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The Baton Rouge Area Chamber, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the Downtown Development District, Visit Baton Rouge and the city-parish on Monday announced that they are partnering to launch Plan Baton Rouge III, an update to downtown’s master planning efforts.
According to a statement from BRAF, Plan Baton Rouge III will focus on “placemaking, developing new residential opportunities, enhancing the riverfront, improving infrastructure and connectivity, attracting new restaurants and businesses and highlighting downtown Baton Rouge’s unique arts and cultural potential.”
A request for proposals has been released to identify a consultant team that will be tasked with putting the plan together. The goal is to select a consultant team in late 2024 and to begin work in early 2025.
A core steering committee has been assembled and a set of community advisers has been convened. The steering committee is co-chaired by Helena Cunningham of National Housing Consultant Services, Eric Dexter of BRAF, Marty Engquist, Todd Graves of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers and Mike Wampold of Wampold Companies.
Plan Baton Rouge III will build upon Plan Baton Rouge I, which was launched in 1998, and Plan Baton Rouge II, which was launched in 2009.
“The new plan will present visionary ideas and a framework to guide comprehensive growth and investment over the next decade, with an implementation plan and accountability structures to ensure the plan is fully implemented,” BRAF’s statement reads.
News of the plan comes at a time when much change is on the horizon for downtown Baton Rouge, as the Raising Cane’s River Center is poised to be repositioned as a convention center with a new complementary headquarters hotel.
