Baton Rouge Riverfront Plan

[dinner roll]

any updates?

[richyb83]

Hey dinner roll....I will try to see if our La. Moderator NCB can combine the "Original" BR Riverfront Plan thread PAGE#2 with this one... "Riverfront MasterPlan"?? The orginal has the renderings/ and graphics..that would make things easier to explain

[NCB]

Done! The two "Riverfront Plan" threads are now merged.

[richyb83]

Thanks for your Moderator magic Nate I sure do appreciate this!

Is this the portion of the masterplan you are refering to?? The batture above the river's edge along the levee? I have heard nothing at all lately about this portion of the plan. The Army Corps of Engineers is to do this project. This is a "long-term" plan....this could still be years away IMO. (Keep in mind many similar revamped riverfronts have taken 10-20 years) ex-Louisville, Cincinnati, Chattanooga,etc.

This is the large area the entire Riverfront Masterplan consist of. I have the 1st Phase outlined in yellow(covering blue). Hopefully the other componets will get moving along.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/8415177.html

Davis Rhorer, the Downtown Development District director, said design work will begin soon on the first $4.5 million city-funded phase of the Riverfront Master Plan, which will transform the area between River Road and Fourth Street into a new town square during the next two to three years.

>>This includes the North Blvd Town Square; New Courthouse; II City Plaza; Hotel King, Phase II of the Shaw Arts block; another RiverCenter expansion; EBRATS bldg. redevelopment; fence around Old State Capitol

[brresident]

The more I see of that rendering the less I like the plan. Does anyone think these things through?

That's what I want too, something like the Riverwalk. The first thing I thought when I saw that thing was what would happen if a barge got loose and bam! I would much rather walk on solid ground next to the Mississippi River than walk on a platform dangling above it.

Not only that, but my biggest concern is that creates a void between the levee and the pier thingy that will get clogged with trees and what not during high water. During the winter, you will be able to walk under the pier....which will be a haven for crime. These boardwalks are nice, but if they take up that much area they become filled with drug activity, crime, and homeless, much like boardwalks and over passes all over the country. You can't have access under the park and a void between the levee and the park doesn't really look good....unless you want Baton Rouge to look like Atlantic city in 30 years.

I really hate that plan. I'd rather them leave the paperclip and keep the rest of it the same than to put that stupid idea into the works. Who wants to have a park on stilts 30' above the water. Give us a floating pier or actually fill in a park area that slowly slopes into the water. Anything but the stupid pier idea! It will draw attention to itself because they will have to put those ugly bumpers on the side to keep boats from damaging it.

It's not well thought out at all. The designer didn't put any effort into it.....it will probably cost a fortune to build and it will be under utilized. It will probably block the view of the river for much of downtown and it will eventually fall apart like the municipal dock did, except it will be twice as large and there will be no way to not look at it.

Really dumb plan.

I'd like to see them fill in a smaller park area, perhaps including a place for outdoor concerts. Other than that, I don't know what BR could do...but I know that the current plan sucks. I'd like to walk on the ground, not a pier, and walk to the water if I wanted to.

Edited July 13, 2007 by brresident

[richyb83]

^ Yeah I'm not too sure if I'm sold on this design either?? I like what Louisville, Chattanooga, and Memphis have done along their riverfront's.

Here is the imfamous "paper-clip" a.k.a. Baton Rouge Landing. The locals seem to have a love/hate relationship with this thing.

The promenade on the levee near the planetarium. The garbage bin is too close to the bench. Who wants to smell that when you are trying to relax?? But I do like this walkway on the levee.

Looking toward the Capitol

If this plan goes thru, it looks like this portion of the Riverfront Plaza would be no more??

Do yall like this designed water-feature?? They say a simpler path should be made to the levee??

Edited July 14, 2007 by richyb83

[cajun]

Call me crazy, but I'd rather them leave the riverfront as is than to add that big ugly pier thing in front of it, too. I have to agree with brresident.

I hope those pictures are just preliminary. It looks too expensive and too ugly. They'd have to put it so high up in the air to keep it from flooding during the spring. It would look better if it were landfill or some kind of park that had steps into the river. They can do a boat dock or something, too, but I don't want that ugly pier thing in my view of Baton Rouge. It will look even uglier from the Port Allen side.

I'd like them to fill a park or concert area and put a giant signature "thingy" there. I'd go for the giant red stick....that could be cool. Use landfill to make a park that goes out, say, two hundred feet from the Levee and is about 350 feet wide. Put in the concrete steps like the current levee has along the sides. This would creat a nice grassy area for concerts, a park, or whatever. Throw in a 100' tall red stick incorporated into a big vegas style fountain with a little sign that talks about how Baton Rouge got started and voila....you have probably the best riverfront of any city Baton Rouge's size. You can take it a step farther and make a giant red stick as a tall building with an observation tower on top (though that would be kind of taking Seattle's idea of the space needle). The key is that the riverfront park needs to be fill, not a pier.

The plan they have now is not unique in any way, its too expensive, and it requires a lot of work to keep up...then I am not even going into the problems apparent in older boardwalks across the country with major crime problems on the west coast, Florida, Atlantic City, and what not. I think it's bad enough that Baton Rouge should get it's money back from the designer...it's not well planned at all. It's just a picture, and already I can't take my eyes off of all of those stupid piles holding the pier up. It's an eyesore.

Edited July 15, 2007 by cajun

[twstdndmntd]

Along like the rest of you I am not in favor of this plan either. The first time I saw the drawings for it I thought it was a huge mistake. I would have rathered the park connect to the walking path thats on top of the levee. Course I actually kinda like the levee the way it is now. NOLA doesn't have steps that go all the way down like that. They just have the walk-way on top and a bunch of rocks on the riverside. I would rather them do something with the River Rd side of the levee. Get rid of those train tracks and you have ample room to raise the land to the top of the levee and create a big park, not to mention it would probably be a tad bit cheaper than what they are proposing now..... Just a thought

[richyb83]

^ Like the idea^! Mayor Kip Holden has tried several times to have the R.R.(removed, diveted), but to no avail. KC R.R (or whoever) has not been very cooperative.

Actually the proposed DeSoto Park a little further North sounds like what most of yall would prefer.

[richyb83]

Here is the proposed DeSoto Park circled in green

[Gauge]

^ Like the idea^! Mayor Kip Holden has tried several times to have the R.R.(removed, diveted), but to no avail. KC R.R (or whoever) has not been very cooperative.

Actually the proposed DeSoto Park a little further North sounds like what most of yall would prefer.

Emminent domain.

Take the damn land. There are not many instances where emminent domain is more appropriate.

[richyb83]

Continuing the conversation from the Third Street thread

I proposed an iconic "Red Stick" observation tower there. It would provide a alternative view-to the State Capitol. People like the idea,but I am not to sure how serious they would be in considering this ?

Hey cajun, I proposed that idea(you spoke of in Third Street thread) to the DDD people way back in May of 06'. Looks like they compromised my idea; not what I had in mind. Many people loved the idea.

I proposed the tower just south of the I-10 Bridge near the supposed minor-league ballpark.

Edited April 9, 2008 by richyb83

[dan326]

Now that I see it again, it does look kind of silly.

[richyb83]

Public Invited for imput on Thursday, June 8 at 6:30 A concept plan(phase 4) will shown for the redevelopment of the riverfront.

http://www.batonrougeriverfront.com/04.html

They had publc imput meetings back in the Summer of 06'...problem is all the options include the batture yall don't like. I wish yall could have gone to these meetings to reject this. At the time I was unsure and just happy to see something done; but the more I thought about it...and the more yall commented so negatively against this....the more I did not like the idea either.

Yall all have some nice ideas; wish yall could contact DDD one-by-one telling them "NO", don't follow thru with this.

[dan326]

One thing I do like about it though is the way it looks wavy when the water is high.

[buckett5425]

I guess to not be so negative. I do think they idea is a very creative way to create a park along the riverfront in a new an innovative way. For that reason, i think it is due credit. My only problem with it is, is that it blocks the view of the river from downtown. richy provided a link to the riverfront master plan website, and they have a rendering of what it will look like, and i think it proves my point.

[cajun]

I'd like a wider levee with some actual green space instead of a park on piers....

[richyb83]

Every little bit helps...

The city-parish has received $950,000 from the federal government for riverfront transportation improvements. The money will be used for improved pedestrian access at the corner of River Road and Florida Street, and for other improvements along River Road near the Louisiana Art & Science Museum.

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/dai...009/apr/14/921/

[richyb83]

Glad to see the early phases of the Riverfront Master Plan; North Blvd Town Square & Library coming to fruition!

Here is another componet to "Reconnecting to the River"...reconfiguring Repentance Park (btwn the River Center & Old State Capitol)..there is suppose to be an update at Tuesday's DDD Meeting... The pieces to the puzzle are slowly coming together

Looks as if the little eastern pool/fountain and narrow water-feature streaming down(shown here) will soon be history...replaced with the interactive fountains like at the Shaw Center

Still not sure of the plans for the larger west pool/fountains along River Road?? Do yall like this area or does something else need to be done??

Proposed by the Riverfront Master Plan and Plan BR II, Repentance Park is to be reconfigured as a public open space connecting the Municipal Campus, River Center Campus, North Boulevard Town Square, and the Arts & Entertainment District.

A portion of the existing parapet wall at City Hall Plaza will be removed, encouraging pedestrians to move west into a grove of shade trees that pushes out onto the highest terrace of Repentance Park. The highest terrace will feature an interactive water fountain under the shade grove.

The new design will encourage more pedestrian activity in the City Hall Plaza area and Repentance Park with a direct ADA connection to North Boulevard Town Square, the Old State Capitol Grounds and the Shaw Center for the Arts by way of a pedestrian promenade along St. Phillip Street.

The transition down to River Road will be a gradual sloped lawn that will create an amphitheater type space for concerts and other performances. A lit pathway will descend along the southern edge of the site, complete with benches oriented toward the Old State Capitol grounds.

http://www.downtownbatonrouge.org/aboutNewsRepParkFinalDesign.asp

*Check out page 8 & 9

http://www.downtownbatonrouge.org/downloads/pdf/current_project_report.pdf

All of this is actually part of Plan BR II...

[Antrell Williams]

Doesn't really feel like it's that much better of a design. Doesn't seem any more inviting for foot traffic with all the grass.

[dan326]

^^ That's what I was thinking. I'm still not sold on those interactive fountains. I think they're a fad, that'll seem dated in 15 years. I think the fountains that are there add a grand feeling to the area.

[itsjustme3]

So they'll replace one water feature with another? That's dumb. Neither provides motivation or desire for people to go there.

[steve3n8]

Glad to see the early phases of the Riverfront Master Plan; North Blvd Town Square & Library coming to fruition! Here is another componet to "Reconnecting to the River"...reconfiguring Repentance Park (btwn the River Center & Old State Capitol)..there is suppose to be an update at Tuesday's DDD Meeting... The pieces to the puzzle are slowly coming together Looks as if the little eastern pool/fountain and narrow water-feature streaming down(shown here) will soon be history...replaced with the interactive fountains like at the Shaw Center Still not sure of the plans for the larger west pool/fountains along River Road?? Do yall like this area or does something else need to be done??

Proposed by the Riverfront Master Plan and Plan BR II, Repentance Park is to be reconfigured as a public open space connecting the Municipal Campus, River Center Campus, North Boulevard Town Square, and the Arts & Entertainment District. A portion of the existing parapet wall at City Hall Plaza will be removed, encouraging pedestrians to move west into a grove of shade trees that pushes out onto the highest terrace of Repentance Park. The highest terrace will feature an interactive water fountain under the shade grove. The new design will encourage more pedestrian activity in the City Hall Plaza area and Repentance Park with a direct ADA connection to North Boulevard Town Square, the Old State Capitol Grounds and the Shaw Center for the Arts by way of a pedestrian promenade along St. Phillip Street. The transition down to River Road will be a gradual sloped lawn that will create an amphitheater type space for concerts and other performances. A lit pathway will descend along the southern edge of the site, complete with benches oriented toward the Old State Capitol grounds. http://www.downtownbatonrouge.org/aboutNewsRepParkFinalDesign.asp *Check out page 8 & 9 http://www.downtownbatonrouge.org/downloads/pdf/current_project_report.pdf All of this is actually part of Plan BR II...

Gonna be great to see all this get complete. Anybody know what the next phases might be of the plan?

[richyb83]

Not sure what the next phases are...just guessing...possibly a new iconic pavillion-type canopy over the a revamped RiverFront Plaza?? Or the new pedestrian access points along the river;

like this one called Florida Street Crossing

*Sorry for small rendering

*and/or the North Blvd Crossing

Don't think the proposed elevated peir is going to happen

Edited October 12, 2011 by richyb83

[Antrell Williams]

You mean the floating park that was to go over the river? Thought that was dead long ago. An elevated observation tower like structure should replace the Paperclips, along with a canopy over that part. Not very tall but still provides a great view. I don't know if Wifi reaches out there but they should definitely have Wifi access and outlets. Smaller screens the mimic the ones that will be on the beacon on North Blvd.

I've noticed alot of my friends have gotten accustomed to going downtown now, it's future is bright.