timelordnerd

ST. GEORGE FIRE APPOINTMENTS CAUGHT UP IN INCORPORATION DEBATE from the Advocate: "The Metro Council was split Wednesday night over who should serve on the St. George Fire Commission, a board that has landed in the crosshairs of the debate about the proposed St. George incorporation. Three of the five St. George fire commissioners’ terms had expired, and had requested reappointment. On Wednesday, the Metro Council narrowly — and only after repeated votes — reappointed two of the commissioners, Gary Durham and Johnny Suchy. The council deadlocked on the third reappointment, David Carnes. The council will vote on him again at its next meeting. The appointments, which are ordinarily fairly routine, first appeared before the council in January. At that time, council members John Delgado, C. Denise Marcelle and Donna Collins-Lewis each nominated a challenger to the commissioners from the floor. Delgado later admitted he’d orchestrated the attempt to oust the sitting commissioners because he believed the St. George Fire Department had improperly allowed its facilities to be used for campaign purposes related to the incorporation effort. More than a dozen St. George firefighters, including Chief Gerard Tarleton, attended Wednesday’s meeting in uniform to show their solidarity and support of the sitting commissioners. Dustin Yates, a firefighter and one of the three co-chairmen for the St. George incorporation, said he was disappointed Delgado had politicized the agency. “As a public safety agency, we hate being drug into the political battle,” Yates said. “We probably protect 100,000 people every day and something like this takes our focus away from what we’re meant to be doing when we’re brought into the political arena.” Delgado said after the meeting it was the St. George Fire District that initially waded into the debate. “The fact is politics is already dragged into this argument by people like Mr. Carnes when he goes out publicly speaking in favor of St. George, something I think is divisive and destructive for this parish,” Delgado said. “So I’m certainly not going to support his reappointment.” The sitting commissioners were pitted against four other nominees: Brad Detruch, Bradley Ricks, John Scott and Connie Bernard, an East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member whom Delgado nominated at Wednesday’s meeting. Bernard came close to receiving the appointment over Suchy, with votes from Delgado, Chauna Banks-Daniel, Ronnie Edwards, Collins-Lewis and C. Denise Marcelle. These council members have the largest constituencies inside the city of Baton Rouge. But ultimately, Marcelle ended up voting for Suchy in a subsequent vote that gave him the majority. Trae Welch, Scott Wilson, Chandler Loupe, Buddy Amoroso, Joel Boé and Ryan Heck also voted for Suchy. These council members, save Marcelle, have the largest constituencies representing unincorporated parts of the parish. Tara Wicker was not present for the meeting. Tarleton has said the Fire Department is not taking a position on the proposed city of St. George, and is actively denying requests for the facilities to be used for meetings and petition sites. He said some informational meetings were held at the station early on. Delgado has noted that on Sept. 23, a petition drive was held at the firefighter union’s building, next to the fire station and is owned by St. George Fire Department."

God, I wish this was BR. Great Job Austin!

Is this what BR used to be or look like? If so, how did we go from that to what we have now?

Big, Big, Big buildings I hope. Could you imagine a Chicago like skyline for BR, I'm dying right now! (Edit I made)

Maybe a bit more brick and more traditional (I think Art-Deco/traditional is BR's style) would really work and fit in with the surroundings more.

I agree, if we grow too fast and have too many things spread out, it will be a disaster. Maybe a small shopping square/celebration like Perkins Rowe would work, but not the way River Park is going. Even then I think the developments along Nicholson would be more popular than River Park which in that case would become River Cortana.

It can, especially in such a conservative state (which certainly has large advantages). With the announcement of the new Creative Block, I think Downtown BR will definitely become a pop-culture/tech-culture hub for the state.

FINALLY!!!! It's about time we had one of these.

I agree, I still think though the government should work with private companies to create key catalysts along government street. It worked in Austin and now those streets are leading a cultural revolution in the city. I could see the same in BR.

Haha, your welcome. It's time for BR to recognize it's growing influence in the American South. It's not just small cities watching us now, but major cities too,

Why did you want to know?

By government influence something like a light rail mixed use center could be built and sold to private companies to spark growth. Maybe three big catalyst projects on the street, whether it's the station or the road itself.

Well if we host the Pan Ams then now is the time to do it. You would have tourist for the games who discover these 'gems'. From what I know the plan is to expand Desoto Park and make it a real BR park, ALIVE would be an additional attraction. Not at this moment (as in 4:57 PM) But yes I attend CHS here in BR.

It becomes private, but a few places are built up to sell and serve as catalyst.

I wish someone could fund the original project, that visual reminds me of the pre-recession years. The optimism and clean edges, very Shaw Center like.

Thinking about Government, what if the city bought up a bunch of property there , built mid rise blocks, and then sold them out to tenants...Ala Austin. I think it could speed up redevelopment there and maybe add some density to the mid-city skyline.

That levee site should have four flag poles instead of the lights: American, Louisianian, French, and Spanish flags, add some heritage downtown.

With all of the development happening here, I believe it deserves it's own thread. PROJECTS: Water Campus, Completion 2017: RIVER DISTRICT, Completion 2020: NICHOLSON GATEWAY, Completion ?? Post anymore news related to these projects or other projects on the Nicholson Drive Corridor here.

One of my teachers is good friends with some high up people in the DDD; can't say too much. All I know is that with the recent development, and the projects yet to be announced, the Mayor is hopeful he can launch it again with more success. Apparently it will tie in with the redevelopment of Desoto Park, the plan is to keep a Sydney Opera House like feel. Would not be surprised if they just updated this: Still think that this really would have been great for BR, a real game changer. Seems like we have so many of those now, BR truly is ALIVE.

Proximity to Water Campus is something like this:

PLANS FOR RIVER DISTRICT REVEALED: http://theadvocate.com/home/8214042-125/river-district-seen-as-nicholson http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=152976&page=10 " Plans for the River District, a mixed-use project of residential units, office buildings and retail space that will be developed along Nicholson Drive between LSU and downtown were presented yesterday (January 27th, 2014). The project, as proposed, will be developed on 34.8 acres on both sides of Nicholson. Plans have been in the works for six years but were stalled by the national recession. Plans for the development include: 1,800 residential units—both condos and apartments—a 220-room hotel, 100,000 square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet of commercial space, including a 40,000-square-foot neighborhood grocery store or drugstore. note* the development is adjacent to and immediately south of the recently announced Water Institute of the Gulf (Water Campus)" I am beyond excited at this point, On another note I'm hearing rumors that Audubon Alive is Alive again. I'm ready for the BR Opera House!

"And now we've come so far..."

Wish they went for a more Baton Rouge High like building. It would have added some much needed architectural variety downtown. When building overly modern buildings like this you have an outdated building in 20 years. Just like what happened to the old one...

I have some Downtown New Library visuals, they are the ones that came out in July. Before I post them has anyone else done so already?

I agree; I think a larger park is needed for the Downtown area especially if developers have plans to turn the Downtown into a commercial and residential area of the city. For me there is a strange Burnham feel to having a park on the river. As for the transit plan I think that the main station should be Downtown rather then where the original designer placed it. That part of the city seems isolated to me. I would say that a Downtown station, LSU station, and one by the Mall of Louisiana could do it with additional stops in key areas.