Louisiana
Faimon Roberts: In Central Louisiana, ‘data center’ are the magic words for economic development
ALEXANDRIA — Roaming among tables in an expansive event room on a converted Air Force base earlier this month, Chris Masingill was certain of one thing.
“We will get our opportunity for a data center,” he said with conviction of a revivalist preacher. “It’s just a matter of time.”
Masingill’s enthusiasm for the region has been on display a number of times in the last three months, as the newly minted economic development leader for a 10-parish region across the state’s middle embarked on a tour that was part pep-talk, part community relations and part listening tour.
His message has been simple: Yes, Central Louisiana has been an economic laggard. But a turnaround is possible if the region unites behind a single vision.
Part of his message involves touting the region’s broad potential, but right now, he knows there are two magic words that folks want to hear: data center.
Chris Masingill, CEO of St. Tammany Corp., addresses guests at the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce’s State of Economic Development breakfast.
The recent rush across the south to build sprawling new server farms to feed the ravenous AI beast has set off a silicon-rush of sorts, with each state and region competing to make itself the most attractive to massive technology development firms.
The hope, of course, is to land a project like what is coming to Richland Parish, where a subsidiary of Meta is building a $27 billion data center. That project, in the less than two years since its announcement, has already transformed a sleepy agricultural parish into a hub of construction and economic activity.
Central Louisiana’s leaders hunger for that sort of project.
But the economics of such projects are changing. The really big companies, like Meta or Google or Amazon, are not building as many of their own data centers like the one in Richland Parish, Masingill told me.
Instead, it’s smaller companies purchasing land, building the centers and then offering them up to the bigger companies on a contract basis, he said. That’s what appears to be happening in West Feliciana Parish, where a company called Hut 8 is building a $7 billion data center.
Hut 8 recently announced a 15-year deal with Anthropic, the company behind popular AI chatbot Claude.
Faimon Roberts
Central Louisiana’s turn may be coming sooner than some thought. Last month, a company named Applied Digital purchased about 670 acres near Boyce in Rapides Parish. Applied Digital is a Dallas-based firm that describes itself as “constructing the epicenter of AI” on its website.
Masingill alluded to the news in his talk to those business leaders. “You all saw the news with the land transaction, that’s no secret,” he said.
Masingill told me that Central Louisiana has plenty of the things that data center developers are looking for: available land, water and power generation potential. So, even if this project doesn’t pan out, one eventually will.
Plenty of folks in CenLa hope he’s right.
Louisiana
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When it comes to retiring, the best places to do so often are affordable, have a high quality of life and access to quality healthcare.
If you’re looking for a place to retire, Niche has identified the best places for retirees in Louisiana.
In its list, Niche has taken into account factors like weather, crime rates, housing costs and access to amenities.
The 5 best places to retire in Louisiana according to Niche
These are the top five best places to retire in Louisiana, according to Niche.
1. Oak Hills Place
Oak Hills Place is a suburb of Baton Rouge and is the overall best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb, located in East Baton Rouge Parish, has a population of 9,038 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. The area is highly rated for families, diversity, as well as health and fitness. Here, the median home value is $437,900 and the median rent is $1,422, according to Niche.
2. Westminster
Westminster is another suburb of Baton Rouge and is the second-best place to retire in Louisiana. Located in East Baton Rouge Parish, this suburb has a population of 2,559 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. This area is highly rated for nightlife, diversity, families, health and fitness, as well as commute. The median home value here is $266,100 and the median rent is $1,482, says Niche.
3. River Ridge
River Ridge is a suburb of New Orleans, located in Jefferson Parish, and is the third-best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb has a population of 13,312 and offers residents a dense suburban feel. The area is highly rated for public schools, family, nightlife and diversity. The median home value is $357,400 and the median rent is $1,127, according to Niche.
4. Westlake
Westlake is a town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. With a population of 4,743, this town offers residents a rural feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, jobs, cost of living, nightlife and weather. Here, the median home value is $166,100 and the median rent is $1,049, says Niche.
5. Prien
Prien is another town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. This town has a population of 7,119 and offers residents a suburban rural mix feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, nightlife and weather. The median home value here is $278,000 and the median rent is $1,292, according to Niche.
Presley Bo Tyler is the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team reporter for USA Today Network. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
A motorcyclist is recovering after a West Monroe crash involving an 18-wheeler, while Chevron won a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling shifting a major coastal lawsuit back to lower courts. Ouachita deputies arrested a suspect and recovered more than a dozen guns, Mississippi passed a new school social-media safety requirement, and Louisiana’s House advanced a unanimous state budget. A new recovery center opened, and multiple weekend events are underway across northeast Louisiana, plus national updates include stock-market stress guidance, a Ford F-150 recall, Spirit Airlines uncertainty, and tax-refund tips.
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