Jindal to make major announcement; expected to be IBM deal

Gov. Bobby Jindal’s office has scheduled a press conference for today to make a major economic development announcement for Baton Rouge. As previously reported by Daily Report, the announcement is expected to unveil the details of a deal to bring an IBM development center to downtown Baton Rouge. The agreement comes after more than a year of negotiating a package with the blue chip computer company that includes incentives, promises of a trained workforce, and a new office building with adjacent shops, condos and parking, overlooking the Mississippi River. Sources say the deal will mean at least 800 jobs for the Capital Region and involve a tie-in with LSU that will result in the expansion of programs at the university—particularly in computer science. The announcement is scheduled for 1 p.m. at The Shaw Center. —Stephanie Riegel