Ochsner Health System Announces Plans to Lease Former Louisiana Heart Hospital Property
Today, Ochsner Health System announced its plans to lease the former Louisiana Heart Hospital property in Lacombe, Louisiana. Stirling Properties acquired the 25-acre site earlier this month.
An official ceremony was held with Honorable Pat Brister, St. Tammany Parish President; Warner Thomas, President & CEO of Ochsner Health System; Patti Ellish, CEO of St. Tammany Parish Hospital; Bill Davis, CEO of Slidell Market SMH-Ochsner Partnership; Townsend Underhill, Sr. VP of Development for Stirling Properties; and St. Tammany Parish Council members and dignitaries.
Working together with each of its partners, St. Tammany Parish Hospital and Slidell Memorial Hospital, Ochsner plans to repurpose the building to open a Post-Acute Care Hospital to include long-term acute care, skilled nursing, and inpatient rehabilitation services in one convenient St. Tammany location. This effort will also result in job growth and expanded administrative services in the region by opening a dedicated North Shore Service Center.
“We are excited that this facility will once again be opened and provide much-needed medical services for our residents as well as jobs for our local healthcare workforce,” said President Brister. “We appreciate Ochsner’s commitment to St. Tammany Parish, and we look forward to another leading-edge healthcare facility, providing high-quality medical care.”
Townsend Underhill participated in the announcement to underscore Stirling Properties’ focus and commitment to St. Tammany Parish and the entire Gulf South region.
Stirling Properties has invested more than $350 million in St. Tammany and currently owns and operates 4 million square feet of commercial property, with assets throughout the parish—generating significant economic development opportunities, revenue, and job growth for the area and residents. Major projects in the parish include Northpark Corporate Center I & II in Covington, Premier Centre in Mandeville, Stirling Slidell in Slidell, River Chase in Covington, and Fremaux Town Center in Slidell, just to name a few.
In addition to growing its development and brokerage services, Stirling Properties is focused on acquisition and investment projects. The recently closed Louisiana Heart Hospital facility provided the company a chance to invest in a vital property and help to return it to commerce.
“This acquisition also provided us another opportunity to grow and diversify our portfolio as part of Stirling Properties’ overall growth strategy into new commercial real estate sectors within our existing footprint,” said Underhill. “Need and demand in the medical industry are growing, and so are our service lines to meet these local needs.”
Stirling Properties is thankful for its continued partnerships with Ochsner. The two companies have previously worked together on the recently announced $80 million medical clinic and micro hospital at The Grove in Baton Rouge as well as the recently completed and soon to open state-of-the-art Emergency Department and Imaging Center in LaPlace.
Stirling Properties looks forward to announcing future projects in the medical industry—and continuing to serve the commercial real estate needs of the Gulf South region.
New Orleans Tricentennial: The 300th Anniversary
Beginning in just a few months, New Orleans will enter its Tricentennial anniversary celebrating a 300 year history of one of the world’s most unique cities. During the Tricentennial year, we will be celebrating our history, culture, diversity, resilience, and people, as well as setting the course for a future on the rise. We invite you to join us. Please visit the site www.2018nola.com to learn more about the upcoming festivities.
The trajectory of New Orleans over the last 10 years has been one of the most remarkable comeback stories in our nation. Time Magazine recently ranked New Orleans in the top 5 cities for millennial migration with an 8.5% increase in 25-34 year olds from 2010-2015. New Orleans is one of the fastest growing cities for tech jobs, one of the best cities for women in tech and one of the top ten cities for creatives in America. The Crescent City consistently lands among the top in rankings such as “#1 Brain Magnet in America”, “Most Dynamic City in America”, “#1 Most Improved Metro in the US”, and “#2 Favorite City in America”.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport Rendering
From new international flights to London, Frankfort, and Panama City, to workforce development and tourism growth, to public policy reform, our region has recently celebrated many accomplishments. We are building a new airport, redeveloping our storied riverfront, and creating a 21st-century medical corridor. Many infrastructure improvements are underway, and new businesses are flocking to the area, attracting talented young minds to join their ranks.
Mid-City Market, New Orleans, Louisiana
In the last 7 years alone, Stirling Properties’ investments in the City of New Orleans have exceeded $150 million. The first retail development post-Katrina in New Orleans was Mid-City Market, which transformed a formerly blighted New Orleans neighborhood into a contextual grocery-anchored urban infill shopping center.
Magnolia Marketplace, New Orleans, Louisiana
Another significant project in New Orleans, Magnolia Marketplace, encompassed the redevelopment of the former C.J. Peete Housing Project into a dynamic new retail development in an underserved market of Orleans Parish. This redevelopment brought much needed sales tax and the introduction of national retailers into the city of New Orleans.
Pan American Life Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
In 2010, Stirling Properties acquired the 674,000 sq. ft. Class A Pan American Life Center office building in the New Orleans Central Business District. This was our first office investment in the City of New Orleans. The building serves as headquarters to some of the region’s top banks, insurance, and law firms. Recently, the building was transformed into a mixed-use office and retail space, bringing in tenants such as Starbucks, Tsunami Sushi, and Smoothie King to the first floor. And last year, as part of our company’s long-term commitment to the City of New Orleans, we relocated our CBD office to the 27th floor of the Pan American Life Center.
Stirling Properties office, 27th Floor Pan American Life Center
As proud as I am of our company’s many accomplishments, I am equally as proud of the role we have played in contributing to and supporting the numerous nonprofits, community groups, and civic and industry organizations throughout the area, which have played such a significant role in the New New Orleans.
The City of New Orleans has been in the making for nearly 300 years. We’ve had ups and downs, successes and failures, and tragedies along the way—and we still have lots of work left to do. But New Orleans is resilient and our city today is triumphing. As we celebrate the 300th year of its founding, we welcome you to join us in commemorating the past and helping to create the future. Come see what’s happening here!
It is truly an exciting time to be in New Orleans. I invite you to learn more at www.2018nola.com and to join in celebrating our anniversary.
#2018nola
Announcing New Ochsner Medical Facility at The Grove
Last Thursday, June 8, Stirling Properties participated in the announcement of Ochsner Health System’s new medical facility at The Grove in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The project includes a new five-story, 155,000-square-foot medical office building, and a 30,000-square-foot ambulatory surgery center. The new clinic will be located along the I-10 Bluebonnet/Siegen corridor on approximately 25 acres of property as part of the High Grove development planned near the Mall of Louisiana and fronting Interstate 10. Anticipated completion is scheduled for early 2019.
Stirling Properties will be responsible for over $15 million of infrastructure improvements, as well as the completion of the 11-mile BREC multi-use trail through the site. On behalf of Ochsner, Stirling has also handled pre-development efforts, including site selection, due diligence, economic feasibility, and state and local permitting coordination.
Scheduled infrastructure improvements include new roadways and a bridge across Wards Creek that will connect Grove Blvd. to the I-10 frontage road and ease traffic congestion. A new sewer lift station will be installed to serve the Ochsner facility, as well as replace an existing one that services several hundred homes in the neighboring Morning Glen and Audubon Terrace neighborhoods. A new underground drainage system will be built to accommodate water runoff from surrounding property in addition to the Ochsner site, which will result in improved drainage condition in future storm events.
During the construction phase, these new projects will bring nearly 1,630 construction jobs in addition to over 450 permanent jobs that will be relocated from the existing Summa clinic.
Additional project announcements are forthcoming.
Introducing New-To-Market Fitness Concept, HOTWORX
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is excited to announce that it will exclusively represent HOTWORX, a new-to-market fitness concept across the United States.
HOTWORX is revolutionizing the fitness industry by providing the ultimate hot exercise experience and is the first to launch a 24/7 business franchise model through the use of its proprietary patent pending technology. It is the original fusion of infrared heat and isometrics through a virtually instructed exercise program designed for users to experience the many benefits of infrared absorption while completing a 30-minute workout session.
Joe Gardner, CCIM, and Thomas Bryan, Stirling Properties’ Sales and Leasing Executives, are the exclusive tenant representatives for HOTWORX and are working to secure national retail locations for the new fitness concept.
Currently, select Planet Beach spas are debuting the hot exercise experience. But HOTWORX plans to grow to 500 official HOTWORX Studio locations across the US in the next five years. The company presently has one HOTWORX Studio located in Oxford, Mississippi, with another planned to open in Palm Beach, Florida, within the next month. Future studio sites also include locations in the greater New Orleans area and surrounding Gulf Coast region.
“Our HOTWORX fitness concept is ready to expand, and we are thrilled to be working with Stirling Properties, a true leader in the real estate industry, to grow our business across the nation. We are seeking franchisees for various business opportunities and will be announcing new HOTWORX locations soon,” said Stephen Smith, HOTWORX CEO.
“HOTWORX has aggressive expansion and franchise plans in the works for our region and across the country. We are excited to be able to help them meet and exceed their real estate goals—and introduce a new fitness concept that was founded right here in New Orleans,” said Gardner. “We look forward to announcing new retail locations and storefronts within the coming months.”
For more information on HOTWORX and franchise opportunities, visit www.hotworx.net.
What’s Going On at River Chase in Covington?
Stirling Properties Announces Exciting New Updates and Developments
The first phase of the Offices at River Chase, the Northshore’s premier office campus, has completed construction. Located at the southwest corner of Brewster Road and Stirling Boulevard, Phase I includes a Class-A, two-story, 45,000-square-foot office building located on 3.5 acres. It is accessible from both the LA-21 and Brewster Road interchanges on Interstate 12, and within walking distance to a host of amenities, including restaurants, a movie theater, and residential living options. The highly-renowned architectural firm, Wakefield, Beasley, and Associates, designed the base building, and Mandeville-based Greenleaf Lawson Architects served as the interior architect for the project. Tenant build-outs are now underway, and Duplantis Design Group, PC, will move into their new, 6,000-square-foot office space in mid-May. For more information on the Offices at River Chase and leasing opportunities, contact Ryan Murphy at rmurphy@stirlingprop.com or (985) 246-3771. 
Located across the street from the office building, Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar commenced construction on its new restaurant last November. Set on 1.82 acres on the northwest corner of Stirling Boulevard and Brewster Road next to Sam’s Club, this marks the 1st Northshore location for the highly-anticipated sports restaurant and bar. It will occupy roughly 9,600 square feet and is expected to open late this summer, just in time for football season. The Covington location will include a rooftop bar, The Upper Deck, an element unique to the design by Greenleaf Lawson Architects. The Upper Deck will feature group seating and additional space for catching a game. 
Rooms-To-Go has opened its new 36,000-square-foot retail showroom located next to Zoe’s Kitchen on Stirling Boulevard. The impressive store is highly visible to Interstate 12 traffic. A Grand Opening celebration was held on Saturday, April 22nd. The furniture retailer relocated from its previous site on Highway 190 in Covington.
Construction on Springs at River Chase is complete, and all buildings are open. This project is a joint venture with Continental Properties. The new 296-unit luxury apartment community is located at the southwest corner of Interstate 12 and Brewster Road. The property features floor plans ranging from studio to three-bedroom apartments. Community amenities include a clubhouse, resort-style pool, 24-hour fitness center, dog park, attached and detached garages, car care center, and a pet spa. Occupancy remains high for the multi-family community. For more information and leasing on Springs at River Chase, contact Jan Rayburn with Continental Properties at (985) 327-1350.
Construction is underway for the newest addition to River Chase, the development of the Preserve at River Chase, a single-family luxury residential community, adjacent to the Springs at River Chase apartments. The Preserve development is a joint venture with Southern Lifestyle Development, which is renowned for its highly-acclaimed River Ranch residential community in Lafayette, Louisiana, amongst many other communities. Phase I of the Preserve will include the completion of 76 detached town and country homes. Infrastructure work has commenced and is expected to be complete in November, at which point the residential lots will be available for sale. Construction on the homes is expected to begin early 2018. 
River Chase is the Northshore’s premier master-planned development located amidst 253 acres on the southeast corner of Interstate 12 and LA Highway 21 in Covington, Louisiana. The mixed-use center includes approximately 945,000 square feet of retail and restaurant options, as well as a Holiday Inn Express, Regal Cinema, luxury residential apartment units, and a Class-A office building. Additional residential and office developments are coming soon. Stirling Properties developed River Chase and currently manages and leases the property. River Chase is a Louisiana Economic Development (LED) Certified Site. For more information, please visit www.stirlingprop.com. For retail leasing and sales, contact Rhonda Sharkawy at (504) 620-8145 or rsharkawy@stirlingprop.com. For office leasing and sales, contact Ryan Murphy at (985) 246-3771 or rmurphy@stirlingprop.com.
“TREEmendous” Organizations In Our Region
This past weekend, we celebrated Earth Day, an annual day dedicated to encouraging conversation and engagement around environmental sustainability.
Stirling Properties is a proud supporter of numerous environmental programs right here in the Gulf South region. Their work is critical to our success and makes our communities—where we live and work—stronger. In addition to corporate support, many of Stirling Properties’ employees and agents give their time and resources to charitable organizations that improve our environment.
So even though Earth Day has come and gone, we would like to spotlight a few organizations that make our region a little greener every day.
SOUL Nola (Sustaining Our Urban Landscape)
SOUL, a project of The Trust For Conservation Innovation, is dedicated to driving a resilient and equitable New Orleans through improving its water systems.
According to SOUL, New Orleans is the most deforested city in the United States. The group believes that a healthy and substantial urban forest is critical to New Orleans’ ability to live harmoniously with stormwater. Like gray infrastructure, such as canals and roads, the urban forest and other forms of green infrastructure must be built at a meaningful scale and properly integrated into the city. SOUL is dedicated to strategically reforesting New Orleans, one neighborhood at a time. This year, volunteers have planted 190 large native trees in the Mid-City and Algiers Point/Old Algiers neighborhoods of New Orleans, and are in a planning phase for additional areas.
Nola Tree Project
The mission of Nola Tree Project is to grow stronger, healthier communities through tree planting, community service, and disaster relief programs. Through initiatives such as Greaux Healthy Kids & Community Orchards, Urban Forestry Program, and Big TREEsy Giveaways, Nola Tree Project aims to improve the quality of life for our neighbors and communities. With the help of numerous volunteers, the organization has planted nearly 40,000 trees throughout the greater New Orleans area.
Friends of Lafitte Greenway
The Lafitte Greenway is a 2.6-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail and green corridor that connects neighborhoods from Armstrong Park to City Park in New Orleans, significantly transforming one of the most historic areas of New Orleans into a multi-use transportation corridor and linear park.
The Greenway includes a 12-foot asphalt path for cyclists and pedestrians, new recreation fields, green space, and landscaping improvements including approximately 500 shade trees, native plant meadows, bioswales and stormwater retention features. The path is fully lit with LED energy-efficient trail lighting and includes curb extensions, signalized high visibility crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps at sidewalk corners, environmental remediation, a crushed stone walking path, and a bicycle and pedestrian roundabout. Friends of Lafitte Greenway plans to launch several new initiatives and projects throughout the Greenway that will include art installations, healthy living events, guided tours, community gardens, and much more. The organization and its members are working diligently to build, program, and promote the linear park as a great public space.
We salute these “TREEmendous” organizations for their contributions to our region. And we look forward to supporting and “growing” with them for many years to come.
#StirlingProud
Marty
