'Iconic' project in works outside downtown

The Louisiana Housing Finance Agency wants to replace the boarded-up Capital City South Apartments on North Boulevard, at the foot of the overpass near 17th Street, into a new residential development with a community center that will “turn heads” of motorists on their way into downtown, Lisa Nice of Post Architects says. Public meetings seeking input on the project will be held Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m. in the McKinley Alumni Center. Post Architects and EOA Architects of Nashville, Tenn., are involved. The project budget is about $11 million. The existing structure would be demolished, although some of it might be recycled or reused in an effort to achieve Leadership in Environmental Design certification.

In other downtown-related news, First United Methodist Church has broken ground for a $6 million youth building and conference center at the corner of East Boulevard and America Street. Construction is expected to take 18 to 24 months. Rev. Chris Andrews, senior pastor at First United Methodist, says the building will provide space for a youth ministry and a 300-seat conference center. Cangelosi Ward is the general contractor. —David Jacobs

La. rig counts on the rise

Officials at the Department of Natural Resources finally have something to cheer about regarding Louisiana’s oil and gas rig counts. Following a year of occasionally sluggish activity, the state’s total rig count is up by 14%, from 170 to 197, since early February 2009. According to a research paper compiled by DNR, if the level of drilling activity in federal waters is excluded from the calculation, the rig count increase can be pegged at 25%. In a prepared statement, DNR Secretary Scott Angelle says that Louisiana is outpacing most other energy-producing states and the best may still be to come. “This nation is looking to clean-burning natural gas to be a more critical part of our energy supply, and 95% of our drilling in Louisiana right now is for natural gas,” Angelle says, adding that the rigs running in Louisiana just a week ago made up more than 15% of the nation’s total drilling activity at the time. David Dismukes, director of the LSU Center for Energy Studies, says in the same research paper that politics may have played a role in the recent bounce. “Louisiana’s efforts in business tax reform, ethics reform, its progressive business environment and the discovery of enough potential natural gas to fuel the nation for a decade have strengthened Louisiana’s position as a leader in U.S. energy-producing states,” Dismukes says, “even as the energy industry has struggled elsewhere.” —Jeremy Alford

Editor: Fed up with Metro Council shenanigans

Business Report Executive Editor JR Ball is mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore. The Metro Council's disregard of term limits laws—and of the advice of the parish attorney's office—was the last straw. He's throwing his hat in the ring for a seat on every board and commission in the parish that he's eligible for, in the hopes of getting a court ruling on the legality of the council's actions. "If there's a competent attorney out there looking to fight for justice, get some free publicity and willing to work cheap [preferably pro bono], then give me a call and let's file something ASAP," Ball says. Read the full column here. Send comments to editors@businessreport.com.

Metro Council to consider $12.4 million appropriation for River Center expansion

Metro Council members will seek public comment on a $12.4 million appropriation for expansion of the River Center at their regular meeting Wednesday afternoon. Of that amount, $4.6 million will come from State Capital Outlay funding while the other $7.8 million will be funded either by the New Markets Tax Credit Program or the proceeds of a loan to the city-parish by the Louisiana Community Development Authority. The expansion plans include adding meeting rooms as well as a new main entrance for people going into the center from parking garages on St. Louis Street and creating a public space for hosting outdoor events.

The Council will consider authorizing the administration to execute a $250,000 loan agreement with the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance for acquiring land and constructing single-family homes in the Hickey Town area. Two other loans totaling over $373,000 will be considered for the Hand Up Program to acquire and rehabilitate two single-family homes for low-income tenants. The HOME Investment Partnerships Program will fund all three loans.

Also on the agenda: authorizing the administration to accept two grants from the 2007 and 2008 Regional State Homeland Security Program totaling just over $1 million, authorizing the parish attorney to launch expropriation proceedings for sewer upgrades and appropriating $6 million in GO Zone bonds for constructing an airport hangar facility at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport. —Emma James

Rain, snow forecast Thursday night for Baton Rouge

Several inches of snow are possible across parts of the Florida Parishes and southwest Mississippi on Thursday night, the National Weather Service’s New Orleans-Baton Rouge office says. Light rain is expected Thursday afternoon as an area of low pressure moves across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Some light sleet is possible during the day near the Interstate 10-Interstate12 corridor. Widespread precipitation is expected Thursday night, with rain or snow possible across the Capital Region, portions of the Northshore and areas just inland from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. If there is more snow than rain, there could be light snowfall accumulations by Friday morning. All precipitation is expected to end Friday morning west of Interstate 55 and Lake Pontchartrain. Baton Rouge’s forecast calls for a 70% chance of rain and sleet mainly after noon Thursday, with a high temperature near 46; a 90% chance of rain and snow Thursday night with a low near 34; and a 50% chance of rain and snow mainly before noon Friday, with a high near 46. To follow this developing winter-weather situation, click here for the local NWS Web site.

Geoshield opens second Saudi Arabian office

Geoshield, a locally owned but internationally distributing company based out of LSU's Louisiana Business & Technology Center, has opened its second distribution center in Saudi Arabia. The office in Al-Hasa will install the company's window films for use in commercial and residential building and in automobiles. Geoshield opened its first Saudi Arabian office in Riyadh over the summer. The company also has locations in Canada, Malaysia and South America.

Poll: Funny ads go over well at Super Bowl

Respondents to a Daily Report poll were fond of the Super Bowl commercials that went for the funny bone. Twenty-three percent of people who responded to an online poll say their favorite commercial was a spot for Doritos that featured a dog putting a shock collar on its owner. Twenty-one percent preferred the Snickers ad featuring TV stars Betty White and Abe Vigoda, while 13% most like the E-Trade spot that featured a baby boy talking to his jealous girlfriend and 13% say they liked a commercial that wasn't listed. Nearly 2,100 people participated in the poll. USA Today's Ad Meter rated the Snickers spot first and the Doritos ad second.

Today's question: Should the Legislature delay approving the proposed LSU-Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center deal?

News roundup: Sports books put Saints third to win 2011 Super Bowl … Crowe wants 'Who Dat' plates

Colts favored next time: One bad pass by Peyton Manning hasn't cost the Indianapolis Colts any cachet. Manning and the Colts are favored to win next year's Super Bowl, according to odds released by BetUS.com. Indianapolis is a 7-1 favorite to take home the NFL championship, followed by the San Diego Chargers (8-1), New Orleans Saints (9-1) and the New England Patriots (10-1). The St. Louis Rams, coming off a 1-15 season, are the longest shot on the board at 150-1. History isn't in the Colts' favor. The last time a team won the Super Bowl after losing the year before was in 1973, when the Miami Dolphins won the game.

Show your pride: A legislator wants to applaud the Super Bowl-winning New Orleans Saints with a Louisiana license plate. State Sen. A.G. Crowe, R-Slidell, says he's proposing the creation of a specialty license plate to honor the Saints and their "Who Dat Nation" followers. The bill will be considered in the legislative session that begins March 29. Crowe says the plate would bear the fleur-de-lis, the state seal and the phrase "Who Dat Nation." Crowe says he'll talk to NFL officials to avoid problems with copyright laws. Specialty license tags cost $50 to $60 more than regular plates, with additional money going to administrative costs and to a specific charity or cause. Crowe says he hasn't yet picked the "worthy cause" that would get the Saints plate money.