Cottonport Bank buys land on Corporate

Cottonport Bank, a nearly 110-year-old community bank, has purchased a tract of land on Corporate Boulevard and plans to open its first branch in Baton Rouge. The bank paid $781,159 for the property in front of The Gates at CitiPlace. A.J. Roy, CEO of Cottonport Bank, says the plan is to open a branch “as soon as possible.” “We should be open by the first quarter, perhaps sooner,” he says. Cottonport Bank has 11 branches, most of them in small towns and communities in Avoyelles Parish. The bank does have locations in Brusly and New Roads, which led them to move into Baton Rouge. “We have a growing portfolio of loans in East Baton Rouge Parish; hence the need for an actual location there,” Roy says. The plan is to attract small businesses that want to work with a community bank. “We think we found a niche,” Roy says. —Timothy Boone