Last week was not a good one for me.
Not because Mayor Kip Holden, Metro Councilman Pat Culbertson, Planning Commissioner Frank Muscarello, social activist Joe Traigle and half the residents of Southdowns—not to mention my sister-in-law—are a tad peeved at yours truly for opinions expressed about Rouzan and the politics behind Tommy Spinosa’s TND rezoning request.
Heck, that’s a good week when you’re getting paid to get a city with the vision of Stevie Wonder to recognize its enormous potential and become a more progressive, vibrant—and, yes, diverse—Baton Rouge.
No, the trouble with last week was the announcement that Camm Morton will be leaving his post as CEO of Commercial Properties by the end of the year. After 25 years in real estate—the past five running the independent real estate wing of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation—Morton is getting into the hotel management business.
Good for Camm and his family. I wish them the best of success with Morton’s newly launched Ashby Hospitality.
Yet the warm wishes for my friend are tempered by the nagging feeling that Baton Rouge comes out on the short end of this job swap.
Quite simply, Morton has played a significant role in making our city a much better place to live.
Which is why it’s wrong that news of Morton’s departure got as much attention as T. Lee Horne announcing his candidacy for governor. T. Lee who? Exactly.
Such is life in a month when Rouzan and the never-ending, though never happening, Les Miles-to-Michigan rumors dominate the headlines and online blogs.
Maybe, but I’m not going to let Morton ease into his new life without first thanking this visionary—and his talented team—for helping change the landscape in areas others left for dead.
Along with BRAF, Commercial Properties rescued the bankrupt renovation of the old Bon Marché Mall property, transforming it into the Bon Carré Business Center, a gorgeous Mediterranean-style mixed-use project that continues to grow along the largely ignored Florida Boulevard corridor.
But his legacy project will be transforming the downtown eyesore known as the Capitol House into the first-class Hilton Capitol Center. For nearly a decade other developers saw the dilapidated structure and said forget it. Yet Camm and his team made it happen.
It’s fitting that his new company’s first contract is to manage the hotel he brought back to life.
Commercial Properties is also developing One Eleven and The Brownstones, downtown’s first new residential projects in decades.
Not everything has played out the way Morton envisioned. A proposed mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhood called Arden in an ignored part of town hasn’t gotten off the ground due to a lack of government funding. Maybe it will one day happen, maybe it won’t, but at least Commercial Properties and its partners are trying to bring a much-needed boost to an area where no one else is willing to take the risk.
It’s easy to say anyone running a realty trust company with $215 million in assets—not to mention an affiliation with BRAF—could pull off these impressive, high-risk deals.
You could say that, but you’d be wrong.
Morton brought a tremendous vision to Commercial Properties and to the Baton Rouge community.
Other developers would get upset, charging Commercial Properties had an unfair tax advantage, but Morton largely ignored the claims and kept dragging us toward a more progressive future.
I’ll never forget the afternoon two years ago when Morton unveiled a rough draft of plans for the abandoned Wal-Mart site on Perkins Road and South Acadian Thruway. Honestly, the proposal was underwhelming. So you can imagine the reaction from the residents of Southdowns. Actually, you can’t.
“With Commercial Properties and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation involved we’ll trust you,” one resident said. “We know whatever is ultimately built will be great.”
There’s no higher compliment for a developer than blind faith from Southdowns. What do you think Spinosa would pay for that type of love?
The combination of Morton’s departure and a BRAF board divided over the company’s future mission leaves one to wonder if Commercial Properties, sadly, is done with community-enhancing projects.
Fortunately, Morton isn’t leaving Baton Rouge and he’ll continue to have a positive impact—even if it’s on a smaller scale—on the place we call home.
Others may have missed the news of Morton’s departure, but I didn’t.
Thanks, Camm, for everything.
Comments
Posted by Papadeaux on December 18, 2007 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
JR, very good information about Mr. Morton. We sometimes forget about the visionaries who are willing to take a risk to better our community.
I found your comments about Arden interesting. I've been trying to follow this project for some time, but there appears to be little information. The only items I could find were at http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/printerf...
and
www.dpz.com/pdf/CRP%20Press%20Release%20...
Do you have any additional information on this development?
Posted by jrball (JR Ball) on December 18, 2007 at 4:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It was originally called Smiley Heights. Business Report did a cover story on the project last year. The plan called for a mixed-use, mixed-income development on land generally behind the Tech Park. There was also talk of building a school within the project. As I understand it (and am not certain on this), finding a way to fund the project has been difficult. There was a hope to use some of the Federal money from Katrina-Rita recovery to help with the residential component but I believe most of that grant money was steered to areas directly impacted by the storms. As I understand it, Commercial Properties and the private-sector developers are looking for other grant opportunities. Some of the housing would be at market rates while others would be subsidized. I am not sold on this town being ready for a mixed-race, mixed-income project but I applaud those who propose to build it. One other hurdle is the area where the project is to be built carries a negative stereotype in this town (known as Mall City) and there will have to be a PR campaign to deal with that issue as well.
Posted by Dot on December 19, 2007 at 3:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
JR,
Thank you for this lovely piece, and for giving Camm Morton the commendation he so deserves. This is truly a loss for Commercial Properties. It's unfortunate that Mr. Morton will depart his post without leaving the legacy that was to be Smiley Heights. I can not think of another Southern developer with the vision and faith to propose a mixed-income neighborhood. I truly believe it could have worked -- and it was at right time, too. (Sigh)
And yes, Southdowns trusted him and BRAF implicitly with that abandoned Wal-Mart site plan ...
That's a love that can't be bought. :-)
Posted by kdixon on December 20, 2007 at 1:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
JR,
Thanks for the piece. The Baton Rouge Little Theater has a vested interest in Bon Carre, and therefore, we are interested in the direction of Commercial Properties. Weighing the primary concerns of a for-profit business against the needs of a non-profit is a difficult task, and Camm and his staff have worked hard to not only keep us informed but to consider our situation whenever possible throughout the development of the campus.
It is my hope that Commercial Properties continues to do the good work for Baton Rouge no matter who is leading the way.
Thank you, Camm, for all you have done.
Keith Dixon
Managing Artistic Director
Baton Rouge Little Theater
Posted by evelyn on December 21, 2007 at 2:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks JR. I was surprised as well that there was not more in the news about the changes at Commercial Properties. It came as a shock to me. The names Camm Morton and Commercial Properties had after all, become synonymous in my opinion. He has ventured into territories that others wouldn't dare and has had the wisdom to include neighborhood associations in the planning process. My concern for many years has been the revitalization of the Florida Blvd. area including the old Bon Marche' Mall, now the beautiful Bon Carre' Business Center, and the Melrose East neighborhood directly behind Bon Carre'. The newly proposed Arden Subdivision is an innovative concept that would make a positive impact on this entire area if it were successfully implemented. I'm hoping we can see it happen. However, what some are choosing to ignore is the fact that Melrose East still needs lots of help and until more work is concentrated there, that area will slowly but surely revert into what it used to be: "Mall City". I know that Camm and the other partners involved with the Arden development were committed to making an impact on Melrose East and I'm hoping the new management team will take another look at their backyard and see what they can do right there, so that the Arden subdivision can attract the homeowners needed to make it successful and that Bon Carre' will continue to attract and keep the businesses who contribute to its success. Thank you Camm for being the visionary that Baton Rouge needs, for giving us great beauty where there were once horrid eye sores and for passing along your vision to those who step into those positions at Commercial Properties.
Posted by richyb on December 31, 2007 at 12:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks J.R. and Thanks Camm. He's sure is a bold visionary and a class act! He has helped take Baton Rouge to another level! He has been so successful in other cities; I'm glad he was able to make his way to our city.
Bonne Carre is a huge success and helped revitalize the Florida Blvd. coridor on the eastern edges of Mid City. The Hilton Capitol Center was the icing on the cake. A key componet in making Downtown what it needs to be! The Brownstones and One Eleven will bring more residents too!
Acadian Village is another excellent idea for the old Wal-Mart! Mixed-use developments are where it's at!
Hopefully Arden can happen one day. This would be a very important/smart infil project!
I wish Laurel Tower would have happened. It definetly would have helped bulk-up BR's malnutritioned skyline and added much needed parking! But that's O.K. the other projects far outweigh this.
Good fortune for Camm in the future!
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