As drivers sit in traffic during rush hour on College Drive, they may notice the Village Square shopping center and its empty spaces.
It might not be empty for long if Bright Meyers, a development company from Atlanta, gets to renovate the shopping center for a Wal-Mart Supercenter.
The development company is met by opposition from the Southside Civic Association, which is concerned about its neighborhood and an increase in traffic.
Currently, there is a Wal-Mart on the corner of Perkins Road and Acadian Thruway. Once the shopping center is completed, the Wal-Mart there would close.
Charles Landry, who represents the development company, said Bright Meyers approached him in fall 2002 about the Village Square shopping center.
Landry said the company works with Wal-Mart to find places around the country suitable for rent.
Landry also said Wal-Mart is working with the property’s owners to vacate the property, so the they can make renovations and make the property available to other companies and developers.
The Village Square renovation has three positive aspects — 256,000 square feet will be revitalized, tenants will have the opportunity to move to better locations and the Perkins Road and Acadian Thruway building will get redeveloped, Landry said.
Though the renovations offer potential advantages to the city, the main cause for concern is the traffic on College Drive.
Landry said the focus from the beginning was to find a way to fix the problems with College Drive.
      He said Bright Meyers has decided to spend $1 million on improvements to College Drive in addition to the renovations on the 22-acre area.
Fred Raiford, director of the Department of Public Works, said the traffic work must be completed before the store’s opening.
Plans are to make a new, long turn lane for eastbound cars and improve intersections, but Raiford said they will not have to add more lanes.
“Unless Wal-Mart is prepared to buy out all the business along the road, they are not going to add new lanes,” Raiford said. “You have to improve on what you have, not add new.”
The traffic situation also is a major concern for the Southdowns community.
Southside Civic Association President Richard Barker said with the heavy traffic on College and Perkins, motorists use their neighborhood streets as cut-through streets, and it brings down the quality of life.
Barker said he thinks without other street systems connecting to College Drive, new lanes would not work.
“Lanes are just a band-aid approach and will fill up over time, not just from Wal-Mart, but other businesses,” he said.
Another concern is the vacant building Wal-Mart will leave on Perkins and Acadian.
“When Wal-Mart closes its Perkins Road store, it will leave a large blighted area for the community,” Barker said. “If unattended, it could attract criminals and raise the crime situation.”
Jeremy Murphy, a philosophy senior, said he thinks the Wal-Mart will cause more traffic problems on College Drive.
“I think it’s going to screw up traffic even if they widen it,” Murphy said. ” I guess it will help two years from now. There are a lot of other places they could put it.”
Bonnie Carlson, a geography freshman, said when the Acadian Wal-Mart closes, people are going to have to shop on College, and it is going to cause more congestion and problems.
Landry said he met with the civic association in January and made a presentation to the board, but he has not received any suggestions from them about the problems they have with the development.
Katie Seymour, an accounting sophomore, said she does not see the need for another Wal-Mart Supercenter.
“We don’t need another Super Wal-Mart because there’s one two exits away on Siegen,” Seymour said.
Kim Moreau, a mass communication freshman, said this situation is typical of Baton Rouge — closing a functioning store just to build a new one.
Ben Goff, a kinesiology sophomore, thinks the developers are pushing the smaller businesses out.
“I think it is bullying,” he said. “It’d be twice as much traffic, and it doesn’t seem like a lot of people live over there to shop there.”
The city Planning Commission will vote on the developers’ plan March 24. If it votes in favor of the developers, they can begin closing purchase agreements on the shopping center area and begin building.
“It is up to them to take a look and see what is in the public interest,” Barker said.
Barker said that interest is simple.
“Neighborhoods,” he said.
Editor’s note: Staff writers Laura Patz and Lauren Wilbert contributed to this story.