Could 2018 be the year the East Baton Rouge Library Board of Control finally identifies a suitable location for a new south branch?
Perhaps. But if history is any indication, it’s not likely. The library board has spent the past decade looking for a site for a new south branch, but for one reason or another, no location has materialized.
In early 2017, the board thought it had found a suitable home when the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors announced plans to vacate its headquarters building on Quail Drive and relocate downtown. But the board’s plans changed mid year, effectively removing the building from consideration.
“We’re hoping that building might eventually come back on the market, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon,” says library director Spencer Watts. “There’s just not a lot of available sites, except commercial retail sites and the board isn’t interested in those.”
The board has rejected several potential commercial sites because they are too far from the heart of the area the south branch library would serve, Watts says.
The south branch library would serve an estimated 30,000 people and be located in the area roughly bordered by Stanford Avenue, Perkins Road, Essen Lane and the Mississippi River. The branch was originally to be developed in the heart of Rouzan’s commercial development. But those plans fell through in 2013 after years of negotiations, when Rouzan developer Tommy Spinosa and the board failed to come to a final agreement.
Though there’s still plenty of available property at Rouzan, as Spinosa has yet to get the commercial portion of the TND off the ground, Watts says the development is off the table.
Since 2015, Sperry Van Ness/Graham Langlois & Legendre has been working with the board on a commission basis to identify sites. The firm continues to search, and board members are keeping their eyes open.
“Hope springs eternal,” says Watts, though he says he’s not holding his breath.
—Stephanie Riegel
