Roughly 37 acres of vacant industrial land in Ascension Parish have sold for $1.9 million.
RBD Ascension LLC purchased the property from Industrial Commercial Properties LLC, according to a transaction filed last Thursday with the Ascension Parish Clerk of Court.
Steve Legendre of Stirling Properties represented the buyer in the deal, while Thomas Parsons, also of Stirling Properties, represented the seller.
The property is located near the intersection of South St. Landry Avenue and Vivian Ann Road, close to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Firearm Range.
“The buyer bought it as an investment and is working with a couple of potential tenants to locate there,” Legendre says. “They’re talking to a couple of tenants. I think the intent is to do a build-to-suit for a couple of tenants.”
He adds that the development plan includes space for a laydown yard—a designated outdoor area used for temporarily storing large equipment, construction materials, or other bulky items. He estimates the project will take about nine to 12 months to complete.
“This property has been on the market for several years, and given the lack of really suitable land on the market, it’s a fairly significant transaction,” Legendre says. “I think the net land cost on this project was a good deal for both the buyer and the seller.”
Business filings with the Louisiana Secretary of State list Kim Johnson and Leroy and Benay Thomas as managers of Industrial Commercial Properties LLC. RBD Ascension LLC is managed by Michael Divencenti, Matthew Mullins, and Michael Hollingsworth.
The sale comes amid a slowdown in the Baton Rouge-area industrial market. Just 508,204 square feet of new industrial space were delivered in 2024—down 40.8% from the previous year and less than half of the 10-year annual average—according to data presented by Evan Scroggs of Lee & Associates at last week’s TRENDS seminar. Only 304,808 square feet were under construction at year’s end.
Industrial absorption also fell, dropping from 662,708 square feet in 2023 to 322,634 square feet in 2024. Still, the market ended the year with a record 36.84 million square feet of occupied industrial space.
