Next year, the phrase “a walk in the park” will take on a whole new meaning for Baton Rouge residents.
Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District, said Repentance Park on River Road downtown is being redesigned to address major issues.
“The redesign will just make it more user friendly,” he said.
Rhorer said the project will cost about $3.4 million. Part of the funding will come from a state sales tax rebate, and another portion will come from the Department of Transportation and Development funds.
Rhorer said official designs will be drawn up this month, construction will begin this fall and the renovation will be complete by spring 2012.
Rhorer explained the redesign is part of an as of yet unnamed master plan for downtown Baton Rouge to tie civic and cultural attractions together.
Rhorer said the park design includes several fences and barriers. He said the renovated park will be easier to access from several areas of downtown, making it more popular with Baton Rouge residents.
Paul Arrigo, president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the redesign should make it easier for visitors to access all that downtown has to offer.
“It would be great to connect the River Center to the rest of downtown through Repentance Park,” Arrigo said.
The park, Rhorer said, is named after a street that existed in the area.
Samantha Wood, photography senior, said she visits the downtown area for its farmer’s market and nightlife. Wood said she’d enjoy the redesigned park because she constantly has to shoot photographs outside.
Wood also said the water feature developers plan to build — which will be available for cooling off — will make for interesting shots.
“That’d be a good photo op for sure,” she said.
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]