Baton Rouge Growth and Development

[Mr. Burnham]

It's coming. You should have seen the place 5 years ago. It was dead.

I don't think we need to go the San Francisco route yet.

Baton Rouge has one of the worst sprawls and comes close to cities double it's size. To me that's really bad, the city council should start doing something more then FutureBR to fix this problem. 

 

Courage?? They aren't afraid. They just don't find it convenient.

Good point. That's another thing the city needs to work on...but I guess that starts with fixing education. A problem local city leaders are adamant about not fixing. 

[burnz34]

Cool!

[dan326]

"Three new RaceTrac convenience stores in the works Although the new RaceTrac planned for 5015 Florida Blvd., between North Foster Drive and Melrose Boulevard, is the company's first planned "RT6K" convenience store model for Baton Rouge, it won't be the last. RaceTrac will begin construction in the next few weeks on another new model convenience store—a 6,000-square-foot prototype it began introducing in 2012—at 10480 Burbank Drive, on the corner of Bluebonnet Boulevard, says RaceTrac Communications Manager Ashleigh Collins. The Atlanta-based company is also under contract to purchase property at the corner of Bluebonnet Boulevard and Jefferson Highway for a third RT6K prototype store. The construction timeline for the Jefferson Highway location won't be clear until the land purchase is finalized, Collins says. While RaceTrac has already purchased the land for the Florida Boulevard location, it won't begin construction until early 2015, she says, after Digital Press & Graphics—previous owner and current occupant of the space—relocates. Altogether, the three new RaceTrac locations will bring about 60 new jobs to Baton Rouge, Collins says. As Daily Report previously detailed, all new store models will feature RaceTrac's own frozen yogurt bar, called Swirl World, as well as an expansive coffee bar and a variety of fresh food options. Other new amenities include indoor and outdoor seating and free WiFi." businessreport.com

[cajun]

Baton Rouge has one of the worst sprawls and comes close to cities double it's size. To me that's really bad, the city council should start doing something more then FutureBR to fix this problem.

That's a product of thousands of people making independent decisions to move to the suburbs to get what they can't find in the city. Private capital is mobile and it can move around with relative ease. It's only moving to the suburbs for good public services (particularly schools), low taxes, and affordable housing. The second that leaders in Baton Rouge (and many other cities) learn that lesson and start competing for those residents, the suburbs are screwed.

Sprawl is not the disease. It's merely a symptom.

[Mr. Burnham]

That's a product of thousands of people making independent decisions to move to the suburbs to get what they can't find in the city. Private capital is mobile and it can move around with relative ease. It's only moving to the suburbs for good public services (particularly schools), low taxes, and affordable housing. The second that leaders in Baton Rouge (and many other cities) learn that lesson and start competing for those residents, the suburbs are screwed.

Sprawl is not the disease. It's merely a symptom.

I guess Baton Rouge just has a major problem when it comes to learning things and education. 

[itsjustme3]

I guess Baton Rouge just has a major problem when it comes to learning things and education.

No different than most other urban cities

[Mr. Burnham]

http://theadvocate.com/news/9931459-123/grant-to-bring-more-cancer

 

Not big but still showcases the steadily growing SBR Medical District. 

 

Speaking of which, has anyone been down there lately? I went a week ago and the sign on Jacobs Plaza is missing. Does anyone here know why?

[richyb83]

Just think what this entire complex(office & production facility) would look like on one city block...like the old location downtown. Are they going to call this the St. George Advocate?

 

The Advocate to build new Baton Rouge headquarters

 

The Advocate will build a new corporate headquarters in Baton Rouge from which to manage its growing portfolio of newspapers and websites across south Louisiana.

 

The building will be on a now-vacant lot fronting the paper’s production plant on Rieger Road at Siegen Lane, near Interstate 10.

 

The three-story, 48,500- square-foot building will house the newsroom of the Baton Rouge Advocate, as well as the business offices for all three of The Advocate’s daily papers and its growing number of weekly papers.

 

“We hope the building will be seen as an iconic landmark along I-10,” said Publisher John Georges, who, with his wife, Dathel, bought the paper in 2013 and quickly started fully local editions of The Advocate in New Orleans and Acadiana. “Dathel and I are pleased to increase our investment here in Baton Rouge as well as other places in Louisiana where we do business.”

 

The building will feature a façade that will be lighted in a variety of colors, from Advocate red to purple and gold on LSU game days. It will have a large digital display that will post the latest news, and the newsroom will have a webcast studio

*rest of article

http://theadvocate.com/home/10091316-123/the-advocate-to-build-new

Edited August 27, 2014 by richyb83

[Mr. Burnham]

Just think what this entire complex(office & production facility) would look like on one city block...like the old location downtown. Are they going to call this the St. George Advocate?

 

The Advocate to build new Baton Rouge headquarters

 

The Advocate will build a new corporate headquarters in Baton Rouge from which to manage its growing portfolio of newspapers and websites across south Louisiana.

 

The building will be on a now-vacant lot fronting the paper’s production plant on Rieger Road at Siegen Lane, near Interstate 10.

 

The three-story, 48,500- square-foot building will house the newsroom of the Baton Rouge Advocate, as well as the business offices for all three of The Advocate’s daily papers and its growing number of weekly papers.

 

“We hope the building will be seen as an iconic landmark along I-10,” said Publisher John Georges, who, with his wife, Dathel, bought the paper in 2013 and quickly started fully local editions of The Advocate in New Orleans and Acadiana. “Dathel and I are pleased to increase our investment here in Baton Rouge as well as other places in Louisiana where we do business.”

 

The building will feature a façade that will be lighted in a variety of colors, from Advocate red to purple and gold on LSU game days. It will have a large digital display that will post the latest news, and the newsroom will have a webcast studio

*rest of article

http://theadvocate.com/home/10091316-123/the-advocate-to-build-new

Looks and sounds rather small...not sure how they expect a three story building to be quote "an iconic landmark along I-10", especially when the design is so plain. Not to mention the fact it is only three stories. 

[Mr. Burnham]

Just think what this entire complex(office & production facility) would look like on one city block...like the old location downtown. Are they going to call this the St. George Advocate?

Given their planned and recent growth I'm expecting them to become The Louisiana Advocate.

[itsjustme3]

Given their planned and recent growth I'm expecting them to become The Louisiana Advocate.

The quality of the paper has gone down. Not to mention its a dying form of communication.

[garrett_225]

Looks and sounds rather small...not sure how they expect a three story building to be quote "an iconic landmark along I-10", especially when the design is so plain. Not to mention the fact it is only three stories. 

 

Probably something to do with the illumination plans they discuss in the article. 

[cajun]

The quality of the paper has gone down. Not to mention its a dying form of communication.

I have to agree with that. The Advocate was turning into a joke years ago.

Their absence from downtown has opened up space for new tenants as the economy is finally starting to improve, and their new building will probably be cool looking when completed.

I'm not at all worried about it. Downtown will be fine.

Edited September 3, 2014 by cajun

[all2neat]

I went to the mall of louisiana this weekend and noticed a red Robin was being built behind BJ's.

[Mr. Burnham]

I went to the mall of louisiana this weekend and noticed a red Robin was being built behind BJ's.

Oh I love Red Robins. That explains why there have been a ton of Red Robin commercials recently.

[dan326]

Yeah,  I think that might have been in a businessreport article. 

[richyb83]

The District on Perkins Road

Units along the road side next to the powerlines

[Mr. Burnham]

I passed by this a few days ago. Richy, do you have more information on this?

[itsjustme3]

There's a website

[Mr. Burnham]

There's a website

I can not find one. 

[itsjustme3]

www.thedistrict-apartments.com

[Antrell Williams]

With IBM, Matherne's, the new Courtyard by Marriott announcement, along with the Old State Office building announcement, I think it's time we will begin to see significant retail investment in the form of shops and boutiques. I think it's important outside of just nightlife so that downtown becomes a destination for families during the days rather than just adults around midnight.

Also the LASM and Louisiana State (Or Capitol Park) Museum I believe could play a big role. One thing I wouldn't mind seeing is a re-purposing of the LASM building into something more friendly to pedestrians and it's prime location on the riverfront. It's return to a train station would be ideal in my opinion.

 

Any thoughts?

[richyb83]

Yeah Antrell...Nice post....something other than the alcoholic nightlife to attract  people downtown...not just seeing all of the activity on Saturday Night...but also Saturday afternoon. And the "Union" type building Mr Bernham spoke of might also work(or something like that) at the LASM. They are supposed to add a plaza on the north-end adding to that  entire area known as BR's "Living Room" ...

 

LASM/Repentance Park(reconfigured green space); Galvez Plaza; Shaw Center for the Arts(block); North Blvd Town Square has become an emerging cultural district...part of the Living Room

 

Hopefully more retail follows after the critical mass of residential development continues...

Edited October 14, 2014 by richyb83

[Mr. Burnham]

I'm hoping for more museums. I would love to see a new African American History Museum downtown or maybe one that just focused on Slavery (like that newly opened plantation), It would also be nice to see the USS Kidd Museum be consolidated and become part of a larger Louisiana Military History Museum. I think museums are just really great things in cities. 

 

The next thing I would like to see would be the creation of more retail spaces to fill in the blocks. On block I'm dying to see finished in the one that the Hampton sits on. Apparently there are/were plans to add more shop/restaurant space and a new theater that would fall on the Third Street side. Personally I think this should go forward to really complete that block and finish up Third Street. 

 

I think that having the LASM turn into a Train Station again is a good idea, but I think it would be hard considering all the money that has already gone into the building and the fact that it is really the only good museum downtown besides the political ones. I feel downtown would loose more rather then gain. 

[garrett_225]

While I agree we need more museums downtown, I definitely wouldn't want to suck demand away from Whitney plantation. Alot of blood, sweat, and tears have gone into that restoration, and if there's something just like it in downtown BR, it'll be one less reason for people to make the trek down river to Whitney. 

 

I hope having Whitney opened will bring more people to the River Road AA History Museum in Donaldsonville, too.