The 8-acre site at 4615 Government Street that includes the Champion office complex—most recently occupied by Capital Area Human Services, and, prior to that, the now-defunct Champion Insurance Co.—is up for sale.
Louisiana’s Division of Administration is conducting the property sale through a sealed bidding process, with the minimum bid set at the site’s most recently appraised value of $4.255 million.
“The reason we’re surplusing it now is because the 30-year bonds are paid off,” says Jacques Berry, the division’s director of policy and communication. “My guess is the winning bidder will want to turn it into some kind of mixed-use development.”
The property fronts the north side of Government, west of its intersection with South Foster Drive, and includes 242 parking spaces. Together, the two, two-story office buildings—among few local examples of Brutalist architecture—comprise some 59,189 square feet of space.
The site’s history dates back to 1961, when the Baton Rouge Water Company built the office complex, occupied the space until 1985, and then sold it to Champion Insurance Co., which stayed there until its owners were infamously indicted in 1990 on forgery and other charges.
After the state acquired the land in 1990 for $372,687, Capital Area Human Services eventually moved there. Berry says the mental health services provider fully vacated the building last month.
Bidding will open Monday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sealed bids will be accepted by hand delivery only to the Office of State Lands via the Claiborne Building Security Desk at 1201 North 3rd Street in downtown Baton Rouge, and they will be opened at 3:15 p.m. the same day, in the James Monroe Room on the first floor of the Claiborne Building.
The winning bidder will be notified by 4 p.m. Oct. 19. The sale must close by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. If it doesn’t, either the next highest bidder will be declared the substitute winner, or the sale will be canceled.
The Division of Administration will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30 and again from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7. For more information, read this public notice.
