Enterprise Campus to Louisiana Tech and Downtown Ruston
Enterprise Campus (northwest - distance perspective)
Tech Pointe is a 42,000 s/f, multi-tenant facility designed to support the stringent demands of 24/7 high-tech companies. All tenants are provided generator support for uninterrupted power and have access to Louisiana’s information superhighway, LONI, as well as the premier computational facilities of the Air Force Cyberspace Research Lab.
The new Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) Center will provide a flexible, technology-rich environment for enabling and expanding the collaborations that already exist and so, will serve as a central hub for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology's (CEnIT) programs.
I walk by it everyday, hard to believe looking at it now that Bulldawg Books and the TXI concrete plant used to be in that area.
Putting enterprise campus has SO MUCH potential. An area of good paying jobs that connects the school and the city of Ruston could do so much to add to the community. Really really good plan. Let's see if it works.
You can't help but be excited over this. I'm not exactly sure what is going to be on the edge of the enterprise campus in Downtown Ruston, but this will help develop the area even more.
In economic down times it is AWESOME to see our athletic department breaking ground on new ideas (jumbotron and south end zone) and to see our academic side is building up as well.
I drove by the new apartments they recently built and was shocked, the campus is changing!
Are they going to demolish steeple's glen? It hasnt been there very long; i lived there when it was brand new in 2001
I don't think anyone knows about the exact details on what they want to do about the Steeple Glen location...but what we do know is that Tech wants to expand and grow pretty quickly. If the Research Park gets so big that they want to take over that piece of property, I bet they'll consider buying it.
I think the upper section of the buildings downtown should be apartments/condos. I like the concept of the work/live/play environment. I hope Ruston will try to adapt to the new changes.
My office deals with this a lot. It's not that difficult from a technical / construction standpoint. But in many downtowns, it can take some extended politicking to make this happen.
What's often at issue are antiquated zoning laws (designed to seperate residential from commercial land-uses), life-safety codes (usually written to address new construction, and not rehabilitation work), and small-town building inspectors / fire marshalls who are often skeptical of new approaches.
Not saying its impossible. But a community's leaders have to buy-into the idea.
I was thinking that last night. It would be great to walk downstairs and be at Ponchatoulas. The apartments down the street from those two bars are pretty nice. What I really wish they would do is turn a few floors of the James building into lofts. And I wouldn't be surprised if Tech ended up buying Steeples Glen and turned it into on campus housing.
About a decade ago I lived in an upstairs apartment in Minden. The apartment was very well done and living there was a great experience. Living in a small town "uptown" area was surprisingly homey. I would think living in downtown Ruston would be even better.