Downtown Baton Rouge is set to undergo more changes as early as April, as a result of the Riverfront development plan overseen by the Downtown Development District.
The projects include a bike path, more Riverfront access via Florida boulevard and changes to the Louisiana Art and Science Museum. The Riverfront master plan, part of the Plan Baton Rouge phase two master plan, has been in progress on projects to revitalize the areas surrounding the section of River Road near the River Center, leading north to Florida Boulevard.
Starting in early 2013, the area will become more fully developed.
“[There’s] a whole new improvement on River Road, linking the town square with access to the top of the levee. There will be a passageway with lighting and seating, then an entry way for those that walk, jog or bike,” said Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District.
The entire Riverfront master plan is projected to cost $20 million and is expected to be completed around 2016 or 2017, according to Rhorer.
Rhorer said a bike path on the top of the levee will be more than six miles long, stretching from downtown past the University and allowing students an access point to downtown.
“It’s a great experience, and it removes bikes from the road,” Rhorer said.
Rhorer hopes the levee bike path will be a safe alternative for bicyclists wishing to travel from the University to downtown.
The Louisiana Art and Science Museum, located on River Road, will undergo external improvements as well.
“In front of the museum itself, we are going to put a walkway and remove some of the on-street parking. There will also be a series of trees that will continue to Repentance Park,” Rhorer said.
At the southern end of the LASM, a plaza will act as a staging area for children using the museum.
Repentance Park, located near the River Center, redevelopment has been in progress since last year. The park will contain various landscaping and include a walking path to connect the town square with the River Road and LASM.
“We want a lot more to happen down here,” Rhorer said.
Business administration senior Katie Deshautreaux said the bike path is a good idea.
“I think a lot of people would use it. It sounds like it will be a lot safer than riding on the street,” Deshautreaux said.
Lizette Landry, marketing senior, agreed with Deshautreaux that the path would enable students to easily visit downtown via bicycles safely.
“It’s always a good thing to have safer bike routes like this,” Landry said.
The levee access point project will go out to bid March 15 and is set to begin around April or May. The project will cost around $1 million, funded by competitive federal grants.
The levee bike path is also a part of a larger greenway plan to add multiple biking paths throughout Baton Rouge. The Downtown Greenway project, once completed, will connect the downtown area with different outlets, including parks, communities and different recreational facilities.
Rhorer said he hopes the new projects will attract more people to the area, to visit as well as live.
“I’m committed to creating cool green spaces for [people] to live downtown, as well as if you’re here to just enjoy the area,” Rhorer said.
“[There’s] a whole new improvement on River Road, linking the town square with access to the top of the levee. There will be a passageway with lighting and seating, then an entry way for those that walk, jog or bike,”
