Baton Rouge Growth and Development

[byrde]

I'm not a fan of the all white hotel's either. It would be nice to see some kind of color. even if it is a tan or sand like color.

[dimebag1980]

Here's the definition from Wikipedia:"Boutique hotel is a term originating in North America to describe intimate, usually luxurious or quirky hotel environments. Boutique hotels differentiate themselves from larger chain/branded hotels and motels by providing personalized level accommodation and services / facilities."

Also Marriott sure has a lot of different hotels:

Marriott

Fairfield

Marquis

Courtyard

SpringHill

Residence Inn

J.W.

TownPlace

They definetly know how to monopolize.

They way I see is that as long as they don't make anymore all white hotels then we'll be fine.

Oh they're no different from Hilton. You should look up their list sometime... they have tons as well.

[byrde]

Yeah Hilton has a ton of properties as well. They are my favorite. They have the best Hotel Rewards program for those of us that travel a lot. Holiday Inn (Intercontinental Hotel Group), Sheraton (Starwood Hotels) and the Wyndham Hotel Group are also large hotel chains.

[richyb83]

I am curious to know which Hotel chain will be coming to the new(soon to be approved?) 13-story hotel on Bluebonnet Blvd. between Mall of La./Perkins Rowe??

[dan326]

I am curious to know which Hotel chain will be coming to the new(soon to be approved?) 13-story hotel on Bluebonnet Blvd. between Mall of La./Perkins Rowe??

Me too, mabye we should email Mr. Wampold.

Also, is an in-fill project a certain kind of project like residential and does it have to be in the city's core or anywhere in the city limits?

[richyb83]

Infil projects are more for the urban core; but anywhere in the city limits could be considered "infil" IMO. BR has several of those underway or planned. Baton Rouge has some HUGE gaps of undeveloped land scattered through-out the city. One example of infil is the new Town Center area. That was a giant horse ranch(Cedar Lodge) and one owner refused to sell the land til recently. Old Hammond used to stop at Jefferson. And Corporate Blvd. was a dead-end; now they both connect when they extended Corporate. Now that' property down the corridor is some of the hottest prime real estate in the city. It's filling up. More condo's, hotel, and business park, and Books-a-Million are ready to start soon. But there is still plenty of land in that area to work with.

Edited September 25, 2006 by richyb83

[dan326]

I think I might be on to something. I went on the Hyatt website and typed in Baton Rouge and this came up: http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/place/locations...equestid=547744

It says its on 6080 Bluebonnet Boulevard and opening fall 2007.But I googled the address and an AmeriSuites came up so I guess we'll see. I also wikipediaed it and this might just be a refurbishment of the AmeriSuites band as it said Hyat bought the chain.

Edited September 25, 2006 by dan326

[richyb83]

^ Good job Dan. One way or the other. I'll definitely keep my eyes open.

[dan326]

Scroll down to "Editor: Random thoughts from Raleigh-Durham" and look at this article. It's on the Monday page.http://www.businessreport.com/dailyreport.cfm

Now I do think everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but I think this giving B.R. just a little less credit than it deserves. I realize that Baton Rouge has a long way to go in the way of improvements and smart growth, but I think we're at least trying more than we did before and have several infrastructure projects in the works . From the sound of this they make B.R. sound like some kind of festering carcass of a city and the Raleigh is the pinnacle of progress. The part I don't like the most is

" It will be interesting to see how what the Raleigh area has done translates to the Capital Region considering 3) the population is 73% white and more affluent than Baton Rouge and". Now maybe that's not as bad as I think it sounds, but it seems to me like they're being a little racist. Of course, it could all be in my mind as I do take offence easily sometimes. But then again a lot of the things in this aren't extremley significant.

Edited September 26, 2006 by dan326

[dimebag1980]

Now maybe that's not as bad as I think it sounds, but it seems to me like they're being a little racist. Of course, it could all be in my mind as I do take offence easily sometimes.

I got the racist feeling from that statement as well. And the funny part is, I didn't even read that part of your post until after I read the article. The only thing I will say, though, is that Bossier City is over 70% white while Shreveport is over 50% black, and Bossier City is a much wealthier city overall. The mostly black areas around here are high poverty areas, so it's definitely a problem. It's something that has to change in this state. DO we need less black people? Of course not... but we need more successful black people. There's lots of talk about how to make this happen, but we need to be more proactive with it. It's part of the "old south" that I believe still rears its ugly head. I wish we had more of an incentive for our inner-city youth to be successful rather than to turn to violence and drugs. These behaviors only help to keep people down, and having no public figures truly care about this problem certainly isn't going to change things.

[dan326]

^ Heres the second article.http://www.businessreport.com/newsDetail.c...9715&cid=21 This a little better than yesterday, they person writing had more constructive things to say. You're right Brian, we do need more

successful black people. While this was better, they do play the race card again. It's not the fact that Raleigh has 73% white, it's the fact that the have a better education than Baton Rougians. I think it's also the fact that we concentrate so many impovershed people into small areas. And some of the things talked about are being planned/worked on right now. Like the rapid transit, we may not be able to support a rail system now, but we are getting a rapid transit bus system in the next 4/5 years, which I read is just as good.

Edited September 27, 2006 by dan326

[richyb83]

There is no doubt there are plenty of blighted/downtrodden area's of Baton Rouge. The thugs/ and wanna be's crimes and sins will always be; and it's like most larger cities with crime problems. That's life down in the lower delta region of the country. BR is also home to the largest prodominantly black university in the country(Southern U.) near the airport on the northern side the city. The new specialty hospital is run by black doctors is very close-by. That will help ignite more opportunities for African Americans; BR could become like Atlanta on a smaller scale.

BR will always have a sprawl problem, but the infil-projects have really been on the up-swing more than ever.

There are plenty of suburban white folk with drug/ crime problems too, crystal meth ain't no joke out in the sticks of podunk country.

Edited September 27, 2006 by richyb83

[dan326]

That will help ignite more opportunities for African Americans; BR could become like Atlanta on a smaller scale.

BR will always have a sprawl problem, but the infill-projects have really been on the up-swing more than ever.

They could definetly be alike, Atlanta has only about 1/10th of the population in the city.

Here's the last installation to the Raliegh trilogy. I think this is the best of the three. http://www.businessreport.com/newsDetail.c...9724&cid=21

It mentions light rail a lot. What would be neat is if they had one light rail line run all the way through Baton Rouge and then have the rapid transit buses take people to other locations from there.

Edited September 27, 2006 by dan326

[dan326]

I have another idea about what that old dorm might be. It might be an Adam's Mark hotel. Just a thought. You know, this suspence is almost as bad as RiverPlace.

Edited September 28, 2006 by dan326

[dimebag1980]

^You can only hope, Dan! Adam's Mark is a very nice hotel chain... I REALLY like the Adam's Mark in Dallas. What an impressive hotel tower!

[dan326]

^You can only hope, Dan! Adam's Mark is a very nice hotel chain... I REALLY like the Adam's Mark in Dallas. What an impressive hotel tower!

I was just saying that because Mobile had one, so I figured we're bigger than them so why not. But like I said I'm just trying to name some hotels. I actually went inside there on my trip to Dallas.They have a sport's bar inside and my friends and I thought it was a gentlemen's club because of the neon lights and what looked like a small stage.

[fla_tiger]

LSU Union $54.6m expansion

New 4 story expansion at the Union. Here's the link in the advocate:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/4273266.html

Edited September 30, 2006 by fla_tiger

[richyb83]

Thanks for posting fla_tiger. The 4-story expansion looks very nice. There is a building boom all around the LSU campus, now this!

[dan326]

That is great. And just think, in two days the City Plaza II will go in front of the Planning Commission.

Edited September 30, 2006 by dan326

[richyb83]

Yes indeed Dan II City Plaza is going to be approved; I can't wait to see the renderings. It may not be the tallest high-rise downtown, but it will probably be the best looking design IMO. The penthouse levels and spire are going to make it more vertical, so it will be interesting.

***Also at the Planning Commission meeting agenda on Monday will be the Celtic Media Centre. Baton Rouge's first movie studio!!!

Edited October 1, 2006 by richyb83

[dan326]

Yes indeed Dan II City Plaza is going to be approved; I can't wait to see the renderings. It may not be the tallest high-rise downtown, but it will probably be the best looking design IMO. The penthouse levels and spire are going to make it more vertical, so it will be interesting.

***Also at the Planning Commission meeting agenda on Monday will be the Celtic Media Centre. Baton Rouge's first movie studio!!!

Even if it's not the tallest, it will surely have an impression on the skyline, considering it is spaced away a little from the other highrises. If you go to the meeting,you're going to have to take a picture of the rendering if you can.

I passed by the Celtic Media Centre not too long ago. They have security guards keeping watch over there.

[dan326]

"Planning commission set to vote on new City Plaza building

The city-parish Planning Commission is set to vote this evening on II City Plaza, a 376,000-square-foot office building being planned for downtown. The building would be built behind the existing City Plaza on North Boulevard and would feature five levels of parking under an 11-story office building. The project, which has been proposed by developer Mike Wampold, has received preliminary approval from the city-parish Planning and Zoning Commission. The commission is also set to take on the New London Town Apartments, a 224-unit development that would be built at the corner of O'Neal Lane and North Li Rocchi Road. "

I assume that doesn't count the penthouse levels, so it's going to be 18 stories + spire!

[richyb83]

I plan on going to the meeting in a minute. I don't think that they will let me bring my camera in; I hope renderings will be in the Advocate or BRBusiness Report tommorrow.

This II City Plaza is a mystery; I have heard or read anywhere from 17 to 20-stories. I am not exactly sure exactly what the 376,000sq.ft. includes?? Just office or parking garage too? The original plan was 280,000sq.ft. office space and 14-stories; so now the revised plan is an additional 96,000...that's a nice increase. --- stories ??

[tallbored]

http://www.businessreport.com/dailyreport.html

BREAKING NEWS: Chamber, Foundation looking at old Advocate site

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and Commercial Properties Development Corporation are looking at moving their offices into a mixed-use building on the site of the old Advocate building downtown. Plans are in the works for a 25- to 30-story building that would serve as a "vertical neighborhood" with condominiums, retailers, office space, restaurants, parking spaces and a health club. Stephen Moret, chief executive officer of the Chamber, says the building would catalyze an entire block of downtown, as well as serving as a hub for economic development by consolidating some of the region's major players in one building. "Finally, the building would offer a substantial expansion of downtown housing -- one of the key components to continuing downtown revitalization."

Richard Manship, whose family owns the site on Lafayette Street between North and Main streets, says the project would "create a special place in downtown Baton Rouge" and would offer easy access to the core of downtown and Capitol Park.

[dan326]

^ I was just about to post that. I'm so excited! Baton Rouge might be in store for another highrise soon. Better watch out New Orleans.