First National Bank of Louisiana has purchased property on Perkins Road for a planned flagship location in Baton Rouge.
The bank acquired 2.9 acres divided into two parcels adjacent to an office building owned by Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. The property at 6955 Perkins Road was purchased from the Bayhi family for $2.2 million, according to a deal filed this week with the East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court’s office.
Fabian Edwards of Elifin brokered the deal for the seller, while Ransom Pipes of Maestri Murrell represented the bank.
In a simultaneous transaction, Our Lady of the Lake purchased 0.7 acres within the 2.9-acre tract, which includes a portion of the office building parking lot, from First National Bank for $570,000.
Jordan Hultberg, First National Bank of Louisiana’s capital market president, says the site is planned as a full-service branch, though a construction timeline has not yet been established.
“We’re still early in the planning phase,” he says. “We’re just excited to buy property in the heart of Baton Rouge and continue our growth in the Capital Region.”
The bank’s only other Baton Rouge-area location is on Wrenwood Drive.
“Since the bank’s move into Baton Rouge in 2025, we’ve been building out our Baton Rouge team to support our relationship-focused approach to banking and provide customers with quick access to capital and financial products that meet their needs,” Hultberg says.
Development plans submitted to the Planning Commission show the bank plans to construct its branch on a 0.79-acre parcel fronting Perkins Road. The 1.46-acre parcel behind the branch site is slated for a future phase that will include approximately 15,000 square feet of garden-style office space available for lease, according to Pipes.
Crowley-based First National Bank of Louisiana is a nationally chartered community bank with other full-service locations in Lafayette, Crowley, Lake Charles and Sulphur. FNB is a wholly owned subsidiary of First National Bancshares of Louisiana. The bank has over $578 million in assets and $507 million in deposits, according to the FDIC.
First National Bank is the latest among several banks announcing expansion plans in the Capital Region. Landmark Bank bought land on Jefferson Highway near Cypress Lake Drive for its first Baton Rouge location, while Houma-based Synergy Bank plans to build a new branch in the Towne Center Business Park.
Covington-based Resource Bank announced last month that it will develop a new location in the Heritage Crossing development in Ascension Parish. Construction is also underway on the Bank of St. Francisville’s Jefferson Highway branch, which is expected to be completed in 2027. JD Bank’s full-service branch on Jefferson Highway opened earlier this month.
