Ascension Parish’s industrial real estate market remains tight heading into 2027, with limited warehouse availability and growing demand from companies supporting major industrial projects, according to Evan Scroggs of Lee & Associates.
The parish currently has just 175,000 square feet of vacant industrial space spread across 17 buildings, Scroggs says. By comparison, North Baton Rouge has nearly 1.2 million square feet of vacancy across 27 buildings.
“It’s a lot tighter down in Ascension Parish and hard to find good rentable space down there,” Scroggs says.
New development could provide some relief, although construction timelines remain uncertain.
Scroggs says Magnolia Ridge Logistics Park is moving toward permitting for its first new warehouse building, with construction potentially beginning shortly after the start of 2027.
The building could be completed by the third or fourth quarter, but delays could push delivery into 2028, potentially leaving Ascension without any newly completed speculative warehouse space next year.
Meanwhile, major industrial investments, including Hyundai Steel and CF Industries’ projects, are generating demand from contractors and suppliers seeking locations near their operations.
Scroggs says several companies are purchasing lots at Magnolia Ridge specifically to support those projects.
Lee & Associates anticipates closing on roughly 12 acres at Magnolia Ridge this month, with additional transactions potentially following early next year.
“Lot inventory at Magnolia Ridge, we are either under contract or have offers on the majority of the lots,” Scroggs says. “It’s been a very active third quarter, and start of the fourth quarter with lot sales in Magnolia Ridge.”
Scroggs says most of the development’s available lots are either under contract or have received offers, reflecting strong activity during the third and early fourth quarters.
Looking ahead, Scroggs expects Ascension, particularly the Geismar and Gonzales areas, to remain a primary destination for warehouse development as limited land availability and higher costs constrain opportunities elsewhere in the Baton Rouge market.
