A tale of two cities

This is the second or third time something has happened to pre-empt me from writing about something else that I really tried to write about. It is as if the article I started nearly three weeks ago is not supposed to be written. Things just keep happening.
I’ve noticed, and this is not a recent observation that the area around our university seems to be economically depressed. There are little-to-no businesses in our community that create jobs or provide reason for non-residents to visit the area.
So where is the economic development for the Southern University community?
I contemplated about the layout of the city of Baton Rouge and the set-up for the many businesses that it holds.
Mainly there are two major colleges occupying the city limits- Southern University and Louisiana State University. Yet, the community around our university is ignored by big business and local government. Much of the development in South Baton Rouge is a tribute to private-sector investment, but why all to the same area?
Examine the structure of the LSU community. They have ample restaurants including major chains like Wendy’s, Raising Canes, Baskin Robins, Subway, Jack in the Box, and other outlets, such as the Gap, Foot Locker, Blockbuster, Chimes and the Varsity Theater. Furthermore, apartment complexes multiply in LSU’s surrounding community, springing up here and there as if someone planted flowers in a garden. Therefore, Southern students have no choice but to commute across town, to not only have a good time but also find good housing.
New and emerging businesses flock to the LSU community, leaving the north side of town to wither and die in the economic sense.
The businesses on the south side of Baton Rouge may perhaps create only a few jobs for students relative to the total student population, however they form the economic framework for the community surrounding LSU.
However, every coin has two sides and for the content of this article, the alternative side of this coin refers to the tale of the other city. The Scotlandville area was at one time the heart of the Baton Rouge community. Unfortunately today the area seems to be at an economic stand still.
There have been times I have gone to the Varsity Theater or Raising Canes with my friends. Not just because I was hungry and needed a bite to eat, but because I just wanted to hang out and chill in an environment that is conducive to the way college life is supposed to be.
The community around Southern University is not like that mentioned earlier about the LSU community- in fact it is far from it.
At the heart of this community’s economic framework is a “sprinkle” of fast food restaurants, a few banks, small specialty shops and family operated stores. In most cases, they neither create jobs for the community or students it serves, or caters to ideal college crowds. These places often have homogeneous services and menus that do not accommodate students in the dining area.
So then, it is a matter of which fast food restaurant has the best burger or whose drive-thru window will not take a decade to get your food. So why does this happen?
I really tried my hardest not to play the “race card,” but it must be said. There is a reason that big business has not come to our community with apartment complexes, entertainment venues and restaurants. The reason is simply that the LSU community is predominately white and the Southern University community is African American.
With many parts of the zoning and code changes stalled in the political process at City Hall, it is yet to be seen if large parts of Baton Rouge development plans will make it to the action stage.
We as the inhabitants of the Scotlandville community need to fight hard to get big business back in our area.
We need big business to be involved in our economic development so we can have those new apartment complexes, restaurants, entertainment complexes, and most importantly those jobs.
This is not just for the college students but the entire Scotlandville community.
Just something to think about!