It has been more than a year since voters approved the creation of the Baton Rouge North Economic Development District to spur investment in the northern part of the city. But in his latest column, Business Report Publisher Rolfe McCollister questions what—if anything—the new district’s board of directors has actually accomplished since its incorporation.
“What are the big plans and where are the partnerships forming to accomplish the first ‘win’ or project completed—or even started?” McCollister writes. “The funding approved from a hotel-motel tax is flowing and staff is in place—so are we going to keep hearing folks complain or have they gotten creative and started the revival?”
The district’s interim director, Rinaldi Jacobs, has claimed that north Baton Rouge has the most available land and incentives. Jacobs also has said there are great opportunities there—a sentiment McCollister shares.
“I am one who wants to see the entire community grow and prosper. That’s good for Baton Rouge. And I agree with Jacobs that there is land and there are opportunities in NBR,” he writes. “The city of Zachary has hired a firm to identify sites for retail, and they found 42 properties including shopping centers and vacant land they will pitch to national retailers. Now they are selling the opportunity. Has NBR taken inventory to sell?”
McCollister sees opportunities in areas like the Baton Rouge airport and its Aviation Business Park, as well as Howell Place, Ardendale and the McKay Automotive Training Center. There’s also opportunities at Louisiana Tech Park, Cortana Mall, the LSU Health North Clinic and the former Earl K. Long Hospital site that belongs to Baton Rouge.
McCollister notes that back in 2015, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome—then a state senator—had meetings about what to do with the hospital site. She told The Advocate, “I heard what the people want to see in that community, and they want the same things people in south Baton Rouge want. They want pockets of entertainment for their families.”
“Well, how does that happen? Is the BRNEDD working on it?” McCollister writes. “Why don’t the mayor’s office, BRNEDD, BRAC, LED and the Commercial Investment Division of the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS get with bankers and do the market research for that site, package incentives and then do a national request for proposals for the site and offer it for $1?”
McCollister says the site, currently vacant, could be a catalyst—but the developer has to see economic opportunity.
“Risk and reward. We can make something happen or do nothing and let it sit and continue to grow weeds,” he writes, adding the board should also inquire about why the BTR Aviation Park—a shovel-ready, designated Foreign Trade Zone and an Enterprise Zone with state, workforce and tax incentives and rebates—isn’t sold out.
“The mayor and BRNEDD should ask,” McCollister says. “When someone starts bemoaning the woes of NBR, I will just give them the phone number of the BRNEDD and tell them, ‘They’re now in charge.’”
Read the full column, in which McCollister also shares his thoughts on the state’s dedicated funds, the proposed Louisiana Checkbook website and the recent passing of the Rev. Billy Graham. Send your comments to editor@businessreport.com.
