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# On Nicholson, a heady idea
- URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/on-nicholson-a-heady-idea/
- Published: 2026-03-04T13:55:34.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-04T13:55:34.000Z
- Description: Tech incubator to take over former brewery
- Author: Mukul Verma

Nicholson Drive has long been pitched as Baton Rouge’s next lively corridor, and a new project at a familiar site could help push it that way.

**Driving the news:** A public partnership is converting the former Tin Roof brewery into **Proof Works**, a home base for companies building carbon-tech and other industrial innovations. Expect many of the first tenants to come from **LSU FUEL’s NSF-funded Regional Innovation Engine**, which is already helping spin research into companies. A construction timeline wasn’t immediately available, though some companies are moving in soon.

**Who’s leading it:** The **Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership** (formerly BRAC) is spearheading the effort with **LSU FUEL**, **Louisiana Economic Development** and the **Baton Rouge Area Foundation**.

**The big picture:** Nicholson is one of Baton Rouge’s most obvious development plays. It’s the link between **LSU and downtown**—with enough underused land to build housing, retail and commercial spaces. 

**What’s powering the corridor:**

- **Location:** Nicholson is the straight shot between the region’s biggest economic engine (LSU) and its civic center (downtown).
- **The Water Campus:** Proof Works will sit about a block from the Water Campus, including the **Water Institute of the Gulf** and other organizations focused on water management in Louisiana and the world. CPRA and the LSU Center for River Studies are on the campus, too.
- **New housing coming online:** **Commercial Properties Realty Trust** is redeveloping about **30 acres around Magnolia Mound**, adding residential and commercial uses that can support more retail nearby.
- **LSU growth pressure:** With enrollment at record levels and rising, LSU is fueling a wave of multi-story apartment construction around **Burbank Drive** and Nicholson.

**The opportunity:** The city-parish is demolishing the former wastewater plant on the riverfront. With the right infrastructure and incentives, local government can turn it into a catalyst that makes the next round of private investment easier and faster.

**The bottom line:** Proof Works isn’t just a smart reuse of an old building. It’s a signal that Nicholson’s redevelopment window is open. If **Mayor Sid Edwards’ administration wants a signature**, tangible win, the corridor is ready for innovative ideas that lead to investments.