Plan Baton Rouge

[richyb83]

It's STARTS in just over an HOUR!!! Wish some us here on UP could go to this meeting and share our ideas for Downtown's FUTURE!

Plan Baton Rouge Phase Two wants to hear from the public

Monday -- The Plan Baton Rouge Phase Two consultants will hold a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Old State Capitol. The consultant team, which is creating the master plan for the next stage of downtown development, will take questions and comments from the public. RSVP to [email protected].

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/daily-report/latest/

[richyb83]

Sounds like Phase II will be a nice compliment to Phase I! Investing in Downtowns premier open public spaces; Invest in the riverfront; an entertainment anchor on the north-end of Third Street; establish parking authority; trees & plantings along streets; create incentives for residential development; reconnect to the river for pedestrians; Improve downtown connection to Mid City, Garden District & OSBR...

Downtown plan urges trees, parks

Baton Rouge needs to work toward a greener downtown with more residents, parks and one more major attraction, preferably on the north end of Third Street. Downtown also needs to be better connected to Mid-city and Old South Baton Rouge, friendlier to pedestrians but have more parking for its visitors, and should be more strongly connected to the Mississippi River.

Those are the recommendations from a near-final draft of Plan Baton Rouge Phase Two, the second part of a planning process that created the first plan in 2000. The plan will be finalized in June for approval by the Metro Council

Alschuler said that while downtown

[nquint1]

Wow, DDD is WAY underfunded. They certainly do a lot with the money they have.

[yis2003yis]

Great News

Also another thing....I think the River Center Arena Needs a Facelift on the inside

Like if u Go to a Event in there...it's pretty nice...but it's nothing like some other venues...I think We'd do better Hosting events at LSU it seems to have more Hi-Tech Equipment than the river center ...We don't even have Digital Screens in the arena for Sporting Events and Replays

[richyb83]

^Yeah the DDD is way too under-funded compared to other cities; and they do a good job!

Can not get the pics off the pdf download...but yall can check them out yourselves > just scroll down

A small rundown by the DDD: Implementation Projects

*River Road Crossing at Florida Blvd as (part of the Riverfront MasterPlan)>> Really looks nice; much more pedestrian friendly; like how they shade in a future building along the sidewal to the right! Hope that vacant parking lot can become something nice soon??

*Narrowing River Road from River Center pedestrian bridge to North Blvd(part of Central Green); looks nice!

* St. Louis & St.Ferdinand Streets (conversion to two-way)

*Downtown Gateway Enhancement> curious to see what this might look like??

Also seen.... North Blvd Town Square and the Bike Paths

http://www.downtownbatonrouge.org/download...%20Projects.pdf

[richyb83]

Not sure where to post this?? Sort of a continuation from BR Growth & Development thread...

This is what makes the opposition to Capitol Lofts so frustrating!!! Downtown BR has come a long way...but has a long way to go!

Residential is missing link to downtown development

Downtown Baton Rouge has come a long way in a few years, says Camm Morton, president and CEO of Ashby Hospitality and former president and CEO of Commercial Properties Realty Trust. Cultural, entertainment, lodging and dining options abound now compared to what used to be essentially a ghost town on weekends and after 5 p.m. on weekdays, Morton noted during a speech at this morning's LSU Executive Education "Breakfast to Business" seminar at Caf

[richyb83]

Nice to see people moving back into the neighborhood...

Old South Baton Rouge getting a face-lift!

An area known for crime in Baton Rouge is getting a facelift. More than $150 million is being used to restore the Old South Baton Rouge area. News 2's Christine Lewis gets answers on what's being done and who is benefiting.

*WBRZ Video

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/55204177.html

[richyb83]

Downtown group lists short-term goals

The Downtown Development District has identified several initiatives from the newly created planning document Plan Baton Rouge Phase II that the DDD believes it can accomplish in the next 12 to 18 months.

*Improvements to the pedestrian experience at River Road in front of the Louisiana Art & Science Museum.

*Improving access to the Mississippi River at North Boulevard and Florida Street.

*Extending the levee promenade to Pete Clements’ proposed River Park development near Hollywood Casino.

*A focus on bringing entertainment options to Lafayette Street and a proposed entertainment anchor, such as a jazz club, to the north end of Third Street.

*A shared state parking lot.

*Creating standards to beautify downtown’s surface parking lots.

*Creating a low-interest loan pool for new businesses downtown.

Entire article...

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/69724572.html

[richyb83]

DDD has come out with it's new interactive downtown map...

http://www.passionforprogress.com/index.cfm?md=directory

[richyb83]

It would be cool if some of the brilliant minds here on UP could show up to some of these meetings to give some good feedback...

I'll be at work at 11:30 A.M...WHY is this at that time??

[richyb83]

Better late than never...

New downtown master plan unveiled

Plan Baton Rouge Phase II, the newest long-term plan for downtown development, was released to the public today with hopes of making downtown “a more vibrant place to live, work, shop, dine, learn and play,” Mayor Kip Holden says. “I encourage each of you to take ownership in this project and claim it as your own,” he says. The original Plan Baton Rouge is over a decade old; the city says 80% of its recommended projects, like the Shaw Center for the Arts, have been completed. The new version includes recommended incentives to promote housing construction, ideas to better connect downtown with the Mississippi River and surrounding areas, and an urban tree-planting program. A consultant team led by the prominent architecture, urban design and planning firm Chan Krieger Sieniewicz of Cambridge, Mass., created the plan.

These recommendations appear in Plan Baton Rouge Phase II:

— Establish a revolving, low-interest loan fund through local banks for developers, and provide tax abatements for new multifamily housing.

— Waive construction license and permit fees for developers.

— Promote housing that young singles and families can afford on the periphery of downtown.

— Create incentives to lure retail and grocery stores.

— Secure a site at the north end of Third Street for a mixed-use entertainment anchor.

— Initiate a phased tree-planting program, starting along River Road and Laurel, St. Ferdinand and St. Louis streets and eventually getting to every downtown street.

— Build a pedestrian bridge from the Shaw Center to LASM.

— Ensure a publicly accessible riverfront at the planned River Park mixed-use development near Hollywood Casino.

— Extend Capitol Lake Drive to DeSoto Park and River Road.

— Reconstruct Florida Blvd. and North Street intersections with River Road.

— Redesign St. Ferdinand, St. Louis, Laurel and Lafayette streets for two-way traffic; in the long term, make every street two-way except North, Main and Third.

— Establish façade-improvement programs.

— Manage and coordinate parking, and allow shared use of state-owned parking garages on Main Street.

— Expand the River Center.

— Establish special bus service between LSU and downtown on Nicholson Drive; look at long-term transit possibilities for that corridor, including light rail.

— Create bike trail connectors.

http://www.businessreport.com/news/2010/jan/25/plan-baton-rouge-phase-ii-recommendations/

[richyb83]

LASM plans return to drawing board

The Louisiana Art & Science Museum is reworking its plans to expand the downtown museum northward, thanks to the initial project’s estimated cost of more than $50 million, says Carol Gikas, museum director. The expansion LASM was considering, which was part of the Plan Baton Rouge Phase II report released earlier this week, included renovating the museum’s interior, moving the main entrance from River Road to the foot of North Boulevard, and extending the building to Convention Street to allow for additional lobby and restaurant space. A terrace over the existing parking areas would have been publicly accessible and provided a view of the Mississippi River. “We’re rethinking what’s feasible,” Gikas says, noting that any major expansion would likely require both public and private money

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/daily-report/2010/jan/28/1440/

[dan326]

I hope they can get it done, that sounds neat!

[richyb83]

Me too...

Interesting write-up in the Opinion section of this mornings Advocate...

Our Views: Old, isolated in suburbia

None of this is particularly news to urban planners, but it represents a new frontier for politicians. Just about half of America’s population lives in suburbia, and more than 30 million of those are over age 55. That’s a huge population that is living longer, past the date where driving a large personal SUV will be physically possible.

Given the long timelines for physical redevelopment anywhere other than an entirely new “greenfield” project, the clock of aging is ticking loudly for Fayetteville’s leaders.

The prescriptions for Fayetteville are at least in theory embraced in Baton Rouge, where a New Urbanist plan to revitalize downtown — including its Bohemian residential neighborhoods — is now entering a second phase. Planners from around America will visit the city in April to look at ways that the downtown’s Plan Baton Rouge effort has been a success.

Most of Baton Rouge, whether in the central city, East Baton Rouge Parish or suburbs in Livingston and Ascension parishes, remains unwelcome to pedestrians. We embraced the post-World War II vision of cars, strip malls and the biggest yards that a household could borrow to buy. Bus services are bare-bones and inadequate; there are no commuter trains. If you don’t have a car, or someone to drive you, this is not a very good place to live.

Unfortunately for the suburbs, the children born to returning GIs are the largest age cohort in history, and they’re getting too old to mow and very shortly won’t have the sight or other capacities needed for driving.

Entire article...

http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/83974752.html

[buckett5425]

Me too...

Interesting write-up in the Opinion section of this mornings Advocate...

Our Views: Old, isolated in suburbia

None of this is particularly news to urban planners, but it represents a new frontier for politicians. Just about half of America’s population lives in suburbia, and more than 30 million of those are over age 55. That’s a huge population that is living longer, past the date where driving a large personal SUV will be physically possible.

Given the long timelines for physical redevelopment anywhere other than an entirely new “greenfield” project, the clock of aging is ticking loudly for Fayetteville’s leaders.

The prescriptions for Fayetteville are at least in theory embraced in Baton Rouge, where a New Urbanist plan to revitalize downtown — including its Bohemian residential neighborhoods — is now entering a second phase. Planners from around America will visit the city in April to look at ways that the downtown’s Plan Baton Rouge effort has been a success.

Most of Baton Rouge, whether in the central city, East Baton Rouge Parish or suburbs in Livingston and Ascension parishes, remains unwelcome to pedestrians. We embraced the post-World War II vision of cars, strip malls and the biggest yards that a household could borrow to buy. Bus services are bare-bones and inadequate; there are no commuter trains. If you don’t have a car, or someone to drive you, this is not a very good place to live.

Unfortunately for the suburbs, the children born to returning GIs are the largest age cohort in history, and they’re getting too old to mow and very shortly won’t have the sight or other capacities needed for driving.

Entire article...

http://www.2theadvoc...n/83974752.html

I loved this editorial and emailed it to all my friends and colleagues. It was a perspective about suburbia that I had never heard previously, and it was extremely refreshing to read, and somewhat ominous.

[richyb83]

Can appreciate your enthusiasm

Plan BR has come a long way...but has along way to go...biggest challenge seems to be reaching a critical mass of residents downtown...when projects like Capitol Lofts falls-thru it makes it very frustrating...

This edition of BusinessReport...Nice break-down of Plan BR's Phase II...goals in the short, medium & long term... Idea's I like include: Secure a site at the north end of Third Street for a mixed-use entertainment anchor...Construct public parking as part of mixed-use high-density developments.....idea for new Victory Park with housing(best chance for critical mass in short term?)....Make all downtown streets two-way except North, Main and Third...Plan future transit mode for Nicholson corridor, possibly light rail....Construct bridge between Shaw Center and LASM...and a few others

Core values

The biggest disappointment of the first Plan Baton Rouge was that the successful projects didn’t spur much residential growth. Only about 2,000 people live within the DDD boundaries, and almost everyone who cares about downtown agrees residential development is the biggest need this time around.

The original plan envisioned “liner” buildings on the sites of some of downtown’s uglier parking lots. The parking would have been maintained on the first floor, with housing above, adding residents while filling in gaps in the streetscape. But no one could figure out how to make the numbers work financially.

It’s expensive to build downtown, which means it’s expensive to live there. “Some day, Baton Rouge’s downtown may have the cachet required to pass these higher development costs on to the homebuyers but, at present, it does not,”

* What a 2-way Laurel Street might look like

*proposed Central Green

*residential shown in orange on far right surrounding Victory Park; it would be nice to see those riverfront blocks get some high-rise towers

*entire article

http://www.businessreport.com/news/2010/feb/08/core-values-edvl1/

Edited February 13, 2010 by richyb83

[richyb83]

DDD: Downtown about to enter 'golden age

Downtown Baton Rouge is about to get its long-anticipated facelift, after securing the final dollars necessary for the next phase of construction at last night's Metro Council meeting. One-third of the $18.4 million approved for parish-wide projects will be funneled into downtown improvement in order to expand Galvez Plaza, improve Repentance Park with a more modern green space connecting it to City Hall, make St. Ferdinand and St. Louis streets two-way, and add visitor kiosks.

Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District, says the city has now entered the "golden age" of downtown. Construction on Galvez Plaza, which will get a new permanent stage, will begin in the next two-to-three months. But all projects, including several other beautification projects for downtown and the riverfront that already have money secured, will be finished by Dec. 31, 2011. As a result of construction in Galvez Plaza, the spring's Live after Five concert series may be moved temporarily to the other side of downtown at Fourth Street and Spanish Town Road

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/daily-report/latest/

[richyb83]

Downtown millage up for renewal

Downtown property owners will have a chance next month to decide whether to extend the millage that supports the Downtown Development District. Early voting on the tax begins today. The election will be held Oct. 2.

It will be the sixth time a vote will be held — the DDD puts the renewal on the ballot every five years, even though its enabling legislation allows it to cement the tax for increments up to 50 years.Executive Director Davis Rhorer wouldn’t have it any other way. “When we started the DDD many years ago there were many questions about this, and we said, ‘Let’s do a smaller increment of time and let’s assess this,’” he said Friday. “I have no problem at all with that. It’s a constant opportunity for voters and the property owners to weigh in on what we do.”

Rhorer said the last renewal, held in 2004, passed with better than 70 percent approval and that the pattern over the years has been to hold the elections about a year before the current tax expires. In this case, the tax, if approved, would fund the DDD from 2012 through 2016. The 10-mill property tax generates an estimated $436,000 a year for planning, development, management, operation and improvements in the district, which is bordered by the Mississippi River, the northern boundary of the Capitol Complex, Interstate 110 and the Interstate 10 bridge.

Rhorer said the DDD’s mission is to guide and promote development downtown but do so “in a way that benefits the entire community because that’s whom downtown belongs to.” That might be something as direct as working with companies who want to relocate or developers who want to build downtown, or it could mean drawing up master plans to guide development or working with other stakeholders to create an entertainment district, tax credit for historic restorations or downtown concert series.

A major area of emphasis going forward is more programmed park space downtown and the continued push to add more residents. According to figures from the East Baton Rouge Parish Planning and Zoning Commission, 4,000 people call downtown home, and Rhorer said another 140,000 come downtown on a daily basis.

Rhorer said downtown Baton Rouge is as strong as its ever been, with several hundred million dollars in projects in the works, with the second phase of Plan Baton Rouge, the blueprint for downtown’s renaissance over the last dozen years, guiding the way.

Notable projects now under way include the Town Square at Third Street and North Boulevard, the overhaul of Repentance Park and the new 19th Judicial District courthouse. “The climate, the feel of downtown is so different than it was 10-15 years ago,” Rhorer said. Downtown has even begun winning national and international development awards, has gotten the attention from national media outlets and been visited by other cities looking for strategies to improve their downtowns.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/103184774.html?index=14&c=y

[cajun]

Good Find, Richy! I think the Town Square/North Blvd/3rd street improvements are going to attract not only yuppies to downtown entertainment venues, but new commercial and residential growth as well. I think public investment into "quality of life" improvements like this plays an important role in attracting business and residents to the neighborhood.

That gives Baton Rouge another selling point to those considering a move to the suburbs. We are already getting a bond proposal this year without ALIVE. I think that my ideas are much cheaper, much lower maintenance, and much more likely to be supported by the taxpayers.

I have some ideas for similar improvements in other parts of the city:

Entertainment and Live/Work districts:

• Perkins Road Overpass - By far the largest need for investment of this kind outside downtown -I'd like to get rid of the gravel parking lots, replace them with parking made of pavers and landscaping as well as a "tailgate zone" complete with LED lighting, outdoor televisions, and fully handicap legal sidewalk system. Like Lobdell and George O'Neal road, I would also like to see stained concrete in the gutters and other public places (either purple and yellow/gold for LSU theme or the usual red color that also matches the LSU-style terracotta that people love to use on their businesses and homes around here.
• Main Street @ 110 (between 7th and 14th streets as well as the area underneath 110 between Spanish Town and Old South) - The showcase for the new green way bicycle/jogging trails underneath I-110. Free public parking.
• Pastime District (Nicholson/South Blvd/Highland Road area) Create a pedestrian promenade under I-10, include public parking (but not in the main promenade) lighting, a water fountain, local-style landscaping, and zoning that will encourage entertainment and commercial investment. Essentially, a hardscape and landscape "work of art".... Ideally, this area would be the best choice for any future public investment in minor or major league sports. It would also tie into the new Pier and levee top pathway improvements.
• Nicholson District (Nicholson near the north and south gates of LSU) - Improve the street, slow down traffic with narrower lanes, create wider medians where possible, clearly indicated bike paths, parallel parking, covered bus stops, landscaping, additional travel lanes south of campus complete with red-stained concrete curb/gutters, and wide sidewalks to encourage pedestrian activity

Neighborhood or office-centric Intersections
I basically want improve quality of neighborhoods that either already have a decent pedestrian environment, and create new "islands" of pedestrian friendly zones in areas where I see massive potential for these types of enhancements. Ideally, this would create a comfortable, small town feel. You'll notice the focus on the areas around the colleges....and since Baton Rouge is a college town, that seems prudent.
The improvements should include: new asphalt road surface, new landscaping, more strict overlay zoning, new parallel parking spaces, a water feature where possible, covered bus stops, overlay district with monument sign ordinances, and stained concrete crosswalks and intersections with new street lights replacing the old "cobra-head" amber-glow street lights.

• Acadian @ Government Street - center of Capital Heights, Mid City, and Ogden Park- hopefully one day this could be Baton Rouge's Magazine Street
• Rebel Drive @ Government Street - The gateway to BRCC and the eastern side of the mid city district
• Swan@Scenic - Southern University Jaguar theme. 3 roads intersect there with a railroad track. There's already zero setback structures...lots of potential here.
• North Lake Sherwood@South Sherwood Forrest - building a pedestrian friendly node where the business/residential mix already exists, including commercial offices
• State Street@ Highland - It's key to the improvements in Old South Baton Rouge. It's already a pedestrian hot spot
• Highland@Terrace; Nicholson@Terrace - the first intersection you see at the first interstate exit from the west- also the site of several proposed new developments in the private sector
• Kenilworth@Highland - This already has the small town feel, complete with the neighborhood grocer and hardware store....it's low hanging fruit
• Highland @ Starring; Sammys, Geroges, and one of the few economically and racially diverse neighborhoods in south BR
• Essen @ Summa - Part of what will become the center of the Baton Rouge medical corridor...lots of pedestrians here already.

Secondary Town Square Investments - Basically the same improvements outlined above, but with a more small town "feel" to change the course and style of growth in the two other rapidly growing "cities" within Baton Rouge: Central and Zachary. As you may know, Denham Springs is about to break ground on a massive public investment into it's downtown area, including new sidewalks and a town square. I think this could be a template for better, more extensive developments in Central (Greenwell/Central Thruway/Sullivan Road) and Zachary (Church Street).

Edited September 21, 2010 by cajun

[richyb83]

Thanks cajun! You have some fantastic/really well thought-out idea's there! If 1/2 of those were to ever happen that would be nice! The live/work options could really take off! Perkins Overpass area can really transform itself if done right! All those areas you mentioned are prime candidates; great pedestrain hot spots!!....The Pastime District would be cool! Like you said tie it into a minor league baseball venue connecting the old Municipal dock; some mid-rise condo's might work really well! Government Street corridor is the perfect potential Magazine Street for BR!

South Sherwood Forest Blvd could use some serious pedestrian improvements!

Maybe you could right the Advocate's "Opinion" section with this...city leaders need to hear it!

Edited September 21, 2010 by richyb83

[dan326]

I really like the idea of stained concrete.

[richyb83]

^Me too!

Maybe Lafayette Street can get something going once the Hampton Inn gets started?? Many prime spaces left unfilled...and the entertainment venue I spoke of on north-end of Third Street..

DDD looks to expand its focus

The Downtown Development District board is crafting a new strategic plan to fulfill the more robust role envisioned in Plan Baton Rouge Phase II, the city-parish's strategic plan for downtown. The board is preparing a presentation of the new downtown plan for its next meeting, in early November. Some of the goals being discussed are:

—Look into expanding the boundaries of the DDD

—Strengthen the partnership with LSU, including an expanded university presence downtown

—Strengthen design guidelines for the arts and entertainment district

—Host one retreat per year for board members

—Create a coordinated marketing program for downtown

—Seek new revenue opportunities

—Establish a nonprofit corporation that could accept donations and help create the downtown "greenway" walking and biking path

—Promote residential growth, retail uses on Lafayette Street and an entertainment anchor of the north end of Third Street

Also at today's DDD meeting, developers said they hope in January to close the purchase on a building at 438 Main Street, which will be demolished to make room for a 22-unit mixed-income housing development. Construction could begin in January and finish in about a year. The majority of the units will be for tenants at 80% of the area's median income or below; rents could be as low as $300 or as high as $1,100, depending on income. Architect Norman Chenevert, who is also a partner in the project, will design the building.

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/daily-report/latest/

[nquint1]

Video shows a rendering of the 438 Main St development. Wonder if the brownstones will ever be built behind this place?

http://www.wbrz.com/player/?video_id=4314&categories=58

[dan326]

Wow, I guess Baton Rouge is really starting to get serious about downtown development.

[richyb83]

Thanks for the video nquint1

Here is the proposed 438 Main

Yeah what's up with the brownstones on Laurel & Fifth?? Hopefully they scrapped that idea with a more contemporary sleek condo's...that's no location for brownstones...

The mid-rises around the proposed Victory Park near the post offices would be nice!