The downtown streets of Louisiana’s capital city should be bustling with business. Instead, the streets look like a ghost town long ago abandoned.
The Downtown Development District, a legislative designated agency focused on revitalizing downtown Baton Rouge, has been working to improve businesses and clientele downtown, said Executive Director Davis Rhorer.
“Downtowns are the face of the community,” he said. “They reflect who we are as a people and what sets you apart from other cities.
“It should be a 24-hour place for people to work and play.”
Out of the $770 million spent by the DDD in public and private investments since 1987, the DDD is spending $403 million out of that on various projects, such as developing Third Street as a retail center, he said.
Specific efforts to draw college-aged students downtown have been made through the renovations of restaurants, lounges and entertainment venues, he said.
In conjunction with the DDD, the Downtown Merchants Association is sponsoring a free block party called Live After Five every Friday until May 2 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to bring more people downtown, Rhorer said.
      A combination of funk, blues, zydeco and swamp pop and blue-eyed soul will be featured to draw people, especially college-aged students, interested in live music, he said.
There have been other attempts to draw students downtown through private renovations of the buildings of clubs, Rhorer said.
Frank McMains independently renovated the building that Red Star Bar is located in two years ago. Known for its martinis, the Red Star is frequented by many students attempting to get away from the typical Tigerland crowd.
Four college-age clubs exist within walking distance from each other — Tabby’s Blues Box, Red Star, Thirsty Tiger and Swamp Mama’s.
Most students say they go to places in Tigerland because of the convenience and transportation by the late-night buses.
Many long for other alternatives.
A group of four freshmen girls, sitting in the Quad between classes, all said they are frequent visitors to bars in the Tigerland area, but said they are open to other alternatives like places downtown.
“I don’t want to go to Tigerland, but they have a shuttle bus that brings us there,” said Monique Hill, a nursing freshman.
Student Government Director of Parking and Transportation Jay Ducote said getting buses to shuttle students downtown was an idea when the late night bus system was revamped.
The idea met much opposition because not many students live downtown, he said. There are 2,000 total residents in the downtown area, according to the DDD Web site.
The idea was seen as a way just to get students to bars and not home from places like the library, Ducote said.
He said there are no initiatives now to get buses downtown separate of the late night bus system, but it is something he wants to bring up with the new SG administration.
“I want to see more students downtown,” Ducote said.
Lauren Sanborn, a mass communication senior, said she likes Thirsty Tiger because it is not “cheesy” and is laid back.
She also likes Red Star because there is an older crowd.
“There’s not too much diversity and night life in Baton Rouge,” said Sanborn, a New Orleans native.
Each bar makes separate efforts to attract college students.
Tabby’s employee Chad Thomas said students support the business and stressed how important it is to keep students coming.
McMains said 50 percent of the crowd at Red Star is undergraduate college-aged students, graduate students and recent graduates.
“In general, the case is they’ll go where they think other people will go,” McMains said. “We appeal to people who don’t want to go to Tigerland, hear the same booty music, have drinks spilled on them, watch fights break out and we have a wider selection of beer and liquor.”
Thirsty Tiger attracts students with younger bands, bar manager Rick DeRouen said. It is located in a basement — a little hole in the wall, out of the way, he said.
Swamp Mama’s is a restaurant downstairs with a lounge upstairs, owner Chris Alexander said.
It is open six days a week and sees a varied crowd, he said.
Swamp Mama’s is located on a well-lighted street, with city, state and capital police nearby, he said.