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Karen Profita
Chief Executive Officer, Home Builders Association of Greater Baton Rouge
I think people still want it. They want that lifestyle—a little retail, a restaurant. Things like that are important. We continue to hear over and over, “We’re going to build a River Ranch like in Lafayette.” Greater Baton Rouge doesn’t really have anything that compares to that. I think people are really loving the idea of that lifestyle. It’s something we’d like to see develop in this area, but right now I’m still waiting. You’ve got to have the right place to do it and the right permitting to do it and everything else. It’s a chicken-and-egg thing. Nobody would live downtown until there was a grocery store. A grocery store wouldn’t come until there were more people living downtown. We’ve seen that with some mixed-use developments, too. You’re selling homes and saying, “It’s going to be great when this grocery store opens.” And people are still waiting.
Lance Faucheaux
Operations Manager, Level Homes
We’re selling houses in 23 different neighborhoods right now and probably eight of them could be classified as some sort of mixed-use community. It’s a big part of our business. Part of that mixed-use space is you have your single-family, your commercial, but you also have your multifamily tied into just about every one of them. The multifamily market has had a lot of momentum over the last few years, but it feels like things are starting to level out now. There’s still interest, but the pace feels slower.
Jackelyn Gallo
SVP Regional Manager, JD Bank
In commercial banking, we are experiencing an increased desire for the development of mixed-use communities. Any development project includes a discussion about amenities and market demand. I believe mixed-use developments are gaining traction, and we’ve tasted success within our market and surrounding areas. People don’t just want to buy experiences; they want to live experiences. They want walking and golf cart communities. They want their children to have a place to safely ride bikes and walk their pets. The Mississippi River is a gorgeous backdrop for future mixed-use developments. Baton Rouge has a beautiful culture which is a perfect foundation to provide the experiences and lifestyles described in these special projects. Two immediate communities of people calling for these mixed-use developments are those over-55 who are looking to downsize and remain active and younger people who need a more budget-friendly but active community. Living is about experiences, and this type of development delivers. I’m optimistic about the growth of this project model in this market.
