steve3n8

^ If we land that, its going to spark a massive residential boon in downtown and surronding areas.... Might finally see those high rise condos

If you ask me, I think they might just extend it south and stop at Picardy

Galatoire's to open next week The long-awaited Galatoire's Bistro in the Acadian Village development has scheduled its grand opening for Tuesday and will begin regular dinner service the next evening. A media tour is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, followed by a cocktail party–style celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. The event, which will be held inside the new restaurant and outside under tents, will feature complimentary hors d'oeuvres and music from a New Orleans jazz band. "We are working like mad to have it ready," says owner John Georges, who was in town today in preparation for next week's opening. "We got our liquor license approved yesterday, and we are expecting to get the occupancy permits tomorrow." The new Galatoire's, which resembles in design and décor the century-old French Quarter establishment, was originally scheduled to be open in time for the holidays, but ran behind because of routine construction delays. Though the bistro begins dinner service next Wednesday, it will not be open for lunch until Friday, Jan. 18. —Stephanie Riegel Businessreport.com

Anselmo Lane subdivision to break ground before spring Construction on the Myrtle Bluff subdivision, a 42-lot development off Anselmo Lane, will begin in February or March, says developer Brian Dantin. While the first phase will be built about 500 yards from Perkins Road and viewable from the main corridor, the subdivision won't be accessible from the four-lane road. Dantin Bruce Companies will develop the 16-acre tract between Myrtle Grove Drive and Madeira Drive. The average lot size will measure 0.16 acre. Dantin says the price range for the new homes will be a little more than $200,000, adding that the Baton Rouge market is usually more expensive for new homes because of the dearth of property available for development. "It's hard to find land that's able to be developed for that market," Dantin says. —Adam Pearson Businessreport.com

LSU's Nicholson Drive redevelopment plan includes housing, office and retail A proposed master plan for a $140 million to $200 million redevelopment of LSU's married student housing and the old Alex Box Stadium site has been submitted to the LSU Board of Supervisors for possible inclusion on the Feb. 1 agenda. If the plan is approved, LSU will have to decide whether to develop and manage the project itself or partner with a private developer or foundation. "We know it has great potential for a public-private partnership," says Steve Waller, director of LSU's Department of Residential Life. While the details could change, about 1,200 housing units are envisioned, mostly for students, although 89 units could be offered at market rates to LSU faculty and staff. The master plan also includes about 130,000 square feet of retail and about 110,000 square feet of offices. "We're looking at basically a mixed-use center that would be pretty much on top of the old Alex Box site that would have retail on the first floor with a plaza, and then housing above," Waller says. —David Jacobs Read the full story here. Businessreport.com Cook: Fairfield housing closes deal on Burbank site Fairfield LSU Exchange LLC, a subsidiary of Fairfield Development, purchased a 122-acre site near the corner of Ben Hur Road and Burbank Drive for construction of a 900-unit student apartment project. According to Andy Batson with Beau Box Commercial Real Estate, the sale closed on Dec. 21 for $1.5 million. A large portion of the tract is wetlands. According to Batson, only about 28 acres are useable, and the rest will be reserved for wetlands mitigation and the construction of lakes. The price on the 28 useable acres works out to about $53,500 per acre. The property was sold by AFE-PAT, a Louisiana-based LLC represented by Kirk A. Patrick. AFE-PAT actually owned the entire corner of Burbank Drive and Ben Hur Road but retained a 2-acre parcel on the hard corner. Fairfield has already received approval for a Planned Unit Development, which will include the 900 aforementioned student apartments. Businessreport.com

Brightside Lane development could break ground in spring Construction on Myrtle Grove Townhomes, a 24-unit development at 3757 Brightside Lane, won't begin for at least another four months, says developer Loret Fremin. She and her husband, Francis Fremin, are next set to meet with the city-parish Department of Public Works to go over street-design plans for the development. Myrtle Grove is planned as a gated community on a 2.66-acre tract of land on the south side of Brightside Lane, between the Riverbend subdivision and River Road, but closer to the levee than the adjacent neighborhood. The development will consist of two- and three-bedroom townhomes, Fremin says. It had no design plans or name in October, when Fremin Construction gained approval from the Planning Commission board to rezone the property for development. —Adam Pearson Businessreport.com

Media-focused collaborative workspace planned for downtown B.R. A collaborative workspace for visual media professionals called Creative Bloc is planned to open this summer, encompassing 11,500 square feet at the corner of Main and Eighth streets downtown. The space will also serve as the new Baton Rouge headquarters of Launch Media, a video production firm currently located at Celtic Media Centre. Launch Media also has offices in New Orleans. The company’s executive producer and president, John Jackson, announced the plans this morning. He says Jackson Group Investments, an affiliate of Launch Media, recently acquired the property—formerly home to four retail shops—from Bob Dean. "It’s going to be a complete renovation," Jackson says. "We’re aiming to have it completed and open by the summer." Creative Bloc will have workstations and offices available for lease to established businesses and budding entrepreneurs focused on video, film, photography, graphic arts and app development. Resources provided at the workspace will include a fully equipped video and sound production studio, as well as post-production suites and media server. "We’re hoping to do some small spaces for independent photographers or artists, and also some larger spaces for more established companies," Jackson says. "The number of tenants we’ll end up with will really depend on the demand." —Steve Sanoski Businessreport.com The blues to return to downtown B.R. A new blues bar is slated to open before the end of the month in downtown Baton Rouge. The Blues Room will be on Lafayette Street in the former home of Tabby’s Blues Box and, years before that, the Rathskeller. "Baton Rouge is very well known for having a lot of young musicians, particularly blues musicians," says owner Billy Stevens. "It’s going to give them a venue to play, and those guys will play inexpensively. … I think downtown is the perfect place for that. It’s kind of an eclectic crowd already." Stevens is also hoping to host some of the area’s internationally known veteran blues artists. Stevens is shooting for a Jan. 25 opening and plans for the bar to be open seven nights a week, with live music as often as possible, and to serve a limited menu of bar food. ­–David Jacobs Businessreport.com

Government St. building eyed as new location for restaurant and bar Gretna bar owner Toni Smith says she plans to open The Fourth Quarter restaurant and bar in the vacant building at 3669 Government St., just east of Acadian Thruway, by the end of February. "It's going to be American: steaks, fries and hamburgers," says Smith, who spoke to Daily Report from the Tee Kay Place in Gretna. While the Baton Rouge building location has been a Chinese eatery in the past—China Palace in 2003 and China Dragon as recently as 2007—it underwent a transformation as a Mid City sports bar and restaurant in recent years. According to city-parish officials, The 50 Yard Line had the building rezoned to accommodate a sports bar in October 2009; the building later became Changes Sports Bar and Restaurant, whose signage still remains on the property. In May 2012 the city-parish received a permit for a remodeling project at the building, which had been damaged by fire. Smith applied for a business permit on Dec. 4 and says she's awaiting approval from the parish Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control and Gaming Enforcement before moving forward. A notice on Smith's intent has been posted on the building by the ABC department. —Adam Pearson Businessreport.com

All Star Automotive buys 3 acres to expand Denham Springs dealership An approximately three-acre tract of land off Interstate 12 in Denham Springs has been purchased by All Star Automotive Group, which plans to use the land to expand its neighboring Dodge and Ford dealerships. "We just finished an over $1 million remodeling of the Dodge dealership; we're also going to remodel the Ford dealership, and we need additional parking for vehicle sales," says Dennis Carlin, All Star Automotive chief operating officer. Carlin says the auto group hopes to have the additional 270 spaces completed by the end of the year. The land sold for approximately $500,000, or $3.83 per square foot, according to Mark Hebert of Kurz & Hebert Commercial Real Estate, who represented the dealership in the sale. Doug Ferris of Re/Max First Commercial represented the seller, Jack Barilleau. Hebert says Barilleau had owned the land since 1978 and at one time had been asking as much as $900,000 for it. "It's been on the market for a number of years, but at a price that was too prohibitive," Hebert says. "Unless you're the end user, it's really hard to justify the high prices for some of these properties that front the interstate. For All Star, this was a natural fit. This was truly the best use for this property." —Steve Sanoski Businessreport.com

Bowling center opens in Ascension; movie theater on the way Ascension Parish's first bowling alley, Premier Lanes Entertainment Center, opened for business Sunday to packed crowds. "It was like Disney," says Charlene Ourso, a marketing manager for Malco Bowling Division. "We had lines out to the door. We had waiting lists." Home to more than two dozen lanes, the complex on Airline Highway in Gonzales also includes an arcade, a café and lounge, and eventually, if everything goes according to plan, a movie theater. The company plans to break ground on the theater by fall 2013, with an opening possible before the end of the year. No decision has been made on the number of movie screens that may be included. Malco, which is based in Memphis, owns other bowling alleys, including Circle Bowl and Metro Bowl in Baton Rouge, and more than 300 theaters. But the Ascension Parish complex could be the first of Malco's to have both a bowling alley and movie theater, Ourso says. —David Jacobs Businessreport.com

Velvet Cactus deal signed following resolution of site troubles Nearly five months after signing a purchase agreement, two New Orleans restaurateurs have closed on their $900,000 deal to acquire the vacant building on Old Hammond Highway that formerly housed the renowned Chalet Brandt gourmet restaurant and, more recently, Another Broken Egg Café. That clears the way for Herb Dyer and Rusty White—owners of The Bulldog bars on Perkins Road and in New Orleans—to redevelop the property and build on it a new 4,000-square-foot restaurant called The Velvet Cactus. "The property is going to be totally redeveloped because the building is functionally obsolete," says Mark Hebert of Kurz & Hebert Commercial Real Estate, who represented Dyer and White. "The kitchen is outdated, and everything about it is inappropriate for a restaurant today." Negotiations over the transaction stalled earlier this year because of a cell phone tower on the site that would have impeded the redevelopment. Hebert says the lot was subdivided so the tower is no longer on the property. Slated to be completed in 2013, this will be the second Velvet Cactus location for Dyer and White; they opened one early this year in New Orleans' Lakeview neighborhood. —Stephanie Riegel Businessreport.com

^ Id say anything from Essen to Bluebonnet between Picardy and the R R tracks should be dense residential/office. Closer to bluebonnet should be where the future train station will be. Id like to see more medical offices an towers built along the empty parking lots around OLOL and the open undeveloped land along I-10 between Essen and Bluebonnet.

Baton Rouge General plans for spring 2014 opening of Physician Tower Baton Rouge General recently broke ground on the 115,000-square-foot Physician Tower at its Bluebonnet campus, and says the expansion should be completed in the spring of 2014. Dionne Viator, the hospital's executive vice president and chief business development officer, says the project will bring Baton Rouge General a step closer to achieving its vision of being a fully integrated "campus community." "We recently anticipated a need for expanded surgical capabilities equipped with state-of-the-art technology, and with the guidance of our physicians we have successfully completed these enhancements," she says, noting the recent opening of a new four-room operating suite featuring hybrid heart surgery technology and minimally invasive robotics. "In turn, due to increased demand, we are constructing the new Physician Tower to house outpatient and clinic space for our patients' and physicians' convenience." The new tower is being built on 80 undeveloped acres of the 150-acre Bluebonnet campus. The expansion, first announced in September 2011, is expected to cost around $40 million. WHLC Architecture designed the tower, and Milton J. Womack is the general contractor. Baton Rouge General has more details on the project, as well as renderings and floorplans, here —Steve Sanoski Businessreport.com

Construction on Sportsman's Plaza in Gonzales expected to start in spring Sportsman's Plaza, a 10,800-square-foot retail strip center on Cabela's Parkway in Gonzales—situated near both the Cabela's outdoors store and the Tanger Outlets—should break ground in the spring. Steve Legendre with Beau Box Commercial Real Estate, who's marketing the property for its developer, says a deal to secure the land should be completed in early January, with construction to begin in March or April. "We have about 5,000 square feet pre-leased to a Chinese restaurant, and we've been speaking to a number of local and regional companies who have expressed interest," Legendre says. The development, which will be built on a 58,000-square-foot site, could house up to as many three other tenants, he says, or as few as one more. "I'd love to get a barbecue place in there. I've spoken with Voodoo BBQ and some others; and they've considered the site," Legendre says. "It's a little too early to say who might end up in there, but I think once we start getting it out of the ground we'll lease it up pretty quickly." He says the developer, CSD Developments LLC, is hoping to have the project finished by December of next year. Check out a rendering of the retail center here. —Steve Sanoski Businessreport.com

B.R. startup lays out plans to grow, create 52 jobs LocalMed, a software development firm that got its start in the Louisiana Business & Technology Center's LSU Student Incubator, announced a new venture today that LED says will create an estimated 52 jobs locally. The jobs will come in support of LocalMed's developing online and mobile technology platform that enables doctors, dentists and patients to schedule, manage and schedule reminders about their appointments 24 hours a day. By the end of the year, LocalMed will employ 12 people at its Sherwood Forest Boulevard office. The company will add another 10 to 15 employees in information technology, marketing, sales, customer service and operations during 2013, with employment ramping up to 38 by 2015 and 52 the following year. The jobs will pay an average annual salary of $52,000, plus benefits, says LED, which also estimates the new venture will create 53 indirect jobs. LED is assisting LocalMed's growth with workforce training via its FastStart program. LocalMed was devised by twin brothers Daniel and Derek Gilbert. They say they anticipate announcing more strategic partnerships in the health care industry in early 2013, when iTunes and Android apps for the company will debut. LED has more details on today's announcement at its website here. Businessreport.com

'Real Estate Weekly': Out of foreclosure, office park on Coursey gets new life A pair of 3,000-square-foot office buildings nearing completion on Coursey Boulevard, adjacent to The Chimes East, will be the first of 14 buildings planned to compose the Coursey Place Office Park. The project is getting new life after having been shelved in 2010, when the original developer lost the property in a foreclosure, says Chris Pike of Mike Falgoust & Associates. Destiny Interests picked up the property about six months ago, and shortly thereafter began speculatively putting up the first two buildings. "To me, this is a real example of consumer confidence coming back," says Pike, who is representing the property along with Ty Harvison of NAI/Latter & Blum. "It's been several years since we've seen any speculative building. Lending is still very tight, and I think there are only a handful of developers in town that could do this. So to see someone step up and take a calculated risk, I think that's a very positive sign." Stein Engineers, which is currently based in Central, recently committed to be the project's first tenant and will relocate its headquarters to a 1,500-square-foot space in the park on Jan. 1, Pike says. Read the full story and see a rendering of one of the office park's buildings, as well as an aerial map of the layout, in the new Real Estate Weekly e-newsletter here. —Steve Sanoski Businessreport.com

VooDoo BBQ opening a Perkins Rowe location In a move to establish the New Orleans-based barbecue chain's third restaurant in Baton Rouge, VooDoo BBQ & Grill has signed a deal to open a location in Perkins Rowe. Company executives say Brad Smith and Joe Scardino, who own the Drusilla Lane location, will open the Perkins Rowe restaurant in a space next to the Cinemark movie theater. "We expect we'll do really well," says Scardino, adding that they're aiming to open the chain's new location at the end of February. "People who want to eat before the movie or right after will be able to walk right out of the theater and right into our VooDoo." The Perkins Rowe restaurant will be Voodoo's 12th location in Louisiana. The chain has also expanded in recent years to Florida and South Carolina. "We've been aggressively expanding in other states this year, but this is a great move to shore up our solid foundation in our home state," says VooDoo BBQ CEO Tony Avila. Along with its Baton Rouge restaurants, VooDoo has other Capital Region locations in Denham Springs and Zachary. Businessreport.com

DDD: Downtown B.R. landed 17 new businesses in 2012 The Downtown Development District says 17 new businesses opened or—as in the case of a new pharmacy planned for the 300 block of Third Street—announced plans to open in 2012. The DDD also counts 23 development projects that made progress during the year, including the River Center expansion and the new residential development at 438 Main Street. DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer provided a year-end review of the various projects at the DDD Commission meeting today. You can see a report of the 2012 progress downtown here. Also discussed at today's meeting: —John Smith of the Downtown Business Association says some business owners are discussing with the city the possibility of a New Year's Eve fireworks display; Smith expects to know if it will happen in the next few days. —HNTB will begin in January working on the next planning stage for a possible rail connection between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, CPEX President/CEO Elizabeth "Boo" Thomas says. —A new mural by the BR Walls Project will be unveiled at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the opening of the new Convention Street Park. —The Crest, the new downtown stage canopy, should be assembled by mid-January, weather permitting, while the Repentance Park improvements could be complete by the end of this month. —David Jacobs Businessreport.com

Im guessing by then hopefully 1,000,000+ and growing...

Gated, affordable-housing development planned north of airport A 177-unit, mixed-use development is being proposed for the north side of Blount Road on 20.5 acres just north of the Baton Rouge Metro Airport. The development calls for 77 townhomes and 100 single-family homes—50 of which will be three-bedroom, and the rest of which will be four-bedroom. "We just thought it was a golden opportunity to do an affordable development in that area," says developer Brian LaFleur, noting the proposed LaFleur Oaks will be a gated community with green space, ponds and water fountain features. A request to rezone the property from residential neighborhood to planned-unit development will go before the Planning Commission on Monday. If the property rezoning passes, LaFleur says construction could begin in about four months, pending the approval of bonds and tax credits for which he has applied. The Planning Commission meets at 5 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall, 222 St. Louis St. You can check out the complete agenda here. —Adam Pearson Businessreport.com

With lending tight for condos, developer turns to townhomes The Cottages at Southfork were designed five years ago to comprise more than 100 condominiums on Southfork Avenue, off South Sherwood Forest Boulevard. Since then, developer Nick FaKouri has built 40 condos and sold 37. FaKouri, president of Tower Capital Corp., still wants to build 67 more units. To do that, he has devised a new strategy: Build townhomes rather than condominiums, "which makes them easier to finance," FaKouri says. "It's all about getting easier financing to homeowners." When the recession hit, home lending tightened up. But it got especially tight, FaKouri says, for condos. That's because condo buyers own only a percentage of the ground under their home and surrounding commons area. If 100 condos had been built and sold at The Cottages, then each buyer would own 1% of the grounds. "You go into a whole other category with condo financing," FaKouri says. On Monday, FaKouri will go before the city-parish Planning Commission and ask to change the zoning of The Cottages from high-density residential to single-family townhouse. If approved, FaKouri will build townhomes each measuring 1,250 square feet—in contrast to the condo range of 1,300 to 1,500 square feet—with one garage rather than two. Like the condos, the townhomes will be two-bedroom, two-bathroom units and will stay within the price range of $125 to $135 per square foot. "The whole key is to getting the dirt under your home," FaKouri says. For more plans on the development, visit its website here. —Adam Pearson Businessreport.com

Capital Area Pathways Project to begin construction in January With the completion of a 7.4-mile pathway loop for walking and biking in Baton Rouge, the city could take a step toward one of the visions laid out at the recent 2012 Smart Growth Summit and another step away from the fossilized, car-centric mindset it has clung to for decades. This morning BREC unveiled the first 2.2-mile section of the loop—called the Capital Area Pathways Project—behind the Mall of Louisiana, which will break ground in January and could be completed as early as next summer. It begins at Siegen Lane, near St. George Catholic Church and School, and passes near Richard Carmouche's urban mixed-use development, The Grove, as it ties in with Wards Creek and runs to Bluebonnet Boulevard. "Exactly how it will grow, I don't know," says Ted Jack, an assistant superintendent at BREC. It won't be until 2014 that BREC will consider allocating some of its strategic funding for another leg—or legs—of the pathway. "We'll keep partnering with people to get it done," says Jack, noting the considerable donations to the first leg made by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, Carmouche, the Mall of Louisiana and many others. —Adam Pearson Read the full story here. Businessreport.com

City-parish signs agreement to buy former Woman's Hospital site for $10M The city-parish has signed an agreement to purchase the former Woman's Hospital campus at Airline Highway and Goodwood Boulevard for $10 million, city-parish and hospital officials announced this afternoon. If and when the deal is finalized, the facility will be renovated into a new Public Safety Complex that will also serve as a new headquarters for the Baton Rouge Police Department. The sale of the 24-acre campus would include the hospital building, medical office building, support services building, materials management building, parking garage and all surface parking. In a statement, Mayor Kip Holden says the deal for the property, which had been listed for $19 million, is almost too good to pass up. "Preliminary estimates are that it could cost as much to convert the hospital to office space that can be used by the police department," Holden says, noting the facility would not house any prisoners. "But even if we spend a total of $20 million, that's a fraction of the cost of constructing a new headquarters facility." The existing police headquarters on Mayflower Street was constructed as a school in the 1930s, the city-parish says, and it was supposed to serve as a temporary headquarters when the Police Department moved there in 1989. The purchase proposal will be introduced on the Metro Council agenda Wednesday and will be taken up for consideration in January. Businessreport.com

N.O. Mexican restaurant working on property deal to open B.R. location The Velvet Cactus of New Orleans' Lakeview area has had to navigate a rough patch of real estate negotiations as it attempts to build a restaurant in Baton Rouge. A servitude agreement that cell phone tower company Crown Castle has had with the owners of the former Chalet Brandt restaurant building at 7655 Old Hammond Highway has been the sticking point since developers announced in early August their plans to build a high-end Mexican restaurant on the site, says an agent representing the sale. But after nearly dying in November, an agreement has been reshaped over the past few weeks and could be forged before the end of the year. "We have somehow kept this thing alive," says Mark Hebert of Kurz & Hebert Commercial Real Estate. The Velvet Cactus owners and operators Herb Dyer and Rusty White—who also own and operate The Bulldog bars on Perkins Road and in New Orleans—had signed a $900,000 purchase agreement to tear down the building on-site and build a new one measuring up to 4,500 square feet, including a patio. But Crown Castle leveraged its servitude agreement to delay a closing on the deal, says Hebert, without going into specifics. However, the real estate agent is now confident Crown Castle is at ease about tower access; and the site, which also housed Another Broken Egg Café and Mandina's restaurants, will be home to The Velvet Cactus next year. "We won't ever have to deal with this again," Hebert says. —Adam Pearson Businessreport.com New Orleans Original Daiquiris finally breaking into Baton Rouge New Orleans Original Daiquiris, a Metairie-based company with more than 50 daiquiri shops around the country, is moving into Baton Rouge in early 2013, after years of intentionally overlooking the local market. "We stayed out of Baton Rouge because for a long time we perceived the zoning laws were not favorable to our use," says Joe Pando, executive vice president and chief operating officer. "But we really let that market slip completely." The company is making up for lost time. The first local New Orleans Original Daiquiris shop will open this spring in the Siegen Place Shopping Center, which is currently under construction on Siegen Lane near Industriplex Boulevard. "We hope it will be the first of several in the market," says Pando. "We have a lot of brand fans in Baton Rouge, and people have been begging us forever to open there." With signature flavors like Crawgator, Blue Bayou and Mardi Gras Mash, New Orleans Original Daiquiris—which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2013—is one of the largest daiquiri shop chains in the country. It currently has 36 Louisiana locations, most of which are company owned, as well as 20 out-of-state stores, which are operated under the Fat Tuesday brand name. New Orleans Original Daiquiris will join national retailers Mattress First and Batteries Plus in the new shopping center, which is about 70% leased, according to developer Kevin Nguyen. —Stephanie Riegel Businessreport.com

'We are so close' to signing more retailers, says Juban Crossing developer The long-delayed Juban Crossing development—which originally hoped to be nearing completion on the first phase of the project by now, having broken ground in February 2011—is still progressing, a spokeswoman for developer Creekstone Companies says. Rebecca Rainier also says the project, which is now aiming for completion of the first phase next year, did not suffer a major setback in June when Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed Senate Bill 673 in June for creation of the Juban Crossing Economic Development District. State Sen. Dale Erdey, R-Livingston, agrees. However, Erdey notes the development district would have been allowed to keep 1% of state sales tax revenues generated there for "horizontal infrastructure"—roads, underground utilities, drainage, sewerage—for a maximum $45 million. He says development plans could change somewhat for the 470-acre site, which is slated to include stores, hotels, 500 homes, two apartment sites, restaurants and a theater. "It just may not be as grand as we had anticipated," Erdey says. When Creekstone Companies broke ground on Juban Crossing nearly two years ago, it announced Kohl's department store would join the development as the first committed retailer. No other retailer has been confirmed since, but Rainier says Creekstone is negotiating with "more than a dozen" retailers, including Kohl's, to join the development. She says hang-ups have occurred, however, primarily regarding who will open in the first or second phase. "We are so close," Rainier says. —Adam Pearson Read full story here. Businessreport.com