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H&E Chairman is developing almost a whole city block in Baton Rouge
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:25 pm
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:25 pm
quote:
John Engquist is looking to develop a mixed-use property with a residential component now that he owns most of the last remaining undeveloped block of downtown real estate.
In a $2 million deal that closed Monday, Engquist acquired from architect Trey Trahan a 0.4-acre portion of the block, which is bordered by Laurel, Main and Lafayette streets and River Road.
The vacant tract is immediately adjacent to a 1.3 acre-tract on the same block Engquist bought in March from Jim Bernhard for $5.68 million.
quote:
Local developers have long dreamed of developing residential on the coveted site. Bernhard bought the property in 2012 from Richard Preis, who had spent the previous nine years trying to develop the site into a luxury residential high-rise called River Place.
Trahan, meanwhile, held onto his parcel for years in hopes of eventually finding a partner to do a riverfront development.
The property is across from luxury townhomes that Engquist developed several years ago on Laurel Street adjacent to 525 Lafayette St. and the IBM building.
LINK
525 Lafayette is across Main from this site. It has really nice river views, so I imagine whatever Engquist is doing will be similar.
I think a nicer hotel would do well there now that Covid is over.
13
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:27 pm to frequent flyer
quote:
now that Covid is over.
lulz. wear your mask.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:28 pm to frequent flyer
Good. I hope it succeeds. I do t want this town to remain a shithole.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:32 pm to Chad504boy
quote:
lulz. wear your mask.
What if I don't want to?
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:37 pm to frequent flyer
quote:
The property is across from luxury townhomes that Engquist developed several years ago on Laurel Street adjacent to 525 Lafayette St. and the IBM building.
Anyone know how those townhomes are holding up? PV increasing?
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:41 pm to frequent flyer
Glad to see someone trying
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:43 pm to Oilfieldbiology
quote:
Good. I hope it succeeds. I do t want this town to remain a shithole.
Its Ghana take a lot more than new buildings and midnight basketball
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:49 pm to frequent flyer
Good for him for trying this but Engquist is a POS.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:50 pm to iAmBatman
Tell us more
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:51 pm to frequent flyer
It would be great if a private developer moves forward with a major development there, but it’s remained undeveloped for years now for a reason.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:51 pm to Tigeralum2008
quote:
Anyone know how those townhomes are holding up?
The guy the OP is talking about lives in one of them.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 1:52 pm to doubleb
quote:
it’s remained undeveloped for years now for a reason.
Everything in this country was undeveloped...until it wasn't.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 2:01 pm to frequent flyer
BR has the strangest downtown of any city I have ever seen.
In the 70's and early 80's there was still retail in downtown.
In the 90's it was quite literally a ghost town after 5. Second District would assign a single man patrol unit to cruise around the area each night. Anyone on the streets was deemed suspicious and questioned. There just wasn't anything there after the offices closed.
Then they developed it under Kip and it was hopping with bars, restaurants and clubs.
Then if went to a younger more Urban crowd that hung out on the street but didn't patronize the businesses.
Then they tried to develop it into a young professionals area (IBM and those "luxury" apartments) and now this.
I have no idea what is going to happen next.
In the 70's and early 80's there was still retail in downtown.
In the 90's it was quite literally a ghost town after 5. Second District would assign a single man patrol unit to cruise around the area each night. Anyone on the streets was deemed suspicious and questioned. There just wasn't anything there after the offices closed.
Then they developed it under Kip and it was hopping with bars, restaurants and clubs.
Then if went to a younger more Urban crowd that hung out on the street but didn't patronize the businesses.
Then they tried to develop it into a young professionals area (IBM and those "luxury" apartments) and now this.
I have no idea what is going to happen next.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 2:20 pm to tigersmanager
quote:
Glad to see someone trying
All he's trying to do is fill his own pockets. He's also trying (or maybe succeeded) to get Womans Hospital to annex into Baton Rouge and he's fought the St. George incorporation tooth and nail. He's a friend of SWB, not us.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 2:23 pm to jbgleason
It all depends on future state and city leadership. Downtown Baton Rouge could be amazing, then again it could revert back to the nothingness it was before.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 2:34 pm to frequent flyer
This the former Advocate building site? Or is this a different vacant lot?
Posted on 7/14/21 at 2:34 pm to LSUSkip
quote:
it could revert back to the nothingness it was before.
It’s already back there
Posted on 7/14/21 at 2:37 pm to Ed Osteen
If not there then it is close.
There is a stretch of Third which has businesses but in general I’m seeing more vacant storefronts than I have in a while and a lot of homeless people.
There is a stretch of Third which has businesses but in general I’m seeing more vacant storefronts than I have in a while and a lot of homeless people.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 2:45 pm to frequent flyer
The street car idea, that the federal government was almost completely paying for, that would've connected downtown and LSU, would've been so damn awesome. Game weekends that would've been so cool and it would've absolutely encouraged LSU kids to go downtown more considering how rampant DUIs are these days.
But SWB canceled it for no fricking reason and got nothing else from the government in return. All because it "appeared" to her constituents to only help white people.
She's a vile piece of shite.
But SWB canceled it for no fricking reason and got nothing else from the government in return. All because it "appeared" to her constituents to only help white people.
She's a vile piece of shite.
Posted on 7/14/21 at 2:49 pm to frequent flyer
He probably could have gotten a larger tract overlooking the Amite in Denham for a fraction of the price
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