The St Nazaire Commercial Corridor
A Strong Heartbeat on Americas Energy Corridor
With all of the sour economic news coming out of the oil patch and crude selling less than $30 a barrel, you would think that anything associated with “America’s Energy Corridor” would share the same ill-fated news. Think again. In the short 6/10ths of a mile stretch along St. Nazaire, from the Billeaud Companies, “Sugar Mill Gears” along US Hwy 90, east to the entrance of the soon to be completed, St Julien Sports Complex, there is a bustling commercial and retail market, and it is poised to only get better.
The moniker of “America’s Energy Corridor” has been given to the stretch of the further extension of 1-49, now US Hwy 90, from I-10 to the Westbank Expressway in New Orleans. For good reason, most of this thoroughfare is home to many of the oil and gas service, maintenance and production companies that account for much of the entire industry, not only in the United States but the world over.
And here sits, the “St. Nazaire Commercial Corridor”
at the doorstep of this bustling economy. According to local sales reports, it is estimated that this 6/10ths of a mile stretch accounts for a little under $100 Million dollars in retail sales each year. No doubt Walmart and Home Depot, located on Billeaud Company property, contribute greatly to this total, but there are many other players with more to come. Walgreens, Raising Canes, Smoothie King, Versizon Stores, Rotolos and a branch of Bankcorp South occupy outparcels in front of Walmart and Home Depot.
Billeaud Company’s Sugarcrest Shopping Center is a 40,000-square-foot retail center on St. Naziare and home to national retailers like Hibbett Sports, Dollar Tree, Hershey’s Ice Cream and GameStop. Local companies include Tam, Tam Nails and Spa, Cajun Market Doughnut Co., Planet Nutrition and Hong Kong Buffet, neighbors to their national retail big brothers. With all this activity, believe it or not, it is going to get even better.
Construction is now underway for St. Julien Park, a massive $27 million-plus public sports complex being built on 122 acres of land. When completed, this City of Broussard project will be one-of-a-kind for the area and will offer something outdoorsy for just about everyone. The park, located on St. Nazaire Road, will offer a variety of venues: baseball, softball fields with batting cages, soccer fields, practice fields, volleyball courts, basketball courts (indoors and outdoor), plus tennis courts.
City Council members proudly announce that just under 1 Million-square-feet of artificial turf will be installed at St. Julien Park, along with a state of the art LED lighting system. This truly first class facility is changing development and prospects for the area. A location in what was thought to be a developing area for continued Industrial uses, this park has many rethinking the area for mixed use, office and even residential prospects.
This park will contribute to visits to the area of local and traveling sports leagues every day of the week. Weekend traveling baseball, soccer and softball teams will all need a place to stay, eat and be entertained before and after games. The park is a game changer for the area, certainly and potentially a new future for the already, robust economy of the City of Broussard.
This fact has come to the attention of national food chains such as Burgersmith and Coyote Blues have announced plans to locate a stone’s throw from the park. There are sure to be others follow suit, with vacant tracts in the area, ripe for development.
Speaking of Residential in the area, Villa Broussard, a 100-unit apartment complex cut their ribbon mid-2015 and are reporting occupancy in excess of 95%. This is the only apartment complex of its kind in the Broussard area with amenities like a pool, clubhouse and workout facility. This success has prompted the development to announce that plans to begin phase 2 of 3, another 100 units, will break ground this spring. With all of the new amenities in the area, new schools on the way, look for more residential development to be popping up in and around the St. Nazaire area.
Comments, questions?
Steven P. Hebert, President & CEO, Billeaud Companies
Email; sph@billeaudcompanies.com
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