An area downtown has officially been designated as a National Historic District by the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation.
Jake Holinga, Downtown Development District assistant executive director, said the section of Third Street from Main Street to North Street qualifies for recognition because 43 buildings on the street are 50 years old or older.
“It was an involved process,” he said. “It took about nine months to a year to complete.”
Holinga said the recognition qualifies the owners of certain properties on the street to receive a State Residential Tax Credit of 25 percent.
Donna Fricker, a retired state preservation worker who now works as a private consultant, said the properties are also eligible to receive a Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit for 20 percent of the cost of renovation.
Fricker said the main reason the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation pursued this project is because it makes the area available for the two tax credits.
Fricker worked with a group of consultants to have the portion of downtown Baton Rouge listed on the National Register of Historic Places after the project was advertised by the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation.
She explained the process of having the area deemed historic as time consuming.
“You can’t just say something’s historic,” Fricker said. “You have to demonstrate it.”
Fricker said she and the other consultants conducted intricate surveys of the area and photographed the properties.
They also researched each property and other parts of downtown Baton Rouge.
Fricker said once an application is filed, it is reviewed at state and national levels.
Fricker said she and the other consultants want to return the area to its former glory.
In recent months, the DDD has been working to improve the downtown area, from building a town square to restoring parks to renovating landmarks. Fricker said she thinks the recognition Third Street is receiving is another step in the right direction.
Holinga said he thinks the tax credit will encourage area developers and property owners to beautify the space.
“That’s exactly what it’s for,” he said. “It works to their advantage.”
Davis Rhorer, DDD executive director, said he’s positive about Third Street’s future because of what he has seen happen downtown recently.
Rhorer said buildings like the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center and the Hotel Indigo were renovated using tax credits.
Rhorer said he thinks it’s important to preserve downtown’s rich history, but he’s an advocate for constructing new buildings in the area as well.
“It gives it a little contrast,” he said. “It just makes it a more unique place to be.”
Allison Gianelloni, library and information science graduate student, said she enjoys going downtown because of the unique bars it offers.
Gianelloni said she thinks it’s good for Third Street to receive recognition because it might encourage others to visit the area.
She said she has noticed improvements made downtown in the past few years and the historic district recognition is beneficial.
Gianelloni said she’d like to see developers take advantage of the tax credits provided and beautify the area so it can be more popular with students.
“It has a good nightlife now,” she said. “But that would give people something to look at during the day.”
But not everyone is excited about the work being done.
Scot Blackwell, psychology junior, said he doesn’t enjoy going downtown anymore because he has the same experiences every time.
“It just stopped being fun,” he said.
Blackwell said he has found that most bars in the area play rap music — a genre he doesn’t enjoy.
“There are no good rock bars around here,” Blackwell said.
Blackwell said he doesn’t think any improvement efforts would encourage him to visit the area.
Fricker said she hopes the recognition and renovation of Third Street will give residents a glimpse of what downtown used to be.
“What it reminds people is that downtown was historically the heart of Baton Rouge,” she said. “It still is.”
 
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]