa Ave...cruise a little further down to the left-turn lane at Picardy with virtually no wait!

Wonder what will ever become of the large vacant geen treeless lot at Picardy & Bluebonnet??

On the other side of the R.R. tracks...Lake at Anselmo is about to start construction

Also not mentioned as part of the Medical Corridor are the Neuro-Medical Center at Perkins Rowe & the Surgical Specialty Clinic on Bluebonnet just south of Perkins Rd.

[Antrell Williams]

www.theadvocate.com is the website. Although, I can't find the picture. Would really like to see it.

Edited September 2, 2011 by Antrell Williams

[richyb83]

Property of the Week from Real Estate Weekly...

Baton Rouge General plans to break ground on a $40 million expansion at its Bluebonnet Boulevard medical campus within the next six months. Plans call for a 105,000-square-foot medical office building, which will have a skywalk over Picardy Avenue. The office building will be built on a parking lot next to the hospital. There will also be four new operating rooms equipped with minimally invasive robotics technology. The office building is set to open in late 2013, while the operating rooms will be finished by the end of 2012

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/real-estate-weekly/latest/

*things just are not as user friendly with new digs...

[steve3n8]

OLOL opens new hybrid operating room

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center has begun performing heart and vascular procedures in a new state-of-the-art hybrid operating room, which combines elements of a traditional catheterization lab used for standard, minimally invasive heart and vascular procedures and an operating room used for more advanced procedures such as heart bypass surgery, heart valve repair or replacement, and vascular surgery. For patients, the hybrid room offers improved efficiency and safety, as well as the option of having more than one procedure completed in one surgical setting. The hybrid room is incorporating robotic technology called Zeego, manufactured by Siemens, which can move 360 degrees around the patient providing surgeons and interventionalists with detailed images of blood vessels throughout the body.

Businessreport.com

[richyb83]

This is something interesting they had to say at the end of the article....

Panache Plaza nearly full; businesses opening

A pizzeria and nail salon have recently opened in Panache Plaza at 8342 Perkins Road—between Bluebonnet Boulevard and Essen Lane—and several businesses will follow suit in the coming months. Rotolo's Pizzeria just opened its 21st restaurant in the retail center, and Lavish Nail Salon is also open, says Chris Shaheen, developer/agent with Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate. A pair of women's boutiques—AICRE Boutique and You and I Fashions—have also signed leases and are in the middle of building out their spaces. Shaheen says the same is true for Cajun Wild Birds, an outdoors store; Lagniappe Family Medical, a private walk-in clinic; and Rival Nutrition. Le Bon Temps Roule Sports Bar, meanwhile, is in the process of getting its necessary permits, and Shaheen says he expects there will be no objections. Two retail spaces remain open, he says, and negotiations are ongoing with several retailers. "I expect to be totally leased by the end of February," Shaheen says. At one point, Chris' Specialty Meats was negotiating for a space in the center, but Shaheen says negotiations appear to have fallen through. The 26,600-square-foot strip center broke ground last summer. Shaheen says the development was a rare project in the current economy, as it received financing when just one business had committed to a lease. He says the project probably wouldn't have been financed under such conditions if it were located in any other area of the city. "As far as demographics go, that's about the strongest area in Baton Rouge,"

http://www.businessreport.com/section/daily-reportPM

[Antrell Williams]

...which is promising for South Medical District as a whole?

[richyb83]

Construction at OLOL; 9-story tower addition

[Antrell Williams]

This is from Essen right?

[itsjustme3]

Yes on Essen