Part of the downtown area is already recognized as a cultural product district, and the entire region will be designated as such by summertime if Downtown Development District employees get their way.
Jake Holinga, DDD assistant executive director, said the Arts and Entertainment District downtown was designated as a cultural district in 2009 by the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
The Arts and Entertainment District was formed in 2008 and is a square of land bound by North Boulevard, Main Street, River Road and Fourth Street.
Holinga said the DDD applied for the rest of the downtown area to become a cultural district earlier this month.
Holinga said the designation exempts original, one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork from state sales tax.
Areas considered cultural districts also offer residents a tax credit of up to $25,000 if they rehabilitate a structure in the area, according to the DDD website.
Holinga said the process to apply for cultural status is difficult. City employees were required to fill out a 16-page application that specifically details the cultural significance of the area, he said.
Once an application is filed, it’s reviewed by the state. Holinga said he is not sure if the area will receive the designation.
“It’s hard to say right now,” he said. “It’s in the state’s hands.”
Holinga said he and the rest of the DDD hope a decision will be made by June.
He said he’s excited about what the designation would mean for downtown Baton Rouge.
“It would become a more marketable area,” Holinga said.
Katherine Golemi, elementary education junior, said the sales tax exemption would encourage her to purchase artwork downtown.
“If I saw it was tax exempt, I’d definitely be more inclined to look around,” she said.
Golemi said she thinks downtown should be designated as a cultural district because of its historical significance.
“That would definitely be a good thing,” she said.
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]