NEW ORLEANS | Project/Development Thread - Page 74

midcity · #**1461** Posted **Jan 7, 2011, 3:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueingreen

This may be a historic district thing (not sure if this section of St. Charles falls into it). Lots of new buildings get built with awkward balconies and columns and end up horribly faux historic. (see also the hideous First NBC branch at St. Charles and Louisiana)

Wasn't a bank proposed or announced for the vacant lot on the opposite corner of the new First NBC? In fact, I think it was announced before the First NBC. I don't remember which bank was building the branch, but I wonder why it hasn't been built.

sguil1 · #**1462** Posted **Jan 7, 2011, 6:34 PM**

It was a First Bank and Trust. I think it is now a no-go.

tennis1400 · #**1463** Posted **Jan 7, 2011, 9:07 PM**

Yeah I dont see a sign for the bank anymore. However, the site isnt for sale either. So who knows but thank god that Exxon was torn down. Now all we have to demolish is that disgusting gas station next door!

elwin514 · #**1464** Posted **Jan 8, 2011, 1:31 AM**

Theres Good news about Chevron Tower

Downtown Landmark Building to Be Renamed “The New Orleans Exchange Centre” after the Parent Company of The Receivables Exchange

http://www.businesswire.com/news/hom...leans-Exchange

SlidellWx · #**1465** Posted **Jan 8, 2011, 2:46 AM**

Excellent news about the Receivables Exchange. Looks like a rapidly growing company that will probably continue to expand. Also glad to see the former Chevron building is officially back in use. Hopefully the building will fill up quickly.

ardecila · #**1466** Posted **Jan 8, 2011, 3:09 AM**

I think the Receivables Exchange is showing great promise. I have no doubt they'll be very successful if their bidding process can really lower the cost of capital by 30% as they claim.

Hopefully they can avoid being snapped up by the NY/Chicago juggernauts and keep their success in New Orleans.

tennis1400 · #**1467** Posted **Jan 8, 2011, 6:16 PM**

Ardecila I dont think we have to worry about Chicago at least since they just voted to increase income taxes a whopping 75%.... Other states please continue economic suicide!!!

ardecila · #**1468** Posted **Jan 9, 2011, 6:06 AM**

Illinois income taxes are currently at a low flat rate 3%, though. That's lower than the income taxes in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama (although these taxes are graduated instead of flat). It's MUCH less than surrounding Midwest states like Wisconsin, Iowa, and Ohio.

Most of Illinois' budget currently comes from corporate taxes, which aren't changing, and those are the ones that would affect the banks and exchanges. Property taxes are also pretty steep, with the exception of the City of Chicago which has maintained low property tax rates but high sales tax.

Guide to State Tax Rates

I'm not a huge fan of heavy government spending and entitlements, but even if you want small government, it's exceedingly cruel to suddenly cut millions of people off from important medical care and housing subsidies without any time to adjust. Since Illinois needs to balance the budget, a tax hike is inevitable. It has a sunset provision after 3 years anyway, so legislators will have to vote to renew it.

Low taxes matter when there's plenty of growth, and economic success depends on keeping people and businesses in your state, and attracting as many new ones as possible. When there's no growth, having a functional government is more important.

sguil1 · #**1469** Posted **Jan 9, 2011, 3:43 PM**

http://www.nola.com/business/index.s...ng_will_b.html

Another article on the Exchange Center. Good quotes about the companies intent to stay in N.O.

dgpatel · #**1470** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 1:57 PM**

If you think something is missing as you pass the old Falstaff brewery, you're right. One by one, the giant steel letters are coming down, but the work in no way signals the end of the familiar icon on the city's skyline.

"All the letters you see are being rebuilt ... and then they'll go back up," said David Miller, developer of the Falstaff Apartments, which now occupies the site.

The towering Falstaff sign, visible from Interstate 10, consists of 10-foot-tall metal letters spelling out the former brewery's name. In the brewery's heyday, neon was used to light the letters, which would be illuminated in various patterns to forecast changes in temperature. If the temperature was expected to rise, the letters would light from the bottom to the top. If it was expected to drop, the letters would light from top to bottom.

Full Article

IceCream · #**1471** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 5:32 PM**

http://www.nola.com/business/index.s...lates_map.html

I'm all for progress but I have a feeling this will stick out like a sore thumb if it goes up to three stories.

tennis1400 · #**1472** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 7:18 PM**

I dont have a problem with it. Have you seen the piece of crap strip mall right next to it? People cant talk about neighborhood preservation etc and neighborhood context when there is a damn strip mall with a Chicos! Makes no sense. BTW why werent these issues brought up when the building permit was issued? Why now when it creates unnescessary financial hardship on the business owner.

SlidellWx · #**1473** Posted **Jan 10, 2011, 9:28 PM**

Agree 100%. If the neighbors didn't want it...there were planning commission and city council meetings they could have addressed concerns at. Now that the building is well into construction...it's far too late to complain about it.

WesternSon · #**1474** Posted **Jan 11, 2011, 12:28 AM**

Amen to the shout out to the tragedy that is that chicos and pinkberry.

tennis1400 · #**1475** Posted **Jan 11, 2011, 4:02 AM**

It sounds to me like someone has a personal vendetta against the business owner. The city is opening itself up to lawsuits from her as well since the building permits were issued.

sguil1 · #**1476** Posted **Jan 11, 2011, 5:30 AM**

Rouses breaks ground at former Sewell site

Downtown New Orleans will have its first major new supermarket by the fall according to plans Rouses Markets announced today before the groundbreaking of its renovation of the former Sewell Cadillac building at Baronne and Girod streets.

Gibbs Construction will build out the 40,000-square-foot shopping space in addition to first- and second-floor parking and an outdoor seating area. John C. Williams Architects is the designer for the project.

The downtown store will be the 39th Rouses Market location. According to the company, it’s the ninth largest independent grocer in America. The Thibodaux-based grocer became the market share leader in the New Orleans region after buying 17 Sav-A-Center locations from the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. in 2007.

The Domain Cos. is pointing to the Rouses project as the anchor for their proposed adjacent development,
href="http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2010/12/14/cbd-apartment-proposal-faces-oversaturation-question/">South Market District. Their $185 million plans call for 450 apartments and 125,000 square feet of shops and restaurants along Loyola Avenue.

“”When we took over the Sav-A-Center’s after Katrina, Leah Chase said something I’ll never forget, ‘You can build a great neighborhood around a great grocery,” owner Donald Rouse said at today’s groundbreaking. “There has been so much residential development around this new store in recent years, and now there is even more on the horizon,” “The people who live here deserve a great grocery.”

CityBusiness first reported on plans for a downtown Rouses Market in May, and the company confirmed reports when it announced the Sewell property purchase in June.•

http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/bl...r-sewell-site/

Hopefully the South Market District is soon to follow.

ardecila · #**1477** Posted **Jan 11, 2011, 5:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tennis1400

I dont have a problem with it. Have you seen the piece of crap strip mall right next to it? People cant talk about neighborhood preservation etc and neighborhood context when there is a damn strip mall with a Chicos! Makes no sense. BTW why werent these issues brought up when the building permit was issued? Why now when it creates unnescessary financial hardship on the business owner.

That entire block is a clusterf*ck, between that awful building that just went up on the corner with a weird little garden and handicap elevator, and the strip mall. I give Pinkberry credit for reclaiming some of the parking lot to use as outdoor seating.

WesternSon · #**1478** Posted **Jan 11, 2011, 5:56 AM**

I am all for giving credit where credit is due. But imagine the Pinkberry in an vintage small shotgun house. Would look better, fit in more and be more of an experience. They made one out of a former entrance way (not sure really what that odd space was for that hotel...) of the hotel on canal, why couldnt the uptown franchisees be more creative!

ardecila · #**1479** Posted **Jan 11, 2011, 6:10 AM**

The franchisees are one and the same, actually. Nice people - I've met them.

I think the Uptown location was a bit of a trial balloon. They weren't entirely sure if the concept would work in New Orleans, so they had to pick a plum of a location to draw people in (across from the Whole Foods, easy parking, right on Magazine).

The Canal St location serves the tourist market, which is mostly on foot walking up and down Canal. The one time I ate there, the guy behind the counter was surprised that I lived here and was not a tourist - they don't get too many locals.

I think they're working on a Lakeview location next.

tennis1400 · #**1480** Posted **Jan 11, 2011, 4:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

The franchisees are one and the same, actually. Nice people - I've met them.

I think the Uptown location was a bit of a trial balloon. They weren't entirely sure if the concept would work in New Orleans, so they had to pick a plum of a location to draw people in (across from the Whole Foods, easy parking, right on Magazine).

The Canal St location serves the tourist market, which is mostly on foot walking up and down Canal. The one time I ate there, the guy behind the counter was surprised that I lived here and was not a tourist - they don't get too many locals.

I think they're working on a Lakeview location next.

Makes sense. Because the downtown location is much more in line with what I would expect of Pinkberry stores. Id Imagined the one Uptown to be more like Sucre and Divina Gelateria stores. Perhaps they will move. The location isnt bad its just the damn strip mall. A store on Harrisson in Lakeview would be great though!