The giant construction zone opposite the State Capitol downtownhopes to soon be the connecting link between LSU art students anddowntown.
And if city leaders have their way, it also will connect allBaton Rouge students, community members and businesses todowntown.
The Shaw Center for Arts is a new 125,000 square foot centerthat will house museum exhibitions, collection storage,administrative offices, a sculpture garden, a performance theatreand a rooftop sushi restaurant.
In fact, the LSU Museum of Art already is packing collections tomove to their new downtown home — a location with more than doublethe exhibition space of their current home in the MemorialTower.
Art students say some of their work showcased at the School ofArt Gallery will move downtown as well and are excited about themove.
Many say it is about time something is done to reinventdowntown.
Alice Case, drawing and painting and sculpture senior, said shethinks the center will be a nice use of “a lot of unusedspace.”
Case said downtown Baton Rouge is a beautiful area, but haslittle connection with the University.
She said with more young people going downtown to the ArtCenter, new and existing businesses may cater more toward youngpeople.
“What is done there now isn’t geared toward young people,” Casesaid. “The restaurants and bars are geared toward the people thatwork down there, and that isn’t students.”
But Case said for students to get downtown, the city should tryto set up better public transportation that can take studentswithout cars downtown.
She said the lack of transportation may present a problem forstudents who want to see the art exhibits but are unable to.
Case said she thinks the center will bring students and furtherdevelopment to the area, but may have more success if they create abetter mode of transportation.
Ryan O’Malley, printmaking graduate student, agreed, saying theidea of getting people downtown through the Shaw Center is a goodstart.
O’Malley said the downtown gallery will not only help spurfurther development, but it also will help bring together twodivided art groups in the city.
O’Malley said there is a huge division between LSU art studentsand city artists. He said one city art gallery would not considershowing his work after they learned he is a graduate student.
If the LSU gallery is downtown, he said the two communities willbe forced to unite.
But it is not only art students who the University and citycommunities need to unite.
Drew Tessier, a spokesman for the mayor’s office, said LSU is adriving force behind the community.
“We would really like to see more of a connection, morecollaboration between local government, state government and LSU,”Tessier said.
Tessier also mentioned the bike path plan that broke ground inAugust. The path will link the University by Skip Bertman Drive todowntown via the levee overlooking the Mississippi River.
But the idea of developing an entertainment district with barsand restaurants is not a new idea.
Frank McMains, owner of Red Star Bar on Third Street, said hedoes not think the city leaders are very pro-active when it comesto reinvigorating downtown.
“Generally, this is the type of development that is borne on thebacks of private developments,” he said.
East Baton Rouge Mayor-President candidate Kip Holden said theShaw Center will help bring developments to the area, but he saidbefore more businesses will move in, the city needs to meet basicneeds such as better lighting, more sidewalks and increased policeofficers.