To: DDD Commission
Downtown Stakeholders

Re: Update - Spring 2013 Downtown projects

2013 begins with many anticipated openings and new initiatives this spring.

Check out the list below of Spring 2013 projects and anticipated dates for openings:

1. Opening of Repentance Park
Designed by Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architects with sub-consultants Reich Associates and Suzanne Turner Associates, this park features a dramatic arc, undulating landforms, and over 750 fountain jets. At the heart of the River Center Campus and part of the overall 'Central Green' concept of Plan Baton Rouge II, Repentance Park will seamlessly connect the surrounding cultural and civic attractions. Group Industries, the primary contractor of the project, expects to finish construction (weather permitting) this February.

2. Opening of "The Crest" sculpture/canopy piece in Galvez Plaza
Designed by Trahan Architects and constructed/assembled by Arrighi Contractors, this sculptural showpiece will anchor Galvez Stage and offer the technical framework necessary for the electrical systems required by large, programmed events. The suspended truss system will be able to be disassembled in between concert seasons. Completion is expected this March.

3. Opening of Prescriptions to Geaux pharmacy - 313 Third Street
As an implementation item of Plan Baton Rouge II, it was recommended that the downtown attract more residents to the downtown area. A pharmacy, identified as an amenity needed to attract additional residents, has been unavailable until now. On site 'over the counter' and prescription items will be available as well as downtown delivery to residents, offices, and hotels. Prescriptions to Geaux is set to open downtown in February/March.

4. Opening of Downtown Grocery- 263 Third Street, Suite 100
Another element necessary to attract more residents is a convenient place to acquire daily needed amenities. Downtown Grocery plans to open in March/April and will join Capital Corner Market, Capitol Grocery, Catfish Town Convenience Store, and Our Daily Bread; providing for the daily needs of area residents, tourists, and workers.

5. Opening of Hampton Hotel Inn & Suites - 462 Lafayette Street
The $17 million Hampton Inn & Suites located on the corner of Lafayette St. and Main St. is expecting completion this April. The 137 room 7 story hotel is an example of several financial and creative partnerships converging to create this star development in downtown. Forty-two of the guest rooms will have balconies and 36 will be suites. The hotel will have 1,000 square feet of meeting space, an executive boardroom, a business center and an exercise room. This will be the third hotel on the Lafayette street corridor in the Arts and Entertainment District.

6. Opening of The Blues Room live music venue - 244 Lafayette Street
The Blues Room, located on the Corner of Florida and Lafayette Streets, officially opened last week. It will offer downtown another live music venue and is hoping to host some of the area's internationally known veteran blues artists.

7. Opening of two-way bid of St. Louis & St. Ferdinand St.
The two-waying of St. Louis and St. Ferdinand Streets, recommended by several downtown master plans and transportation plans including; the Comprehensive Transportation Plan, Plan Baton Rouge, and Plan Baton Rouge II, will review submitted bids this February. These streets currently operate as a one-way pair in the north-south direction and have direct connections to I-10. The reconfiguration also accommodates the parking garages at the River Center as well as new signals along North Boulevard at St. Louis and St. Ferdinand Streets. New pedestrian signals will be installed as well.

8. Bidding of the Florida St. @ River Road pedestrian/bicycle levee access/trail head and River Road pedestrian pathway to North Boulevard Town Square
A Levee Access point providing ADA compliant accessibility and bicycle access to the riverfront at Florida Street and River Road in conjunction with a multi-use path along River Road will better link the downtown 'Central Green' and surrounding attractions to the Mississippi River and LSU via the levee bike path. Crosswalk improvements along River Road are also planned for the intersections of North Boulevard, Convention Street, and Florida Street. The $1.1 million project designed in house by DPW with input from Susan Turner Associates, WHLC Architects, Reich Associates, Reed Hilderbrand and the DDD, is expected to be bid March 13th.

9. Submitting North Boulevard Town Square Phase II construction documents to DOTD for bidding
Construction drawings for North Boulevard Town Square Phase II, will be submitted for review to DOTD by the City Parish Department of Public Works this spring. The Joint Venture (Dana Brown Associates/JFDS) are the designers for this project along with DPW (St Phillip St. promenade). Phase II, expected to begin construction in 2013, will include a tree-lined promenade along St. Phillip Street in front of the Old State Capitol, improved streetscape connecting the Town Square to River Road, and a pedestrian corridor under the mature live oak trees leading to Fifth Street.

10. CATS GPS installation on all trolleys and busses in downtown as well as the transit screen at Town Square
The Capital Area Transit System (CATS) announced on January 29, 2013 the release of real time bus tracking on its web portal and mobile phones. DDD is working with CATS to upload the real time bus tracking systems this February to the information screen previously installed at the North Boulevard Town Square transit shelter.

11. Creative Bloc video production property acquisition
Creative Bloc, a collaborative visual media workspace, is planned to open this summer at the corner of Main and Eighth Streets downtown. Jackson Group Investments, an affiliate of Launch Media recently acquired the property and plans for extensive renovations that will accommodate available lease spaces to businesses and beginning entrepreneurs focused on video, film, photography, and other visual arts.

12. LASM Riverfront Plaza design and implementation
The design of LASM Plaza, by Suzanne Turner & Associates, is expected to begin this February. The overall objective is to develop a program that will create a vital new urban open space and activate the area around the Louisiana Art and Science Museum (LASM). It will also seamlessly connect with Town Square Phase II improvements along North Blvd, as well as the multi-use path along River Road.

13. Downtown Greenway Public Meetings
Spackman, Mossop, & Michaels has teamed with Ken Tipton & Associates as the design consultants for the EPA Greening America's Capitols technical assistance awarded to the Downtown Greenway. The consultants, along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the DDD, will be conducting a series of public meetings on this first phase of the Downtown Greenway in March with community stakeholders in order to create design schemes that most effectively meet the transportation needs specific to Baton Rouge.

14. Downtown Library Design Underway
The Downtown Library staff plans to host at least one public meeting in the late spring to solicit input and present ideas on the design plans for the new $19 million facility. A joint venture of Washer Hill Lipscomb Cabaniss Architecture of Baton Rouge and Schwartz/Silver Architects of Boston was established to carry out the design of this state of the art facility. The new library will contain more technology and conveniences to cater to the surrounding community as an integral part of the development of the North Boulevard Town Square.

Quite an exciting time in Downtown Baton Rouge this spring! Click here to enjoy a 'preview' video of the Repentance Park fountain at night.

Due to the Mardi Gras holiday, our February DDD Commission Meeting will be held in the Kean Miller conference room on the seventh floor of 400 Convention Street (II City Plaza) on Thursday, February 14th, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Add DDD Meeting to calendar

Thanks,
Davis
drhorer@brgov.com

c. Mayor President Kip Holden