BATON ROUGE, LA-A deal has been finalized between IBM, Louisiana State University, the city of Baton Rouge and the State of Louisiana to develop a $30 million, 800-job technology center in the CBD.  The Baton Rouge Business Report notes that an important part of the public-private partnership agreement is the development of a $55 million mixed-use, riverfront complex, to be built by Commercial Properties Realty Trust, which will include the IBM Services Center office building and an 11-story residential building with 95 units and nine separate town homes.

The complex will be built on the former site of the Baton Rouge Advocate, and is bordered by Main, North and Lafayette Streets and River Road. The service center will be funded by $14.8 million from the state; $3 million from the city and East Baton Rouge Parish and $12.7 million from community development block grant funds.  The Wilbur Marvin Foundation, affiliated with Baton Rouge Area Foundation, will own the building. BRAF is also assisting, by raising upwards of $25 million for the residential component of this development. While the complex is being built, IBM Services Center: Baton Rouge, as the business will be named, will take space at the Essen Centre office complex at 5353 Essen Lane. The new office building will be completed in spring, 2015.

According to area reports, the purpose of the center will be to offer various technology services such as application development and management and systems integration. The state also announced its intention to provide $14 million in funding over a 10-year period for expanded higher-education programs dedicated to increase the number of computer science graduates from LSU.

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