Perkins Rowe

[hagetaka]

I hope Johnny doesn't build in the Rowe, it needs to be downtown on 3rd Street, but Perkins Rowe is impressively pitiful.

[dan326]

Hey folks. I was directed over here from someone at Skyscraperpage. I recently moved to the BR area and was really taken by this project's blend of the ridiculous and sublime. The last time I spent any extensive time in BR (late '05 and early '06) it only existed on paper and most of Baton Rouge was still reeling from the arrival of so many Katrina evacuees.

So now the first phase is complete, and many of the existing tenants seem to be doing well. The problem is: there don't seem to be very many existing tenants. Perkins Rowe looks just barely half occupied, and though there are several lucrative "Coming Soon" signs, some friends have told me that those signs have been up for months. And it also appears than one less successful restaurant (Fish City Grill) has already closed. Based on the discussions here, the Camellia Grill is either stalled or has pulled out.

Considering all the lawsuits and the way this development opened at the dawn of one of the worst market cycles, is Perkins Rowe in serious trouble? I haven't read anything new about the project for the last six months, so I'd be very interested in what some of you who have been following it more closely would have to say.

Some of my questions:

What happened to Camellia Grill or Johnny Rockets?

Any word on the construction quality of the residential units?

What about the amenities or special features offered to condo owners? I read somewhere the people are paying condo fees for "shared facilities" that have yet to open, and are quite vexed about it.

Did any tenants from the Mall of Louisiana terminate their lease so they could open at Perkins Rowe?

I'd love to hear what others are saying about this, and what its future appears to be as the economy is slowly improving.

I doubt Perkins Rowe in trouble, I just don't think Baton Rouge is at the level to support the upscale stores that would consider setting up in such a place.

I heard the construction quality was bad, although I''ve only read that from people that don't live there.

No tenants that I know of left the Mall of Louisiana and went to Perkins Rowe.

I'm don't know about the other questions.

[all2neat]

A coworker of mine looked at buying a place and he said it's quality is on oar with cheap crappy apartments that are built recently.

[cajun]

I doubt Perkins Rowe in trouble, I just don't think Baton Rouge is at the level to support the upscale stores that would consider setting up in such a place.

I heard the construction quality was bad, although I''ve only read that from people that don't live there.

No tenants that I know of left the Mall of Louisiana and went to Perkins Rowe.

I'm don't know about the other questions.

I want to see local tenants and restaurants in there. They charge too much.

[dan326]

I want to see local tenants and restaurants in there. They charge too much.

Ditto. I think if they had been more like Towne Center, they would have been full.

[richyb83]

Here is a good article in this edition of Business Report...it answers a few of the questions...all hope is not lost..seemed like the upscale thing in BR really exploded all at once...Perkins Rowe; The Boulevard, Towne Center...I'm sure the upscale market is plenty saturated now...hopefully even with the economy/global financial crisis...the Rowe can keep it's head above water and prosper in all aspects...sure wish they could have started phase II with the condo tower(s)before this recession. Looks like the repairs have been made to the shoddy workmanship...

Here's a new website...

The fruits of his labor

Now Balow is turning his attention to the public-relations battle, tenaciously trying to spread the word that Perkins Rowe is better than ever, playing host to community fundraisers, and offering live music and valet parking. The task is formidable, especially with ongoing coverage of Spinosa and the foreclosure proceedings. Every negative headline, Balow says, hurts the development’s retail tenants, residents and, ultimately, the taxpayers of East Baton Rouge Parish. “We understand the importance of this property as a cornerstone in the community, and we’re trying to do everything we can to help,” Balow says. “But we cringe every time we see a headline, because it’s the little guys here at ground zero that are hurt

“Anyone who’s honest with you will tell you traffic isn’t what we were promised it would be when we initially decided to move here,” says Reggie Tongue, who owns Purple Rocks boutique with his wife.

Perkins Rowe also has a new website, perkinsroweshops.com, with a calendar of events. Upcoming events this summer include strolling music on weekends, WGMB-TV’s Baton Rouge Idol competition finals and a fundraiser for Baton Rouge Ballet Theater. More concerts are planned for the fall, as are various nonprofit events.

Another key to increasing traffic involves attracting more residents. Currently, slightly less than 60% of the rental units are leased. Balow concedes retention has been a big problem, largely because of complications with the leaky roofs. Now that those issues have been solved, JLL is aggressively marketing the apartments, lowering rents by about $200 a month in the one-bedroom units, actively soliciting corporate business and advertising on the streets with visible signage. The company also is offering slick giveaways, like a flat-screen TV or $500 credit upon the signing of a one-year lease. The moves are starting to pay off.

“We’ve done eight or nine deals in just the last month or so,” Balow says, “and we see things are really trending in the right direction.”

Continuing that trend will be important, and Balow is nothing if not resolute. He recently met with Mayor Kip Holden to underscore his company’s commitment to the project and also to the community. He hopes to make that message clear to all of Baton Rouge. “If for some reason this fails, it’s blight on the city on a very important corner,” he says. “This is a very important and positive asset for this city. Everyone has a vested interest in making this work.”

http://www.businessreport.com/news/2010/jun/14/fruits-his-labor-rlet1/

[American Dirt]

I can't see the property manager trying to attract too many local tenants to this--they just don't have the drawing power that national chains would, such as Urban Outfitters or Anthropologie. If we start seeing more than, say, one-third of the tenants are local, consider Perkins Rowe to be officially in serious trouble.

This Business Report article reveals how many concessions Balow is having to make in order to scramble out of the Bad PR hole. No doubt he is taking a major hit by adding all these incentives to get people to lease there.

Now if Perkins Rowe has to start planning special events and gatherings to accommodate mall walkers (not likely of course in the summer), you know the place is past the point of no return...

[rocketrichard]

I can't see the property manager trying to attract too many local tenants to this--they just don't have the drawing power that national chains would, such as Urban Outfitters or Anthropologie. If we start seeing more than, say, one-third of the tenants are local, consider Perkins Rowe to be officially in serious trouble.

This Business Report article reveals how many concessions Balow is having to make in order to scramble out of the Bad PR hole. No doubt he is taking a major hit by adding all these incentives to get people to lease there.

Now if Perkins Rowe has to start planning special events and gatherings to accommodate mall walkers (not likely of course in the summer), you know the place is past the point of no return...

Hi guys. This is my first post on this great forum so please be nice .

My wife and I just moved down the street from Perkins Rowe and it is our favorite place in the city to hang out. I found out about this great site and I am a little surprised about all the negativity about Perkins Rowe. I know there are a lot of problems, but do you guys really think that Perkins Rowe will just go away?

On a given day, these are the things at perkins rowe that are packed: Cinemark, Barnes and Noble, Ballys, California Pizza Kitchen, Kona Grill, Texas de Brazil, J Crew, Frock Candy, Urban Outfitters, Fresh Market, CVS pharmacy, the two different martini bars.

There is a huge Spine Hospital on site where a lot of the employees use the resources on the site of perkins rowe. To me this is a hell of a stable foundation to build on. The weak areas of the site can certainly be corrected with such a stable base aboe don't you think?

Landscaping work has been done to fix the fountains which look great by the way. My wife thinks the aveda is the nicest one in the city. I have seen lots of improvements in the landscaping and have heard on good knowledge tons of work has been done to upgrade the condo units.

...Or is it just that the concept of an artifically created "city block" simply an anathema to too many people on this site to say anything nice about it.

We are really interested on your guys' feedback.

Has anyone noticed that construction has started to convert the old swaggart building down the street to a hotel! Imagine if theere was a way to connect this new hotel, the mall of louisiana and perkins rowe by some sort of a pedestrian and bike pathway.

[buckett5425]

Hi guys. This is my first post on this great forum so please be nice .

My wife and I just moved down the street from Perkins Rowe and it is our favorite place in the city to hang out. I found out about this great site and I am a little surprised about all the negativity about Perkins Rowe. I know there are a lot of problems, but do you guys really think that Perkins Rowe will just go away?

On a given day, these are the things at perkins rowe that are packed: Cinemark, Barnes and Noble, Ballys, California Pizza Kitchen, Kona Grill, Texas de Brazil, J Crew, Frock Candy, Urban Outfitters, Fresh Market, CVS pharmacy, the two different martini bars.

There is a huge Spine Hospital on site where a lot of the employees use the resources on the site of perkins rowe. To me this is a hell of a stable foundation to build on. The weak areas of the site can certainly be corrected with such a stable base aboe don't you think?

Landscaping work has been done to fix the fountains which look great by the way. My wife thinks the aveda is the nicest one in the city. I have seen lots of improvements in the landscaping and have heard on good knowledge tons of work has been done to upgrade the condo units.

...Or is it just that the concept of an artifically created "city block" simply an anathema to too many people on this site to say anything nice about it.

We are really interested on your guys' feedback.

Has anyone noticed that construction has started to convert the old swaggart building down the street to a hotel! Imagine if theere was a way to connect this new hotel, the mall of louisiana and perkins rowe by some sort of a pedestrian and bike pathway.

Welcome to the forums RocketRichard, your opinion is definitely appreciated!

But in my opinion Perkins Rowe is a glorified shopping mall. Forty Years ago, I wouldn't have been surprised if someone shared a similar opinion to yours regarding Cortana Mall. At the time of its completion, it was one of the ten largest malls in the world, was flourishing, and things could only get better from there right? Perkins Rowe will one day suffer the same fate of decline, because it is no different from other suburban development, its just been masked with a new facade and layout. The idea of "New Urbanism" has been hijacked by large scale developers who are destroying a decent idea.

[dan326]

Greetings Richard and welcome to the board! I for one really like Perkins Rowe.I only have two complaints.

1. There is no department store anchor which it think would make the center more popular. While I don't want to overestimate BR's strength I think they could have fit in a baby Saks or something. Even settling with Belks would have been good.

2. I don't think the side walks are wide enough with the spaces punched in them for the palm trees.

Edit: To Buckett: Well, yeah, Perkins Rowe is a glorified shopping mall, but I wouldn't say that makes it bad or destined for failure. Also I wouldn't say it'll fail because its suburban but rather because its just the way things work. People want something new, then money moves out and decline moves it.

Edited August 17, 2010 by dan326

[rocketrichard]

Greetings Richard and welcome to the board! I for one really like Perkins Rowe.I only have two complaints.

1. There is no department store anchor which it think would make the center more popular. While I don't want to overestimate BR's strength I think they could have fit in a baby Saks or something. Even settling with Belks would have been good.

2. I don't think the side walks are wide enough with the spaces punched in them for the palm trees.

Edit: To Buckett: Well, yeah, Perkins Rowe is a glorified shopping mall, but I wouldn't say that makes it bad or destined for failure. Also I wouldn't say it'll fail because its suburban but rather because its just the way things work. People want something new, then money moves out and decline moves it.

Hi Dan:

From what I have read, the original plan was to have a Parisian store and I would bet that the guys are trying their best to get a dept. store anchor. You are right, it would make a big difference. .. and in regard to the comparisions to cortana mall, cortana, has no apartments in the building.

Although it has been correctly pointed out that there are deficiences in the dwellings, The Baton Rouge business report article pointed out that it has been recognized and one of their main priorities is to upgrade the apartrments.

We will see I guess.

[buckett5425]

Greetings Richard and welcome to the board! I for one really like Perkins Rowe.I only have two complaints.

1. There is no department store anchor which it think would make the center more popular. While I don't want to overestimate BR's strength I think they could have fit in a baby Saks or something. Even settling with Belks would have been good.

2. I don't think the side walks are wide enough with the spaces punched in them for the palm trees.

Edit: To Buckett: Well, yeah, Perkins Rowe is a glorified shopping mall, but I wouldn't say that makes it bad or destined for failure. Also I wouldn't say it'll fail because its suburban but rather because its just the way things work. People want something new, then money moves out and decline moves it.

1. A department store anchor definitely would have helped with the over all success of the retail portion of the development.

2. The sidewalks are kept narrow purposefully to make them look more crowded and well, its cheaper. Its a developers tool to make places look more vibrant, because people want to be where everyone else is. The same principle goes into shopping mall design. Corridors are intentionally made smaller, and then have kiosks placed in them so it seems more crowded and therefore "popular".

3. As for the failure of Perkins Rowe, you hit the nail on the head Dan. People want something new, and 10 to 20 years from now, there will be a "new" place to be and people will go there instead(maybe the Nicholson Corridor?). But that is simply a part of suburban development as stated by the "concentric-ring theory." In suburbia, its very easy to build the new thing somewhere else, and people will follow. But in more urban situations, places remain popular for longer because they are developed by how far people can walk, and not how fast they can drive to get to the "new" place.

[richyb83]

Welcome rocketrichard to the BR Forum!

I like Perkins Rowe..call it SE BR's unofficial downtown (though it did not happen naturally)...BR craves a 24/7-type of enviroment where you live, work, play...the medical componet was a great idea! It would be interesting to see something like this closer to the urban-core; wonder how something like that would work along the Nicholson corridor between LSU & Downtown near the Bridge...OR... The Perkins Road Overpass Corridor now dubbed "Platinum Mile" by BusinessReportcould be intereting..that's some untapped new/old urbanism; if done right would be the talk of the town & region! I hope the Rowe stands the test of time, it should be interesting! I do understand buckett5425 concerns/suggestions.

It's actually Towne Center that's a glorified strip-shopping center...with unconnected residential that's still within walking distance...HOWEVER no sidewalks or walking paths to get there.They really could have made that area special...but never returned my ideas I sent to them.

Can't wait to finally see the new Reniassance Hotel go up at the old unfinshed dorm eye-sore! Great location IMO!

Something that could benefit Perkins Rowe (esp if Phase II where to ever be built with the 8/9 story condo's) to have pedestrian bike/walking path along Dawson Creek connecting Mall of La....Like a waterway with park-benches and street lamps along the meandering trail. BTW BREC has something similar still in the works?? The lack of an anchor dept. store hurts; seems like Kohl's could benefit more there than down the road at Siegen MarketPlace??

[itsjustme3]

I'm probably in the minority but I have no interest in a goofy box chain store (Kohls, Belks, etc) at Perkins Rowe. PR is different and should feel somewhat unique. Yes it's a outside mall but it should have it's own feel. If I want to shop at a big box store I'll go to the Mall.

Just my 2 cents.

[richyb83]

Perkins Rowe: Zoe’s in, Guess out

The Guess store in Perkins Rowe has closed, but the mixed-use lifestyle center is set to bring in a Zoe’s Kitchen. Rick Balow, general manager, says the Guess store shut down Friday. Balow says the store suffered from "poor sales," even though some other clothing stores in the center are doing very well. Guess is "struggling with an image problem," Balow says. The second Zoe’s in Baton Rouge is set to open in the spring, in the space next to Kiki. Birmingham, Ala.-based Zoe’s has been in Towne Center since 2005. Balow says other restaurant operators have shown interest in a couple of other vacant spots in Perkins Rowe: in the old Fish City Grill space next to the movie theater and in a space along Bluebonnet Boulevard.

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/real-estate-weekly/latest/

[dan326]

Well, I'm not particulary suprised, maybe they'll reopen in the Mall of Louisiana.

[itsjustme3]

Yeah Guess has a image problem...as in "People still wear Guess?"

[byrde]

Yeah Guess has a image problem...as in "People still wear Guess?"

Right on the money.

[Antrell Williams]

Plenty of people do. The one in the mall is popular.

[dan326]

My guess is that that one, G by Guess, is more affordable then the "real" Guess.

Edited January 15, 2011 by dan326

[richyb83]

Compliments of Dan326 from BR Development thread

New stores going in at Perkins Rowe:

*Applebee's

*BCBGeneration

*Bumble Lane Spa

*Langford Market - a women's boutique

*Nails So Happy

*Private Gallery - a women's boutique

I also think there might be another something going into the space to the left(north) of Barnes and Noble.

Edited June 20, 2011 by richyb83

[Antrell Williams]

Do you mean where Charming Charlie's is?

[dan326]

Thanks Richy, forgot about this thread. Isn't Charming Charlie's still open. I mean this one.

[buckett5425]

Thanks Richy, forgot about this thread. Isn't Charming Charlie's still open. I mean this one.

That corner is now a Zoe's Kitchen. I eat lunch there once a week now! Its great!

[richyb83]

Mentioned already in Restaurant thread...it was Real Estate Weekly Property of the Week...always like the smoke-stack at the Rowe...

Renovations are ongoing at the Perkins Rowe property next to Orvis slated to become Baton Rouge’s third Applebee’s location. The new restaurant will encompass about 6,000 square feet and is under a 10-year lease with options to renew. It’s expected to open in the coming months. Applebee's also plans on remodeling its Airline Highway restaurant by 2012, and says eventually all 12 of its restaurants in south Louisiana will get a makeover.

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/real-estate-weekly/latest/