Baton Rouge Growth and Development

[dan326]

On 8/7/2023 at 10:33 AM, cajun said:

I guess "state of the art" doesn't apply to the exterior.   One American Place pioneered that look in Baton Rouge in 1974.  

On the other hand...Kudos to the architects for making something that will blend well with Florida street.  I think the rendering is taken from the perspective of Florida blvd.    The McDonalds is to the right out of the frame.  

Well.... It's nice they're getting something. I don't know if it fits in with BRCC but like Cajun said at least it blends nicely with Florida Blvd.

[cajun]

On 8/9/2023 at 8:32 AM, dan326 said:

Well.... It's nice they're getting something. I don't know if it fits in with BRCC but like Cajun said at least it blends nicely with Florida Blvd.

It looks like a nice, clean building and I've always thought that BRCC should address Florida Blvd a little more.    This is probably the only building we'll see that will do that other than the parking deck.  

Y'all know I'm not a huge fan of the modern style, but in this case it works well.   There are large setbacks like in many other college campuses, so there is more freedom and flexibility with the design.    And there are probably a half dozen or more mid century modern buildings right along Florida in that stretch.   This will actually blend in with those pretty well.    Overall I like what I see. 

You guys notice that the Rouses on Florida Blvd nearby is coming up very quickly.   Unfortunately nothing interesting in that design, and it has it's back to the street corner which is frustrating.    And I know that people will try to cross Florida to make a left turn out of that shopping center if they don't get the signage right (left turn out of Rouses should use the Ardenwood light).   But glad we are getting a brand new Rouses there nonetheless.     I do think that's a good spot for them and they will do well given that it's a fairly underserved area with a lot of nearby offices and employers to keep their prepared food business going.     

Another spot on Florida Blvd that has potential for chain grocery store (ALDI, Rouses, etc.) and a larger gas station would be the NE corner of Sherwood and Florida.      That place gets a huge amount of traffic, and it has direct access to Florida with the light on Sherwood.    Not a big enough plot for a Wal Mart, but it used to be a Delchamps way back when before that chain completely folded.   That's a way better spot than the old K-Mart building farther down Florida.    It will need to rehab the parking lot and lighting, and the corner outparcel probably should be carefully developed in a way that doesn't break traffic flow too badly.      That could be a very good location for a grocery, gas station, and fast food restaurant.

Edited September 7, 2023 by cajun

[dan326]

Yeah it would have been nice if it was configured differently.

[richyb83]

Political in-fighting at play in controversial development along Highland Road

https://www.wbrz.com/news/political-in-fighting-at-play-in-controversial-development-along-highland-road

A $35 million proposal for a new mixed-use development near the Country Club of Louisiana is raising concerns over potential impacts to traffic and drainage in the area.

But the discussion surrounding the already controversial Aztek Cove development got even muddier Tuesday after a metro council member alleged one of his peers is trying to push through the proposal in his district as a form of political retaliation. 

 

[cajun]

The Newtron Group is asking the Planning Commission next month to approve its plans to build a new office building on Airline Highway, near Baringer Foreman Road. 

Corey Blanchard of Fox-Nesbit Engineering filed the application with the Planning Department, which says the industrial electrical and instrumentation provider plans to remove an existing 5,000 square foot building from the property and build a new 62,216-square-foot office building in its place. The application lists Brian Bordelon, with The Newtron Group, as the property owner. Bordelon was unable to be reached for comment before this morning’s deadline. 

The Newtron Group bought the 9.9-acre tract, tucked off Airline Highway and Castille Road, in 2016 for $2.65 million, with executives at the time saying it was an investment in the group’s future growth. The organization currently maintains its national headquarters out of offices on El Cajon Drive, further down Airline Highway closer to Siegen Lane. The Newtron Group has another four offices in Baton Rouge, which house different departments of the group. 

The Newtron Group was recently named the 14th largest electrical contracting firm in the nation. Founded by Newton B. Thomas in 1973, the company was inducted into Business Report’s Hall of Fame in 2018. It employs about 2,000 from a dozen locations across the nation and was also named a Business Report Company of the Year in 2012.

Newtron Group plans for new office building (businessreport.com)

 

 

That company has clearly outgrown their current diggs off Choctaw, and I suspect the Amazon investment has increased the price of real estate in that immediate area and made it difficult/expensive to build out a big office building and ops center on one plot of land.     They should be congratulated on their success, and I'm very glad they aren't leaving us for Houston or Atlanta.

The land they bought off Airline is quite large and very deep.    It's directly adjacent to the Jaguar dealership.   I hope they have a very pretty office building facing Airline, and that they can fit their current ops on the property + accommodate whatever growth they see over the next couple of decades.    There are a lot of companies with office space out there but more production focused ops behind the office building - including H&E, Premier Equipment Group,  S&B, etc.     That looks  to be exactly what they are planning.

[richyb83]

Yes indeed Cajun!  That's a nice sized building like you said hopefully will look nice in that section down Airline Hwy. Still some spaces available down that corridor.

[richyb83]

See which Baton Rouge developments earned Good Growth Awards

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/see-which-baton-rouge-developments-earned-good-growth-awards/article_e7ceaec0-74de-11ee-939a-0350b2492a19.html

Twelve top developments built locally over the past two years were recognized Thursday night by the Baton Rouge Growth Coalition's Good Growth Awards.

The awards honor developments that are "raising the bar" on development in Baton Rouge, through smart growth principles and finding interesting ways of reusing properties. Twenty developments were nominated for the awards, which are presented every two years.

Award winners were:

 

• The home at 6125 Sevenoaks in Baton Rouge
• The Arts Council of Baton Rouge's Cary Saurage Community Arts Center
• The Dantin Builders home in the Rouzan development
• The Dawson Park Apartments in Baton Rouge
• The East Baton Rouge Council on Aging Administrative Facility/Kitchen and Lotus Village development
• The Louisiana Farm Bureau headquarters
• The Great Hearts Harveston charter school
• The remodeled Jubans restaurant
• Phase 1 of the Materra mixed use development in Baton Rouge
• The improvements to the Raising Cane’s River Center Theatre
• The Rivermark Centre
• The Silo Farm in Rouzan.

 

[cajun]

On 11/22/2023 at 10:22 PM, richyb83 said:

See which Baton Rouge developments earned Good Growth Awards

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/see-which-baton-rouge-developments-earned-good-growth-awards/article_e7ceaec0-74de-11ee-939a-0350b2492a19.html

Twelve top developments built locally over the past two years were recognized Thursday night by the Baton Rouge Growth Coalition's Good Growth Awards.

The awards honor developments that are "raising the bar" on development in Baton Rouge, through smart growth principles and finding interesting ways of reusing properties. Twenty developments were nominated for the awards, which are presented every two years.

Award winners were:

 

• The home at 6125 Sevenoaks in Baton Rouge
• The Arts Council of Baton Rouge's Cary Saurage Community Arts Center
• The Dantin Builders home in the Rouzan development
• The Dawson Park Apartments in Baton Rouge
• The East Baton Rouge Council on Aging Administrative Facility/Kitchen and Lotus Village development
• The Louisiana Farm Bureau headquarters
• The Great Hearts Harveston charter school
• The remodeled Jubans restaurant
• Phase 1 of the Materra mixed use development in Baton Rouge
• The improvements to the Raising Cane’s River Center Theatre
• The Rivermark Centre
• The Silo Farm in Rouzan.

 

What constitutes "good growth"?  

A well connected developer/architect/owner?    A handful of those listed are entire greenfield development - meaning it's not a redevelopment or anything.  

Edited December 4, 2023 by cajun

[richyb83]

Hope everybody had a Merry Christmas! 

The biggest Baton Rouge developments planned for 2024: apartments, Aldi stores, more

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/the-biggest-baton-rouge-developments-planned-for-2024/article_2ebe0fe8-a4db-11ee-aade-97619fc30a25.html

 

[dan326]

On 12/28/2023 at 6:05 PM, richyb83 said:

Hope everybody had a Merry Christmas! 

The biggest Baton Rouge developments planned for 2024: apartments, Aldi stores, more

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/the-biggest-baton-rouge-developments-planned-for-2024/article_2ebe0fe8-a4db-11ee-aade-97619fc30a25.html

 

Thanks! Hope you had a merry one too!

 

I visited the Aldi on Siegen. It's pretty decent and seems to have good prices.

[dan326]

See what new surgery center is being built in Baton Rouge near Jefferson and Stumberg

eCenter is a specialty surgical hospital under construction near the intersection of Jefferson Highway and Stumberg Lane.

The hospital at 6330 Mourning Dove Drive will be a Breast Center of Excellence and offer an array of multispecialty health care services.

Drs. Luke Cusimano III and Taylor Theunissen founded the hospital, along with Dr. Everett Bonner, who will serve as chief medical officer.

ReCenter will feature 10 inpatient rooms and six operating rooms, along with a medical office building that includes an ambulatory surgery center.

 

ReCenter is set to open in February 2025.

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/see-whats-being-built-near-jefferson-and-stumberg/article_c1a0d076-b01a-11ee-8300-df9106eba13e.html

[cajun]

Barnes & Noble coming to Juban Crossing 'sometime in 2024' | Breaking News | livingstonparishnews.com

The exit of Bed, Bath, and Beyond from a local retail space has opened the door for a different kind of company.

Window signage went up recently at the old BBB location announcing the arrival of Barnes & Noble in Juban Crossing with an opening window of '2024.' The announcement was confirmed by Creekstone Properties, the commercial real estate manager of the retail development, although a specific window for opening has not yet been announced.

Barnes and Noble currently has three stores in the Baton Rouge area - the original Red Stick location on Corporate Boulevard, Towne Center, and one on LSU's campus. The new Juban Crossing location would be number four.

Edited January 18 by cajun

[dan326]

Aldi plans to build store near Cortana Amazon site | Business | theadvocate.com

Aldi has plans to build its third grocery store in Baton Rouge. See where.

Aldi has applied for a permit to build a grocery store near the Cortana Amazon fulfillment center, which would be the third Baton Rouge location for the fast-growing chain.

The company applied for a permit to open a store at 9720 Cortana Place, near the intersection of Airline Highway and Florida Boulevard. It’s on the ring road that used to surround Cortana Mall, but now surrounds the massive Amazon fulfillment center, which is set to open later this year.

Heather Moore, a division vice president for Aldi USA, said in an email the Cortana location is expected to open later this year.

Edited January 18 by dan326

[richyb83]

2 hours ago, dan326 said:

Aldi plans to build store near Cortana Amazon site | Business | theadvocate.com

Aldi has plans to build its third grocery store in Baton Rouge. See where.

Aldi has applied for a permit to build a grocery store near the Cortana Amazon fulfillment center, which would be the third Baton Rouge location for the fast-growing chain.

The company applied for a permit to open a store at 9720 Cortana Place, near the intersection of Airline Highway and Florida Boulevard. It’s on the ring road that used to surround Cortana Mall, but now surrounds the massive Amazon fulfillment center, which is set to open later this year.

Heather Moore, a division vice president for Aldi USA, said in an email the Cortana location is expected to open later this year.

Yeah they are popping up all over the place!   Didn't even realize they built a new one down O'Neal Lane!   Need to check it out!

Wonder how the Aldi up in Central is doing in the Shoe Creek Development across from Wal-mart?

 

Thanks Cajun! Was just about to post this in the quiet Livingston Parish thread on the page .  A thriving/ growing area...but disappointed a Houston developer would set it it up like that!

8 hours ago, cajun said:

Barnes & Noble coming to Juban Crossing 'sometime in 2024' | Breaking News | livingstonparishnews.com

The exit of Bed, Bath, and Beyond from a local retail space has opened the door for a different kind of company.

Window signage went up recently at the old BBB location announcing the arrival of Barnes & Noble in Juban Crossing with an opening window of '2024.' The announcement was confirmed by Creekstone Properties, the commercial real estate manager of the retail development, although a specific window for opening has not yet been announced.

Barnes and Noble currently has three stores in the Baton Rouge area - the original Red Stick location on Corporate Boulevard, Towne Center, and one on LSU's campus. The new Juban Crossing location would be number four.

 

 

[cajun]

On 1/18/2024 at 2:25 PM, dan326 said:

Aldi plans to build store near Cortana Amazon site | Business | theadvocate.com

Aldi has plans to build its third grocery store in Baton Rouge. See where.

Aldi has applied for a permit to build a grocery store near the Cortana Amazon fulfillment center, which would be the third Baton Rouge location for the fast-growing chain.

The company applied for a permit to open a store at 9720 Cortana Place, near the intersection of Airline Highway and Florida Boulevard. It’s on the ring road that used to surround Cortana Mall, but now surrounds the massive Amazon fulfillment center, which is set to open later this year.

Heather Moore, a division vice president for Aldi USA, said in an email the Cortana location is expected to open later this year.

Good.   That is a nice spot for them!

Glad they are taking the plunge and we are seeing more development in that area.   Unfortunately I know all of this will mean even more traffic for Airline.  And with Amazon and the expanded Crown Crescent center, that's going to be slower truck traffic that tends to tie up things even worse at rush hour.   

Edited January 22 by cajun

[cajun]

Another good reason to widen Airline Highway in EBR.....

Looks like The Newtron Group has finalized most of their construction plans for their new corporate HQ in the St. George area of Baton Rouge.    This is going to be on Airline Highway near the St. George Fire Department, H&E headquarters, DLSD's regional office,  and Woman's Hospital.      The site plan looks like they are expecting to add additional buildings and workshops towards the back of the property later.    This is going to be next door to Paretti Jaguar/Land Rover and a few doors down from that little private technical college, so it should fit with the local area quite well.

I believe this is the company that completely outgrew their Tom Drive area headquarters and just couldn't find space to expand.     Glad they are staying in the Baton Rouge area.    This will probably be built within a year and this fancy looking office should help with recruiting.  

SP-13-23 PLANS_39897F84.pdf (brla.gov)

 

Edited January 22 by cajun

[cajun]

Old folks home is being planned for the old Earl K Long hospital location on Airline.

SP-9-23 PLANS_2469FE9E.pdf (brla.gov)

[cajun]

Suspect this is going to be Old Dominion Freight Line's regional operations center off Tom Drive near Airline.   Either that or one of their competitors.    It's very close to Crown Cresent and the new Amazon center, sandwiched between Airways and Tom Drive immediately south of Jones Creek.    There will be multiple entrances - one on Airways, the other on Tom.   

240,000 Square Feet for a single operator is pretty big by Baton Rouge's standards, but it does look like they have designed it to be subdivided if needed  - the north elevation does appear to have at least 4 different "storefronts" for branding.   Given what's happening in the distribution and flex space in the area - this will fill up extremely quickly if they haven't already filled up with OD freight.  

SP-10-23 PLANS_6912FF2A.pdf (brla.gov)

Edited January 22 by cajun

[cajun]

Large new distribution center planned for Commercial Drive in Port Allen (immediately north of I-10) sort of across from the LKQ warehouse.   This looks to be for spec - with two 75,000 square foot sections for lease.      This isn't the only one in the works either.     May be time to seriously consider widening I-10 between Baton Rouge and Lafayette.  

 

And this is the building where Marucci is located in down in Ascension Parish.    Looks like 3-4 more are planned for a variety of other companies.   This is the area off Industrial drive that was being developed by that New Roads firm off highway 30 between Gonzales and St. Gabriel.    Not shown here is the Skyfall biodynamics campus, which is brand new and quite nice.    Between that and these new distribution facilities, we should expect a lot more traffic on LA30 and Old Jefferson.     There really is an impressive amount of growth in this area.  

Edited January 30 by cajun

[richyb83]

Thanks for all of those post Cajun!   The growth down that way is impressive!

At least widen I-10 to Grosse Tete / Ramah.  Hard to imagine them ever widening the 17 1/2 mile long Atchafayla Basin Bridge.

The old Ardendale thread is "Archived" ; hasn't seen a post since 2015!  Time flies ....

Ardendale Development (formerly known as Smiley Heights)

Ardendale senior housing project in Baton Rouge gets $850k grant

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/ardendale-senior-housing-in-baton-rouge-gets-850k-grant/article_5cc375d2-c140-11ee-b4d4-ab4823622cad.html

 

Edited February 1 by richyb83

[cajun]

On 2/1/2024 at 4:18 PM, richyb83 said:

 

At least widen I-10 to Grosse Tete / Ramah.  Hard to imagine them ever widening the 17 1/2 mile long Atchafayla Basin Bridge.

I don't see a way we can avoid it unless an alternative parallel route between Lafayette and Baton Rouge is constructed.   

Widening I-10 over that basin swamp is going to be required within the next 10-15 years.   And you know construction duration will be almost as long.  

On 2/1/2024 at 4:18 PM, richyb83 said:

Thanks for all of those post Cajun!   The growth down that way is impressive!

I'm consistently impressed at the massive success of the Commercial Drive area development in Ascension Parish.    There's a couple of big laboratories and several massive DC's underway.   Kind of a weird mix of corporate offices and flex space - all geared for serving the chemical corridor.     It's something to the scale of some of the bigger Houston/Dallas area developments (although they have dozens going up at a time).   

This is exactly what is in demand right now in south Louisiana and in the Baton Rouge metro area in particular.   There is virtually zero occupancy among flex space or distribution space.     I could definitely see some secondary or tertiary plots of land that were once thought of as neglected end up being developed into smaller scale  distribution centers or light manufacturing, especially in areas close to the major highways where major industrial players can be serviced.    The format around Industriaplex or Tom Drive is kind of what the area needs.

Edited February 5 by cajun

[richyb83]

Could a mixed-use development be planned near L’Auberge?

https://www.businessreport.com/realestate/could-a-mixed-use-development-be-coming-by-lauberge

A pair of applications filed with the East Baton Rouge Parish Planning Commission indicate that some major changes could be coming to the area surrounding L’Auberge Casino. 

An engineer with Stantec has filed requests to change the future land use of 85 acres next to L’Auberge Casino future from residential neighborhood to mixed-use, and rezoned from rural to planned unit development. The total property that includes the acreage in question is just under 540 acres. 

The land is located south of L’Auberge Crossing and east of River Road, and is owned by Pinnacle Entertainment, the parent company of L’Auberge. 

 

The specific proposed use is listed in the application is “a casino, recreational vehicle resort, single-family residential neighborhoods, medium and high density residential, commercial buildings and open space.” 

The Planning Commission is currently expected to take up the pair of requests at its March meeting. The requests must still be approved by the Metro Council. 

See the full agenda. 

[richyb83]

Here is more ...curious to see some site plans soon

Major residential development proposed on land currently owned by L’Auberge

https://www.wafb.com/2024/02/17/major-residential-development-proposed-land-currently-owned-by-lauberge/

A combination of single and multi-family homes are part of a new project being proposed along the Mississippi River, just south of L’Auberge Casino in Baton Rouge.

The project, by developer Mike Wampold, involves about 85 acres of land along the river near the area where Highway 30 intersects with Bluebonnet Boulevard.

The property, currently owned by L’Auberge’s parent company, PENN Entertainment, will be sold to Wampold for the project, WAFB has learned.

Wampold is asking the East Baton Rouge Parish Planning Commission to rezone the property from Residential Neighborhood to Mixed Use. The developer is also asking that the land be rezoned from Rural to Planning Unit Development, commonly known as a PUD.

While final plans could change, the zoning shifts could make way for a maximum of 250 single-family homes, 700 multi-family homes such as apartments and condos, and up to 150,000 square feet of commercial office space on that piece of land, according to an application filed with the East Baton Rouge Parish Planning Commission.

The zoning requests, considered to be a major change, are set to be considered by the Planning Commission next month. If approved at that stage, the project would still need to have a public hearing and a vote by the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro-Council.

Edited February 17 by richyb83

[cajun]

Rumor is the new $300m arena is going to be built at either the Water Campus or on Nicholson at LSU.    

Big changes to Baton Rouge live events proposed | News | theadvocate.com

In a change that could reshape live events in Baton Rouge, LSU athletics leaders have begun planning to replace the aging Pete Maravich Assembly Center and work with city-parish government to make the new arena the city's top venue for major events.

As part of the agreement, the Raising Canes River Center downtown could be refocused as a space mostly for conventions — potentially with a new hotel — so as not to compete with the new arena for live events.

[richyb83]

Thanks Cajun ; almost posted this yesterday but got side tracked

Here's another another article ...but it's on a pay wall.

BR needs to take it up a notch ; there is a reason big concerts pass on BR.

Legendary Kim Mulkey is a big player in this too,

Kim Mulkey has questions she'd like answered about LSU's plans for a new arena

https://www.theadvocate.com/