Article written by Don Hanna, Sales and Leasing Agent for Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate, LLC
Ascension Parish is growing again, especially along Highway 30. It’s been announced that the City of Gonzales is building a new convention center. This project will be centered on 72 acres previously owned by Mike Pollard of Baton Rouge but acquired by Ronnie Daigle. It has been said that Mr. Daigle has plans to develop a TND on the site that would be similar to Baton Rouge’s Perkins Rowe. The new convention center plus the rumored TND will cover the whole 72 acre site. The development has frontage on both Hwy. 30 and Hwy. 44 once again making Ascension Parish a desirable destination for those in the metro area and out of towners. The corridor, which includes a section of I-10, is currently home to ten hotels, a Tanger Outlet Mall, and a Cabela’s. The addition of a new convention center and TND will create a one-stop shop for the area.
This corridor also hosts the Louisiana Regional Airport, numerous chemicals plants, and their commercial suppliers. Hwy. 30’s proximity to both I-10 and the Mississippi River continue to make it an asset to Ascension Parish’s economy.
Don Hanna began his real estate career in 1996 after retiring from BASF Corporation, where he was employed for 30 years. He is particularly involved in the Ascension Parish area where he currently serves on the Industrial Development Board / Ascension Parish Economic Development Board as Vice Chair and is involved in the Ascension Parish Chamber through Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate, LLC. Don was Past President of the Commercial Investment Division (CID) for 2002, a Past Member of the Board of Directors for the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors (GBRAR), a Past Board Member of the Ascension Parish Realtors Council, and is Director on the Board of Managers for the Louisiana Commercial Database (LACDB).
Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate, LLC is a member of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce (BRAC); the West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce; the Baton Rouge Better Business Bureau; the Louisiana Commercial Data Base (LACDB); and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Several agents, on an individual basis, are members of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors® (SIOR), the Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute (CCIM); the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR); and the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS® Commercial Investment Division (CID).
