Council member touts potential for north Baton Rouge grocery store

East Baton Rouge Metro Council member Darryl Hurst says a new study indicates a full-service grocery store would be feasible at the intersection of Joor and Prescott roads.

He says the store could address north Baton Rouge’s “food desert” status, spur further commercial development and complement Joor Place, a proposed residential and commercial project in the area.

“We just have to find the right grocer,” Hurst says.

Hurst didn’t share who conducted the study, but says it indicates a “moderately priced” store of at least 40,000 square feet could work. He says the next steps are meeting with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the mayor’s office to discuss further the possibility.

Rouses Markets in May announced plans to build a full-service, 44,000-square-foot grocery store in north Baton Rouge on the northwest corner of Florida Boulevard and North Ardenwood Drive. Officials said the store would address north Baton Rouge’s food desert problem, which refers to limited access to fresh food. But while that location is north of Florida, which is often seen as an unofficial dividing line, it is far from the heart of north Baton Rouge.

Tom Delahaye of CST Land Developers has proposed Joor Place on a nearly 154-acre property between the intersections of Joor and Prescott and Joor and Greenwell Street. The concept plan application calls for 584 medium-density residential units and 120,000 square feet of commercial/office space.

Delahaye declined to discuss the proposal, though a representative emailed to say “CST is still working on a number of factors affecting this development.”

This story originally appeared in a Sept. 8 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.