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River Center Expansion

dan326

By dan326
in Baton Rouge

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dan326 City

dan326

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RiverCenter expansion part of $989 million bond proposition

City-parish officials this afternoon unveiled their plans to spend $143 million of a proposed $989 million bond proposition to renovate and expand the RiverCenter. The project will boost Baton Rouge to a Tier II convention city, putting it on par with Shreveport; Huntsville, Ala.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Raleigh, N.C. and Biloxi, Miss. The centerpiece of the project is a 1,300-space garage at Government and St. Louis streets, with a sky bridge to the RiverCenter. That will trigger construction of two new hotels by Virginia-based developer Armada Hoffler: a $68 million 300-room, major-flag hotel between the RiverCenter and the theater, and a $31 million 140-room, select-service hotel atop the East Garage, which also will be expanded by 750 spaces. Meanwhile, the cash also pays for the wrecking ball to take down the West Garage and the Attorney

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richyb83 Megalopolis

richyb83

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Hate to repeat what I said before about this; but here it is.

I found it hard to believe BR lagged behind so much with other cities when it came to convention centers. Even after the Centroplex expanded to become the RiverCenter. Was it bec. the 5th Largest Convention Center in the U.S. is only 80 miles down river?? I do then find this project nesessary!

My question...Why do they need 2 seperate hotels?? A larger one(300-rooms) and smaller one(140). I like the original idea with "one" 350-room hotel; or just make combine it to 440-rooms. Build it on top of the parking garage. Someone mentioned from the rendering the hotel looks 20-stories; I don't see it. It looks 12-stories with maybe a 2-story ball-room on top; and it' not even on top of the parking garage. For some reason the smaller 140-room hotel gets added on top of the parking garage?? Why? They got it backwards.... From the rendering it's hard to tell the difference in the two hotels; that should not be. We need a hotel with a "Wow" factor!!! :shades: I'm not sure if this will do it.

The Sheraton and Hilton Capitol Center already provide approx. 600-rooms.

The rendering forgot the best new state bldg. IMO. The Galvez bldg; I'd like to sketch it up for them.

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byrde Burg

byrde

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I'm not sure we need two hotels at this time. I'd like to see us get one 350+ Room hotel and have the second one built if demand warrants it. The renderings appear to be something that was thrown together at the last minute.

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nquint1 Whistle-Stop

nquint1

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Take a look at this pdf from the DDD's website. The area they plan to develop to the left of the River Center is a lot larger than I thought it would be. It's two blocks! I guess that means they'll knock out France St. between St. Phillip and St. Louis.

That building at the corner of Government and St. Phillip has suddenly shot up in value. It's funny because it seems like they've been trying to get someone to lease the first floor of it for forever.

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richyb83 Megalopolis

richyb83

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^It would be ashame to tear France Street up; it's one of the few brick-paved streets left in BR.

Never realized just how obsolete the River Center was(even with the last expansion; the days of the Centroplex would have been pathetic! To be on the same level with Beaumont TX as a Convention Tier city is not acceptable! A legit convention-style hotel is a MUST!

River Center expansion needed

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richyb83 Megalopolis

richyb83

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Looking east at our little bluff on Government Street :shades: I always thought the vacant land (on the far right) had potential. Is a parking garage for the RiverCenter expansion the best use of the plot of land?? Talks of a new skybridge over Government Street too.

110608019hl5.jpg

City-parish plans to buy Government Street land for parking garage

A measure that would authorize the city-parish to spend $1.05 million for a .6-acre piece of land at Government and St. Louis streets is scheduled to go before the Metro Council next month. Walter Monsour, chief administrative officer, says the land would be used for a parking garage that would be needed for a proposed River Center expansion. "It would be a good piece of property to have," Monsour says. If the council approves the deal, Monsour says that would give the city more than half the land needed for the parking garage. Voters rejected a $989 million bond issue that would have paid for the River Center work and a downtown tourist attraction last month. The plan is to put the measure back on the ballot in fall 2009, the earliest a new election can be held, Monsour says.

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richyb83 Megalopolis

richyb83

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This sounds cool...wonder what it will look like? Guess the hotel(s) are off the drawing board..rumor has it the hotel market in BR is now staturated...due to all the new hotels that got GOZone credits....

New riverfront project tied to River Center expansion

A public space that could host crawfish boils and other outdoor events is part of the River Center expansion project on which the Downtown Development District Commission will get an update Tuesday morning. The “new riverfront project” listed on the commission’s agenda is a “shade structure” that would provide a social aspect to the outside of the River Center, according to Davis Rohrer, head of the DDD. “If you wanted to have a crawfish boil, you’d have a place on the riverfront that you can actually see the river and experience the river,” he says of the amenity, which would supply water and lighting hookups. The Metro Council is set to vote Wednesday on appropriating $12.4 million for the River Center expansion, which is planned ahead of 2012 conventions for the U.S. Bowling Congress and the International Planetarium Society. Rohrer will discuss the project at the 8 a.m. meeting Tuesday at the Kean Miller Conference Center in One American Place.

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

Other Development Intiatives at the DDD Commission meeting tommorrow....besides the New Riverfront Project & River Center Expansion

*North Boulevard Town Square

*Downtown Wayfinding Signage

*River Center Library Committee

*Passenger Rail

*Future EBR

*Plan Baton Rouge II

*Capital City South Apartments Community Input Meeting

>New Downtown Businesses

*New mixed-use components in the Kress

*Roly Poly

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richyb83 Megalopolis

richyb83

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Really nice additions..pics in article look nice!

River Center nearly ready to greet bowlers

The $19 million Baton Rouge River Center face-lift is wrapping up just in time for preparations to begin for the 2012 U.S. Bowling Congress. Construction, which began about a year and a half ago, is expected to be complete by the first week of December, said Todd Mitchell, general manager of the River Center.The construction created about 20,000 square feet of space by enclosing and renovating an uncovered area between the River Center’s arena and exhibition hall.

The enclosed area is now a galleria where the public can gather before and after events, Mitchell said. It also connects the arena and the exhibition hall, which used to be separate facilities, under one roof.Construction also added seven new meeting rooms and renovated two existing meeting rooms, bringing the total number of rooms up to 17. “The fact that we’ll have these additional meeting rooms will help us attract and be able to maintain a certain amount of business on a regular basis,” said Paul Arrigo, president of the Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “Having space that is flexible for exhibits and functions will give us more ability to sell.”

The renovation also provided aesthetic improvements to the River Center’s entrance on St. Louis Street, a new box office and a full bar and lounge area connected to the galleria.

rest of article

http://theadvocate.com/home/1401655-125/river-center-nearly-ready-to.html

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