Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne is asking the Louisiana seafood promotion board to draw up a strategic plan and says he'll seek an audit of its finances as he assumes oversight of its operations. Lawmakers shifted the new responsibility to the lieutenant governor's office in the recently ended legislative session as part of an effort to strengthen supervision of a 14-member board that has received millions in recovery money from the 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill. While Dardenne says he didn't seek the new responsibility or push the legislation, he notes that the mission of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board dovetails with that of his office, which is charged with Louisiana's tourism marketing. "I think it is a nice fit," he says. "There is no question in my mind that this is a marriage that is going to work, that's going to be very successful for your industry and very successful for the state of Louisiana." The new law takes effect July 1. The seafood board had only modest funding...
Worry and speculation have consumed investors since Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke to Congress last month about the Federal Reserve's drive to keep long-term interest rates at record lows. Today, many hope the Fed will settle the confusion. Will the Fed scale back its $85 billion-a-month in bond purchases within "the next few meetings," as Bernanke suggested during his remarks to Congress? Or does the job market remain too weak for the Fed to slow its stimulus, as Bernanke said at another point? The Fed's bond purchases have been intended to hold down long-term loan rates to induce Americans to borrow and spend and invest in the stock market. Ultra-low rates are credited with helping fuel a housing comeback, support economic growth, drive stocks to record highs and restore the wealth America lost to the recession. Conflicting statements from other Fed officials have further clouded the outlook for the bond-buying program. That's why the pressure for the Fed to clarify its message has...
An Environmental Protection Agency official has informed a fracking conference in Ohio that a study of the threat to drinking water from the shale-drilling process won't be completed until 2016. That's the word from Jeanne Briskin, coordinator of hydraulic fracturing research at the EPA's Office of Research and Development. She spoke Tuesday at a two-day conference on the subject held in Cleveland. The Akron Beacon Journal reports that Briskin says the EPA could release a preliminary report late next year. She described the work as "complex research." Congress in 2010 directed the agency to investigate the threat to groundwater and air from the controversial hydraulic-fracturing process. Critics say it is harmful to the environment.
KeyBank National Association has once again asked a judge to postpone the foreclosure sale of Perkins Rowe that was set to take place Wednesday. In a one-page motion filed today, the Ohio-based lender simply says it "needs to postpone the foreclosure sale" and does not provide a reason. This marks the third time that KeyBank has asked for a postponement; at its request, previously scheduled sales in March and May were put off. As of this afternoon, U.S. District Judge James Brady had not yet ruled on KeyBank's latest request for postponement. Sources familiar with the 3.5-year-old court battle between the KeyBank and Perkins Rowe developer Tommy Spinosa predicted the June sale would be postponed, They have told Daily Report that the bank's repeated postponements suggest that KeyBank may be trying to negotiate a deal with Spinosa. Meanwhile, in January, the U.S. Fifth...
Since Thursday, there have been two fatal accidents at Ascension Parish chemical plants. Edward Flynn, vice president for health, safety and security with the Louisiana Chemical Association, says he understands that the public is concerned about safety, but says he's not worried about a backlash against the industry, because industry leaders, government officials, regulators and the public "are basically on the same team." "People rightly want the economic and jobs benefits that go with a healthy and growing chemical manufacturing industry," he says, "as long as the industry demonstrates it has safety as its core value." Flynn says it's too soon to say if any new safety measures will be implemented broadly in the wake of the accidents, as the investigations are just beginning. The Louisiana Bucket Brigade, an environmental activist group, says it surveyed 67 people in Geismar near where an explosion rocked the Williams Olefins plant Thursday. They say 24 people reported physical...
The Baton Rouge Film Commission has launched a new website and unveiled a new logo as part of a rebranding of the group. Liza Kelso, the commission's assistant director, says the new website reflects the lessons learned by the commission since it was formed in 2007 by Mayor Kip Holden to be a liaison between the city-parish and the film industry. "Basically, we've gathered everything that filmmakers have asked of us over the years and have put it all together on the new site," she says. "It's about making that connection between the production and the business community as easy as possible." The new site has information on permitting, production essentials and the state's film tax credits as well as a production guide. It also supplies pertinent information for those who want to find work in the film industry or make movies, says Kelso. Local businesses that are interested in serving the film industry are encouraged to sign up to be included in the site's production directory. You...
The Planning and Zoning Commission has approved a more than 10,000-square-foot commercial development that would include a boutique shop as well as a day care center and an elementary school at the intersection of Congress Boulevard and Perkins Road. The development, which also would include office space and a restaurant, next goes before the Metro Council at the July 17 meeting. Carla Schild, director of Country Day School of Baton Rouge, filed the application for approval. Schild did not immediately respond to a message left by Daily Report seeking further details on the development. The Planning and Zoning Commission also approved a planned unit development concept plan for the Village at Riverwood, a proposed 600-acre mixed-use development on River Road south of LSU. That concept had been previously approved in 2007, but that approval expired when the project was put on hold;
Officials at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport are asking the Planning Commission to rezone about 3.5 acres of undeveloped land on the north side of the airport to make way for an auto auction business announced last fall. The commission will consider rezoning the property off the south side of Blount Road at its July 15 meeting. The land is a part of the larger Aviation Business Park at the airport, which is also home to United Coca-Cola Bottlers and Express Jet Regional Jet Maintenance Center, as well as several government offices. Future tenants planned for the park include Loomis and All Star Chevrolet-North, among others. In October, Auction Broadcasting Co. told Daily Report of its plans for an ABC Baton Rouge auction business at the airport, with company officials estimating they could move as many as 600 cars a week when fully operational. Officials said they planned on employing about 50 workers at the outse, and hoped to increase employment to about 100 by the end...
A pre-dawn gas line explosion shook residents out of their beds in a rural area of Washington Parish near the community of Enon. Sheriff Randy Seal says there were no injuries from the blowout, which occurred around 5:30 a.m. Seal says the fire was extinguished when crews from Florida Gas, the owners of the pipeline, shut off the gas flow. The explosion in the community about 85 miles northeast of Baton Rouge knocked out power to about 10,000 customers of the Washington-Street Tammany Electric Cooperative, but a representative at the electric co-op says power to all or most of the customers has been restored. The sheriff says one home was damaged by heat from the fire, adding that several families living near the blast were asked to leave their home just as a precaution. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
The past several years have been something of a dry spell for commercial bankers. On the upside, a prolonged period of low interest rates has enabled them to pay next to nothing for deposits. But having a pile of cash on hand doesn't count for much when bankers can't make loans. Years of economic recession dampened borrowers' spirit. Now, bankers say, businesses are edging back to the table, though a true rebound could be a year or more away. "We're seeing businesses starting to make increased capital outlays to meet demand for their goods and services, and what follows from that is increased loan demand," says Robert Schneckenburger, Baton Rouge market president for Chase Bank. Ric Kearny, Baton Rouge area president for Capital One, says he has seen loan demand increase moderately this year, stemming from continued low interest rates and the nudge provided by an improving economy. Borrowers are coming from a variety of business sectors, he says: "It's been pretty much across the...
The Louisiana Legislature may have given the state's residents the right to have "I'm a Cajun" placed on their driver's license during the recently ended session, but they also allowed a transportation bill to die on the Senate floor with the result that Louisianans could end up being required to have a passport in order to board any commercial flight. "That was a disappointment," says Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport spokesman Jim Caldwell, referring to the bill's defeat. "I really thought that this year it would go through." Amendments presented to the Senate Transportation Committee would have brought Louisiana into compliance with the Real ID Act of 2005—which state lawmakers have rejected as too intrusive since they passed a law in 2008 restricting the state from including a symbol on driver's licenses showing compliance. In January, an extension was given to Louisiana and other states that were not in compliance with the federal regulations. As of February, 19 states are...
Done deal: A group of investors led by David Weinstein and local architect Dyke Nelson acquired the Capital One Bank building last week for $4.3 million. The new owners are looking for potential commercial tenants for the eight-story, 111,000-square-foot downtown building while they explore options for mixed-use redevelopment that could include residential space. They also plan to immediately add a 6,000-square-foot ninth floor on the building for use as a penthouse office. Daily Report has the full story here.
I'm stepping back from my self-appointed mission of informing the public that interest rates are going up (they are, you know, and right soon) to remind my friends in the real estate world that June 30 is fast approaching and bankers would appreciate it if you send in your required financial information before the end of the quarter. Bankers worry about such matters because their performance is partially evaluated based on the number of loan files that have missing financial information, and they get written up for an "exception" if they do not get the missing information into the file by the end of the quarter. The second quarter typically finds a large number of exceptions for tax returns or extensions, financial statements from subsidiaries and other items that just could not be prepared by the end of the first quarter. It is time to send that missing information to your banker and keep your file off of the lender's exception list.
Area Wholesale Tire Company is constructing a new 8,000-square-foot warehouse and retail center with five, 22-foot bays on the former Napa Auto Parts at 11860 Airline Hwy. In the name of William B. Potter LLC, AWT purchased the 1.38-acre site last summer for $477,000. The property includes about 150 feet of frontage on Airline and measures roughly 400 feet in depth, with the sale price working out to $8 per square foot (before factoring in the cost of demolishing the existing structure). Austin Earhart with Beau Box Commercial Real Estate brokered the deal. AWT also has a huge warehouse distribution and retail operation on Airline, further north from the new warehouse and retail center. "We are trying to better serve our customers," says Bill Potter with AWT. "We want to be able to provide quick reliable service to people where nobody tries to sell you what you don't need. We are going to concentrate on selling tires, but we will do some alignment." The new facility is currently...
Minorities continue to face discrimination when it comes to finding and securing housing, according to a new study by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Urban Institute. "Real estate agents and rental housing providers recommend and show fewer available homes and apartments to minorities than equally qualified whites," HUD says in summary of the study, for which its "paired-testing" consisted of two people—one white and one minority—calling and visiting real estate offices in 28 cities across the country last year. "Although the most blatant forms of housing discrimination have declined since the first national paired-testing study in 1977, the forms that persist raise the costs of housing search for minorities and restrict their housing options." While minorities were usually given an appointment to view available properties with an agent about as often as whites, the study says, their experiences during the appointments were often far different. In...
Officials at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport are asking the Planning Commission to rezone about 3.5 acres of undeveloped land on the north side of the airport to make way for an auto auction business announced last fall. The commission will consider rezoning the property off the south side of Blount Road at its July 15 meeting. The land is a part of the larger Aviation Business Park at the airport, which is also home to United Coca-Cola Bottlers and Express Jet Regional Jet Maintenance Center, as well as several government offices. Future tenants planned for the park include Loomis and All Star Chevrolet-North, among others. In October, Auction Broadcasting Co. told Daily Report of its plans for an ABC Baton Rouge auction business at the airport, with company officials estimating they could move as many as 600 cars a week when fully operational. Officials said they...
Stab's Steak & Seafood, a Wayne Stabiler restaurant, is opening soon in Central's Magnolia Square. So are three other businesses: Avant Tous Beauty Bar and Day Spa, Beau Ideal Salon, and Title Plus. They are joining Bourg Insurance, Edward Jones Investments, B & K Bank, Rabalais Homes, and Wall Décor & More: the existing businesses in the commercial-retail section of Magnolia Square. To celebrate, the Magnolia Square Business Association, along with the Central Chamber of Commerce, is hosting an evening social at Stab's on Thursday, 6 to 8 p.m. "All are invited" to the event, organizers say. Jimmy Nunnally and Steele Pollard are the developers of the TND on Lovett Road in Central.
Attempts by lawmakers to constitutionally limit Louisiana's allocation of Gulf Coast oil spill penalty money to coastal restoration failed to gain legislative passage for a second year in a row. Disagreements continue over just how tightly the dollars should be restricted. Rep. Simone Champagne of Erath says she wants to make sure the billions of dollars that Louisiana will receive in compensation for the 2010 BP oil spill can't be diverted to fill budget gaps. Sen. Norby Chabert of Houma says the state doesn't need to further handcuff itself in how it can use the money, because the spending already is restricted by federal law to coastal recovery. Champagne's bill dealt with money Louisiana will receive for violations of the federal Clean Water Act.
The board overseeing the tax-funded Research Park Corp. will consider selling its stake in the Bon Carré Business Center off Florida Boulevard, according to an agenda for the board's next monthly meeting that was released today. The Research Park Corp., which was formed in 1992 by the Louisiana Legislature to build university research parks, has a reported $2 million stake in Bon Carré. It gained control of the former mall property in late 2002, and has since sold off the majority of the development to private investors. Research Park Corp. runs the Louisiana Technology Park, which is located in Bon Carré. The board will take up the possible sale during its July 18 meeting at the Louisiana Technology Park, 7117 Florida Blvd., which begins at noon.
When this year's session ended, legislators patted themselves on the back for showing some independence and crafting a budget with broad bipartisan support. But Rep. Walt Leger III, D-New Orleans and speaker pro tempore of the House, says lawmakers did little to fix the structural issues that lead to repeated cuts to health care and higher education. "We got through this session, but it's not time to do a touchdown dance," says Leger, guest speaker of the Baton Rouge Press Club today. The test will be whether lawmakers build on their newfound sense of independence and cooperation to tackle big issues, he says. The state continues "to miss the boat" by under-investing in its ports and other infrastructure, he says, adding it's "inexcusable" that Louisiana is refusing to take federal money to expand Medicaid. There were some changes made this year that Leger considers positives, however, such as allowing voters to create a constitutional
Natural gas has been a game changer for the U.S. and Louisiana economies in recent years, and even greater growth is on tap as long as the federal government and President Barack Obama don't limit liquefied natural gas exports, says Raymond Keating, chief economist for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. In a new guest column, Keating says small businesses have a big stake in a decision on LNG exports that's being weighed by Obama and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee—on which Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu has a seat. He notes that oil and gas extraction businesses in Louisiana expanded by 6% between 2005 and 2010, including 8% growth by firms with fewer than 20 employees. Oil and gas extraction support service firms also grew, as did oil and gas field machinery and equipment manufacturers, with some of the greatest growth seen by businesses with 20 or fewer employees. "Small and midsize firms overwhelmingly populate key Louisiana energy sectors," says...
Motorists filling up their tank in the Baton Rouge area this morning are paying about 6 cents more for a gallon of regular, unleaded gas than they were a week ago. According to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the average price this morning is $3.35, up from $3.29 one a week ago. That's also a 6-cent rise from the average price one month ago and 11 cents higher than the average at this time last year. Nonetheless, today's local and state averages remain well below the $3.61 national average; the Louisiana average stands at $3.36. The U.S. average fell 2 cents on the week and 3 cents over the past month but is 11 cents higher than it was one year ago. South Carolina's average of $3.25 is the lowest among the states today, while Hawaii's $4.35 average is the highest. Just three states have a lower average price than Louisiana. You can check out the complete report here.
A group of investors led by David Weinstein and local architect Dyke Nelson acquired the Capital One Bank building today for $4.3 million. The new owners are looking for potential commercial tenants for the eight-story, 111,000-square-foot downtown building, while they explore options for mixed-use redevelopment that could include residential space. They also plan to immediately add a 6,000-square-foot ninth floor on the building for use as a penthouse office. "There's so much momentum right now that we just think that it's a good time to be investing in downtown," Nelson says. Several potential tenants have inquired about the space, but none has signed a lease yet, says Jonathan Walker of Masestri-Murrell, who represented the buyers in the deal and is marketing the property. Weinstein and Nelson signed a purchase agreement to acquire the building early this spring. Weinstein and Nelson are also involved in the redevelopment of the Tessier building on Lafayette Street; the Lafayette...
Despite a steady ridership at around 10,500 passengers a month, the LA Swift bus service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans will stop running at the end of this month, with the DOTD announcing it would not renew the service's contract.
With the LA Swift Baton Rouge-New Orleans bus service en route to cease operations at the end of June, those who believe the government should continue subsidizing the service and those who see it as wasteful spending are making their respective cases. Nonprofit organization Bike Baton Rouge is supporting an online petition recently started by a group formed to save LA Swift in an attempt to get the state to continue funding the service. As of this morning it has about 550 signatures. "The elimination of the LA Swift will only serve to exacerbate highway congestion," says Beaux Jones, chairman of the Bike Baton Rouge board. "Meantime, as any urban planner will tell you, one of the paradoxes of highway expansion is that it inevitably induces more demand." However,...
Elite Airways, the charter-service airline that plans to begin regular scheduled service to and from Baton Rouge later this summer, appears to be running behind with its startup date. Originally the Maine-based airline, which has an operations center in Melbourne, Fla., was planning a mid-June announcement to unveil details of its new route service. However, local airport officials are not yet sure when the airline coming. "They are still hoping to announce something later this month," says Baton Rouge Metro Airport spokesman Jim Caldwell. "But they are working on their reservation system and taking their time making sure everything is in place so they can do it properly." Elite president John Pearsall says he will be in Baton Rouge next week for meetings to discuss the airline's plans and will have a better idea of when service will begin at that time. To read more about Elite Airlines' plans to service Baton Rouge, click
Louisiana State Police have identified the person who was killed today in a chemical plant explosion at the Geismar facility owned by The Williams Companies, based in Tulsa, Okla. Zachary Green, 29, of Hammond, died in the blast. Troopers and company representatives have notified Green's next of kin. State Police have opened most roads in the area surrounding the affected plant. The section of La. 3115 between La. 30 and La. 75 near the plant remains closed as emergency personnel continue to investigate this morning's incident.
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to hear oral arguments in the nearly four-year-old foreclosure case of Perkins Rowe. The court today said it will set a hearing for the week of Aug. 5 to decide whether the U.S. district court had jurisdiction in the case. Attorneys for developer Tommy Spinosa, who owes some $200 million on the mixed-use development to a consortium of lenders led by KeyBank National Association, have argued repeatedly that the foreclosure suit should have been tried in state court. “We are glad we will have a chance to appeal our case and that our arguments on the issue of jurisdiction will finally be heard,” says Spinosa’s spokesman Jeff Wright. Officials with KeyBank could not be reached for comment. Perkins Rowe is scheduled to be put up for auction June 19 at a foreclosure sale. Sources familiar with the case say that auction is likely to be postponed for reasons unrelated to the appellate court’s actions.
Walmart will break ground later this month on a long-planned Walmart Super Center on Bluebonnet Boulevard and Burbank Drive. A company spokeswoman tells Daily Report that Clark Construction Inc. of McComb, Miss., has been awarded the contract to build the 150,000-square-foot structure, which is scheduled to open in summer 2014. Construction for the project was previously estimated at around $7 million, with a total project cost of more than $11 million. Spokeswoman Erica Jones could not confirm those estimates today. The Walmart Super Center—which is the latest of several key retail and residential projects in the burgeoning south Baton Rouge area—was first announced in 2008 but tabled for several years because of the recession. Earlier this year, Walmart put the project out to bid, though sources tell Daily Report that it was later re-bid because the initial estimates came in too high. Clark Construction has considerable experience building Walmart outlets.
The LA Swift Baton Rouge-New Orleans bus service is scheduled to end at the end of June. There's still time to save it, but someone's going to have to come up with the money. DOTD says a $750,000 annual local match is needed to replace a reduction in available federal funds. No state money has been allocated for that purpose. "If a local entity would like to enter into a contract to continue services starting July 1, federal funds may be available to them," DOTD says. "Additionally, Greyhound provides a self-sustaining bus service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge." Callen Hotard, CEO of service provider Hotard Coaches, says adjustments to the contract could slash the local cost in half. So far, no funding source has been identified, but supporters of the service say they haven't given up. "A lot of people still see LA Swift as something that came after Katrina so people could commute into New Orleans," says BRAC spokesman Phillip LaFargue. "It's about connecting these two...
With local home sales 9.8% better in May than they were during the month one year ago—and the average home sales price up nearly 5%—the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors says "the market as a whole has summertime heat." According to GBRAR's latest monthly report, a total of 809 homes were sold last month in the eight-parish region it tracks, compared to 737 sold last May. The average sales price last month was $198,991, up from $196,757 in May 2012. The number of homes on the market was down considerably, at 3,980, or about 14.5% fewer than were up for sale last May. GBRAR's report says, "It seems our collective attention has shifted from monitoring price and sales gains to eagerly anticipating more new listing activity on the part of sellers." The declining number of listings is the "result of an imbalance between strong demand for homes and constrained supply," GBRAR says, adding, "In some markets, purchase agreements are being written up directly after a...
U.S. oil production growth was the largest in the world last year, showing that despite some suggestions to the contrary, crude is plentiful, according to BP Chief Executive Officer Bob Dudley. As The Houston Chronicle reports, Dudley says the real challenge for the industry is deciding how much money to invest—and where to invest it—to reap the greatest rewards from the changing landscape. "The supply of energy is coming from an increasing diversity of sources as the world's energy market continues to adapt, innovate and evolve," Dudley says. During a presentation in London that was broadcast on the Internet, Dudley outlined the British oil giant's annual statistical review of world energy markets. The review looked at how energy was produced, consumed and traded in 2012, and it also analyzed how past data will impact future trends. The biggest phenomenon last year, by far, was the impact of the growing shale revolution in the United States, Dudley says. Oil...
Louisiana State Police Capt. Doug Cain confirms injuries were sustained at a Geismar olefins plant following an explosion and fire this morning. Cain says he doesn't know how many people were hurt in the incident at The Williams Companies Inc. plant, but that he has seen ambulances taking "a couple folks" from the Ascension Parish plant near the Iberville Parish line. The plant is located near the intersection of Louisiana highways 30 and 3115. The Tulsa, Okla.-based company's website says the plant annually puts out about 1.3 billion pounds of ethylene and 90 million pounds of polymer grade propylene. The Times-Picayune reports the explosion was reported just after 8:30 a.m., and that as of 9:30 a.m., Louisiana highways 74, 30 and 3115 were all closed due to the explosion, which state police described as a "haz-mat incident." Plants around the area were reportedly being evacuated.
The 2013 Louisiana State legislative session has now adjourned for the year. Each year leading up to the session, typically one conversation dominates the press. This year, the topic of discussion was the governor's tax plan, which was set to do away with personal, corporate and franchise taxes as well as restructure many important tax incentives.
Louisiana Oil & Gas Association President Don Briggs says the recently adjourned session of the Legislature was good for the oil and gas industry, mostly because industry tax exemptions that could have been subject to modification were left in place when lawmakers failed to act on Gov. Bobby Jindal's tax plan. Several other bills that would have affected operator expenses, royalties, leases and water management also did not pass or were turned into study resolutions, Briggs says. "Whether or not the oil and gas industry, the business community or the local municipalities were able to leave happy on all fronts, this was a positive year for our state," Briggs says. "Anytime persons elected by the people vote and pass laws, while having differing opinions, and peace is maintained, we can thank God for our democracy. But, as our democracy goes, the 2014 conversations and negotiations began as soon as the closing gavel was banged for 2013." Read his full column
The end of the LA Swift bus service June 30 leaves thousands of Baton Rouge-New Orleans commuters without a viable transit option, supporters say. A survey of 300 riders developed by AARP Louisiana, the Center for Planning Excellence, RIDE New Orleans, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation has found: • 51% of riders use the service to get to work; • 14% use it to access health care services; • 32% do not have a car; • 53% are willing to pay a higher fare than the current $5.
Collis Temple—along with his son Garrett Temple and former LSU basketball star Glenn "Big Baby" Davis—is planning to redevelop his 40-unit DeVille Apartment complex on North Street downtown. Temple has applied for Louisiana Housing Commission tax credits to help fund the overhaul of the 54-year-old building, which was designed by A.C. Lewis. "It is going to be a mixed-income development because we do not want to exclude anybody," Temple says. "We want it to be a complex of inclusion." With the construction nearby of The Elysian—another mixed-income apartment complex—as well as several downtown redevelopment projects and the recent announcement that IBM is opening a technology services center in a riverfront office building, Temple believes the area is poised for growth. "Clearly, with IBM making the move they're making and all the development taking place, there is an opportunity for that complex to be improved," Temple says. "So we're going to do it." Temple...
Paul Stratford spent a dozen years of his career working for ExxonMobil in Singapore. North American manufacturing was stagnant, and Southeast Asia was the place to be. But two and a half years ago, he was named manager of ExxonMobil's Baton Rouge Chemical Plant. The reason? Baton Rouge is now the place to be. "I came back here because of the new boom and what they were calling 'the manufacturing renaissance' in this country," Stratford says. "I came back to a world of growth in North America that was really not envisioned by our company or by any other companies across the globe." Indeed, a mere three years ago, manufacturing was widely considered a declining industry in Louisiana. Plant after plant had closed its doors. Fifty thousand jobs had been lost since 2000. And consultants aiding the state with Blue Ocean strategy for economic development concluded that digital media, renewable energy and water management offered the best hope for growing Louisiana's economy. But oh, what a...
DMC Carter Chambers' plans for a new $10 million headquarters complex on Highland Road are moving forward, with a groundbreaking expected in three or four months, company officials say. The project, which was first announced in May 2012, will include consolidating existing facilities in Baton Rouge, Gonzales and Prairieville into a single office, warehouse and shop located on roughly 13.5 acres at 19200 Highland Road. The project is a little behind schedule, says vice president of supply chain David Ross, but may end up being a little larger than the 90,000-square-foot facility announced last year. "The plan is basically still the same, but we have tweaked the design here and there, and it might be a tad bit bigger," he says. A plan recently submitted to the city-parish Planning Commission calls for a facility as large as 120,00 square feet, including 75,000 square feet of warehouse and shop space. DMC, which supplies industrial, service and support products, is asking the Planning...
Baton Rouge-based Piccadilly Restaurants announced today that it has created a new division within the company: emergency services. The new division will allow the restaurant and food service company to feed people on a mass scale anywhere around the country following a disaster. Chief Operating Officer Chris Sanchez says Piccadilly has a new, custom-built emergency kitchen that enables it to serve up to 100,000 meals a day. The company is not entirely new to emergency food service. Following hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Piccadilly says it served 10,000 meals a day and a total of more than 100,000 following the two storms. Over the years, Piccadilly says it has provided more than 500,000 emergency relief meals via partnerships with the American Red Cross, various state and local governments, as well as utility companies.
Developer Mike Wampold is optimistic the Metro Council will approve the creation of a new sewer district for his 1,600-acre Harveston development on Nicholson Drive at the Bluebonnet Extension. "A couple of the council people had questions about it, and we met with them and they have met with DPW and their questions have been answered," Wampold says. "Anything could happen, but we feel good about it." Councilman Ryan Heck, the council member raising the most pointed questions about the potential cost to the city-parish of the new district, agrees the measure will likely pass, though he will not be among those voting for it. "I think it's a great development, but I don't care for their sewer plan," says Heck, who explains that part of the business plan of the ongoing city-parish sewer system overhaul factors in thousands of new sewer connections over the next 30 years—new customers, in other words, who will be paying off the massive debt from the program. "We were counting on...
Shooting for the stars: Baton Rouge-based Orion Instruments is planning an expansion of its manufacturing facility on Oak Villa Boulevard, just off South Choctaw Drive. The company is asking the Planning & Zoning Commission for approval to add 36,000 square feet to its roughly 48,900-square-foot headquarters. The commission will take up the proposed expansion July 15, at which meeting it's also scheduled to consider a proposed concept plan revision for the Rouzan TND off Perkins Road. Daily Report has more details here.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury rate has increased over the past month from 1.75% to about 2.2%. This 45-basis-point increase may not sound like much, but it represents a roughly 25% rate increase and hurts any checkbook when it comes to making a loan payment. The increase has many influences, the biggest being the Fed's indications of changing policies and philosophies about stimulus programs. It's a "good new versus bad news" story because the increased rates also indicate possible strengthening in the economy. Spreads on permanent loans typically widen out when we see such changes, but so far they have stayed the same, possibly meaning that the increases are already cooked into current pricing or that there is some expectation (or hope) that rates will come back down. For now, long-term rates are at their highest point in some time. Stay tuned for what will probably be further increases by year's end in both the index and the spread.
Two tracts of land on Highland Road, located between Airline and Jefferson highways have been purchased by Baton Rouge-based industrial contractor Topcor Companies via Highland Road Investors LLC, represented by Ty Harvison at NAI/Latter & Blum Commercial Real Estate. The first property, at 20269 Highland, was purchased from Hercules Trucking for $1,150,000. Hercules was represented in the deal by Trey Williams of NAI/Latter & Blum. The second, neighboring tract, at 20249 Highland, was formerly occupied by Vaults and More Vaults, and it sold for $399,000. Vaults and More Vaults was represented by Jessie Babcock of Beau Box Commercial Real Estate. The purchase amounted to about 10 total acres between the two sites, with the total sales price working out to about $3.55 per square foot. There were some improvements on the properties that will likely be demolished. According to Harvison, the new owners "were looking at potential uses for the property, but no decisions had been made yet.
The U.S. housing-market recovery is here, but there's a growing debate among bulls and bears over how long it will last and how strong it will become, with both groups pointing to the same demographic data to make their case. As The Wall Street Journal reports, the bulls say the housing market is in the early stages of a rebound that should last several years because the U.S. hasn't built enough housing to support the country's growth. The recession and the foreclosure crisis led to a sharp slump in new-home construction and in household formation. But the population didn't stop growing. Instead, households simply doubled up or added adult family members. The bears argue that the recent gains in housing will be short-lived, pointing to changes in access to credit, elevated consumer-debt levels, and an over-reliance on investors. They don't believe the housing market will crash again, and they concede that it should contribute somewhat to economic growth. But they see little...
Mike Wampold has not yet decided on the final design for one of his latest projects, an apartment complex that will be constructed on the site of One Lakeshore Place apartments on Stanford Avenue, across from University Lake. But the developer says the new, 240-unit complex will be more upscale than the existing 50-year-old complex, which will be demolished at the end of the year. The new complex—which is being designed by Coleman Architects and will complement Wampold's adjacent luxury condo development, The Crescent at University Lakes—will be four stories tall with double-loaded corridors, which means some units will overlook the LSU lakes and others will look out to a courtyard and pool area. "They will be higher-end apartments," says Wampold, whose project was set to go before the Planning Commission Monday for site approval but has been deferred until August. "It will be towards the upper-middle end of the spectrum." Wampold expects the tenant mix to change at the...
DMC Carter Chambers' plans for a new $10 million headquarters complex on Highland Road are moving forward, with a groundbreaking expected in three or four months, company officials say. The project, which was first announced last May, will include consolidating existing facilities in Baton Rouge, Gonzales and Prairieville into a single office, warehouse and shop located on roughly 13.5 acres at 19200 Highland Road. The project is a little behind schedule, says vice president of supply chain David Ross, but may end up being a little larger than the 90,000-square-foot facility announced last year. "The plan is basically still the same, but we have tweaked the design here and there, and it might be a tad bit bigger," he says. Plans recently submitted to the city-parish Planning Commission calls for a facility as large as 120,00 square feet, including 75,000 square feet of warehouse and shop space. DMC, which supplies industrial, service and support products, is asking the Planning...
Bob Mirabito grew up in the Northeast, riding trains and buses on a daily basis. “My high school in New Jersey was 30 miles from where we lived,” he recalls.
For two years, Gene Todaro ran Marcello's, a popular restaurant on Perkins Road in Southdowns. It regularly drew a steady crowd of patrons, who came both for the hearty Italian fare and the happening bar scene.
On a summer day in 2005, John D'Angelo had one of those awkward conversations with his wife that entrepreneurs sometimes have with their significant others.
The past several years have been something of a dry spell for commercial bankers. On the upside, a prolonged period of low interest rates has enabled them to pay next to nothing for deposits. But having a pile of cash on hand doesn't count for much when bankers can't make loans.
Paul Stratford spent a dozen years of his career working for ExxonMobil in Singapore. North American manufacturing was stagnant, and Southeast Asia was the place to be.
Baton Rouge businesses and residents were issued 115 patents in 2012, according to BRAF's annual "CityStats" report. That's the most since 2003, but it's still a small number compared to other cities of comparable size, BRAF says. The "Baton Rouge CityStats" project was launched in 2008, with the first report issued in 2009. The report combines survey results and other data in an attempt to provide a rough picture of the quality of life in East Baton Rouge Parish. The patent number is cited as a measure of innovation. Other indicators cited in the report include: • More people (a net of 1,414) moved into the parish in 2011 than moved out. • Median family income for whites ($81,251) was more than double that of blacks ($35,476) or Hispanics ($37,415) in 2011.
CATS board Chairman Isaiah Marshall says the four transportation firms that have submitted proposals to serve as CATS's program manager will make presentations to a board committee at a meeting tentatively scheduled for June 24. In May, the board issued an RFQ for a program manager to oversee system improvements that voters were promised would be implemented by 2014 if they approved a dedicated CATS tax, which was done last year in Baton Rouge and Baker. As reported previously in Daily Report, four firms responded to the RFQ: URS, SJB Group, MV Transportation, and Veolia Transportation. URS is the only one of the applicants that has previously done work for CATS. The San Francisco-based publicly traded company did a study for the agency on its corporate structure. Veolia also has experience in Louisiana. Its clients include the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority. Marshall says the program manager will be under contract for a minimum of 18 months, though likely much longer,...
Four transportation firms have submitted proposals to serve as CATS program manager, which will be selected later this summer to oversee long-promised service upgrades and improvements to the bus system. The firms include: URS, a publicly traded company based in San Francisco with more than 50,000 employees in 50 countries worldwide; SJB Group, a local company that does planning, engineering, environmental and site-development work; MV Transportation, a transit management company operating 200 transit systems in 28 states and two foreign countries; and Veolia Transportation, a transit management company with 160 clients worldwide, including New Orleans' Regional Transit Authority. Last month, CATS issued a RFQ for a program manager to help implement service upgrades that voters were promised when they approved a dedicated property tax for CATS. Chief among those improvements is the change from a hub-and-spoke to a grid system and the construction of several new bus shelters. The RFQs...
While BRAC's top priorities for the legislative session that ended last week included workforce education reform, improving K-12 education, and preserving economic development incentives, the organization says it was also pleased to see gains in other areas, such as crime reduction strategies and health care. BRAC, which released a full analysis of the session this morning, concludes that it "was less successful and productive than prior years but produced a few incremental gains for economic development issues." On crime reduction, BRAC applauds the passage of House Bill 256, which puts on the Nov. 4 ballot a constitutional amendment that would make it easier for redevelopment authorities around the state to seize blighted properties that have unpaid property tax liens against them. "Blighted properties can harbor criminals, criminal activity, and fugitives. They also create an appearance of community and neighborhood...
In a recent poll underwritten by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, 60% of East Baton Rouge Parish residents said they support consolidating the EBRP Sheriff's Office and the Baton Rouge Police Department. The poll results make up part of BRAF's annual "Baton Rouge CityStats" report, which tracks more than 70 quality-of-life indicators. The same poll found that 43% think the area in which they live is "getting better," while 30% think it is "getting worse." The poll found 58% of residents feel safe walking alone at night in their neighborhoods, while 25% reported being a victim of crime. Residents are divided on gun control, with 52% saying they would be against a parish-level assault weapons ban, but 51% voicing support for a ban on high-capacity magazines. On gay marriage, 47% are for making it legal, compared to 45% against. Fire protection and the East Baton Rouge Parish Library received high marks for effectiveness. More than half of residents—56%—said "progress" in...
Slightly more than one in five Louisiana residents were enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, as of March, according to the most recent figures available from the U.S. Census Bureau. With total enrollment at 951,535, roughly 21% of all Louisianans are relying on food stamps to make ends meet. Only Washington, D.C, at 23%, and Mississippi, at 22%, have a higher percentage of their population on food stamps. Enrollment in Tennessee, New Mexico and Oregon is also at 21%. As The Wall Street Journal reports, 8% of all Americans were enrolled in the food stamp program in 1975. Nationwide participation is 15% today. Enrollment soared to 47.8 million Americans in recent months, an increase of 70%. Since 1990, the number of people using food stamps has risen by 140%. And while the Congressional Budget Office predicts unemployment will drop to 4.6% by 2017, SNAP enrollment is only expected to drop to 43.3 million people. The full story and...
With a gallon of regular unleaded gas selling for $3.29 on average in Baton Rouge as of this morning, gas prices are down 1 cent on the week, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report. However, today's price is also one penny higher than it was both one month and one year ago. The Louisiana average, at $3.31 per gallon, is well below the U.S. average of $3.63. The state average is flat from a week ago, as well as a month ago, and is 2 cents higher than one year ago. The U.S. average is up one penny from a week ago, 6 cents on the month and 9 cents on the year. Louisiana currently has the fifth-lowest average price of all the states. South Carolina motorists are paying the lowest price in the country, $3.20 per gallon, while Hawaii has the highest average price, $4.35. A total of six states have averages over $4 per gallon. You can check out the complete AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report
Baton Rouge-based Orion Instruments is planning an expansion of its manufacturing facility on Oak Villa Boulevard, just off South Choctaw Drive. The company, which is a custom designer and manufacturer of highly specific fluid measurement devices for industrial uses, is asking the Planning & Zoning Commission for approval to add 36,000 square feet to its roughly 48,900-square-foot headquarters. The addition would include another 50 parking spaces to the 85 currently on-site. The headquarters was built in 2010. Orion was named Business Report's 2011 Company of the Year (less than 100 employees) and last year received a Lantern Award from LED. The commission will take up the proposed expansion July 15, at which meeting it's also scheduled to consider a proposed concept plan revision for the Rouzan TND off Perkins Road. The revision, which is the sixth submitted since the development was initially approved in September 2007, is to "realign some of the streets in Rouzan and...
When countries and communities build a strong support network for entrepreneurs—what is sometimes called the entrepreneurial ecosystem—it helps everyone, including employees, says Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. But she says the best ideas don't come from politicians, which is why every entrepreneur and business leader should make it a priority to engage in the policy-making process. Kerrigan, who delivered the keynote address at today's luncheon for Business Report's 2013 Influential Women in Business honorees, says U.S. officials should recognize the need to stay competitive as other nations are adopting pro-business policies and lowering barriers to capital formation. Beyond policy issues, role models also play an important role in any successful ecosystem, she says, particularly for women. You can read a Q&A with Kerrigan in the new issue of Business Report
On the heels of being crowned the 2013 King of Louisiana Seafood for his Speckled Trout Perdu entrée, Chef Cody Carroll is looking to open a new restaurant to complement his Hot Tails Restaurant in New Roads. But Carroll, who lives in Baton Rouge and is a graduate of both LSU and the Louisiana Culinary Institute, is weighing options in a big decision. He can either try to replicate the success of his restaurant in Baton Rouge or set his sights a bit higher and try to establish himself among the world-class chefs of New Orleans. "Baton Rouge—although it has definitely evolved—is still not a destination for the food industry. In New Orleans, you have people flying in from all over the world who are coming to dine out," says Carroll, who is looking at possible locations in both cities. "That's a huge difference to a chef." But while New Orleans offers the chance for chefs like Carroll to really test and hone their culinary craft, the Crescent City is also a bigger risk. In...
Plans for a beer and pizza joint in the former Stella Boutique near the Perkins Road overpass have hit a major snag over issues related to a lack of parking at the site. New Orleans businessman Jack Rizzuto, who owns Jester Mardi Gras Daiquiris on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, says he has let expire his option to acquire the 2,500-square-foot building. He has also withdrawn a rezoning request that, if granted, would have allowed him to serve alcohol at the restaurant. Rizzuto's attorney, Chris Young, says while plans for the Ice House Coal Fired Pizza and Pizzeria at 3033 Perkins Road are not dead, "they're on major life support." Young says the problem centers on Rizzuto's inability to secure adequate parking for the pizzeria. City-parish law requires restaurants to have parking within 100 feet of the establishment, and the only parking lot that satisfied that requirement for Rizzuto's planned restaurant is a gravel lot under the Perkins Road overpass, which is leased by...
New figures show that Louisiana's economy grew by 1.5% in 2012. Gross domestic product numbers released today by the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis try to measure all of the economic output of each state. Louisiana's 2012 growth rate was below the national average of 2.5%, and ranked 30th among the 50 states. Nonetheless, 2012 was an improvement over 2011 for the state. Earlier figures had shown Louisiana's economy expanded by 0.5% in 2011, but revisions released today show it shrank by 2.6%—the worst performance of any state. Federal figures show the biggest contributor to growth in Louisiana last year came from makers of nondurable goods, including oil and chemical refiners. Swings in prices of oil and refined products can make Louisiana's output numbers very volatile.
Despite declining rig counts along Louisiana's largest natural gas shale play, Louisiana Oil & Gas Association President Don Briggs says "the party is far from over" and that Louisiana will remain relevant in the natural gas world for decades to come. Rig declines along the Haynesville Shale have been fueled by a high national supply of natural gas and falling prices—which have now hit a 10-year low—Briggs writes in a new column. "However, as the market begins to level out and the demand for natural gas increases, the Haynesville will once again thrive," he predicts. Over the past four years, the Haynesville Shale has seen more than 2,400 wells drilled for natural gas. At the height of the hydraulic fracturing boom, 139 rigs were standing across the shale in northwest Louisiana. The number of rigs has fallen dramatically in the years since, Briggs acknowledges—down to as few as 12 in January. However, he says, that number has increased to more than 40 as of May,...
The oil and gas industry and their allies in Congress are renewing a campaign to expand drilling along the U.S. coastline, The Houston Chronicle reports. "There is broad support from both policymakers and the public" for "tapping into oil and natural gas resources off our coasts," says Erik Milito, the American Petroleum Institute's upstream director, during a conference call with reporters today. "We need to begin taking the steps to ensure the nation's long-term energy security." In the House, Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., is advancing legislation that would force the Obama administration to sell oil and gas leases off the coast of Virginia, South Carolina and California. The measure is set to get a hearing in a House Natural Resources subcommittee meeting on Thursday. Like a Senate bill co-sponsored by Louisiana Democrat Mary Landrieu and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Hastings' measure would also expand the amount of revenue coastal states collect for energy development close to...
Dean Tower, the 14-story landmark on Florida Boulevard, is now Mid City Tower and will soon host a college, its new owners say. Ann Simmers is a partner in Mid City Tower and director of the Court Reporting Institute of Louisiana, currently on South Harrell’s Ferry Road. She says the school will add business, paralegal and medical classes, and reopen in the fall as Mid City College. Plans are for the school to take up two floors initially and grow over time to fill four floors. Simmers says the building, which is about 60% leased, is getting fresh paint, an outdoor courtyard, and some interior renovations, but is structurally in great shape. She says two chefs have expressed interest in opening a restaurant or banquet facility on the top floor. The building once hosted Top of the Tower restaurant, which Simmers describes as "the Ruth’s Chris of the '70s." She says Mid City Tower will manage the building on-site, and says she looks forward to getting involved in Mid City...
The CATS board of directors today hired Robert Mirabito, a retired technology executive, as its interim CEO for the next six to nine months while the search for a permanent replacement is under way. The board accepted the recommendation of its committee, which last week chose Mirabito over local pest control company owner John Conroy for the temporary position that was created when former CEO Brian Marshall resigned in April. For Mirabito, who grew up in the Northeast and regularly used rail lines and buses in New Jersey and New York, improving public transit in Baton Rouge has piqued his interest since he moved here four years ago to take a job as chief information officer at the Baton Rouge Radiology Group. When that position was eliminated earlier this year due to budget cuts, Mirabito says he began looking for his next opportunity and decided to throw his hat in the ring when the CATS position came open. Mirabito tells Daily Report his first priority as interim CEO will be...
As chemical companies expand to take advantage of low-cost natural gas, they have to work harder to recruit new workers. Talking about the company's new focus on recruiting, Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. Vice President of Human Resources Greg Wagner tells The Houston Chronicle, "It's super challenging right now," adding: "We're trying to get the best and the brightest, but that's tough in Houston." Petrochemical projects in Texas and Louisiana worth billions of dollars are planned by Chevron Phillips Chemical as well as by its competitors, and the large amount of work occurring at one time is expected to make hiring construction workers difficult. Wagner concedes contractors may have to bring in workers from far beyond the Houston region. The company is looking to recruit graduates at schools throughout Texas, Louisiana and elsewhere, he says. "We're competing for the same people, whether it's at UT, [Texas] A&M, LSU or Lee College; so we're trying to build relationships,"...
A first-of-its-kind program in the state announced by the Baton Rouge-based Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana aims to help New Orleans area restaurants recycle oyster shells. The coalition says that Shell Oil Co. has provided $1 million for the program, which will collect the shells and return them to coastal waters. They will be used to revitalize public oyster seed areas and to provide material for coastal restoration projects. A news release from the coalition says two New Orleans restaurants—Drago's Seafood Restaurant and Acme Oyster House—will initially participate in the program. Organizers hope to expand it to other restaurants in the region. "Oyster shell is a naturally created and valuable material that should be returned to the coast, where it can serve as a foundation for reefs and as cultch for more oysters," Steven Peyronnin, executive director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, tells The Times-Picayune. "This type of program has...
Katrina Smith hopes to relocate her New Orleans Breakfast and Pancake House restaurant from Gretna to Baton Rouge by the end of the summer. Smith says she's finalizing a deal to locate the restaurant, which will be renamed New Orleans Breakfast and Grill, in a space inside the Carriage Crossing complex on O'Neal Lane, near the intersection at George O'Neal Road. "We want to put it in an area where there are not many New Orleans-style restaurants," says Smith, who relocated to Baton Rouge from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. "We want to bring a real taste of New Orleans to the good people of Baton Rouge for welcoming so many of us here. We want to bring them foods here that they'd otherwise have to drive 75 miles for." Among the offerings at the Baton Rouge location, Smith says, will be beignets made according to the authentic Café Du Monde recipe. Unlike the current Gretna restaurant, Smith says, the Baton Rouge location will serve dinner. It will feature seating for at least...
The Whitney Bank branch at 2600 Citiplace Dr. is one of three in Baton Rouge closing as part of a previously announced plan to close 40 branches across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida by the end of the year. Along with the Citiplace location, Baton Rouge closures include branches at 11659 Plank Road and 9800 Airline Highway. Though Whitney has not provided specifics on each closure yet, it says "most" will occur on Aug. 30, with the remaining to close by Dec. 31. Other branch closures in Louisiana will occur in Alexandria, Pineville, Algiers and LaPlace. "Because affected associates can retain jobs through closure dates, will receive appropriate transition benefits, and can apply for other open positions, estimating job impact is premature," Whitney says in a release. The closures stem from the 2011 acquisition of Whitney by Hancock Holding Co. Branches of the merged banks continue to operate under the Whitney brand name in Louisiana and Texas. You can see a list...
Ground clearing is under way on 40 acres at Ben Hur Road and Burbank Drive for the next massive apartment complex going up in the area: Fairfield at Baton Rouge. The first portion of the 298-unit, 898-bed complex is expected to open in 2014 in time for the start of the fall school semester, with the full build-out completed in 2015. The $36 million development is located on the opposite end of Ben Hur from The Woodlands, a 291-unit complex completed last year, in an area that has become the hottest for new apartment construction aimed at LSU students. "We fell in love with the location," says Zach Johnson, vice president of student housing for Irving, Texas-based Fairfield Residential, whose development in Baton Rouge is its first in Louisiana. "Clearly, it's a proven student housing location, and we think the potential for future commercial growth is really big." The rapid development of apartment complexes along the LSU-area corridor including Ben Hur, River Road and Brightside...
Contractors have begun gutting the old Louisiana Theater building at 336 N. Third St. in downtown as part of an overhaul that the building's owners hope will help attract a new tenant. "We have talked to a number of parties who are interested," says Gordon "Skeet" LeBlanc, who owns the building with his sister, Moffett Strain, and cousins, Dwight and Lyn Singer. "But we figured the best approach is to gut it and let potential tenants look at it to get an idea of what is there and what they can do with it." The 4,000-square-foot building—perhaps better known as the former home of Riverside Patty, which closed in November after serving downtown lunch crowds for 30 years—was built in 1913 and has 40-foot ceilings, which were previously obscured by a false ceiling. LeBlanc says possible tenants include a restaurant, market or business that would use it for office space. The building is just the latest of several historic structures on Third Street to undergo a transformation.
Two tenants have signed letters of intent to move into the second phase of the Acadian-Perkins Plaza shopping center at the corner of Perkins Road and South Acadian Thruway, and construction is scheduled to begin this week on the spaces. John Bugea, whose residential real estate firm is currently located downtown, plans to lease nearly 2,000 square feet on the second level of the shopping center. His two-year-old firm has outgrown its shared office space at Springboard in the Kress Building, and Bugea says he is ready to grow the sales side of his business and add more employees. He hopes to move into the space, which is being built out by Chris Town Construction, by Sept. 1. The Salad Shop is the other new tenant. Owner Bradley Sanchez is planning to lease 1,500 square feet for his concept restaurant on the ground floor of the shopping center. The Salad Shop will offer custom-made salads and wraps from dozens of ingredients. Sanchez, a Baton Rouge native and recent LSU graduate,...
Coming to terms: Attorneys for Creekstone Developers and Associated Concrete Contractors have asked for another 30 days to settle a matter involving a lien on the property at Juban Crossing. In a joint motion filed late last week, lawyers for both firms say the parties have "made great efforts to finalize their settlement efforts, and but for one or two remaining matters, which they believe will be amicably resolved, are essentially complete." In March, U.S. District Judge James Brady gave the parties 60 days to reach an agreement. Daily Report has the full story here.
Pelican Lakes Land Holdings LLC has sold a 69-acre tract to D.R. Horton Inc. for $3,650,000, or about $52,900 per acre. The tract is located off Pelican Lakes Parkway, on the south side of Burbank Drive, west of Gardere Lane. The property will be developed with 300 lots on which D.R. Horton will construct homes that range in price from $200,000 to $400,000; the builder will also spend several hundred thousand dollars to develop an entry off Burbank. The development will feature a clubhouse, pool, park and lake water features. The seller was represented by Dave Treppendahl of NAI/Latter & Blum Realtors; D.R. Horton was represented by Ben Stalter, a partner with Maestri-Murrell Real Estate. Lots should be under construction early this summer.
Baton Rouge area construction employment was 16% higher in April than it was during the month a year previous, making it the fourth-best performing metro of the 339 tracked by Associated General Contractors of America. Construction firms in the Capital Region employed approximately 46,700 two months ago, according to AGCA's latest metro jobs report, about 6,600 more than it did in April 2012. It was also a gain of 700 jobs from March, when Baton Rouge ranked 11th in the nation for year-over-year construction job gains. Of the six Louisiana metros tracked by AGCA, five posted a year-over-year increase in jobs during April, with the Shreveport area the only one that experienced a dip in employment. The Lake Charles area also posted a 16% increase, tying it with Baton Rouge for the fourth-best performance by percentage. Construction employment increased in 170 out of 339 U.S. metro areas on the year in April, while it declined in 123 and was stagnant in 46, according to the AGCA's...
Early one morning last month, lightning struck the Louisiana Realtors' headquarters on Bennington Avenue. By the time CEO Malcolm Young arrived, "the whole building was engulfed in flames," he says. Even after the fire was put out, it was unsafe to go back inside. Fortunately, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the organization created a crisis response plan that included having a parallel off-site server, which preserved their membership records and other information. They also have business interruption insurance, which allowed the staff of 10 people to move quickly into a temporary space with rented furniture. With hurricane season upon us, Young says, Louisiana Realtors' experience shows the importance of being ready for disaster. The association may build a new headquarters at the current site or move elsewhere, he says. In assessing its needs, it will consider adding classroom space and consolidating its downtown legislative office with the main building. The goal is to be...
Ground clearing is under way on 40 acres at Ben Hur Road and Burbank Drive for the next massive apartment complex going up in the area: Fairfield at Baton Rouge. The first portion of the 298-unit, 898-bed complex is expected to open in 2014 in time for the start of the fall school semester, with the full build-out completed in 2015. The $36 million development is located on the opposite end of Ben Hur from The Woodlands, a 291-unit complex completed last year, in an area that has become the hottest for new apartment construction aimed at LSU students. "We fell in love with the location," says Zach Johnson, vice president of student housing for Irving, Texas-based Fairfield Residential, whose development in Baton Rouge is its first in Louisiana. "Clearly, it's a proven student housing location, and we think the potential for future commercial growth is really big." The rapid development of apartment complexes along the LSU-area corridor including Ben Hur, River Road and Brightside...
It's the fantasy of just about anyone who writes big, fat checks to their electric company: the ability to pick a provider. That fantasy may soon become a reality, albeit to a limited degree. Newly elected Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle has begun an evaluation of what's known as the 300-foot rule: a decades-old state statute that essentially restricts the choice of electricity provider to the one that already has infrastructure in place closest to consumers' location. It bars utilities from building or extending their facilities or offering to furnish service to any entity located within 300 feet of another utility's existing line without that company's consent. The original intent of the law was to protect utility consumers from footing the bill for parallel and duplicated transmission or distribution lines in a free-for-all competition for customers. The problem, however, is that rates, service and reliability vary from carrier to carrier, and businesses and...
Red River Bank has signed a purchase agreement on a half-acre vacant parcel at the corner of Perkins Road and South Acadian Thruway and hopes to build a new 2,500-square-foot branch on the site, which has long been an eyesore in the neighborhood. Before the deal can close, however, some contingencies in the contract need to be resolved. "Hopefully those issues will be resolved and cleared in the coming months because we think it is a great location," says Red River Bank market president Joanie Netterville. "It's a great area of town and is very convenient for a lot of our clients." Netterville declines to discuss the contingencies. However, court records show the property is the subject of a lawsuit between its current owner, Laurence Brooks, and Jon Claitor, who owns the Acadian-Perkins Plaza shopping center adjacent to the vacant parcel. Claitor is suing Brooks over the servitude that leads from Perkins Road to the 0.5-acre parcel. Because the property has been vacant for more than...
Baton Rouge-based Yellow Jacket has been selected as one of 50 companies to participate in Southland, a new conference meant to connect promising early-stage companies in the Southeast with potential investors. One company will be selected as "Southland's most innovative startup" and win $10,000 from sponsor Nissan. Yellow Jacket produces smartphone covers that double as stun guns for self-defense. Launch Tennessee, which describes itself as "a public-private partnership that supports high-growth companies in Tennessee," is holding the conference in Nashville June 12-13.
Attorneys for Creekstone Developers and Associated Concrete Contractors have asked for another 30 days to settle a matter involving a lien on the property at Juban Crossing. In a joint motion filed late last week, lawyers for both firms say the parties have "made great efforts to finalize their settlement efforts, and but for one or two remaining matters, which they believe will be amicably resolved, are essentially complete." In March, U.S. District Judge James Brady gave the parties 60 days to reach an agreement. Associated Concrete recorded a lien against the property on Interstate 12 east of Denham Springs in October 2012, claiming it is owed nearly $6.9 million for work on the shopping development. Creekstone Companies/Juban subsequently sued Associated Concrete in Baton Rouge federal court, alleging the lien was improper and had stalled $81 million in financing for the shopping center. Creekstone principal Stephen Keller later issued a statement saying Associated Concrete had...
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the Baton Rouge area is about $3.30, compared to $3.33 at this time last year, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. The national average is $3.62, compared to $3.59 last year. The average price in Baton Rouge was $3.32 a week ago and $3.25 a month ago. A gallon of premium gas costs about $3.67 locally, compared to $3.62 last year, while a gallon of diesel will run you $3.66, compared to $3.71 a year ago.
Officials from ExxonMobil tell Daily Report, in a lengthy response to a National Public Radio story, they are "disappointed with the numerous factual errors and misperceptions" it allegedly contains. NPR aired a nine-minute story on the refinery Thursday as part of its "Poisoned Places: Toxic Air, Neglected Communities" series. For the online version, NPR has titled the story "Baton Rouge's corroded, overpolluting neighbor: Exxon Mobil." In it, NPR says Exxon: has poor communication with neighbors, who routinely complain about the smell around the Baton Rouge refinery; has led to poor air quality in Baton Rouge; has failed to properly maintain the refinery; and has downplayed a "major accident" last year, among other things. In its four-page response to the story, Exxon addresses all of the claims. In answer to a question about why the company did not agree to talk to NPR for the story, Exxon says, "We felt that this reporter was determined to stick to a pre-defined,...
Though it has only been one week since Zorba's Greek Bistro opened for business, Dinos Economides has noticed several changes in the dozen years since he last operated a restaurant in Baton Rouge. "Diners are more sophisticated," says Economides, who closed his popular Zorba's restaurant on Perkins Road in 2001 and opened the new restaurant at 5713 Essen Lane on May 23. "There are a lot more upscale restaurants in town than there used to be, so diners are more discerning." Along with that trend, Economides has noticed demand for a broader wine selection, which he is trying to meet by offering more wines by the glass. Wholesalers and suppliers also offer a much wider variety of fresh meats and seafood than they did a decade or so ago, says Economides, whose new menu places a heavy emphasis on fresh, made-to-order dishes. That said, one week into the new business, the most popular items on the menu are the old favorites that longtime customers still ask for—though the prices they...
A Chicago chain restaurant will open in the former Bravo! Cucina spot near the Mall of Louisiana. Bar Louie, a restaurant specializing in signature cocktails, martinis and a range of dishes, is slated to welcome its first guests June 11. Marketing Manager Ashley Kouns says the location is perfect for Bar Louie, citing the "thriving local economy" and "strong student population." The area, Kouns says, is a "mecca for young savvy business professionals needing a place like Bar Louie to unwind." The menus for both drink and food are extensive. The martini list alone is stacked with 16 different takes on the drink. Among the food items are small plates, salads, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, and large plates such as fish and chips and meatball pasta. The full menu will be served 11 to 2 a.m., seven days a week, Kouns says. Get your fill of local culinary news in the new 225 Dine e-newsletter here.
The big Challenge in packing for the beach? Choosing the right book. Make sure to bring Liza Palmer's new novel, Nowhere but Home. This homecoming story is tender not treacly, told in smart, funny, unfussy prose. It is sure to enhance any laid-back vacation.
When Karen Kennedy of the Arthritis Association of Louisiana approached me about writing a cookbook for people with arthritis, I wanted to better understand the correlation between arthritis and food.
A trove of shops, boutiques and art galleries, Denham Springs was one of many Louisiana cities whose downtown revitalization efforts were spearheaded by locally owned and operated businesses, says Jay Tusa with the Louisiana Office of Tourism. With its Main Street Commission's registry listing more than 40 businesses, the three-block Denham Springs Antique District is home to a plethora of gems. Enjoy a leisurely browse inside the Rusty Rooster, Serendipity in the Village (above), and the Korner Shoppe, among many others, along atmospheric Range Avenue. denhamspringsmainstreet.com
Restaurant IPO's pequeño tacos are the perfect demonstration of Executive Chef Chris Wadsworth's passion: infusing world cuisine with Louisiana ingredients in a tapas format.
When not busy producing our monthly print publication or weekly online products, many of 225's staff and contributors are engaging in interesting discussions on Twitter. Here's where to find everyone and what to expect.
A once hard-to-find beer—at least locally—has now made a home in Baton Rouge grocers, restaurants and bars. New Belgium Brewing Company entered the market in the spring, with 22 oz. individual bottles of several beers showing up at places like Cuban Liquor Store, Calandro's, Maxwell's and even Albertson's and Winn Dixie. Most known for Fat Tire—a smooth, nutty amber ale named after a bike trip across Europe—you can also find the hoppy Ranger IPA, tangy Sunshine Wheat and others across town. New Belgium beers are also showing up on tap at several local bars, such as the Bulldog, and many stores started selling 12 oz. six-packs in late May. Now you have something new to bring as a conversation starter to the next barbecue. newbelgium.com
On a corner within Perkins Rowe, surrounded by retail establishments, sits Bin 77. A respite from the frenzy of the shopping masses, Bin 77 is a small plates–wine bar with an inviting patio and softly lit interior. There is an ample bar in the center of the space and a wall of retail bottles displayed at the back should you particularly enjoy that Pinot Noir you had with your meal. The interior color theme is weighted heavily with purple, so much so that it might make doves cry and Prince proud, yet it all works.
Seafood board oversight shifted to lieutenant governor
Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne is asking the Louisiana seafood promotion board to draw up a strategic plan and says he'll seek an audit of its finances as he assumes oversight of its operations. Lawmakers shifted the new responsibility to the lieutenant governor's office in the recently ended legislative session as part of an effort to strengthen supervision of a 14-member board that has received millions in recovery money from the 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill. While Dardenne says he didn't seek the new responsibility or push the legislation, he notes that the mission of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board dovetails with that of his office, which is charged with Louisiana's tourism marketing. "I think it is a nice fit," he says. "There is no question in my mind that this is a marriage that is going to work, that's going to be very successful for your industry and very successful for the state of Louisiana." The new law takes effect July 1. The seafood board had only modest funding...
Investors looking to Fed for answers on economy today
Worry and speculation have consumed investors since Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke to Congress last month about the Federal Reserve's drive to keep long-term interest rates at record lows. Today, many hope the Fed will settle the confusion. Will the Fed scale back its $85 billion-a-month in bond purchases within "the next few meetings," as Bernanke suggested during his remarks to Congress? Or does the job market remain too weak for the Fed to slow its stimulus, as Bernanke said at another point? The Fed's bond purchases have been intended to hold down long-term loan rates to induce Americans to borrow and spend and invest in the stock market. Ultra-low rates are credited with helping fuel a housing comeback, support economic growth, drive stocks to record highs and restore the wealth America lost to the recession. Conflicting statements from other Fed officials have further clouded the outlook for the bond-buying program. That's why the pressure for the Fed to clarify its message has...
Federal fracking study won't be done until 2016
An Environmental Protection Agency official has informed a fracking conference in Ohio that a study of the threat to drinking water from the shale-drilling process won't be completed until 2016. That's the word from Jeanne Briskin, coordinator of hydraulic fracturing research at the EPA's Office of Research and Development. She spoke Tuesday at a two-day conference on the subject held in Cleveland. The Akron Beacon Journal reports that Briskin says the EPA could release a preliminary report late next year. She described the work as "complex research." Congress in 2010 directed the agency to investigate the threat to groundwater and air from the controversial hydraulic-fracturing process. Critics say it is harmful to the environment.
KeyBank asks for another postponement of Perkins Rowe foreclosure sale
KeyBank National Association has once again asked a judge to postpone the foreclosure sale of Perkins Rowe that was set to take place Wednesday. In a one-page motion filed today, the Ohio-based lender simply says it "needs to postpone the foreclosure sale" and does not provide a reason. This marks the third time that KeyBank has asked for a postponement; at its request, previously scheduled sales in March and May were put off. As of this afternoon, U.S. District Judge James Brady had not yet ruled on KeyBank's latest request for postponement. Sources familiar with the 3.5-year-old court battle between the KeyBank and Perkins Rowe developer Tommy Spinosa predicted the June sale would be postponed, They have told Daily Report that the bank's repeated postponements suggest that KeyBank may be trying to negotiate a deal with Spinosa. Meanwhile, in January, the U.S. Fifth...
Chemical association: Industry, government, public 'on the same team'
Since Thursday, there have been two fatal accidents at Ascension Parish chemical plants. Edward Flynn, vice president for health, safety and security with the Louisiana Chemical Association, says he understands that the public is concerned about safety, but says he's not worried about a backlash against the industry, because industry leaders, government officials, regulators and the public "are basically on the same team." "People rightly want the economic and jobs benefits that go with a healthy and growing chemical manufacturing industry," he says, "as long as the industry demonstrates it has safety as its core value." Flynn says it's too soon to say if any new safety measures will be implemented broadly in the wake of the accidents, as the investigations are just beginning. The Louisiana Bucket Brigade, an environmental activist group, says it surveyed 67 people in Geismar near where an explosion rocked the Williams Olefins plant Thursday. They say 24 people reported physical...
B.R. Film Commission launches rebrand
The Baton Rouge Film Commission has launched a new website and unveiled a new logo as part of a rebranding of the group. Liza Kelso, the commission's assistant director, says the new website reflects the lessons learned by the commission since it was formed in 2007 by Mayor Kip Holden to be a liaison between the city-parish and the film industry. "Basically, we've gathered everything that filmmakers have asked of us over the years and have put it all together on the new site," she says. "It's about making that connection between the production and the business community as easy as possible." The new site has information on permitting, production essentials and the state's film tax credits as well as a production guide. It also supplies pertinent information for those who want to find work in the film industry or make movies, says Kelso. Local businesses that are interested in serving the film industry are encouraged to sign up to be included in the site's production directory. You...
New development at Congress and Perkins OK'd
The Planning and Zoning Commission has approved a more than 10,000-square-foot commercial development that would include a boutique shop as well as a day care center and an elementary school at the intersection of Congress Boulevard and Perkins Road. The development, which also would include office space and a restaurant, next goes before the Metro Council at the July 17 meeting. Carla Schild, director of Country Day School of Baton Rouge, filed the application for approval. Schild did not immediately respond to a message left by Daily Report seeking further details on the development. The Planning and Zoning Commission also approved a planned unit development concept plan for the Village at Riverwood, a proposed 600-acre mixed-use development on River Road south of LSU. That concept had been previously approved in 2007, but that approval expired when the project was put on hold;
'Real Estate Weekly': BTR seeks rezoning approval for auto auctioneer
Officials at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport are asking the Planning Commission to rezone about 3.5 acres of undeveloped land on the north side of the airport to make way for an auto auction business announced last fall. The commission will consider rezoning the property off the south side of Blount Road at its July 15 meeting. The land is a part of the larger Aviation Business Park at the airport, which is also home to United Coca-Cola Bottlers and Express Jet Regional Jet Maintenance Center, as well as several government offices. Future tenants planned for the park include Loomis and All Star Chevrolet-North, among others. In October, Auction Broadcasting Co. told Daily Report of its plans for an ABC Baton Rouge auction business at the airport, with company officials estimating they could move as many as 600 cars a week when fully operational. Officials said they planned on employing about 50 workers at the outse, and hoped to increase employment to about 100 by the end...
Gas line explosion rattles Washington Parish
A pre-dawn gas line explosion shook residents out of their beds in a rural area of Washington Parish near the community of Enon. Sheriff Randy Seal says there were no injuries from the blowout, which occurred around 5:30 a.m. Seal says the fire was extinguished when crews from Florida Gas, the owners of the pipeline, shut off the gas flow. The explosion in the community about 85 miles northeast of Baton Rouge knocked out power to about 10,000 customers of the Washington-Street Tammany Electric Cooperative, but a representative at the electric co-op says power to all or most of the customers has been restored. The sheriff says one home was damaged by heat from the fire, adding that several families living near the blast were asked to leave their home just as a precaution. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
'Business Report': Banks see demand for loans increase
The past several years have been something of a dry spell for commercial bankers. On the upside, a prolonged period of low interest rates has enabled them to pay next to nothing for deposits. But having a pile of cash on hand doesn't count for much when bankers can't make loans. Years of economic recession dampened borrowers' spirit. Now, bankers say, businesses are edging back to the table, though a true rebound could be a year or more away. "We're seeing businesses starting to make increased capital outlays to meet demand for their goods and services, and what follows from that is increased loan demand," says Robert Schneckenburger, Baton Rouge market president for Chase Bank. Ric Kearny, Baton Rouge area president for Capital One, says he has seen loan demand increase moderately this year, stemming from continued low interest rates and the nudge provided by an improving economy. Borrowers are coming from a variety of business sectors, he says: "It's been pretty much across the...
Louisianans may need passport for all flights
The Louisiana Legislature may have given the state's residents the right to have "I'm a Cajun" placed on their driver's license during the recently ended session, but they also allowed a transportation bill to die on the Senate floor with the result that Louisianans could end up being required to have a passport in order to board any commercial flight. "That was a disappointment," says Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport spokesman Jim Caldwell, referring to the bill's defeat. "I really thought that this year it would go through." Amendments presented to the Senate Transportation Committee would have brought Louisiana into compliance with the Real ID Act of 2005—which state lawmakers have rejected as too intrusive since they passed a law in 2008 restricting the state from including a symbol on driver's licenses showing compliance. In January, an extension was given to Louisiana and other states that were not in compliance with the federal regulations. As of February, 19 states are...
Real estate recap: Capital One building sells … Capital Region May home sales up nearly 10% … Council OK's private sewer district for Harveston
Done deal: A group of investors led by David Weinstein and local architect Dyke Nelson acquired the Capital One Bank building last week for $4.3 million. The new owners are looking for potential commercial tenants for the eight-story, 111,000-square-foot downtown building while they explore options for mixed-use redevelopment that could include residential space. They also plan to immediately add a 6,000-square-foot ninth floor on the building for use as a penthouse office. Daily Report has the full story here.
Andrews: End of 2Q looms for exceptions
I'm stepping back from my self-appointed mission of informing the public that interest rates are going up (they are, you know, and right soon) to remind my friends in the real estate world that June 30 is fast approaching and bankers would appreciate it if you send in your required financial information before the end of the quarter. Bankers worry about such matters because their performance is partially evaluated based on the number of loan files that have missing financial information, and they get written up for an "exception" if they do not get the missing information into the file by the end of the quarter. The second quarter typically finds a large number of exceptions for tax returns or extensions, financial statements from subsidiaries and other items that just could not be prepared by the end of the first quarter. It is time to send that missing information to your banker and keep your file off of the lender's exception list.
Cook: Area Wholesale Tire to replace Napa store on Airline
Area Wholesale Tire Company is constructing a new 8,000-square-foot warehouse and retail center with five, 22-foot bays on the former Napa Auto Parts at 11860 Airline Hwy. In the name of William B. Potter LLC, AWT purchased the 1.38-acre site last summer for $477,000. The property includes about 150 feet of frontage on Airline and measures roughly 400 feet in depth, with the sale price working out to $8 per square foot (before factoring in the cost of demolishing the existing structure). Austin Earhart with Beau Box Commercial Real Estate brokered the deal. AWT also has a huge warehouse distribution and retail operation on Airline, further north from the new warehouse and retail center. "We are trying to better serve our customers," says Bill Potter with AWT. "We want to be able to provide quick reliable service to people where nobody tries to sell you what you don't need. We are going to concentrate on selling tires, but we will do some alignment." The new facility is currently...
Study: Minorities still face housing discrimination
Minorities continue to face discrimination when it comes to finding and securing housing, according to a new study by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Urban Institute. "Real estate agents and rental housing providers recommend and show fewer available homes and apartments to minorities than equally qualified whites," HUD says in summary of the study, for which its "paired-testing" consisted of two people—one white and one minority—calling and visiting real estate offices in 28 cities across the country last year. "Although the most blatant forms of housing discrimination have declined since the first national paired-testing study in 1977, the forms that persist raise the costs of housing search for minorities and restrict their housing options." While minorities were usually given an appointment to view available properties with an agent about as often as whites, the study says, their experiences during the appointments were often far different. In...
B.R. airport seeks rezoning approval for auto auctioneer
Officials at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport are asking the Planning Commission to rezone about 3.5 acres of undeveloped land on the north side of the airport to make way for an auto auction business announced last fall. The commission will consider rezoning the property off the south side of Blount Road at its July 15 meeting. The land is a part of the larger Aviation Business Park at the airport, which is also home to United Coca-Cola Bottlers and Express Jet Regional Jet Maintenance Center, as well as several government offices. Future tenants planned for the park include Loomis and All Star Chevrolet-North, among others. In October, Auction Broadcasting Co. told Daily Report of its plans for an ABC Baton Rouge auction business at the airport, with company officials estimating they could move as many as 600 cars a week when fully operational. Officials said they...
Magnolia Square adding commercial tenants
Stab's Steak & Seafood, a Wayne Stabiler restaurant, is opening soon in Central's Magnolia Square. So are three other businesses: Avant Tous Beauty Bar and Day Spa, Beau Ideal Salon, and Title Plus. They are joining Bourg Insurance, Edward Jones Investments, B & K Bank, Rabalais Homes, and Wall Décor & More: the existing businesses in the commercial-retail section of Magnolia Square. To celebrate, the Magnolia Square Business Association, along with the Central Chamber of Commerce, is hosting an evening social at Stab's on Thursday, 6 to 8 p.m. "All are invited" to the event, organizers say. Jimmy Nunnally and Steele Pollard are the developers of the TND on Lovett Road in Central.
Placing constitutional limits on oil spill money fails again
Attempts by lawmakers to constitutionally limit Louisiana's allocation of Gulf Coast oil spill penalty money to coastal restoration failed to gain legislative passage for a second year in a row. Disagreements continue over just how tightly the dollars should be restricted. Rep. Simone Champagne of Erath says she wants to make sure the billions of dollars that Louisiana will receive in compensation for the 2010 BP oil spill can't be diverted to fill budget gaps. Sen. Norby Chabert of Houma says the state doesn't need to further handcuff itself in how it can use the money, because the spending already is restricted by federal law to coastal recovery. Champagne's bill dealt with money Louisiana will receive for violations of the federal Clean Water Act.
Research Park Corp. considers selling stake in Bon Carré
The board overseeing the tax-funded Research Park Corp. will consider selling its stake in the Bon Carré Business Center off Florida Boulevard, according to an agenda for the board's next monthly meeting that was released today. The Research Park Corp., which was formed in 1992 by the Louisiana Legislature to build university research parks, has a reported $2 million stake in Bon Carré. It gained control of the former mall property in late 2002, and has since sold off the majority of the development to private investors. Research Park Corp. runs the Louisiana Technology Park, which is located in Bon Carré. The board will take up the possible sale during its July 18 meeting at the Louisiana Technology Park, 7117 Florida Blvd., which begins at noon.
Little progress made on structural issues, says legislative leader
When this year's session ended, legislators patted themselves on the back for showing some independence and crafting a budget with broad bipartisan support. But Rep. Walt Leger III, D-New Orleans and speaker pro tempore of the House, says lawmakers did little to fix the structural issues that lead to repeated cuts to health care and higher education. "We got through this session, but it's not time to do a touchdown dance," says Leger, guest speaker of the Baton Rouge Press Club today. The test will be whether lawmakers build on their newfound sense of independence and cooperation to tackle big issues, he says. The state continues "to miss the boat" by under-investing in its ports and other infrastructure, he says, adding it's "inexcusable" that Louisiana is refusing to take federal money to expand Medicaid. There were some changes made this year that Leger considers positives, however, such as allowing voters to create a constitutional
SBEC economist: Expanding energy exports are good for La. economy
Natural gas has been a game changer for the U.S. and Louisiana economies in recent years, and even greater growth is on tap as long as the federal government and President Barack Obama don't limit liquefied natural gas exports, says Raymond Keating, chief economist for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. In a new guest column, Keating says small businesses have a big stake in a decision on LNG exports that's being weighed by Obama and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee—on which Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu has a seat. He notes that oil and gas extraction businesses in Louisiana expanded by 6% between 2005 and 2010, including 8% growth by firms with fewer than 20 employees. Oil and gas extraction support service firms also grew, as did oil and gas field machinery and equipment manufacturers, with some of the greatest growth seen by businesses with 20 or fewer employees. "Small and midsize firms overwhelmingly populate key Louisiana energy sectors," says...
Gas prices up 6 cents in Baton Rouge on the week
Motorists filling up their tank in the Baton Rouge area this morning are paying about 6 cents more for a gallon of regular, unleaded gas than they were a week ago. According to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the average price this morning is $3.35, up from $3.29 one a week ago. That's also a 6-cent rise from the average price one month ago and 11 cents higher than the average at this time last year. Nonetheless, today's local and state averages remain well below the $3.61 national average; the Louisiana average stands at $3.36. The U.S. average fell 2 cents on the week and 3 cents over the past month but is 11 cents higher than it was one year ago. South Carolina's average of $3.25 is the lowest among the states today, while Hawaii's $4.35 average is the highest. Just three states have a lower average price than Louisiana. You can check out the complete report here.
Expanding energy exports good for Louisiana economy and small business
Editor's note: This is a guest column provided to Daily Report by the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.
Capital One building sells
A group of investors led by David Weinstein and local architect Dyke Nelson acquired the Capital One Bank building today for $4.3 million. The new owners are looking for potential commercial tenants for the eight-story, 111,000-square-foot downtown building, while they explore options for mixed-use redevelopment that could include residential space. They also plan to immediately add a 6,000-square-foot ninth floor on the building for use as a penthouse office. "There's so much momentum right now that we just think that it's a good time to be investing in downtown," Nelson says. Several potential tenants have inquired about the space, but none has signed a lease yet, says Jonathan Walker of Masestri-Murrell, who represented the buyers in the deal and is marketing the property. Weinstein and Nelson signed a purchase agreement to acquire the building early this spring. Weinstein and Nelson are also involved in the redevelopment of the Tessier building on Lafayette Street; the Lafayette...
Swift exit
Despite a steady ridership at around 10,500 passengers a month, the LA Swift bus service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans will stop running at the end of this month, with the DOTD announcing it would not renew the service's contract.
LA Swift proponents, opponents debate letting the service die
With the LA Swift Baton Rouge-New Orleans bus service en route to cease operations at the end of June, those who believe the government should continue subsidizing the service and those who see it as wasteful spending are making their respective cases. Nonprofit organization Bike Baton Rouge is supporting an online petition recently started by a group formed to save LA Swift in an attempt to get the state to continue funding the service. As of this morning it has about 550 signatures. "The elimination of the LA Swift will only serve to exacerbate highway congestion," says Beaux Jones, chairman of the Bike Baton Rouge board. "Meantime, as any urban planner will tell you, one of the paradoxes of highway expansion is that it inevitably induces more demand." However,...
Launch date for new airline at BTR remains uncertain
Elite Airways, the charter-service airline that plans to begin regular scheduled service to and from Baton Rouge later this summer, appears to be running behind with its startup date. Originally the Maine-based airline, which has an operations center in Melbourne, Fla., was planning a mid-June announcement to unveil details of its new route service. However, local airport officials are not yet sure when the airline coming. "They are still hoping to announce something later this month," says Baton Rouge Metro Airport spokesman Jim Caldwell. "But they are working on their reservation system and taking their time making sure everything is in place so they can do it properly." Elite president John Pearsall says he will be in Baton Rouge next week for meetings to discuss the airline's plans and will have a better idea of when service will begin at that time. To read more about Elite Airlines' plans to service Baton Rouge, click
News alert: Deceased identified after chemical plant explosion
Louisiana State Police have identified the person who was killed today in a chemical plant explosion at the Geismar facility owned by The Williams Companies, based in Tulsa, Okla. Zachary Green, 29, of Hammond, died in the blast. Troopers and company representatives have notified Green's next of kin. State Police have opened most roads in the area surrounding the affected plant. The section of La. 3115 between La. 30 and La. 75 near the plant remains closed as emergency personnel continue to investigate this morning's incident.
News alert: Fifth Circuit to hear Perkins Rowe appeal
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to hear oral arguments in the nearly four-year-old foreclosure case of Perkins Rowe. The court today said it will set a hearing for the week of Aug. 5 to decide whether the U.S. district court had jurisdiction in the case. Attorneys for developer Tommy Spinosa, who owes some $200 million on the mixed-use development to a consortium of lenders led by KeyBank National Association, have argued repeatedly that the foreclosure suit should have been tried in state court. “We are glad we will have a chance to appeal our case and that our arguments on the issue of jurisdiction will finally be heard,” says Spinosa’s spokesman Jeff Wright. Officials with KeyBank could not be reached for comment. Perkins Rowe is scheduled to be put up for auction June 19 at a foreclosure sale. Sources familiar with the case say that auction is likely to be postponed for reasons unrelated to the appellate court’s actions.
Walmart Super Center to break ground this month
Walmart will break ground later this month on a long-planned Walmart Super Center on Bluebonnet Boulevard and Burbank Drive. A company spokeswoman tells Daily Report that Clark Construction Inc. of McComb, Miss., has been awarded the contract to build the 150,000-square-foot structure, which is scheduled to open in summer 2014. Construction for the project was previously estimated at around $7 million, with a total project cost of more than $11 million. Spokeswoman Erica Jones could not confirm those estimates today. The Walmart Super Center—which is the latest of several key retail and residential projects in the burgeoning south Baton Rouge area—was first announced in 2008 but tabled for several years because of the recession. Earlier this year, Walmart put the project out to bid, though sources tell Daily Report that it was later re-bid because the initial estimates came in too high. Clark Construction has considerable experience building Walmart outlets.
Will anyone save LA Swift?
The LA Swift Baton Rouge-New Orleans bus service is scheduled to end at the end of June. There's still time to save it, but someone's going to have to come up with the money. DOTD says a $750,000 annual local match is needed to replace a reduction in available federal funds. No state money has been allocated for that purpose. "If a local entity would like to enter into a contract to continue services starting July 1, federal funds may be available to them," DOTD says. "Additionally, Greyhound provides a self-sustaining bus service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge." Callen Hotard, CEO of service provider Hotard Coaches, says adjustments to the contract could slash the local cost in half. So far, no funding source has been identified, but supporters of the service say they haven't given up. "A lot of people still see LA Swift as something that came after Katrina so people could commute into New Orleans," says BRAC spokesman Phillip LaFargue. "It's about connecting these two...
Capital Region May home sales up nearly 10%
With local home sales 9.8% better in May than they were during the month one year ago—and the average home sales price up nearly 5%—the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors says "the market as a whole has summertime heat." According to GBRAR's latest monthly report, a total of 809 homes were sold last month in the eight-parish region it tracks, compared to 737 sold last May. The average sales price last month was $198,991, up from $196,757 in May 2012. The number of homes on the market was down considerably, at 3,980, or about 14.5% fewer than were up for sale last May. GBRAR's report says, "It seems our collective attention has shifted from monitoring price and sales gains to eagerly anticipating more new listing activity on the part of sellers." The declining number of listings is the "result of an imbalance between strong demand for homes and constrained supply," GBRAR says, adding, "In some markets, purchase agreements are being written up directly after a...
U.S. led world in oil growth in 2012, BP report shows
U.S. oil production growth was the largest in the world last year, showing that despite some suggestions to the contrary, crude is plentiful, according to BP Chief Executive Officer Bob Dudley. As The Houston Chronicle reports, Dudley says the real challenge for the industry is deciding how much money to invest—and where to invest it—to reap the greatest rewards from the changing landscape. "The supply of energy is coming from an increasing diversity of sources as the world's energy market continues to adapt, innovate and evolve," Dudley says. During a presentation in London that was broadcast on the Internet, Dudley outlined the British oil giant's annual statistical review of world energy markets. The review looked at how energy was produced, consumed and traded in 2012, and it also analyzed how past data will impact future trends. The biggest phenomenon last year, by far, was the impact of the growing shale revolution in the United States, Dudley says. Oil...
Injuries reported after Geismar plant explosion
Louisiana State Police Capt. Doug Cain confirms injuries were sustained at a Geismar olefins plant following an explosion and fire this morning. Cain says he doesn't know how many people were hurt in the incident at The Williams Companies Inc. plant, but that he has seen ambulances taking "a couple folks" from the Ascension Parish plant near the Iberville Parish line. The plant is located near the intersection of Louisiana highways 30 and 3115. The Tulsa, Okla.-based company's website says the plant annually puts out about 1.3 billion pounds of ethylene and 90 million pounds of polymer grade propylene. The Times-Picayune reports the explosion was reported just after 8:30 a.m., and that as of 9:30 a.m., Louisiana highways 74, 30 and 3115 were all closed due to the explosion, which state police described as a "haz-mat incident." Plants around the area were reportedly being evacuated.
Legislative session good for oil and gas industry
The 2013 Louisiana State legislative session has now adjourned for the year. Each year leading up to the session, typically one conversation dominates the press. This year, the topic of discussion was the governor's tax plan, which was set to do away with personal, corporate and franchise taxes as well as restructure many important tax incentives.
Briggs: Legislative session good for oil and gas industry
Louisiana Oil & Gas Association President Don Briggs says the recently adjourned session of the Legislature was good for the oil and gas industry, mostly because industry tax exemptions that could have been subject to modification were left in place when lawmakers failed to act on Gov. Bobby Jindal's tax plan. Several other bills that would have affected operator expenses, royalties, leases and water management also did not pass or were turned into study resolutions, Briggs says. "Whether or not the oil and gas industry, the business community or the local municipalities were able to leave happy on all fronts, this was a positive year for our state," Briggs says. "Anytime persons elected by the people vote and pass laws, while having differing opinions, and peace is maintained, we can thank God for our democracy. But, as our democracy goes, the 2014 conversations and negotiations began as soon as the closing gavel was banged for 2013." Read his full column
AARP, CPEX lament end of LA Swift bus
The end of the LA Swift bus service June 30 leaves thousands of Baton Rouge-New Orleans commuters without a viable transit option, supporters say. A survey of 300 riders developed by AARP Louisiana, the Center for Planning Excellence, RIDE New Orleans, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation has found:
• 51% of riders use the service to get to work;
• 14% use it to access health care services;
• 32% do not have a car;
• 53% are willing to pay a higher fare than the current $5.
Collis Temple planning to redevelop DeVille Apartments
Collis Temple—along with his son Garrett Temple and former LSU basketball star Glenn "Big Baby" Davis—is planning to redevelop his 40-unit DeVille Apartment complex on North Street downtown. Temple has applied for Louisiana Housing Commission tax credits to help fund the overhaul of the 54-year-old building, which was designed by A.C. Lewis. "It is going to be a mixed-income development because we do not want to exclude anybody," Temple says. "We want it to be a complex of inclusion." With the construction nearby of The Elysian—another mixed-income apartment complex—as well as several downtown redevelopment projects and the recent announcement that IBM is opening a technology services center in a riverfront office building, Temple believes the area is poised for growth. "Clearly, with IBM making the move they're making and all the development taking place, there is an opportunity for that complex to be improved," Temple says. "So we're going to do it." Temple...
'Business Report': Manufacturing making a historic comeback across south Louisiana
Paul Stratford spent a dozen years of his career working for ExxonMobil in Singapore. North American manufacturing was stagnant, and Southeast Asia was the place to be. But two and a half years ago, he was named manager of ExxonMobil's Baton Rouge Chemical Plant. The reason? Baton Rouge is now the place to be. "I came back here because of the new boom and what they were calling 'the manufacturing renaissance' in this country," Stratford says. "I came back to a world of growth in North America that was really not envisioned by our company or by any other companies across the globe." Indeed, a mere three years ago, manufacturing was widely considered a declining industry in Louisiana. Plant after plant had closed its doors. Fifty thousand jobs had been lost since 2000. And consultants aiding the state with Blue Ocean strategy for economic development concluded that digital media, renewable energy and water management offered the best hope for growing Louisiana's economy. But oh, what a...
'Real Estate Weekly': DMC Carter Chambers moving forward with new HQ plans
DMC Carter Chambers' plans for a new $10 million headquarters complex on Highland Road are moving forward, with a groundbreaking expected in three or four months, company officials say. The project, which was first announced in May 2012, will include consolidating existing facilities in Baton Rouge, Gonzales and Prairieville into a single office, warehouse and shop located on roughly 13.5 acres at 19200 Highland Road. The project is a little behind schedule, says vice president of supply chain David Ross, but may end up being a little larger than the 90,000-square-foot facility announced last year. "The plan is basically still the same, but we have tweaked the design here and there, and it might be a tad bit bigger," he says. A plan recently submitted to the city-parish Planning Commission calls for a facility as large as 120,00 square feet, including 75,000 square feet of warehouse and shop space. DMC, which supplies industrial, service and support products, is asking the Planning...
Piccadilly launches emergency services division
Baton Rouge-based Piccadilly Restaurants announced today that it has created a new division within the company: emergency services. The new division will allow the restaurant and food service company to feed people on a mass scale anywhere around the country following a disaster. Chief Operating Officer Chris Sanchez says Piccadilly has a new, custom-built emergency kitchen that enables it to serve up to 100,000 meals a day. The company is not entirely new to emergency food service. Following hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Piccadilly says it served 10,000 meals a day and a total of more than 100,000 following the two storms. Over the years, Piccadilly says it has provided more than 500,000 emergency relief meals via partnerships with the American Red Cross, various state and local governments, as well as utility companies.
Wampold confident council will OK Harveston sewer district
Developer Mike Wampold is optimistic the Metro Council will approve the creation of a new sewer district for his 1,600-acre Harveston development on Nicholson Drive at the Bluebonnet Extension. "A couple of the council people had questions about it, and we met with them and they have met with DPW and their questions have been answered," Wampold says. "Anything could happen, but we feel good about it." Councilman Ryan Heck, the council member raising the most pointed questions about the potential cost to the city-parish of the new district, agrees the measure will likely pass, though he will not be among those voting for it. "I think it's a great development, but I don't care for their sewer plan," says Heck, who explains that part of the business plan of the ongoing city-parish sewer system overhaul factors in thousands of new sewer connections over the next 30 years—new customers, in other words, who will be paying off the massive debt from the program. "We were counting on...
Real estate recap: Orion Instruments plans expansion; Rouzan seeks concept plan amendment … Plans for pizzeria near Perkins Road overpass 'on major life support' … Bricks discovered at Magnolia Mound spark 'historical mystery'
Shooting for the stars: Baton Rouge-based Orion Instruments is planning an expansion of its manufacturing facility on Oak Villa Boulevard, just off South Choctaw Drive. The company is asking the Planning & Zoning Commission for approval to add 36,000 square feet to its roughly 48,900-square-foot headquarters. The commission will take up the proposed expansion July 15, at which meeting it's also scheduled to consider a proposed concept plan revision for the Rouzan TND off Perkins Road. Daily Report has more details here.
Andrews: Interest rates headed up
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury rate has increased over the past month from 1.75% to about 2.2%. This 45-basis-point increase may not sound like much, but it represents a roughly 25% rate increase and hurts any checkbook when it comes to making a loan payment. The increase has many influences, the biggest being the Fed's indications of changing policies and philosophies about stimulus programs. It's a "good new versus bad news" story because the increased rates also indicate possible strengthening in the economy. Spreads on permanent loans typically widen out when we see such changes, but so far they have stayed the same, possibly meaning that the increases are already cooked into current pricing or that there is some expectation (or hope) that rates will come back down. For now, long-term rates are at their highest point in some time. Stay tuned for what will probably be further increases by year's end in both the index and the spread.
Cook: Topcor buys two properties on Highland Road
Two tracts of land on Highland Road, located between Airline and Jefferson highways have been purchased by Baton Rouge-based industrial contractor Topcor Companies via Highland Road Investors LLC, represented by Ty Harvison at NAI/Latter & Blum Commercial Real Estate. The first property, at 20269 Highland, was purchased from Hercules Trucking for $1,150,000. Hercules was represented in the deal by Trey Williams of NAI/Latter & Blum. The second, neighboring tract, at 20249 Highland, was formerly occupied by Vaults and More Vaults, and it sold for $399,000. Vaults and More Vaults was represented by Jessie Babcock of Beau Box Commercial Real Estate. The purchase amounted to about 10 total acres between the two sites, with the total sales price working out to about $3.55 per square foot. There were some improvements on the properties that will likely be demolished. According to Harvison, the new owners "were looking at potential uses for the property, but no decisions had been made yet.
Housing's up, but is the foundation solid?
The U.S. housing-market recovery is here, but there's a growing debate among bulls and bears over how long it will last and how strong it will become, with both groups pointing to the same demographic data to make their case. As The Wall Street Journal reports, the bulls say the housing market is in the early stages of a rebound that should last several years because the U.S. hasn't built enough housing to support the country's growth. The recession and the foreclosure crisis led to a sharp slump in new-home construction and in household formation. But the population didn't stop growing. Instead, households simply doubled up or added adult family members. The bears argue that the recent gains in housing will be short-lived, pointing to changes in access to credit, elevated consumer-debt levels, and an over-reliance on investors. They don't believe the housing market will crash again, and they concede that it should contribute somewhat to economic growth. But they see little...
Wampold's new apartments on Stanford to be 'higher-end'
Mike Wampold has not yet decided on the final design for one of his latest projects, an apartment complex that will be constructed on the site of One Lakeshore Place apartments on Stanford Avenue, across from University Lake. But the developer says the new, 240-unit complex will be more upscale than the existing 50-year-old complex, which will be demolished at the end of the year. The new complex—which is being designed by Coleman Architects and will complement Wampold's adjacent luxury condo development, The Crescent at University Lakes—will be four stories tall with double-loaded corridors, which means some units will overlook the LSU lakes and others will look out to a courtyard and pool area. "They will be higher-end apartments," says Wampold, whose project was set to go before the Planning Commission Monday for site approval but has been deferred until August. "It will be towards the upper-middle end of the spectrum." Wampold expects the tenant mix to change at the...
DMC Carter Chambers moving forward with new HQ plans
DMC Carter Chambers' plans for a new $10 million headquarters complex on Highland Road are moving forward, with a groundbreaking expected in three or four months, company officials say. The project, which was first announced last May, will include consolidating existing facilities in Baton Rouge, Gonzales and Prairieville into a single office, warehouse and shop located on roughly 13.5 acres at 19200 Highland Road. The project is a little behind schedule, says vice president of supply chain David Ross, but may end up being a little larger than the 90,000-square-foot facility announced last year. "The plan is basically still the same, but we have tweaked the design here and there, and it might be a tad bit bigger," he says. Plans recently submitted to the city-parish Planning Commission calls for a facility as large as 120,00 square feet, including 75,000 square feet of warehouse and shop space. DMC, which supplies industrial, service and support products, is asking the Planning...
Promise and peril
Louisiana, along with every other state, has seen plenty of bank mergers over the years.
Tech transfer
Bob Mirabito grew up in the Northeast, riding trains and buses on a daily basis. “My high school in New Jersey was 30 miles from where we lived,” he recalls.
Business balance
For two years, Gene Todaro ran Marcello's, a popular restaurant on Perkins Road in Southdowns. It regularly drew a steady crowd of patrons, who came both for the hearty Italian fare and the happening bar scene.
Balancing act
On a summer day in 2005, John D'Angelo had one of those awkward conversations with his wife that entrepreneurs sometimes have with their significant others.
Ready to grow
The past several years have been something of a dry spell for commercial bankers. On the upside, a prolonged period of low interest rates has enabled them to pay next to nothing for deposits. But having a pile of cash on hand doesn't count for much when bankers can't make loans.
The $50 billion boom
Paul Stratford spent a dozen years of his career working for ExxonMobil in Singapore. North American manufacturing was stagnant, and Southeast Asia was the place to be.
BRAF report: B.R. ranks low for patents
Baton Rouge businesses and residents were issued 115 patents in 2012, according to BRAF's annual "CityStats" report. That's the most since 2003, but it's still a small number compared to other cities of comparable size, BRAF says. The "Baton Rouge CityStats" project was launched in 2008, with the first report issued in 2009. The report combines survey results and other data in an attempt to provide a rough picture of the quality of life in East Baton Rouge Parish. The patent number is cited as a measure of innovation. Other indicators cited in the report include:
• More people (a net of 1,414) moved into the parish in 2011 than moved out.
• Median family income for whites ($81,251) was more than double that of blacks ($35,476) or Hispanics ($37,415) in 2011.
CATS to vet potential program managers later this month
CATS board Chairman Isaiah Marshall says the four transportation firms that have submitted proposals to serve as CATS's program manager will make presentations to a board committee at a meeting tentatively scheduled for June 24. In May, the board issued an RFQ for a program manager to oversee system improvements that voters were promised would be implemented by 2014 if they approved a dedicated CATS tax, which was done last year in Baton Rouge and Baker. As reported previously in Daily Report, four firms responded to the RFQ: URS, SJB Group, MV Transportation, and Veolia Transportation. URS is the only one of the applicants that has previously done work for CATS. The San Francisco-based publicly traded company did a study for the agency on its corporate structure. Veolia also has experience in Louisiana. Its clients include the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority. Marshall says the program manager will be under contract for a minimum of 18 months, though likely much longer,...
Four firms apply to be CATS program manager
Four transportation firms have submitted proposals to serve as CATS program manager, which will be selected later this summer to oversee long-promised service upgrades and improvements to the bus system. The firms include: URS, a publicly traded company based in San Francisco with more than 50,000 employees in 50 countries worldwide; SJB Group, a local company that does planning, engineering, environmental and site-development work; MV Transportation, a transit management company operating 200 transit systems in 28 states and two foreign countries; and Veolia Transportation, a transit management company with 160 clients worldwide, including New Orleans' Regional Transit Authority. Last month, CATS issued a RFQ for a program manager to help implement service upgrades that voters were promised when they approved a dedicated property tax for CATS. Chief among those improvements is the change from a hub-and-spoke to a grid system and the construction of several new bus shelters. The RFQs...
BRAC releases overview of legislative session
While BRAC's top priorities for the legislative session that ended last week included workforce education reform, improving K-12 education, and preserving economic development incentives, the organization says it was also pleased to see gains in other areas, such as crime reduction strategies and health care. BRAC, which released a full analysis of the session this morning, concludes that it "was less successful and productive than prior years but produced a few incremental gains for economic development issues." On crime reduction, BRAC applauds the passage of House Bill 256, which puts on the Nov. 4 ballot a constitutional amendment that would make it easier for redevelopment authorities around the state to seize blighted properties that have unpaid property tax liens against them. "Blighted properties can harbor criminals, criminal activity, and fugitives. They also create an appearance of community and neighborhood...
BRAF-backed poll: Consolidate law enforcement
In a recent poll underwritten by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, 60% of East Baton Rouge Parish residents said they support consolidating the EBRP Sheriff's Office and the Baton Rouge Police Department. The poll results make up part of BRAF's annual "Baton Rouge CityStats" report, which tracks more than 70 quality-of-life indicators. The same poll found that 43% think the area in which they live is "getting better," while 30% think it is "getting worse." The poll found 58% of residents feel safe walking alone at night in their neighborhoods, while 25% reported being a victim of crime. Residents are divided on gun control, with 52% saying they would be against a parish-level assault weapons ban, but 51% voicing support for a ban on high-capacity magazines. On gay marriage, 47% are for making it legal, compared to 45% against. Fire protection and the East Baton Rouge Parish Library received high marks for effectiveness. More than half of residents—56%—said "progress" in...
Food stamps used by 21% of Louisianans
Slightly more than one in five Louisiana residents were enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, as of March, according to the most recent figures available from the U.S. Census Bureau. With total enrollment at 951,535, roughly 21% of all Louisianans are relying on food stamps to make ends meet. Only Washington, D.C, at 23%, and Mississippi, at 22%, have a higher percentage of their population on food stamps. Enrollment in Tennessee, New Mexico and Oregon is also at 21%. As The Wall Street Journal reports, 8% of all Americans were enrolled in the food stamp program in 1975. Nationwide participation is 15% today. Enrollment soared to 47.8 million Americans in recent months, an increase of 70%. Since 1990, the number of people using food stamps has risen by 140%. And while the Congressional Budget Office predicts unemployment will drop to 4.6% by 2017, SNAP enrollment is only expected to drop to 43.3 million people. The full story and...
B.R. gas prices post penny decline on the week
With a gallon of regular unleaded gas selling for $3.29 on average in Baton Rouge as of this morning, gas prices are down 1 cent on the week, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report. However, today's price is also one penny higher than it was both one month and one year ago. The Louisiana average, at $3.31 per gallon, is well below the U.S. average of $3.63. The state average is flat from a week ago, as well as a month ago, and is 2 cents higher than one year ago. The U.S. average is up one penny from a week ago, 6 cents on the month and 9 cents on the year. Louisiana currently has the fifth-lowest average price of all the states. South Carolina motorists are paying the lowest price in the country, $3.20 per gallon, while Hawaii has the highest average price, $4.35. A total of six states have averages over $4 per gallon. You can check out the complete AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report
Orion Instruments plans expansion; Rouzan seeks concept plan amendment
Baton Rouge-based Orion Instruments is planning an expansion of its manufacturing facility on Oak Villa Boulevard, just off South Choctaw Drive. The company, which is a custom designer and manufacturer of highly specific fluid measurement devices for industrial uses, is asking the Planning & Zoning Commission for approval to add 36,000 square feet to its roughly 48,900-square-foot headquarters. The addition would include another 50 parking spaces to the 85 currently on-site. The headquarters was built in 2010. Orion was named Business Report's 2011 Company of the Year (less than 100 employees) and last year received a Lantern Award from LED. The commission will take up the proposed expansion July 15, at which meeting it's also scheduled to consider a proposed concept plan revision for the Rouzan TND off Perkins Road. The revision, which is the sixth submitted since the development was initially approved in September 2007, is to "realign some of the streets in Rouzan and...
Business council leader promotes entrepreneurial ecosystem
When countries and communities build a strong support network for entrepreneurs—what is sometimes called the entrepreneurial ecosystem—it helps everyone, including employees, says Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. But she says the best ideas don't come from politicians, which is why every entrepreneur and business leader should make it a priority to engage in the policy-making process. Kerrigan, who delivered the keynote address at today's luncheon for Business Report's 2013 Influential Women in Business honorees, says U.S. officials should recognize the need to stay competitive as other nations are adopting pro-business policies and lowering barriers to capital formation. Beyond policy issues, role models also play an important role in any successful ecosystem, she says, particularly for women. You can read a Q&A with Kerrigan in the new issue of Business Report
'225 Dine': Louisiana Seafood King torn between Baton Rouge and New Orleans in opening new restaurant
On the heels of being crowned the 2013 King of Louisiana Seafood for his Speckled Trout Perdu entrée, Chef Cody Carroll is looking to open a new restaurant to complement his Hot Tails Restaurant in New Roads. But Carroll, who lives in Baton Rouge and is a graduate of both LSU and the Louisiana Culinary Institute, is weighing options in a big decision. He can either try to replicate the success of his restaurant in Baton Rouge or set his sights a bit higher and try to establish himself among the world-class chefs of New Orleans. "Baton Rouge—although it has definitely evolved—is still not a destination for the food industry. In New Orleans, you have people flying in from all over the world who are coming to dine out," says Carroll, who is looking at possible locations in both cities. "That's a huge difference to a chef." But while New Orleans offers the chance for chefs like Carroll to really test and hone their culinary craft, the Crescent City is also a bigger risk. In...
Plans for pizzeria near Perkins Road overpass 'on major life support'
Plans for a beer and pizza joint in the former Stella Boutique near the Perkins Road overpass have hit a major snag over issues related to a lack of parking at the site. New Orleans businessman Jack Rizzuto, who owns Jester Mardi Gras Daiquiris on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, says he has let expire his option to acquire the 2,500-square-foot building. He has also withdrawn a rezoning request that, if granted, would have allowed him to serve alcohol at the restaurant. Rizzuto's attorney, Chris Young, says while plans for the Ice House Coal Fired Pizza and Pizzeria at 3033 Perkins Road are not dead, "they're on major life support." Young says the problem centers on Rizzuto's inability to secure adequate parking for the pizzeria. City-parish law requires restaurants to have parking within 100 feet of the establishment, and the only parking lot that satisfied that requirement for Rizzuto's planned restaurant is a gravel lot under the Perkins Road overpass, which is leased by...
Louisiana economic growth lags nation in 2012
New figures show that Louisiana's economy grew by 1.5% in 2012. Gross domestic product numbers released today by the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis try to measure all of the economic output of each state. Louisiana's 2012 growth rate was below the national average of 2.5%, and ranked 30th among the 50 states. Nonetheless, 2012 was an improvement over 2011 for the state. Earlier figures had shown Louisiana's economy expanded by 0.5% in 2011, but revisions released today show it shrank by 2.6%—the worst performance of any state. Federal figures show the biggest contributor to growth in Louisiana last year came from makers of nondurable goods, including oil and chemical refiners. Swings in prices of oil and refined products can make Louisiana's output numbers very volatile.
Briggs says Louisiana's natural gas 'party is far from over'
Despite declining rig counts along Louisiana's largest natural gas shale play, Louisiana Oil & Gas Association President Don Briggs says "the party is far from over" and that Louisiana will remain relevant in the natural gas world for decades to come. Rig declines along the Haynesville Shale have been fueled by a high national supply of natural gas and falling prices—which have now hit a 10-year low—Briggs writes in a new column. "However, as the market begins to level out and the demand for natural gas increases, the Haynesville will once again thrive," he predicts. Over the past four years, the Haynesville Shale has seen more than 2,400 wells drilled for natural gas. At the height of the hydraulic fracturing boom, 139 rigs were standing across the shale in northwest Louisiana. The number of rigs has fallen dramatically in the years since, Briggs acknowledges—down to as few as 12 in January. However, he says, that number has increased to more than 40 as of May,...
Offshore drilling proponents launch new push on Capitol Hill
The oil and gas industry and their allies in Congress are renewing a campaign to expand drilling along the U.S. coastline, The Houston Chronicle reports. "There is broad support from both policymakers and the public" for "tapping into oil and natural gas resources off our coasts," says Erik Milito, the American Petroleum Institute's upstream director, during a conference call with reporters today. "We need to begin taking the steps to ensure the nation's long-term energy security." In the House, Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., is advancing legislation that would force the Obama administration to sell oil and gas leases off the coast of Virginia, South Carolina and California. The measure is set to get a hearing in a House Natural Resources subcommittee meeting on Thursday. Like a Senate bill co-sponsored by Louisiana Democrat Mary Landrieu and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Hastings' measure would also expand the amount of revenue coastal states collect for energy development close to...
Dean Tower becomes Mid City Tower
Dean Tower, the 14-story landmark on Florida Boulevard, is now Mid City Tower and will soon host a college, its new owners say. Ann Simmers is a partner in Mid City Tower and director of the Court Reporting Institute of Louisiana, currently on South Harrell’s Ferry Road. She says the school will add business, paralegal and medical classes, and reopen in the fall as Mid City College. Plans are for the school to take up two floors initially and grow over time to fill four floors. Simmers says the building, which is about 60% leased, is getting fresh paint, an outdoor courtyard, and some interior renovations, but is structurally in great shape. She says two chefs have expressed interest in opening a restaurant or banquet facility on the top floor. The building once hosted Top of the Tower restaurant, which Simmers describes as "the Ruth’s Chris of the '70s." She says Mid City Tower will manage the building on-site, and says she looks forward to getting involved in Mid City...
CATS hires former tech exec as interim CEO
The CATS board of directors today hired Robert Mirabito, a retired technology executive, as its interim CEO for the next six to nine months while the search for a permanent replacement is under way. The board accepted the recommendation of its committee, which last week chose Mirabito over local pest control company owner John Conroy for the temporary position that was created when former CEO Brian Marshall resigned in April. For Mirabito, who grew up in the Northeast and regularly used rail lines and buses in New Jersey and New York, improving public transit in Baton Rouge has piqued his interest since he moved here four years ago to take a job as chief information officer at the Baton Rouge Radiology Group. When that position was eliminated earlier this year due to budget cuts, Mirabito says he began looking for his next opportunity and decided to throw his hat in the ring when the CATS position came open. Mirabito tells Daily Report his first priority as interim CEO will be...
Chemical companies begin hiring war in advance of construction boom
As chemical companies expand to take advantage of low-cost natural gas, they have to work harder to recruit new workers. Talking about the company's new focus on recruiting, Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. Vice President of Human Resources Greg Wagner tells The Houston Chronicle, "It's super challenging right now," adding: "We're trying to get the best and the brightest, but that's tough in Houston." Petrochemical projects in Texas and Louisiana worth billions of dollars are planned by Chevron Phillips Chemical as well as by its competitors, and the large amount of work occurring at one time is expected to make hiring construction workers difficult. Wagner concedes contractors may have to bring in workers from far beyond the Houston region. The company is looking to recruit graduates at schools throughout Texas, Louisiana and elsewhere, he says. "We're competing for the same people, whether it's at UT, [Texas] A&M, LSU or Lee College; so we're trying to build relationships,"...
Program launched to recycle oyster shells on coast
A first-of-its-kind program in the state announced by the Baton Rouge-based Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana aims to help New Orleans area restaurants recycle oyster shells. The coalition says that Shell Oil Co. has provided $1 million for the program, which will collect the shells and return them to coastal waters. They will be used to revitalize public oyster seed areas and to provide material for coastal restoration projects. A news release from the coalition says two New Orleans restaurants—Drago's Seafood Restaurant and Acme Oyster House—will initially participate in the program. Organizers hope to expand it to other restaurants in the region. "Oyster shell is a naturally created and valuable material that should be returned to the coast, where it can serve as a foundation for reefs and as cultch for more oysters," Steven Peyronnin, executive director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, tells The Times-Picayune. "This type of program has...
New Orleans-style restaurant planned on O'Neal Lane
Katrina Smith hopes to relocate her New Orleans Breakfast and Pancake House restaurant from Gretna to Baton Rouge by the end of the summer. Smith says she's finalizing a deal to locate the restaurant, which will be renamed New Orleans Breakfast and Grill, in a space inside the Carriage Crossing complex on O'Neal Lane, near the intersection at George O'Neal Road. "We want to put it in an area where there are not many New Orleans-style restaurants," says Smith, who relocated to Baton Rouge from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. "We want to bring a real taste of New Orleans to the good people of Baton Rouge for welcoming so many of us here. We want to bring them foods here that they'd otherwise have to drive 75 miles for." Among the offerings at the Baton Rouge location, Smith says, will be beignets made according to the authentic Café Du Monde recipe. Unlike the current Gretna restaurant, Smith says, the Baton Rouge location will serve dinner. It will feature seating for at least...
3 Whitney branches to close in B.R.
The Whitney Bank branch at 2600 Citiplace Dr. is one of three in Baton Rouge closing as part of a previously announced plan to close 40 branches across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida by the end of the year. Along with the Citiplace location, Baton Rouge closures include branches at 11659 Plank Road and 9800 Airline Highway. Though Whitney has not provided specifics on each closure yet, it says "most" will occur on Aug. 30, with the remaining to close by Dec. 31. Other branch closures in Louisiana will occur in Alexandria, Pineville, Algiers and LaPlace. "Because affected associates can retain jobs through closure dates, will receive appropriate transition benefits, and can apply for other open positions, estimating job impact is premature," Whitney says in a release. The closures stem from the 2011 acquisition of Whitney by Hancock Holding Co. Branches of the merged banks continue to operate under the Whitney brand name in Louisiana and Texas. You can see a list...
'Real Estate Weekly': Student housing boom continues on Ben Hur
Ground clearing is under way on 40 acres at Ben Hur Road and Burbank Drive for the next massive apartment complex going up in the area: Fairfield at Baton Rouge. The first portion of the 298-unit, 898-bed complex is expected to open in 2014 in time for the start of the fall school semester, with the full build-out completed in 2015. The $36 million development is located on the opposite end of Ben Hur from The Woodlands, a 291-unit complex completed last year, in an area that has become the hottest for new apartment construction aimed at LSU students. "We fell in love with the location," says Zach Johnson, vice president of student housing for Irving, Texas-based Fairfield Residential, whose development in Baton Rouge is its first in Louisiana. "Clearly, it's a proven student housing location, and we think the potential for future commercial growth is really big." The rapid development of apartment complexes along the LSU-area corridor including Ben Hur, River Road and Brightside...
Work begins on former Riverside Patty site
Contractors have begun gutting the old Louisiana Theater building at 336 N. Third St. in downtown as part of an overhaul that the building's owners hope will help attract a new tenant. "We have talked to a number of parties who are interested," says Gordon "Skeet" LeBlanc, who owns the building with his sister, Moffett Strain, and cousins, Dwight and Lyn Singer. "But we figured the best approach is to gut it and let potential tenants look at it to get an idea of what is there and what they can do with it." The 4,000-square-foot building—perhaps better known as the former home of Riverside Patty, which closed in November after serving downtown lunch crowds for 30 years—was built in 1913 and has 40-foot ceilings, which were previously obscured by a false ceiling. LeBlanc says possible tenants include a restaurant, market or business that would use it for office space. The building is just the latest of several historic structures on Third Street to undergo a transformation.
Two tenants sign letters of intent at Acadian-Perkins Plaza
Two tenants have signed letters of intent to move into the second phase of the Acadian-Perkins Plaza shopping center at the corner of Perkins Road and South Acadian Thruway, and construction is scheduled to begin this week on the spaces. John Bugea, whose residential real estate firm is currently located downtown, plans to lease nearly 2,000 square feet on the second level of the shopping center. His two-year-old firm has outgrown its shared office space at Springboard in the Kress Building, and Bugea says he is ready to grow the sales side of his business and add more employees. He hopes to move into the space, which is being built out by Chris Town Construction, by Sept. 1. The Salad Shop is the other new tenant. Owner Bradley Sanchez is planning to lease 1,500 square feet for his concept restaurant on the ground floor of the shopping center. The Salad Shop will offer custom-made salads and wraps from dozens of ingredients. Sanchez, a Baton Rouge native and recent LSU graduate,...
Real estate recap: Creekstone and contractors nearing settlement … Red River Bank signs purchase agreement on parcel at Perkins, S. Acadian … Capital Creamery closes in downtown B.R.
Coming to terms: Attorneys for Creekstone Developers and Associated Concrete Contractors have asked for another 30 days to settle a matter involving a lien on the property at Juban Crossing. In a joint motion filed late last week, lawyers for both firms say the parties have "made great efforts to finalize their settlement efforts, and but for one or two remaining matters, which they believe will be amicably resolved, are essentially complete." In March, U.S. District Judge James Brady gave the parties 60 days to reach an agreement. Daily Report has the full story here.
Cook: D.R. Horton buys land for new development
Pelican Lakes Land Holdings LLC has sold a 69-acre tract to D.R. Horton Inc. for $3,650,000, or about $52,900 per acre. The tract is located off Pelican Lakes Parkway, on the south side of Burbank Drive, west of Gardere Lane. The property will be developed with 300 lots on which D.R. Horton will construct homes that range in price from $200,000 to $400,000; the builder will also spend several hundred thousand dollars to develop an entry off Burbank. The development will feature a clubhouse, pool, park and lake water features. The seller was represented by Dave Treppendahl of NAI/Latter & Blum Realtors; D.R. Horton was represented by Ben Stalter, a partner with Maestri-Murrell Real Estate. Lots should be under construction early this summer.
B.R. construction employment ranks 4th nationally in April
Baton Rouge area construction employment was 16% higher in April than it was during the month a year previous, making it the fourth-best performing metro of the 339 tracked by Associated General Contractors of America. Construction firms in the Capital Region employed approximately 46,700 two months ago, according to AGCA's latest metro jobs report, about 6,600 more than it did in April 2012. It was also a gain of 700 jobs from March, when Baton Rouge ranked 11th in the nation for year-over-year construction job gains. Of the six Louisiana metros tracked by AGCA, five posted a year-over-year increase in jobs during April, with the Shreveport area the only one that experienced a dip in employment. The Lake Charles area also posted a 16% increase, tying it with Baton Rouge for the fourth-best performance by percentage. Construction employment increased in 170 out of 339 U.S. metro areas on the year in April, while it declined in 123 and was stagnant in 46, according to the AGCA's...
Louisiana Realtors hope to build new headquarters within a year
Early one morning last month, lightning struck the Louisiana Realtors' headquarters on Bennington Avenue. By the time CEO Malcolm Young arrived, "the whole building was engulfed in flames," he says. Even after the fire was put out, it was unsafe to go back inside. Fortunately, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the organization created a crisis response plan that included having a parallel off-site server, which preserved their membership records and other information. They also have business interruption insurance, which allowed the staff of 10 people to move quickly into a temporary space with rented furniture. With hurricane season upon us, Young says, Louisiana Realtors' experience shows the importance of being ready for disaster. The association may build a new headquarters at the current site or move elsewhere, he says. In assessing its needs, it will consider adding classroom space and consolidating its downtown legislative office with the main building. The goal is to be...
Ben Hur continues to see student housing boom
Ground clearing is under way on 40 acres at Ben Hur Road and Burbank Drive for the next massive apartment complex going up in the area: Fairfield at Baton Rouge. The first portion of the 298-unit, 898-bed complex is expected to open in 2014 in time for the start of the fall school semester, with the full build-out completed in 2015. The $36 million development is located on the opposite end of Ben Hur from The Woodlands, a 291-unit complex completed last year, in an area that has become the hottest for new apartment construction aimed at LSU students. "We fell in love with the location," says Zach Johnson, vice president of student housing for Irving, Texas-based Fairfield Residential, whose development in Baton Rouge is its first in Louisiana. "Clearly, it's a proven student housing location, and we think the potential for future commercial growth is really big." The rapid development of apartment complexes along the LSU-area corridor including Ben Hur, River Road and Brightside...
'Business Report': Regulators contemplate allowing consumer choice of electric companies
It's the fantasy of just about anyone who writes big, fat checks to their electric company: the ability to pick a provider. That fantasy may soon become a reality, albeit to a limited degree. Newly elected Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle has begun an evaluation of what's known as the 300-foot rule: a decades-old state statute that essentially restricts the choice of electricity provider to the one that already has infrastructure in place closest to consumers' location. It bars utilities from building or extending their facilities or offering to furnish service to any entity located within 300 feet of another utility's existing line without that company's consent. The original intent of the law was to protect utility consumers from footing the bill for parallel and duplicated transmission or distribution lines in a free-for-all competition for customers. The problem, however, is that rates, service and reliability vary from carrier to carrier, and businesses and...
Red River Bank signs purchase agreement on parcel at Perkins, S. Acadian
Red River Bank has signed a purchase agreement on a half-acre vacant parcel at the corner of Perkins Road and South Acadian Thruway and hopes to build a new 2,500-square-foot branch on the site, which has long been an eyesore in the neighborhood. Before the deal can close, however, some contingencies in the contract need to be resolved. "Hopefully those issues will be resolved and cleared in the coming months because we think it is a great location," says Red River Bank market president Joanie Netterville. "It's a great area of town and is very convenient for a lot of our clients." Netterville declines to discuss the contingencies. However, court records show the property is the subject of a lawsuit between its current owner, Laurence Brooks, and Jon Claitor, who owns the Acadian-Perkins Plaza shopping center adjacent to the vacant parcel. Claitor is suing Brooks over the servitude that leads from Perkins Road to the 0.5-acre parcel. Because the property has been vacant for more than...
Local startup selected for regional conference
Baton Rouge-based Yellow Jacket has been selected as one of 50 companies to participate in Southland, a new conference meant to connect promising early-stage companies in the Southeast with potential investors. One company will be selected as "Southland's most innovative startup" and win $10,000 from sponsor Nissan. Yellow Jacket produces smartphone covers that double as stun guns for self-defense. Launch Tennessee, which describes itself as "a public-private partnership that supports high-growth companies in Tennessee," is holding the conference in Nashville June 12-13.
Creekstone and contractors nearing settlement
Attorneys for Creekstone Developers and Associated Concrete Contractors have asked for another 30 days to settle a matter involving a lien on the property at Juban Crossing. In a joint motion filed late last week, lawyers for both firms say the parties have "made great efforts to finalize their settlement efforts, and but for one or two remaining matters, which they believe will be amicably resolved, are essentially complete." In March, U.S. District Judge James Brady gave the parties 60 days to reach an agreement. Associated Concrete recorded a lien against the property on Interstate 12 east of Denham Springs in October 2012, claiming it is owed nearly $6.9 million for work on the shopping development. Creekstone Companies/Juban subsequently sued Associated Concrete in Baton Rouge federal court, alleging the lien was improper and had stalled $81 million in financing for the shopping center. Creekstone principal Stephen Keller later issued a statement saying Associated Concrete had...
B.R. regular gas prices slightly lower than last year
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the Baton Rouge area is about $3.30, compared to $3.33 at this time last year, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. The national average is $3.62, compared to $3.59 last year. The average price in Baton Rouge was $3.32 a week ago and $3.25 a month ago. A gallon of premium gas costs about $3.67 locally, compared to $3.62 last year, while a gallon of diesel will run you $3.66, compared to $3.71 a year ago.
Exxon responds to NPR report critical of B.R. refinery
Officials from ExxonMobil tell Daily Report, in a lengthy response to a National Public Radio story, they are "disappointed with the numerous factual errors and misperceptions" it allegedly contains. NPR aired a nine-minute story on the refinery Thursday as part of its "Poisoned Places: Toxic Air, Neglected Communities" series. For the online version, NPR has titled the story "Baton Rouge's corroded, overpolluting neighbor: Exxon Mobil." In it, NPR says Exxon: has poor communication with neighbors, who routinely complain about the smell around the Baton Rouge refinery; has led to poor air quality in Baton Rouge; has failed to properly maintain the refinery; and has downplayed a "major accident" last year, among other things. In its four-page response to the story, Exxon addresses all of the claims. In answer to a question about why the company did not agree to talk to NPR for the story, Exxon says, "We felt that this reporter was determined to stick to a pre-defined,...
Jewel of a julep
It's June. It's hot. This calls for a julep.
Zorba's owner notes changes in local restaurant market
Though it has only been one week since Zorba's Greek Bistro opened for business, Dinos Economides has noticed several changes in the dozen years since he last operated a restaurant in Baton Rouge. "Diners are more sophisticated," says Economides, who closed his popular Zorba's restaurant on Perkins Road in 2001 and opened the new restaurant at 5713 Essen Lane on May 23. "There are a lot more upscale restaurants in town than there used to be, so diners are more discerning." Along with that trend, Economides has noticed demand for a broader wine selection, which he is trying to meet by offering more wines by the glass. Wholesalers and suppliers also offer a much wider variety of fresh meats and seafood than they did a decade or so ago, says Economides, whose new menu places a heavy emphasis on fresh, made-to-order dishes. That said, one week into the new business, the most popular items on the menu are the old favorites that longtime customers still ask for—though the prices they...
'225 Dine': Bar Louie to open June 11
A Chicago chain restaurant will open in the former Bravo! Cucina spot near the Mall of Louisiana. Bar Louie, a restaurant specializing in signature cocktails, martinis and a range of dishes, is slated to welcome its first guests June 11. Marketing Manager Ashley Kouns says the location is perfect for Bar Louie, citing the "thriving local economy" and "strong student population." The area, Kouns says, is a "mecca for young savvy business professionals needing a place like Bar Louie to unwind." The menus for both drink and food are extensive. The martini list alone is stacked with 16 different takes on the drink. Among the food items are small plates, salads, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, and large plates such as fish and chips and meatball pasta. The full menu will be served 11 to 2 a.m., seven days a week, Kouns says. Get your fill of local culinary news in the new 225 Dine e-newsletter here.
Mionetto Prosecco Brut
Prosecco! Spumante!! Frizzante!!!
Nowhere but Home
The big Challenge in packing for the beach? Choosing the right book. Make sure to bring Liza Palmer's new novel, Nowhere but Home. This homecoming story is tender not treacly, told in smart, funny, unfussy prose. It is sure to enhance any laid-back vacation.
Warm weather favorites
When Karen Kennedy of the Arthritis Association of Louisiana approached me about writing a cookbook for people with arthritis, I wanted to better understand the correlation between arthritis and food.
Fabulous finds
A trove of shops, boutiques and art galleries, Denham Springs was one of many Louisiana cities whose downtown revitalization efforts were spearheaded by locally owned and operated businesses, says Jay Tusa with the Louisiana Office of Tourism. With its Main Street Commission's registry listing more than 40 businesses, the three-block Denham Springs Antique District is home to a plethora of gems. Enjoy a leisurely browse inside the Rusty Rooster, Serendipity in the Village (above), and the Korner Shoppe, among many others, along atmospheric Range Avenue.
denhamspringsmainstreet.com
Pequeño Tacos
Restaurant IPO's pequeño tacos are the perfect demonstration of Executive Chef Chris Wadsworth's passion: infusing world cuisine with Louisiana ingredients in a tapas format.
How many characters?
When not busy producing our monthly print publication or weekly online products, many of 225's staff and contributors are engaging in interesting discussions on Twitter. Here's where to find everyone and what to expect.
Shake it up
Know of a new business, restaurant or service in Baton Rouge? Tell us about it by emailing editor@225batonrouge.com.
Beer run
A once hard-to-find beer—at least locally—has now made a home in Baton Rouge grocers, restaurants and bars. New Belgium Brewing Company entered the market in the spring, with 22 oz. individual bottles of several beers showing up at places like Cuban Liquor Store, Calandro's, Maxwell's and even Albertson's and Winn Dixie. Most known for Fat Tire—a smooth, nutty amber ale named after a bike trip across Europe—you can also find the hoppy Ranger IPA, tangy Sunshine Wheat and others across town. New Belgium beers are also showing up on tap at several local bars, such as the Bulldog, and many stores started selling 12 oz. six-packs in late May. Now you have something new to bring as a conversation starter to the next barbecue. newbelgium.com
Bin 77
On a corner within Perkins Rowe, surrounded by retail establishments, sits Bin 77. A respite from the frenzy of the shopping masses, Bin 77 is a small plates–wine bar with an inviting patio and softly lit interior. There is an ample bar in the center of the space and a wall of retail bottles displayed at the back should you particularly enjoy that Pinot Noir you had with your meal. The interior color theme is weighted heavily with purple, so much so that it might make doves cry and Prince proud, yet it all works.