Brace Godfrey
Remembering [1951-2010]
Brace Godfrey, the attorney and downtown developer who died suddenly March 13, is remembered as an “extraordinary individual.” Godfrey, 58, was one of the principals of Cyntreniks, a company named after his wife Cynthia, son Trey and daughter Nikki. “This is a real tragic loss for the community,” says Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District. “I learned a lot from him.”
Cyntreniks, which Godfrey operated with his partner, John Schneider, purchased and redeveloped several high-profile downtown properties, including the mixed-use Kress at Third & Main, which features ground-level retail, second-floor offices and luxury condominiums as well as a museum honoring the civil-rights lunch counter sit-ins, and the Hotel King, which is scheduled to reopen at the end of this year as the Hotel Indigo.
“His vision for downtown renaissance was all-encompassing,” says Schneider, who met Godfrey in 1972 when they were college students working at the State Capitol for the Legislative Council. That was a fateful year for Godfrey, who was attending Southern University. Along with meeting his future business partner, he also met a future Cyntreniks investor: Claude “Buddy” Leach, a successful businessman and head of the Louisiana Democratic Party.
“He showed up at the back of the chamber, wanting to apply for a job, but not knowing where to go,” says Leach, who was a first-term legislator.
Leach says Godfrey had an infectious enthusiasm for investing in downtown projects, which also included the Lyceum and Cyntreniks Plaza. Godfrey envisioned downtown serving as an engine for development in Baton Rouge. He was frequently seen walking around downtown, always dressed elegantly and often wearing a homburg—a felt hat characterized by a single dent running down the center of the crown and a brim fixed in a tight, upwards curl.
Cyntreniks was working on three new downtown-development projects before Godfrey’s death. News of one of those projects—turning the former Regions Bank building into the home for two new charter schools—was released days after Godfrey’s death.
Schneider says those developments, along with the work Cyntreniks has done already, will serve as a physical impression of Godfrey’s legacy.
“The Kress and the King are two of the most iconic buildings downtown,”?Schneider says. “They’ve both survived for more than 100 years.”
But Godfrey’s larger legacy will be the principles of his life, Schneider says.
“You never doubted where Brace Godfrey stood,” he says. “There were no shades of gray, and he was not afraid to speak his mind.”
His range of causes included everything from cigarette butts and litter on downtown streets, to organizing the Citizens Task Force on Education Improvement, to co-founding of 100 Black Men of Baton Rouge, to reducing violence among teens. Godfrey also served on numerous boards.
At a 2007 party to kick off redevelopment of the Kress, Godfrey encouraged Baton Rouge residents to look within themselves for ideas to improve the city. For real change to happen, people need to change the “man in the mirror.”
“He was an activist with no agenda,” Leach says, “but to see improvement with everyone.”
Schneider says Cyntreniks will carry on Godfrey’s work. The group had planned for a succession by bringing in Trey Godfrey and Derek Fitch to serve a younger generation of leadership. “This is a difficult situation,” Schneider says. “But we’re working on the game plan.”—Timothy Boone
IN SHORT
Dog crossing?
The Dufrocq School on South 19th Street recently underwent a $20 million renovation and expansion. The school has a state-of-the-art multimedia center, wireless capabilities, spacious classrooms and an outdoor garden, according to the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. It also has a recently repaved and theoretically wheelchair-accessible sidewalk—with a fire hydrant smack in the middle.
At least one expert looked at the sidewalk and surmised that the Department of Public Works didn’t seem to understand the concept of handicapped sidewalk access. But according to David Guillory, assistant public works director of maintenance, DPW never approved the sidewalk design, and wouldn’t have if given the chance.
According to a parish attorney’s interpretation, the school board, as a political subdivision of the state, is not required to submit plans or obtain permits from the city-parish. DPW will often perform limited reviews at the board’s request, but at times the board will exercise its exemption to expedite projects.
School system spokesman Chris Trahan says the hydrant has been in the middle of that sidewalk for decades. When planning for the renovation took place two years ago, there were talks with Baton Rouge Water about moving the hydrant, but that never happened. An official with CSRS, which manages the system’s capital outlays, recently went out to look at the sidewalk with people from DPW, but a solution for the problem hasn’t been identified, Trahan says. —David Jacobs
From cloud to Cube
“Cloud” computing allows businesses to access IT infrastructure without having to buy and maintain it themselves. A business might have a subscription, or pay-as-you-use-it deal, with a provider like Green Qube, a Monroe-headquartered company with a data center in Baton Rouge. Some out-of-state clients are surprised the company isn’t in Dallas or Atlanta. “We’re very proud to be from Louisiana,” COO Joey Messenger says. “Most folks don’t appreciate where we are on the technology map.”—D.J.
Influential women
Each year, Business Report salutes the Capital Region’s most influential women in business. As small-business owners, company presidents, CEOs, CFOs, nonprofit leaders, community activists and entrepreneurs, they are the driving force behind many of the region’s success stories. Winners will be spotlighted in the June 1 issue. All nominations must be made online here; the deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. on Friday, April 16.
BUSINESS OF POLITICS
Tea with your session?
The Louisiana faction of the Tea Party movement is said to number in the thousands, and there have been enough anti-tax, anti-government events statewide to justify such a boast. But what kind of influence does it have? The question could partly be answered at noon on the opening day of the regular session on March 29, when Tea Party organizers have called for a rally on the steps of the State Capitol. While it’s unknown which lawmakers might attend the rally, there is at least one that Tea Party enthusiasts seem to be embracing: Sen. A.G. Crowe, a Slidell Republican. For his part, Crowe has made state sovereignty a central policy issue. This year, he’s sponsoring a constitutional amendment, “The Louisiana Healthcare Freedom Act,” as a way to counter any federal legislation. Crowe’s proposal “provides that no law or rule shall compel, directly or indirectly, any person, employer or health-care provider to participate in any health-care system or health-insurance plan.” At least 30 other states are also considering similar resolutions and bills this year.
Deconstructing vetoes
Rep. Hunter Greene, a Baton Rouge Republican, wants more information released when the governor vetoes a bill. He’s filed House Bill 157, which would require any state agency requesting a veto of Gov. Bobby Jindal to also notify the bill’s author within two days of the request. Greene is throwing a wide net: His bill includes any “office, department, board, bureau, commission, committee, council, institution, college or university, division, officer, or other person or group within the executive branch of state government.” Presently, the only information released following a veto is the governor’s message, which is a simple explanation as to why he vetoed the bill.
Davy Jones to the rescue
During its March sale, the Louisiana Mineral Board awarded 15 oil and gas leases covering more than 2,244 acres statewide—a $4.7 million haul. In particular, the board sold leases in eight parishes: Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Cameron, DeSoto, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee and Terrebonne. Six of the leases sold were located in south Louisiana, and half of those were of the expensive offshore variety. It represents some serious offshore action, to the tune of $2.1 million for 1,768 acres in Cameron Parish waters. There’s a reason the industry is suddenly taking an interest in state-owned offshore leases: a recent discovery by McMoRan and its partners, Plains Exploration and Production along with Energy XXI, in 20 feet of water just 10 miles south of Marsh Island. While there’s still a good bit of work to do, it’s estimated the so-called Davy Jones site could eventually yield 2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, according to a recent article in Oil and Gas Journal. “The development and extent of the discovery has the potential to be far-reaching,” says Don Briggs, president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association.—Jeremy Alford
EXECUTIVE SPOTLIGHT
J. Darian Chustz
President, Gulf Coast Region
Coca-Cola Bottling Company United
Hometown: Baton Rouge
Protected from the evening chill by a white warm-up suit and hat and red gloves, J. Darian Chustz carried the Olympic torch 300 meters on its Feb. 9 trip from Surrey to Richmond in British Columbia. The torch traveled by land, air and water during its 106-day journey to more than 1,000 Canadian communities in advance of the Vancouver Games. Chustz, the Gulf Coast Region president of Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, was nominated to be a torchbearer by his company and Glaceau [Vitamin Water]. “The setup and preparation for the relay really set the tone for the experience,” he says. “Each torchbearer had to attend a briefing that lasted approximately two hours. It was a very emotional experience. When you think about being the only person in the world responsible for carrying the Olympic flame, it really sinks in. For me, I was overwhelmed with excitement and pride and very thankful for the opportunity. For a brief moment, I felt like a rock star.”
Want to read more of Chustz’s Q&A? Click here.
NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT
Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce
Mission “To enhance quality of life for our parish by encouraging diversified business innovation, stimulating economic development, promoting positive progress and inspiring community involvement.”
Ruling year 1998
Total assets $111,867
Income $89,105
Expenses $155,243
Program expenses $77,539
Highest-paid employee Jana Lee, $28,808
SOURCE: Guidestar.org, 2008 form 990
ON THE BEAT
AT&T upgrades
AT&T plans to upgrade nearly 280 cell sites to 3G service and add 60 new sites in Louisiana throughout 2010. The improvements, part of an $18 billion to $19 billion national upgrade, also include boosting 3G service at Tiger Stadium. “LSU football games are huge all-day events,” says Sue Sperry, an AT&T Louisiana spokeswoman. “There’s a big concentration of people.”
The race is on
Louisiana has been named by the U.S. Department of Education as one of 16 finalists in the first round of its “Race to the Top” competition, which will deliver $4.35 billion in school-reform grants. Grant winners will be chosen in April, and a second round of applications will be accepted in June.
Road problems
A Reader’s Digest report found that Louisiana’s roads are the worst in the nation, based on factors such as safety, traffic congestion, and road and bridge conditions. The report singled out Interstate 12, Interstate 55, La. Highway 31 between Lafayette and St. Martinville, and the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.
Home, sweet home
Lafayette-based Home Bank acquired Statewide Bank of Covington, which was taken over by federal and state regulators. The six Northshore branches of Statewide Bank reopened as Home Bank locations, and all customers automatically made the change. As of the end of last year, Statewide had about $243 million in total assets. Home Bank says it purchased the assets at an $11.9 million discount.
Front and center
Milton J. Womack is the low bidder for plans to expand the River Center. The company bid almost $17 million for the project, counting its base bid and first two alternates. Womack plans to add five meeting rooms and extend the River Center exhibition hall gallery from River Road to St. Louis Street. Plans are for the expansion to be completed by fall 2011.
Steel City
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s 2010 canvass trip will visit Pittsburgh from Sept. 19-21. Pittsburgh was selected because the city has had success in areas such as public education school reform, charter school development, private sector/university collaborations and entrepreneurial development. This is the sixth time BRAC and the city-parish have teamed up for a canvass trip.
High-fiBR diet
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber last week announced Geaux fiBR, an effort to convince Google to make the city a proving ground for an ultra-high-speed broadband network capable of handling one gigabit per second, a rate that’s over 100 times faster than what is available today. Google plans to test such a network in at least one trial location in the U.S.
“Baton Rouge has all the attributes to make a Google investment incredibly attractive, including a creative culture, a vibrant college student population, a robust technology business community, technically savvy education and health-care assets, and the highest percentage of college-educated adults in Louisiana,” BRAC President/CEO Adam Knapp says.
Google’s request for information consists of two parts: an official response from the municipality and a community response. Geaux fiBR is spearheading the community response in coordination with the city-parish government’s response. Residents are encouraged to visit the Web site geauxfibr.com to provide support and submit ideas. RFIs must be submitted by March 26, BRAC says.
In discussing the Geaux fiBR moniker, officials said they wanted to avoid something gimmicky. “We’re not going to rename it ‘Baton Roogle,’” says John Zachary, BRAC’s director of research. “This [bid] is based on substance.”
Movin’ on up
Louisiana continues to receive praise from national economic development publications for 2009 investments. The state moved up 12 spots to No. 15 in Site Selection magazine’s economic development rankings. Louisiana’s position was based on private-sector, nonretail deals that represent capital investments of more than $1 million, or at least 50 new jobs. On a per-capita basis, Louisiana’s numbers were even more impressive, jumping from No. 33 in 2008 to No. 9 in 2009.
The state has three of the top 15 new corporate investments of 2009 in the Trade & Industry Development magazine list: the SNF Holding plant in Plaquemine, the V-Vehicle facility near Monroe and the ConAgra Foods plant near Delhi. Only Michigan had more of the top 15 investments, with six.
In addition, the Foster Farms plant in Farmerville was ranked as one of the top 15 projects for community impact. “By any reasonable measure, Louisiana’s economy has outperformed the South and the U.S. since the beginning of the national recession, and we’re just getting started,” LED Secretary Stephen Moret says.—T.B.
Urban development
Schlittz and Giggles held a soft opening during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend for its new location at the former Perkins Road Hardware site, but green beer and pizza specials aren’t the only thing the mixed-use development has to offer. Chad Ortte, an agent with Donnie Jarreau Companies, says the two third-floor condominiums are now for sale at $329,000 and $359,000. The original plan included four condos, but the firm decided to build out one floor because of the current economic conditions. The second floor might become one residential unit or office space, depending on the level of interest.
The price tag for the new condos might seem high, Ortte says, but the units have drawn a lot of attention because of their design and unique location. The concept of living in a mixed-use development can be an appealing one, especially with Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches already in place, New Orleans-based sushi restaurant Rock-n-Sake scheduled to open this month and retailer Denim Library committed to the project.
“We’re trying to promote an urban lifestyle in a unique part of town,” he says. “You can basically walk to anything you need, whether it’s the grocery store, the dry cleaners or even the bookstore.”
Parking, which might have been a concern for potential residents, is separated for condo owners and the businesses. Ortte says the company has added 128 parking spots under Interstate 10 for businesses as part of an agreement with the Department of Transportation and Development. Some drainage issues in those spaces currently are being addressed.—Emma James
Best of show
Local Market Monitor, a real estate forecasting service, has named Baton Rouge to its list of best-performing metropolitan markets for the next 12 months. The list of cities with populations of 600,000 or more includes Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, D.C. According to the forecast, the Baton Rouge market is projected to remain stable through 2010, a positive sign when home prices are expected to decrease 3.7% nationally. The report says prices peaked at $188,300 in the last quarter of 2009, and Baton Rouge prices currently are 22% lower than the national average.
Marge Mackey, owner-broker of Coldwell Banker Mackey, says most of the home sales in Baton Rouge were in the $250,000-and-under market because of tax credits offered to new homebuyers. There has been recent movement in the $350,000-to-$500,000 bracket and more interest in empty lots, spurred by a tax break for new homebuyers as well as buyers who have been in a home for at least five years.
A new season and a new bullish feeling about the local economy might also play a role. “It’s an attitude,” Mackey says. “‘Instead of spring cleaning, why don’t we fix up this house, sell it and buy a new one?’ You see more of that coming back.”
Federal tax credits, which have driven market activity for the past two years, are scheduled to expire April 30, and the Federal Reserve will stop purchasing mortgage-backed securities, which could drive up what have been historically low interest rates. Banks also are beginning to lift moratoriums on foreclosures, which will put bank-owned properties back on the market.
More potential tinkering with financial regulations and underwriting requirements for residential loans could trigger another slowdown, says Sandy Daly, broker-manager of C.J. Brown Realtors.
“Time will tell,” she says. “Looking into my crystal ball, I can say it will probably pick up in the next couple of months. After that, it depends on what Washington does.”—E.J.
