Denham Springs Mayor Gerard Landry unrolls architect plans for one of several businesses planning to come to the city. Landry unveiled the businesses during a talk to the Livingston Parish Republican Women's meeting on Wednesday.
Ollie's Bargain Outlet will occupy the right side of the main building at Livingston Square shopping center, Denham Springs Mayor Gerard Landry said Wednesday.
Harvest Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation will be going up on Range Avenue across from Denham Springs High School, according to Mayor Gerard Landry. Work has just begun to clear trees and stumps from the tract.
DENHAM SPRINGS – Mayor Gerard Landry had a lot of news to share Wednesday about new businesses coming to Denham Springs.
And he had the architect’s plans to prove it.
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, CubeSmart storage, Harvest Manor’s nursing and rehabilitation facility, and a new residential subdivision were among the projects Landry outlined to the monthly meeting of the Livingston Parish Republican Women.
“All of these projects are going on, and we’re excited about it,” Landry said, holding up the plans as he mentioned each one.
Ollie’s will take up a major space at Livingston Square on South Range Avenue, on the south side of Airborne Extreme Trampoline Park.
Landry described Ollie’s as a “close-out retailer.”
Founded in 1982, Ollie’s boasts 303 stores in 23 states, according to its website. The chain buys surplus merchandise from retail stores, suppliers and manufacturers.
“It’s not a brand-new concept. They’ve been around a while and they’ve been successful,” Landry said.
The location of Ollie’s in the shopping center continues its revival under the guidance of developer Nick Xaio. Just two weeks ago, a ribbon-cutting marked the opening of Sweet Rolls, an ice cream and sweet shop at Livingston Square, Landry said. The shop can sit 50, the mayor said, and the owners encourage families to come in, sit down and enjoy their time together.
For diners looking for a full meal, Bonita del Forno will be one of three businesses located in the Bass Pro development at 2660 Sac-au-lait Road, north of Sarita’s Grill & Cantina.
According to the plans Landry showed the women’s group, the restaurant will be in the center with space for two smaller businesses on either side. Also coming to the Bass Pro development is Urban Air Adventure Park, the mayor added.
The trampoline park will feature modules the size of rooms that offer different challenges, he said. If the operator decides to change the room, he can simply remove the module.
“We always talk about things for kids to do,” Landry said.
CubeSmart will be coming to the corner of Range Avenue and Rushing Road, Landry said, where a closed Marathon gas station sits.
“It will change the footprint and the perspective of what people see when they come into the town. Today, they are taking out the tanks,” for the gasoline, he said.
CubeSmart will build a four-story building with 36,000 square feet per floor, Landry said. The chain, founded in 2004 under the name U-Store-It Trust, has 667 stores offering self-storage areas.
“It looks like a big cube,” Landry said, holding up the architect’s plans.
Harvest Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation will be going up on Range Avenue across the street from Denham Springs High School, the mayor said. Trees and stumps are being removed for the tract now, he added.
Also coming is a 60-unit residential subdivision on Cockerham Road, Landry said.
“This will help with our housing needs,” he said. Homes will run in the $250,000 range.
Besides the projects committed to coming to Denham Springs, Landry also discussed two projects still in the talking stages.
The city is trying to attract an IKEA outlet, he said.
“IKEA did no projects in the U.S. last year,” Landry said.
The chain store that offers ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances and home accessories was supposed to consider new stores at its board meeting in China, but it was not discussed, Landry said.
“We’re going back to visit them in April or May and pitch it again,” he said.
The city is also in talks with a business about the closed Albertson’s store at Range Avenue and Florida Boulevard, Landry said. But the talks have just begun, so he did not want to identify the prospective tenant or buyer.
