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Started By
Message
re: Vote on moving Baton Rouge Zoo, expanding Greenwood Park expected Today
Posted on 6/22/17 at 12:25 pm to Sasquatch Smash
Posted on 6/22/17 at 12:25 pm to Sasquatch Smash
quote:
Oh...apparently City Park is on the National Register of Historic Places. Probably a no go just because of that.
City Park was the original home of the zoo, so not a problem.
1
Posted on 6/22/17 at 12:25 pm to kingbob
quote:
Probably not as much as the arse-load of property and sales taxes the city will rake in from all of the mixed use developments along Nicholson that are being made contingent on the closure of that sewer plant.
They aren't making it yet and the clocks ticking.
And you know what they'll do to encourage developers? They'll give them tax exemptions.
Do you live in EBR? If you go you'd see a higher and higher sewer user fee that went to pay for the federally mandated sewer work. It does the taxpayer no good to pay higher sewer fees so the govt. can collect more taxes.
Posted on 6/22/17 at 12:28 pm to kingbob
quote:
quote:I realize the study that BREC commissioned says the cost of a new zoo and renovating the old zoo is the same. That doesn't make sense at all. Agreed. Someone is cooking the books or the costs include keeping the zoo running while doing the renovations, which makes it take longer and cost more money.
While there may be some book-cooking going on, this one isn't that hard to come to grips with.
On any major project the labor and overhead costs are significantly higher than the raw material costs. So if you talk about rebuilding a zoo with the animals still in it, it's not hard to see the overhead fairly quickly overcoming whatever raw material savings you get by reusing some of the facilities. The same is true for major industrial projects.
If you build from the ground up, you never have to worry about constructing and managing temporary facilities for the animals, with the animal rights folks 'having their input' every step of the way. You just have your zoo crew continuing normal operations where they're at, while all of that is being sorted out across town at its own pace.
Contrast that with having to move the gorillas for the 8th time, because Joe the architect needs to take another set of measurements in the habitat to make revision 5 of the redesign, because it wasn't to Sally the gorilla lady's liking.
Of course, right about that time someone is going to discover the ceiling tiles and the insulation of the steam lines to the reptile habitat contain asbestos....so now part of this rebuild is a complete asbestos abatement of the reptile building. This then stalls the whole project for 3 months while Jimmy the lizard boy negotiates with that one company in Omaha that actually rents portable reptile habitats...
Posted on 6/22/17 at 12:31 pm to doubleb
quote:
They aren't making it yet and the clocks ticking.
Have you driven Nicholson in the past year?
Almost the entire stretch on the river side between Downtown and LSU is under construction with massive multi-story buildings. The only stretch that isn't currently seeing multiple multi-storied buildings be erected is the parcel closest to the sewer plant, which is tied up in a dispute between the developer and Goldman Saches. The Nicholson Gateway is well underway as is the Water Campus and the River House.
The renovations to the sewer plant in Gardere were finished late last year.
What more do you f&%king want!?
quote:
Do you live in EBR?
Yes, and I drive by these developments almost every day. The sewer improvements have already been paid for, already bonded out, already supported by a temporary property tax millage, and are nearly complete on budget and ahead of schedule.
Posted on 6/22/17 at 12:31 pm to kingbob
quote:
City Park was the original home of the zoo, so not a problem.
It is not a Historic Place because it used to have a zoo. It's a Historic Place as a golf course.
Posted on 6/22/17 at 12:34 pm to kingbob
quote:your points are valid,but i don't see there being enough room for this and a zoo...and i'm sure the surrounding neighborhoods would oppose it.
They can build one parking garage
Posted on 6/22/17 at 12:45 pm to kingbob
quote:
Have you driven Nicholson in the past year?
Sure I have.
LSU has a grand project and guess what LSU doesn't pay taxes.
On the other end is the River District and guess what, I don't think BRAF pays property taxes.
In between there's not much to brag about. The property has been vacant for several years now because the developer went broke and the bank took it back.
The arse was of taxes you spoke about hasn't been realized.
quote:
Yes, and I drive by these developments almost every day. The sewer improvements have already been paid for, already bonded out, already supported by a temporary property tax millage, and are nearly complete on budget and ahead of schedule.
The sewer improvements are paid for, but the bonds are still out there and the taxpayers have a long ways to go before they are paid up.
There are no temporary property taxes paying for the sewer improvements. Sewer user fees all go to paying off the bonds. We will continue to pay through the nose until 2025 according to this Advocate article.
quote:
Sewer rates have been going up for more than a decade to pay for federally mandated improvements to the local water system. Even though the work is nearing completion, bills are expected to keep rising by 4 percent each year through at least 2025 to pay back more than a billion dollars worth of loans used to finance improvements to pipes and water treatment plants, said Mark LeBlanc, the city-parish's assistant public works director for capital improvements.
LINK
It would be nice to see the arse wad of property taxes you talk about pay for some of this, but we both know that's not in the cards.
Posted on 6/22/17 at 1:00 pm to trom83
The bottom line is that it needs to be moved or closed. It's not viable in the current location and if they renovate it where it stands, most people will go once and then decide not to make a return trip to the hood. It'll go the way of Cortana Mall in 5 years.
Posted on 6/22/17 at 1:03 pm to jdeval1
quote:
The bottom line is that it needs to be moved or closed. It's not viable in the current location and if they renovate it where it stands, most people will go once and then decide not to make a return trip to the hood. It'll go the way of Cortana Mall in 5 years.
Most people that make these comments haven't been to the BR Zoo in 10+ years.
It's not in the hood, and there are more rednecks in the park than any other demographic.
The zoo has a handful of exhibits that need substantial renovations but actually has a very nice set up for a zoo of its size.
This post was edited on 6/22/17 at 1:18 pm
Posted on 6/22/17 at 1:14 pm to Bmath
(no message)
This post was edited on 4/11/21 at 10:02 am
Posted on 6/22/17 at 1:16 pm to Creamer
I go once per year for the Brew at the Zoo festival, but typically get there in time to see the animals, which I do enjoy.
So, selfishly I'd love to see it moved a lot closer, but I wouldn't support a tax to do so.
So, selfishly I'd love to see it moved a lot closer, but I wouldn't support a tax to do so.
Posted on 6/22/17 at 1:37 pm to trom83
Honestly I say leave it where it's is and renovate. That side of town doesn't have much
Posted on 6/22/17 at 1:37 pm to Bmath
quote:
It's not in the hood
Maybe our ideas of hood slightly differ.
Posted on 6/22/17 at 1:38 pm to trom83
Baton Rouge has a Zoo?
Posted on 6/22/17 at 1:39 pm to saintsfan92612
quote:
Baton Rouge has a Zoo?
It's north of the Airport bordering Baker.
Posted on 6/22/17 at 2:07 pm to jdeval1
quote:
Maybe our ideas of hood slightly differ.
It's a blue collar neighborhood. Maybe actually take a drive through there, and not just make assumptions.
Posted on 6/22/17 at 2:14 pm to Bmath
Thomas Rd. almost fits the definition of a rural area if you take out the subdivisions.
Posted on 6/22/17 at 2:38 pm to trom83
quote:
Gravy not too happy with thought of the zoo potentially moving
Gravy losing his side job if it moves -
He was an exhibit on the weekends and holidays.
Posted on 6/22/17 at 2:41 pm to Supermoto Tiger
quote:
Gravy
Because of the current climate people are making it a racial issue when it shouldn't be one.
It's a conservative v liberal issue.
The questions are can govt. run a zoo? Can govt. take care of a zoo? Can we afford 100 million plus zoo when we have so many other problems?
It has nothing to do with race.
Posted on 6/22/17 at 5:51 pm to doubleb
Any updates? I read earlier it looked like they were going to shelve the vote.
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