Large mixed-use development planned on 120 acres near L’Auberge

Plans for the development of a “destination village community resort” over 120 acres stretching from River Road to Nicholson Drive were among the applications filed with the Planning Commission before today’s deadline to have issues taken up at the commission’s May 19 meeting. Rhaoul Guillaume Sr., president of local engineering firm GOTECH, filed the plans for the Pointe-Marie, which map out a three-part resort and residential development that includes a Village Center District, a Central Square District and a Motor Coach Resort. Guillaume has previously told Daily Report that Pointe-Marie—which lies near L’Auberge Casino & Hotel and borders the LSU Innovation Park—would have a “family atmosphere, using a similar concept to Seaside, Florida,” but with “Louisiana-themed architecture.” According to the concept plan, the development would include 565 low-density residential units and 285 medium-density residential units, as well as 275,000 square feet of retail/commercial/office space. Plans for the Village Center District, which would front River Road, include two hotels totaling 110 units, a film district and an artist colony. Both the Central Square District and the Motor Coach Resort—which would back up to Nicholson Drive—would include low- and medium-density residential space, as well as some mixed-use commercial, civil and office space. The Motor Coach Resort will also offer parking spaces for RVs, accompanied by electrical outlets. The plans allow for 24 acres of “open space.” GOTECH, Guillaume’s company, was Business Report‘s Company of the Year (fewer than 100 employees) in 2013. —Rachel Alexander