The Health District

[cajun]

5 hours ago, greg225 said:

Getting Even? NBR haven't seen economic development in decades, so if that's getting even I don't see your point. 

That's not true and you know it.  

• Orion Instruments New HQ
• Well over $100 million in investment by ExxonMobil in the past couple of decades
• State of the Art Coca Cola Bottling Plant (featured on Discovery Channel)
• Countless investments into the airport, including Delta Airline maintenance facility
• LSU Urgent Care Center
• CarQuest Distribution Center
• Improvements/Expansions at Southern University, including residential facilities, classrooms
• Mumford Stadium expansion at Southern University
• Rennovated/newly constructed public schools: Capitol Middle, Winborne Elementary, Sharon Hills, Delmont, Banks, Scotlandville Middle, etc.
• ABC Automobile Dealer Services
• Honeywell Expansion
• All Star Chevrolet North
• Louisiana Tech Park and Business Center
• Cox Communications
• Allied Plastics expansion
• Formosa Plastics expansion
• Sam's Club/Wal Mart, Home Depot, Lowe's
• Exxon Chem expansion
• BREC Oak Villa Park
• Turner Equipment Group
• Express Jet
• Cap City Collision
• YMCA gym
• City/Parish command center
• Albermarle Training Facility
• Greater Baton Rouge Surgical Hospital (failed private venture)
• New Hilton, Mariott, Wyndham branded hotel properties at Howell Place, with another Holiday Inn and Mike Andersons on the way at the Airport

That's just what I can remember, and it doesn't include the various new credit unions, restaurants, smaller retail stores, and other smaller private investments.   Not only is it horribly incorrect in assuming that north Baton Rouge gets 0 investment in decades......it's borderline insulting to those of us that have actually invested our own personal time and money into organizations like Habitat for Humanity.

As a refresher.....Baton Rouge came very close to luring Hawker Beechcraft manufacturing facilty just 5 years ago.   That project would have been a game changer for the entire region that lacks manufacturing for durable goods, and it would have also provided very high paying jobs in an area that needed it.   The state, city, and parish were united behind it and pushed very hard for it.   South Baton Rouge didn't object to it because they were upset about the crappy, narrow streets, pathetic public schools, terrible airline service, or the concentration of public dollars allocated for downtown redevelopment.    There wasn't a lack of support from any local politicians, BRAC, or LED.  Everyone knew it would be a huge win for the entire region and cooperated.  There was no sabotage.  There was no bickering about race politics.  Every government entity from the Governor's office on down to the city/parish worked together very well.   Hawker was a huge fish and we came very close to catching it.

I realize that some of the public infrastructure has been neglected and mismanaged....but that's the case all over the entire parish.   Everyone that uses Baton Rouge's roads and sewers knows it.   Everyone that's ever called BRPD knows it.    Every parent and student definitely knows it.   Yes, North Baton Rouge got kicked in the gut when the ancient Earl K Long was finally shut down.   LSU's partnership with OLOL has been incredibly fruitful while Tulane's partnership with Baton Rouge General didn't keep the mid city location open.     It sucks that OLOL was not centrally located, but that's life.  It's 12-15 minutes from Baton Rouge General's Florida Blvd location by ambulance...it's not in Egypt.   There's an effort to get another hospital to better serve the area - and there has already been many urgent care facilities to improve health care in north Baton Rouge specifically with at least one more on the way.  

I agree that this is absolutely rooted in race politics.   It's sabotage in the name of getting even at a time when it's absolutely critical that everyone cooperate.    Ironic that a group that branded itself "Together Baton Rouge" is being this divisive.   There should definitely be an asterisk next to that one.  
 

Edited March 10, 2016 by cajun

[greg225]

3 hours ago, cajun said:

That's not true and you know it.  

• Orion Instruments New HQ
• Well over $100 million in investment by ExxonMobil in the past couple of decades
• State of the Art Coca Cola Bottling Plant (featured on Discovery Channel)
• Countless investments into the airport, including Delta Airline maintenance facility
• LSU Urgent Care Center
• CarQuest Distribution Center
• Improvements/Expansions at Southern University, including residential facilities, classrooms
• Mumford Stadium expansion at Southern University
• Rennovated/newly constructed public schools: Capitol Middle, Winborne Elementary, Sharon Hills, Delmont, Banks, Scotlandville Middle, etc.
• ABC Automobile Dealer Services
• Honeywell Expansion
• All Star Chevrolet North
• Louisiana Tech Park and Business Center
• Cox Communications
• Allied Plastics expansion
• Formosa Plastics expansion
• Sam's Club/Wal Mart, Home Depot, Lowe's
• Exxon Chem expansion
• BREC Oak Villa Park
• Turner Equipment Group
• Express Jet
• Cap City Collision
• YMCA gym
• City/Parish command center
• Albermarle Training Facility
• Greater Baton Rouge Surgical Hospital (failed private venture)
• New Hilton, Mariott, Wyndham branded hotel properties at Howell Place, with another Holiday Inn and Mike Andersons on the way at the Airport

That's just what I can remember, and it doesn't include the various new credit unions, restaurants, smaller retail stores, and other smaller private investments.   Not only is it horribly incorrect in assuming that north Baton Rouge gets 0 investment in decades......it's borderline insulting to those of us that have actually invested our own personal time and money into organizations like Habitat for Humanity.

As a refresher.....Baton Rouge came very close to luring Hawker Beechcraft manufacturing facilty just 5 years ago.   That project would have been a game changer for the entire region that lacks manufacturing for durable goods, and it would have also provided very high paying jobs in an area that needed it.   The state, city, and parish were united behind it and pushed very hard for it.   South Baton Rouge didn't object to it because they were upset about the crappy, narrow streets, pathetic public schools, terrible airline service, or the concentration of public dollars allocated for downtown redevelopment.    There wasn't a lack of support from any local politicians, BRAC, or LED.  Everyone knew it would be a huge win for the entire region and cooperated.  There was no sabotage.  There was no bickering about race politics.  Every government entity from the Governor's office on down to the city/parish worked together very well.   Hawker was a huge fish and we came very close to catching it.

I realize that some of the public infrastructure has been neglected and mismanaged....but that's the case all over the entire parish.   Everyone that uses Baton Rouge's roads and sewers knows it.   Everyone that's ever called BRPD knows it.    Every parent and student definitely knows it.   Yes, North Baton Rouge got kicked in the gut when the ancient Earl K Long was finally shut down.   LSU's partnership with OLOL has been incredibly fruitful while Tulane's partnership with Baton Rouge General didn't keep the mid city location open.     It sucks that OLOL was not centrally located, but that's life.  It's 12-15 minutes from Baton Rouge General's Florida Blvd location by ambulance...it's not in Egypt.   There's an effort to get another hospital to better serve the area - and there has already been many urgent care facilities to improve health care in north Baton Rouge specifically with at least one more on the way.  

I agree that this is absolutely rooted in race politics.   It's sabotage in the name of getting even at a time when it's absolutely critical that everyone cooperate.    Ironic that a group that branded itself "Together Baton Rouge" is being this divisive.   There should definitely be an asterisk next to that one.  
 

NBR don't see a dime of that plant money invested in their area not 1 cent its goes elsewhere in this parish, but they been the ones polluted by them for decades. Mike Anderson haven't happen at the airport that may happen may not happen. Drive up Plank Rd., Drive up Scenic Hwy and  Scotland Ave, Drive up North Foster tell me what you see nothing. Go look at the schools in NBR most of the buildings falling apart plus Sharron Hills is in Brownfield not NBR. LSU Urgent Care Center is not economic development, economic development  is what create jobs for the people of NBR. How far is OLOL is from the airport that will make you think about a sick passenger that need medical attention.  Now list everything on the south part of the parish lets see how that look. Most thing you list been there for years some don't even exist yet and that's if they happen. People NBR tired of been left behind take a ride thru NBR all of it and see what people is mad about, population is 100,000 people need understand size of the area to get it and that's the part that's in city limits.

Edited March 11, 2016 by greg225

[Antrell Williams]

11 hours ago, cajun said:

What I said was in plain text.   No need to misrepresent my posts because you don't like my message. 

Atlanta is a massive city with significant opportunity because they focused on economic development rather than "getting even".  They put this kind of race baiting and bickering aside and made meaningful choices at the right time.  

Atlanta may have gentrified areas to create the hipster havens, like what will probably happen to OSBR, but it only moves the problem to the suburbs, never addressing the issue. Show me a case where a neighborhood and it's people like I'm describing are uplifted and invested in, instead of bulldozed and flipped into the next hot urban district.

[cajun]

3 hours ago, greg225 said:

NBR don't see a dime of that plant money invested in their area not 1 cent its goes elsewhere in this parish, but they been the ones polluted by them for decades. Mike Anderson haven't happen at the airport that may happen may not happen. Drive up Plank Rd., Drive up Scenic Hwy and  Scotland Ave, Drive up North Foster tell me what you see nothing. Go look at the schools in NBR most of the buildings falling apart plus Sharron Hills is in Brownfield not NBR. LSU Urgent Care Center is not economic development, economic development  is what create jobs for the people of NBR. How far is OLOL is from the airport that will make you think about a sick passenger that need medical attention.  Now list everything on the south part of the parish lets see how that look. Most thing you list been there for years some don't even exist yet and that's if they happen. People NBR tired of been left behind take a ride thru NBR all of it and see what people is mad about, population is 100,000 people need understand size of the area to get it and that's the part that's in city limits.

I've not only outlined up to $1 billion in public and private investment  into an area you claim never sees any economic development, but  I've detailed a case where the entire city, parish, and state did everything in their power to lure a game changing manufacturing facility to north Baton Rouge without obstruction or race politics.  

There is no justification for obstructing progress of a project with significant regional impact beyond NBR politicians exploiting racial prejudice held by their constituents.  We all know that's what this is really about.   Posturing for the next election. 

 

[cajun]

1 hour ago, Antrell Williams said:

Atlanta may have gentrified areas to create the hipster havens, like what will probably happen to OSBR, but it only moves the problem to the suburbs, never addressing the issue. Show me a case where a neighborhood and it's people like I'm describing are uplifted and invested in, instead of bulldozed and flipped into the next hot urban district.

Hipsters didn't build modern Atlanta.  People who (for decades)  avoided myopic and hateful infighting did.    They put aside their selfish, childish nonsense and fought like hell for that first postal stop, that first rail connection, those highways, and that airport.     

I've outlined up to $1 billion in investment into north Baton Rouge.   There is opportunity and economic development there.    I know of many examples of perfectly normal people from that area using those resources to their advantage.   We can't force everyone to help themselves.  

Edited March 11, 2016 by cajun

[greg225]

8 hours ago, cajun said:

I've not only outlined up to $1 billion in public and private investment  into an area you claim never sees any economic development, but  I've detailed a case where the entire city, parish, and state did everything in their power to lure a game changing manufacturing facility to north Baton Rouge without obstruction or race politics.  

There is no justification for obstructing progress of a project with significant regional impact beyond NBR politicians exploiting racial prejudice held by their constituents.  We all know that's what this is really about.   Posturing for the next election. 

 

SMH You got to be the most delusional person, but anyway you will never get it. Can't talk to a person that make themselves blind or deaf to the issues. You refuse to get it most things like the plants and the airport been there for years it wasn't build recently, so live in your own world.

Edited March 11, 2016 by greg225

[cajun]

4 hours ago, greg225 said:

SMH You got to be the most delusional person, but anyway you will never get it. Can't talk to a person that make themselves blind or deaf to the issues. You refuse to get it most things like the plants and the airport been there for years it wasn't build recently, so live in your own world.

I'm going to ignore the petty insults and focus on your assertion that an investment and expansion made by an existing employer (which is only one of the many kind of investments made into north Baton Rouge over the years) doesn't count in your particular definition of investment or economic development.

To invest is to expend currency with the expectation of achieving a profit or material result by putting it into financial schemes, shares, or property, or by using it to develop a commercial venture.   Expansion of existing employers and investment into their property, people, and infrastructure absolutely falls into that category of "investment" and "economic development".   A plant that's been there for years that happens to spend millions of dollars retooling, expanding, and hiring more people is absolutely making a conscious decision to invest in the area.   Expansions are qualitative, measurable, and quantifiable economic development that has occurred in north Baton Rouge just as Orion's brand new offices, Hilton's brand new hotel, or Delta's brand new maintenance facility are quality, measurable, quantifiable examples of economic development that has occurred in north Baton Rouge.   

 

 

Edited March 11, 2016 by cajun

[Antrell Williams]

On 3/11/2016 at 0:01 AM, cajun said:

Hipsters didn't build modern Atlanta.  People who (for decades)  avoided myopic and hateful infighting did.    They put aside their selfish, childish nonsense and fought like hell for that first postal stop, that first rail connection, those highways, and that airport.     

I've outlined up to $1 billion in investment into north Baton Rouge.   There is opportunity and economic development there.    I know of many examples of perfectly normal people from that area using those resources to their advantage.   We can't force everyone to help themselves.  

My question went unanswered. After all of that growth, those neighborhoods remain in similar conditions as decades prior, often times worse. 

[greg225]

On 3/10/2016 at 0:13 PM, cajun said:

I'm going to ignore the petty insults and focus on your assertion that an investment and expansion made by an existing employer (which is only one of the many kind of investments made into north Baton Rouge over the years) doesn't count in your particular definition of investment or economic development.

To invest is to expend currency with the expectation of achieving a profit or material result by putting it into financial schemes, shares, or property, or by using it to develop a commercial venture.   Expansion of existing employers and investment into their property, people, and infrastructure absolutely falls into that category of "investment" and "economic development".   A plant that's been there for years that happens to spend millions of dollars retooling, expanding, and hiring more people is absolutely making a conscious decision to invest in the area.   Expansions are qualitative, measurable, and quantifiable economic development that has occurred in north Baton Rouge just as Orion's brand new offices, Hilton's brand new hotel, or Delta's brand new maintenance facility are quality, measurable, quantifiable examples of economic development that has occurred in north Baton Rouge.   

 

 

If you thank that Hilton Hotel in NBR is new you are definitely delusional, but you think you have all the answers. Why should I waste my time you think you know everything.

Edited March 14, 2016 by greg225

[Mr. Burnham]

Look, you can not do a mass  redevelopment of the entirety of North Baton Rouge without almost immediately destroying the neighborhoods. Once you bring developers in, that entire section of the city is going to be gentrified into oblivion. 

If the city wants development to happen; fix the damn schools. Bickering over the Health District (which is needed) is going to simply hurt the city in the long-run and will not solve any problems, just create more. 

As for roads and infrastructure, that is a city wide problem, not just one for NBR. Though I would like to see more physical investment in the airport, maybe build some better connections to the airport for Zachary, Baker, South BR, Central, and Denham Springs. 

On 3/10/2016 at 7:39 PM, greg225 said:

NBR don't see a dime of that plant money invested in their area not 1 cent its goes elsewhere in this parish, but they been the ones polluted by them for decades. Mike Anderson haven't happen at the airport that may happen may not happen. Drive up Plank Rd., Drive up Scenic Hwy and  Scotland Ave, Drive up North Foster tell me what you see nothing. Go look at the schools in NBR most of the buildings falling apart plus Sharron Hills is in Brownfield not NBR. LSU Urgent Care Center is not economic development, economic development  is what create jobs for the people of NBR. How far is OLOL is from the airport that will make you think about a sick passenger that need medical attention.  Now list everything on the south part of the parish lets see how that look. Most thing you list been there for years some don't even exist yet and that's if they happen. People NBR tired of been left behind take a ride thru NBR all of it and see what people is mad about, population is 100,000 people need understand size of the area to get it and that's the part that's in city limits.

That plant needs to be moved out of the city and up the river. It not only pollutes the city, but it fudges up our street grid and overall flow. 

[Mr. Burnham]

On 3/10/2016 at 7:39 PM, greg225 said:

 People in NBR  are tired of been left behind. Take a ride through NBR, all of it, and see what people are mad about.

You can not blame the lack of development of NBR on the state. Everything South Baton Rouge has, with the exception of LSU, is all the result of PRIVATE investment. 

North Baton Rouge sucks because of white flight. It sucks because when everyone pulls their kids out of newly integrated schools, the people who can make a difference leave and stop caring about public schools. When that happens and the only people that live in the area are those who are already at an economic disadvantaged because of their skin color, the future becomes non-existant. When there is no future desperate people are left to welfare (which has already been gutted because of budget issues) and crime. When that happens you are never going to see development there. It's all about the money and power, unfortunately the money and power exists in South Baton Rouge and primarily with upper middle-class whites. 

The only way to save North Baton Rouge is to go back to the root of the problem which has nothing to do with roads, airports, or hospitals. It's the schools and the future it can provide. 

[greg225]

29 minutes ago, mr. bernham said:

You can not blame the lack of development of NBR on the state. Everything South Baton Rouge has, with the exception of LSU, is all the result of PRIVATE investment. 

North Baton Rouge sucks because of white flight. It sucks because when everyone pulls their kids out of newly integrated schools, the people who can make a difference leave and stop caring about public schools. When that happens and the only people that live in the area are those who are already at an economic disadvantaged because of their skin color, the future becomes non-existant. When there is no future desperate people are left to welfare (which has already been gutted because of budget issues) and crime. When that happens you are never going to see development there. It's all about the money and power, unfortunately the money and power exists in South Baton Rouge and primarily with upper middle-class whites. 

The only way to save North Baton Rouge is to go back to the root of the problem which has nothing to do with roads, airports, or hospitals. It's the schools and the future it can provide. 

I never blame the state I mostly blame the city parish, but on the state level IBM state funded and  some Perkins Rowe stores benefited  from state grants. People want a hospital and economic development that's what they want they have just as much right to ask as anybody in the else to ask in this parish.

Edited March 14, 2016 by greg225

[Mr. Burnham]

5 minutes ago, greg225 said:

I never blame the state I mostly blame the city parish, but on the state level IBM state funded and  some Perkins Rowe stores befitted from state grants. People want a hospital and economic development that's what they want they have just much right as anybody in the person to ask.

Okay, but those developments still benefit the city and make it possible for us to focus on other parts of the parish. The state can't force private development to invest in areas where businesses will not make any money. 

IBM is not going to be successful in North Baton Rouge, neither would something like Perkins Rowe, or the mall, or Town Center, or even the big hospitals. The reality is that the people, because of years of racism, literally can not afford to support businesses like that so they are never going to attract those businesses.

Edited March 14, 2016 by mr. bernham

[greg225]

43 minutes ago, mr. bernham said:

Look, you can not do a mass  redevelopment of the entirety of North Baton Rouge without almost immediately destroying the neighborhoods. Once you bring developers in, that entire section of the city is going to be gentrified into oblivion. 

If the city wants development to happen; fix the damn schools. Bickering over the Health District (which is needed) is going to simply hurt the city in the long-run and will not solve any problems, just create more. 

As for roads and infrastructure, that is a city wide problem, not just one for NBR. Though I would like to see more physical investment in the airport, maybe build some better connections to the airport for Zachary, Baker, South BR, Central, and Denham Springs. 

That plant needs to be moved out of the city and up the river. It not only pollutes the city, but it fudges up our street grid and overall flow. 

There many cities that have and had area's like NBR, but they have made changes for the better and keep the neighborhood in tack. Infrastructure is parish problem, but NBR haven't seen infrastructure updates since the 1960's.

[Mr. Burnham]

11 minutes ago, greg225 said:

People want a hospital and economic development that's what they want they have just much right as anybody in the person to ask.

I want a house in France, but I can't afford that and I'm certainly not in a position to beg the owners of a French home to give it to me. They have no right to ask for developments they cannot support. Private companies are not public organizations and the people of NBR have no right to ask them to put their companies at a loss because the people of NBR want a hospital or a Perkins Rowe like development. 

The people of NBR could use their time to:

1. stop acting like they are entitled to the same development the SBR experiences.

2. Realize that they are entitled to better schools, roads, and police

3. Fight for better schools, roads, and police

Edited March 14, 2016 by mr. bernham

[Mr. Burnham]

7 minutes ago, greg225 said:

There many cities that have and had area's like NBR, but they have made changes for the better and keep the neighborhood in tack. Infrastructure is parish problem, but NBR haven't seen infrastructure updates since the 1960's.

NBR, in a state where money is tight and infrastructure is terrible, is not a primary concern when there is increasing development along the interstate and in South BR. Granted, NBR needs much better infrastructure, but you still need to provide infrastructure for places that had none to begin with. South BR's infrastructure is under far more stress daily than North Baton Rouges. 

Does it suck? Hell yeah, but it's the reality of our situation. It is a reality that needs to change,but again, it starts with fixing the schools. 

Also, SBR has roughly 200,000 people that live there, and I'd wager at least a million that use its roads.

Edited March 14, 2016 by mr. bernham

[greg225]

5 minutes ago, mr. bernham said:

Okay, but those developments still benefit the city and make it possible for us to focus on other parts of the parish. The state can't force private development to invest in areas where businesses will not make any money. 

IBM is not going to be successful in North Baton Rouge, neither would something like Perkins Rowe, or the mall, or Town Center, or even the big hospitals. The reality is that the people, because of years of racism, literally can not afford to support businesses like that so they are never going to attract those businesses.

Its not about forcing business to the area its about putting together a plan that give business tax breaks to build in NBR like they do in Downtown. Never said IBM should come to NBR I was just stating the fact that its state funded. A big hospital was successful in NBR EKL was a very successful hospital. 

[Mr. Burnham]

Just now, greg225 said:

Its not about forcing business to the area its about putting together a plan that give business tax breaks to build in NBR like they do in Downtown. Never said IBM should come to NBR I was just stating the fact that its state funded. A big hospital was successful in NBR EKL was a very successful hospital. 

Yeah, EKL had a lot of patients, all of them paying for their service through state run healthcare. It closed because once the healthcare went, it's patients couldn't afford the cost of healthcare. 

Even if the state gives an upscale business tax breaks to develop in NBR, they still aren't going to do it because their business is not going to be economically successful because the people in NBR cannot afford it. 

It's much easier for a company like IBM to go downtown than NBR, the tax breaks are much easier to offer in Downtown and SBR than in NBR because businesses and companies will be very successful in those areas.

[greg225]

55 minutes ago, mr. bernham said:

I want a house in France, but I can't afford that and I'm certainly not in a position to beg the owners of a French home to give it to me. They have no right to ask for developments they cannot support. Private companies are not public organizations and the people of NBR have no right to ask them to put their companies at a loss because the people of NBR want a hospital or a Perkins Rowe like development. 

The people of NBR could use their time to:

1. stop acting like they are entitled to the same development the SBR experiences.

2. Realize that they are entitled to better schools, roads, and police

3. Fight for better schools, roads, and police

Hospital is number 1 concern, number 2 is economic development. You believe they can't support certain economic development that's your believe which doesn't make it fact. Lot of people in the parish don't realize how many middle class families live in NBR. They have every right to have some of the same development as SBR, NBR shouldn't stop wanting their area of 100,000 people be successful. NBR kids don't only go  to EBR schools, but SBR it about making NBR a better place to live not just SBR. 

42 minutes ago, mr. bernham said:

Yeah, EKL had a lot of patients, all of them paying for their service through state run healthcare. It closed because once the healthcare went, it's patients couldn't afford the cost of healthcare. 

Even if the state gives an upscale business tax breaks to develop in NBR, they still aren't going to do it because their business is not going to be economically successful because the people in NBR cannot afford it. 

It's much easier for a company like IBM to go downtown than NBR, the tax breaks are much easier to offer in Downtown and SBR than in NBR because businesses and companies will be very successful in those areas.

You think Louisiana is the only state that had state run hospital? EKL was charity hospital just like the one that used to be in New Orleans, and it had the parish only mental health center. You keep saying the state I'm talking about the city parish what they should be doing for NBR. You keep saying that NBR can't afford it, but NBR pay taxes "just like everybody else" in this parish. Downtown was full of blight property and rundown, but tax breaks rebuild that area.

Edited March 14, 2016 by greg225

[Mr. Burnham]

NBR, regardless of what you might hope or think, is not as affluent as South Baton Rouge. This makes it hard for companies to justify investment there. I'm not advocating for this, I'm just pointing out the reality of the situation. 

Fix the damn schools and NBR has a future again.

[greg225]

9 minutes ago, mr. bernham said:

NBR, regardless of what you might hope or think, is not as affluent as South Baton Rouge. This makes it hard for companies to justify investment there. I'm not advocating for this, I'm just pointing out the reality of the situation. 

Fix the damn schools and NBR has a future again.

EBR schools need to be fix period..

Edited March 14, 2016 by greg225

[Mr. Burnham]

3 hours ago, greg225 said:

EBR schools need to be fix period..

Fixing the schools opens up a new door for the people of North Baton Rouge. Full stop. 

[cajun]

On 3/14/2016 at 10:49 AM, mr. bernham said:

NBR, regardless of what you might hope or think, is not as affluent as South Baton Rouge. This makes it hard for companies to justify investment there. I'm not advocating for this, I'm just pointing out the reality of the situation. 

Fix the damn schools and NBR has a future again.

It's harder for Retail.  That's why a continued (and narrow) focus to redevelop specific areas is critical, and that's why the city is taking steps to do just that.  

Some of the region's largest employers have located in North Baton Rouge and made tremendous investments there.  

[cajun]

On 3/14/2016 at 9:33 AM, greg225 said:

I never blame the state I mostly blame the city parish, but on the state level IBM state funded and  some Perkins Rowe stores benefited  from state grants. People want a hospital and economic development that's what they want they have just as much right to ask as anybody in the else to ask in this parish.

IBM is downtown.   If you have good aim, you can almost throw a baseball at Southern U, Exxon, or north Baton Rouge from their roof if you were so inclined.    There are countless downtown business staffed by people from north Baton Rouge and by people who pass up north Baton Rouge on their way to work.   Proximity to employment is not a problem north Baton Rouge has ever had.    Their problem is that people who find lucrative employment move away and leave behind an area with very little spending power.

Consolidation has been an industry trend in health care for decades.   That's both good and bad.   The shortcoming is that smaller, neighborhood hospitals have to find new ways to earn money and stay in business as the larger behemoths that offer better services, a more comprehensive ER, and a broad range of outpatient options draw all the patients. 

Hospitals have serious problems paying the bills if most of their patients are uninsured - especially those filling ERs with minor illnesses.  It's sad, but a huge number of uninsured patients in North Baton Rouge were filling the ER at BRG's Florida location and not enough insured patients to justify keeping the doors open.   

OLOL, with LSU's parternship, is turning into a top level Trauma center.   Patients with serious injuries from car crashes, GSW's, burns, etc. within a 50-60 mile radius of Baton Rouge will either be sent directly to that ER or "triaged" at a tiny local hospital like Pointe Coupee General in New Roads or Lane before being air lifted to OLOL.  Their patient volume and diversity makes them not only an incredible place for physicians to intern....but it helps them pay the bills.    North Baton Rouge has better access to 24 hour "urgent care" centers for minor issues than any of those communities as well.   

Common sense tells us that concentration of medical expertise and services into one location in Baton Rouge is unquestionably good for the entire region.  It's not without it's drawbacks, and that means that smaller hospitals without much patient volume will suffer - that's going to be the case for hospitals in New Roads, Woodville, Plaquimine, Central, Zachary, St. Francisville, and Gonzales as well as north Baton Rouge.  I wish OLOL was still downtown, but that's just not how things are.   

Being 15 minutes away from what is unquestionably turning into one of the best trauma centers in the entire region is much better than being 10 minutes away from a place that can do nothing but patch you up and air lift you to a better hospital.     Even if there was some sort of federal program that covers the massive amount of uninsured patients with minor problems that would clog up any north Baton Rouge ER.....it would basically exist just like some of those tiny, poorly funded rural hospitals (many of which are in close proximity to major manufacturing facilities).   EMS would not even bother sending a serious trauma patient to that ER with a place like OLOL just down the road.    The same would be the case for a regional hospital in Watson or Central that is closer in proximity to parts of north Baton Rouge.

Edited March 17, 2016 by cajun

[cajun]

On 3/11/2016 at 0:12 AM, Antrell Williams said:

My question went unanswered. After all of that growth, those neighborhoods remain in similar conditions as decades prior, often times worse. 

People move around.   Just because the neighborhoods are bad doesn't mean the people who live there don't have opportunity....it just means they get the hell out when they could.   

An abundance of employment opportunities in the region makes it much easier to redevelop areas.