BATON ROUGE, La. - The world’s largest online retailer is responsible for redevelopment efforts at the Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge, said a former metro councilwoman.
The EBR Metro Council approved rezoning for Cortana Mall on March 10.
Former East Baton Rouge District 6 Councilwoman Donna Collins-Lewis tells reporters that Amazon is the driving force behind repurposing the once-bustling mall at the intersection of Florida Boulevard and Airline Highway.
In January, Dillards, the last store still open at the Cortana Mall told Austin Kemker it would be closing in April.
Wilson LaFoe, the owner of the Viirginia College property at the Cortana mall, said the deal for Seefried to purchase the property has been closed March 4.
CAFA will ultimately take ownership of the property, essentially leasing it to Seefried. Seefried will build the facility for amazon.
According to the East Baton Rouge Parish Planning Commission, Seefried Industrial Properties has plans to develop the Cortana Mall property into a new warehouse.
Wilson said it was a challenge to get to this point but was happy to see the deal finalized as it will lead to a generational change for the area.
Seefried has built several warehouses and distribution centers for Amazon in the past, including a distribution center in Baton Rouge near Bethany Church on Siegen Lane