Perkins Hardware project moving forward

Donnie Jarreau Companies will move ahead with permitting the old Perkins Road Hardware site in the next 30 days, says Chad Ortte, an agent with the firm. The hardware store was closed by fire in December 2006. Ortte says the renovated space, which will preserve much of the original building, will contain four apartments (plans originally called for six) and two restaurants: one casual, one fine dining. The fine dining operation will be run by a New Orleans restaurateur Ortte isn't ready to announce, though the casual part will be a 70-seat pizza place by Neal Hendrick, owner of Zippy's right down the street. Hendrick says rezoning and parking are two hurdles that have to be overcome first. He plans to serve brick-oven pizza, affordable wine and imported beer. "I don't want to compete with George's or Ivar's," Hendrick says. The restaurant might also feature delivery, he says.-- Steve Clark

Louisiana Resource Center buys Florida Boulevard office building

The Louisiana Resource Center for Educators has purchased an office building on Florida Boulevard for $1.65 million and plans to move its headquarters there. LRCE says it hopes to complete renovations to the 33,000-square-foot building by December. Nancy Roberts, LRCE executive director, and Ron Sutton, chairman of the board of directors, says the 10-year-old agency needs more space to provide teacher workshops. LRCE currently occupies 15,000 square feet in the Bon Carré Business Center. The organization wants to use some of the additional space to set up the Louisiana Distance Learning Center, which would provide enrichment curriculum to students living in rural parts of the state. LRCE bought the building from Louisiana Office Supply, which moved into the old Kornmeyer's HomeSmart building last month.--Timothy Boone

Tanner buys old LHSAA building for $1.4 million

The Bluffs owner Jim Tanner bought the Louisiana High School Athletic Association building on Jefferson Highway for $1.4 million in a deal that closed Thursday. Landon Petty, a spokesman for Tanner, says outside of some renovation work, there are no immediate plans to do anything with the property, which includes a 9,600-square-foot building on 1.68 acres. "We're looking for the right tenant, the right buyer," he says. The A. Hays Town-designed building became vacant last month, when the LHSAA temporarily moved into an office Tanner owns on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard. The organization, which oversees high school athletics in the state, will permanently move into the former Fairwood Country Club clubhouse on Old Hammond Highway after renovations to that building are complete. Tanner, who purchased Fairwood Country Club several years ago and has been selling parcels to be developed for commercial and residential use, donated 50% interest in the property to the LHSAA.--Timothy Boone and Tom Cook

Ochsner's Quinlan makes power ranking again

Patrick Quinlan, the CEO of Ochsner Health System, has once again been named as one of the most powerful physician executives in the country by Modern Physician magazine. Quinlan was ranked seventh, after topping the list last year. This is the third year in a row Quinlan has made the power ranking.

Little Village opens second location

The Little Village Italian restaurant on Airline Highway at Barringer Foreman Road is now open. The Little Village is patterned after the old Village Restaurant, at Airline Highway and Florida Boulevard, which closed in 1992. The Little Village’s downtown location has been open since January 2005.

Health care summit set for Monday

The first Louisiana Health Care Quality Summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capital Center Hotel. The event, sponsored by Louisiana Health Care Review, will feature a keynote address by state Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine and the presentation of the Louisiana Health Care Quality Awards.

Editor: New Orleans should focus on rebuilding, not conspiracy theories

New Orleans residents are casting a wary eye on activity going on in Baton Rouge, says Business Report Executive Editor JR Ball. Efforts to establish an economic development corridor along Interstate 10 and Interstate 12 are seen as trying to wipe out the city. "Here’s a thought: Instead of conspiracy theories, New Orleanians could focus on saving their once wonderfully charming and historic city," Ball says. Read the column here. Send comments to editors@businessreport.com.

Today last day to sign up for CAUW day of caring

The Capital Area United Way will hold its annual "Day of Caring" on Friday, April 18. The event pairs up volunteers and local nonprofit organizations to work on one time service projects, such as beautifying grounds, developing Web sites and painting. This year, 2,500 volunteers are needed to make the event successful. Volunteers can sign up as a team or individually. The deadline to register is today. To sign up, go to thewaytohelp.org.

Poll: Readers like idea of rebate checks

Daily Report readers like the idea of two Senate bills that would allow the state to send out tax rebate checks. Sixty-three percent of the people who responded to an online survey say they like the idea because the state should give surplus money back to taxpayers. Thirty-three percent of respondents say the state should spend the surplus or save it, instead of cutting checks. Four percent were undecided. Nearly 1,400 people participated in the survey.

Today's question: What do you think about LSU's hiring of Stanford’s Trent Johnson as men's basketball coach?

News roundup: High gas prices hurting fishermen; Whole Foods going for Guinness record; new IBM technology set to increase memory

Anglers feeling the pinch: The fishing industry is being affected by rising gas prices, according to The Stuart (Fla.) News. Sport fishermen are going only once to their favorite spots as opposed to making three or four trips a week. Charter boat captains are increasing the minimum number of anglers before they go out on trips and adding fuel surcharges. Commercial fishermen are having to swallow the rising costs, and this could lead to fewer fish going to market. Read the story here. Big cheese: Whole Foods Market will attempt to set a Guinness world record, beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday by simultaneously cracking open hundreds of wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The three Whole Foods stores in Louisiana, including the Baton Rouge store in Towne Center at Cedar Lodge, are participating in the event. The wheels of cheese require five traditional Italian tools and the assistance of experts to break open. Get ready for the 500,000-song iPod: IBM scientists have developed a new kind of memory that allow mobile phones, iPods and other consumer devices to hold a hundred times more information, The Times Online reports. "Racetrack memory" uses the spin of an electron to store data extremely quickly. The company expects the technology to reach consumers within 10 years.

Deadline approaching for Influential Women in Business nominations

Nominations are now open for Business Report's annual salute to Influential Women in Business. The awards go to women business owners or managers who are making a noticeable difference in the Capital Region. Winners will be spotlighted in a special issue of Business Report. All nominations must be made online here. The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. on Friday, April 25.