BATON ROUGE, LA — January 12, 2018 — My office was informed yesterday of the closure of Sam’s Club at 9598 Cortana Place. Sam's Club is closing 63 stores nationwide, attributing the decision to the need to better fulfill online orders, less population growth than expected in some markets, and too many competing locations.

I reached out to Sam's Club and am committed to working closely with their team to develop and execute a transition strategy. Our goal is to ensure that all 176 displaced employees are either transferred to nearby Sam's Clubs or Walmarts or are assisted with job placement and/or training.

I am also involved in a number of conversations regarding the revival of the property at Cortana Mall. It has great potential to be a catalyst for economic development in our parish. There are obviously many shifts taking place in the retail industry nationally, but we are fortunate that we continue to have a growing retail base here in Baton Rouge.