In his annual State of the City speech, Mayor-President Kip Holden detailed the progress his administration has made in terms of economic development and crime-stopping.
In his speech at the Renaissance Hotel Wednesday, Holden addressed the 2013 Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination Project, the Green Light Project, development with Women’s Hospital, road construction projects and new jobs and economic opportunities in the city.
“This is the first city parish building to generate power from solar panels,” he said.
Additionally, his administration plans to eliminate ”blight” by revitalizing housing in the Baton Rouge area. Not only does this stimulate the area economically, he said, but the renewal efforts have a strong correlation with stopping crime.
The city has been given a $1.5 million grant to fight crime. However, he said the program currently in place, BRAVE, is already proving itself effective. Before BRAVE, Baton Rouge averaged seven homicides a month.
“The BRAVE project has made over 300 arrests.”
The Mayor-President concentrated on several local, national and international economic development achievements. He cited chemical facilities, rising technology projects and new economic developments downtown as recent job providers and emphasized the importance of job creation in every aspect of the city, praising the efforts of local architects for the new town square.
“The new town square has won six national awards since it opened in April,” Holden said.
This year, Baton Rouge will once again be a hub for national attractions such as the 2012 Antique Road Show tour and the Bayou Country Superfest.
Specific economic opportunites Holden mentioned include contracts with Taiwanes companies and the presence of Electronic Arts at the University, which he projects will provide as many as 600 jobs.
Holden also commented on the obstacles from the state that the city must work around, like budget cuts to women and children’s shelters.
He said, “The state budget cuts will reduce the number of beds in battered women shelter by one-third.”
Similarly, he said the state still has advances to make in education and must identify educational priorities.
Holden connected the challenges and progresses of the past year to the specific plans in his administration to continue moving forward this year.
