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Tonight, the East Baton Rouge Metro Council will consider the Belle of Baton Rouge’s appeal of a move by the Historic Preservation Commission to block its demolition of a century-old building on France Street.
Belle of Baton Rouge officials say the Maritime II building at 103 France Street is in poor condition and should be demolished to make way for the parking it requires for its $141 million expansion.
According to documents submitted to the Metro Council, W.E. O’Neil Construction says the cost to remediate the building to its intended use would exceed $10 million. Some of the issues noted by the contractor:
- The HVAC system is in a state of disrepair and insufficient to support a fully occupied load.
- Electrical and plumbing systems likely fail to meet codes and would have to be replaced, as would windows, the elevator and the roof.
- Exterior wall construction fails to meet thermal and vapor transmission standards for the current energy code, requiring additional wall construction.
Whitney Hoffman Sayal, executive director of the Downtown Development District, says the demolition is not recommended in Plan Baton Rouge II, which guides the organization’s strategy for development.
“That’s not a recommendation of Plan Baton Rouge I or II that that big of a site close to the riverfront would be demolished,” Hoffman Sayal explains. “Normally, if we support something, it’s usually because our master plan recommends it to do something different.”
In its letter to casino officials, the Historic Preservation Commission cited the building’s significant historic value as its reason for denying the request.
Applications for demolitions are first reviewed by the commission based on guidelines and codes. If an applicant disagrees with a ruling, they can appeal to the Metro Council.
Two items related to the redevelopment of Raising Cane’s River Center also will be heard at a public hearing this evening.
The first will finalize a $150,000 contract with Fishman Haygood for professional services related to the River Center strategic plan. The council will also consider an ordinance accepting Mayor Sharon Weston Broome’s proposal to redevelop the River Center complex and develop a headquarters hotel. In March, the Metro Council gave the OK to LSU’s plans for a new arena and directed the mayor to identify strategies for developing additional convention capacity and soliciting a developer to create a convention hotel at the River Center.
The measure will create an oversight committee comprising key stakeholders from downtown Baton Rouge and the parish. District 10 Council member Carolyn Coleman would serve as committee chair and a Visit Baton Rouge representative would serve as the vice chair.
The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. at City Hall. View the full agenda.
