Perkins Rowe plagued by problems

Perkins Rowe is unlike anything Baton Rouge has seen before. With its palm-lined flagstone streets of trendy boutiques, restaurants and condominiums, and its traditional town square complete with a fountain and park benches, it emulates a revitalized warehouse district that looks like Dallas and feels like Disney. While the $200 million development wins raves for bringing a new definition of “mixed use” to Baton Rouge, it has been plagued by problems almost from its conception. It ran behind schedule, was stung by post-Hurricane Katrina construction costs and was impacted by the credit crunch. It also has found itself at the center of more than 40 lawsuits and liens that collectively seek somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million. The suits allege Perkins Rowe — and its developer, Tommy Spinosa — didn’t pay its bills, a situation Spinosa’s attorneys consistently attribute in court records to defective workmanship. To read the Business Report cover story, click here. Send comments to editors@businessreport.com.