Spanish Town residents look at new apartment plans

A meeting between the board of the Historic Spanish Town Civic Association and the Capital Lofts development team took place Monday night, but an association representative says not enough has changed in terms of what may be built at the north end of Sixth Street to satisfy preservationists. Jeff Duhé, vice chairman of the association, says the footprint of the 74-unit apartment complex looked different in a sketch he saw in order to accommodate existing homes at the site, and that the exterior had evolved to meld better with the look of the neighborhood compared with previous plans. "They didn't present anything different in size," he says. "It's still the same size, no matter how you squeeze it or shape it. It's like a lump of clay. It's still the same amount of clay whether you make it tall or make it squat."

Duhé says a portion of the structure was six stories tall, which is "going in the wrong direction" for preservationists who say a large apartment building does not fit with the single-family homes nearby, even though developer David Slaughter has scaled down his vision from a 115-unit design.

Metro Councilwoman Tara Wicker, who represents Spanish Town, attended the meeting at Duhé's home on Eighth Street. She characterized it as a positive step in the dialogue between residents and others about the future of the historic district. "They liked the idea of the face of the building because it fit better with the character of the community," she says of the board. "There's still some issues of density and height that remain an issue." —Todd R. Brown

Report says B.R. traffic getting worse

Traffic congestion is getting heavier in Baton Rouge, according to a report released today. The INRIX National Traffic Scorecard ranked Baton Rouge as having the 36th heaviest traffic congestion among the 100 largest U.S. cities and 13th for travel times during the first half of the year. Baton Rouge was the only major city to report an increase in travel times during 2008, as high fuel prices and the recession kept cars off the road. According to INRIX, travel times were 1.8% longer in Baton Rouge during the first half of the year, the third biggest increase in the nation. Traffic congestion was up 19% in the first half of the year. The traffic problems aren't a surprise to anyone who drives around the city, but they're especially striking considering that Baton Rouge ranks 67th nationally in terms of population. To see the full report, click here.

What has been learned from Gustav?

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Gustav, which made landfall on Labor Day morning near Cocodrie in Terrebonne Parish as a Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds. The Capital Region had largely escaped unscathed in 2005, when Katrina affected areas to the south and east and Rita affected areas to the west. But when Gustav made a slight jog to the north after coming ashore, it brought conditions not seen in the region since Hurricane Betsy in 1965. To read Business Report's story on the anniversary and recovery, click here. Send comments to editors@businessreport.com.

Poll: Jindal shouldn't use helicopter for church travel

Fifty-seven percent of people who responded to a Daily Report poll say Gov. Bobby Jindal shouldn't use state helicopters to fly to church services across the state. Forty percent of people who participated in the poll say Jindal should use the helicopters and 3% were undecided. Nearly 1,650 people participated in the survey.

Today's question: Is your home or business still affected by damage from Hurricane Gustav?

Shaw gets Southern California nuclear deal

The Shaw Group has been awarded a contract to provide maintenance services to a nuclear power plant in San Diego County, Calif. The value of the three-year deal with Southern California Edison to do routine work at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station was not disclosed. With the new contract, Shaw now is in charge of maintenance at 39, or 38% of U.S. nuclear reactors.

U.S. manufacturing activity growing again

The U.S. manufacturing sector grew in August after shrinking for 18 straight months. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, says its manufacturing index rose to 52.9 in August, from 48.9 in July. It's the first reading above 50, which indicates expansion, since January 2008. It's also the highest since June 2007.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected a reading of 50.5. The index, which includes new orders, production, employment, inventories, prices and more, is based on a survey of the Tempe, Ariz.-based group's members.

Louisiana Looking Up set for Sept. 17

The sixth annual Louisiana Looking Up program, which showcases successful entrepreneurs, will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 17 at LSU's Lod Cook Alumni Center. Participants include Blaine Kern, founder and chairman of Kern Studios; Jimmy Maurin, chairman of Stirling Properties; and Matt McKay, chairman, president and CEO of All Star Automotive Group. Louisiana Looking Up is sponsored by the Flores MBA Alumni Association. Admission is $50 for alumni association members, $75 for non-members. To register, click here.

News roundup: Cities turning out streetlights to save money ... July pending home sales rise to 2-year high

In the dark: The recession is forcing cities and towns to shut off streetlights as a cost saving measure, reports USA Today. Santa Rosa, Calf., plans to remove 6,000 of its 15,000 streetlights and put an additional 3,000 on timers. The city says the measures will save $400,000 annually. Another factor causing cities to turn off streetlights are environmental concerns, such as wasteful energy consumption and light pollution. Read the story here.

Real estate comeback? Pending U.S. home sales rose more than expected in July to the highest level in more than two years as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of a tax credit that expires this fall. The National Association of Realtors says its seasonally adjusted index of sales contracts signed in July for previously occupied homes rose 3.2% to 97.6. It was the sixth straight increase and 12% above the same month last year. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected the index would edge up to 96.5. Typically there is a one- to two-month lag between a contract and a done deal, so the index is a barometer of how sales completed this month and next will turn out.