New Roads developer L.J. Grezaffi is opening a new, 437-acre phase of his Ascension Commerce Center west of Gonzales and is eying clients with distribution and warehousing operations.

The existing first phase of the industrial park is located north of La. 30 in the Geismar area west of Gonzales and was developed by Grezaffi's business, LJG Land Company.

Ascension Commerce Center II will be built on land farther north of La. 30 and west of West Robert Wilson Road and connect with Ascension Commerce Center I, Grezaffi said.

Grezaffisaid he finished selling all the lots in Ascension Commerce Center I at the end of 2022 and still had people calling for sites.

"I recognized the need at that time and decided to develop Ascension Commerce Center II on the best land in Ascension Parish," he said in a statement.

Located between Interstate 10 and La. 73, the existing business park and its next phase, which together will be more than 1,000 acres, are in a section of La. 30 that has developed with small and medium-sized business.

Many rely in some way on the Mississippi River region's chemical corridor.

In the news release, Grezaffi added the second phase of his business park will offer the first buyer a 269-acre site inside the park and will concentrate on larger tracts of 10 acres or more. Some smaller sites between one to 10 acres will also be available, however.

Grezaffi said the property is the last large tract in the La. 30 and La. 73 area that is not owned by petrochemical plants. Grezaffihad tried unsuccessfully to develop homes on the property, a onetime cow pasture known locally asBuzzard Roost.

On Dec. 22, Grezaffi's LJG Land Company bought the property for $11.8 million from SLC, a company held by Ascension developer Grady Melancon, according to parish land records.

Read more from the original source:

Large tract in Geismar eyed for business park - The Advocate