BATON ROUGE - With several neighborhoods surrounding it and plenty of businesses popping up, Government Street in Mid-City is growing.

“Ogden Park, Bernard Terrace, Capital Heights. I mean it was just a good business decision,” local businessman Jak Kunstler said.

Kunstler said he first relocated his business to Government Street a few years ago, and he hasn't looked back since.

“The people that work with me live in this area and love this area and they're all younger people with families, and it just made good sense that this was going to happen."

What happened is sweeping changes from many new businesses and developments to the nearly $12 million road diet project. Kunstler said he wants to rezone another building he owns on the street.

“It makes our real estate more valuable. It makes the neighborhood more viable,” he said. “It's good for all the people in the neighborhood and everybody else that's invested in the neighborhood. It's good for us."

Other business owners, like Jeff Herman at Tiger Deaux-nuts, are expanding their reach by acquiring Smoking Aces Barbeque from right down the street.

“All up and down the street, you've had people come in. Food businesses, not just food businesses. You've had some office space that's been developed. There's going to be residential with the square 46 development,” said owner, Jeff Herman.

With the $12 million road diet project moving right along, Herman says there's more to look out for on Government Street.

“There's definitely stuff in the works that hasn't been announced yet. I would expect to see Government continue to be developed."