Get on with it
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
It’s time for Baton Rouge’s elected leaders to get out of the way of the investors and entrepreneurs who are trying to make this a better city to live in—specifically, Baton Rouge needs to finish what it has started and create a downtown entertainment district.
For more than a decade, a renaissance has blossomed, the extent of which landlords only dreamed of for a generation. Things really took off when Mark Drennen of Gov. Mike Foster’s administration got the ball rolling on an existing plan to consolidate the state’s far-flung offices into the Capitol Park we see today.
More than $1 billion has been invested in stylish new buildings. Small businesses have followed close behind, opening restaurants, bars and shops. Real estate investors have bought and renovated old buildings to create great new lofts and that bring new residents downtown for the first time in many years.
Another wave of risk-takers is poised to rehab problem buildings, to open even more new restaurants and bars in the remaining dead spots and vacant buildings. These entrepreneurs can imagine a time when people from all over the parish descend downtown, walk to dinner, stroll from shop to shop, pop into a bar for a cold beer, and then stroll (drink in hand) around a downtown throbbing with nightlife.
The proposed entertainment district will attract even more visitors, which will cut through decades of red tape and restrictions that today make putting on even the simplest event a regulatory challenge.
Similar districts have been designated in other cities to reinvigorate their downtowns. This idea was first conceived for Baton Rouge on the Chamber’s trip to Austin, Texas. But that was three years ago. It’s time to get on with it.
Shortly after the trip when the idea first came up, Metro Councilman Joe Greco’s knee-jerk reaction was to warn of “another Bourbon Street.” Ridiculous. Go back to sleep, Joe.
Funny how those folks who have opposed downtown’s renaissance seldom even visit from the ’burbs yet want to dictate how it must be done. We don’t have to let them have the final say.
Unfortunately, until the Metro Council steps up and enacts the proposed entertainment district, the entrepreneurs who take a risk downtown will hesitate, or worse, opt to stay away. As a community, we cannot afford to let that happen.
Comments
Posted by CTwiggy225 on February 4, 2007 at 12:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I totally agree with this article. It is time for all the "younger" residents of this city to take matters into our own hands and vote out all the "ney sayers" on the council. We need fresh voices with new exciting ideas on how to make BR a great city. For to long we lived in the shadows of New Orleans, now is the time for us to become something more than just a shadow.
Posted by jlemo12 on February 6, 2007 at 2:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I moved to Austin from BR in June 2006. I've had the chance to see what Austin has done to make itself such a great place to be. In order for Baton Rouge to do the same, things have to speed up. Those opposing positive change are more often than not the same people who fled the city's center and progressive thinking many years ago. The older, suburbanite crowd are slowing down progress on the vital things needed to throttle BR into the 21st century and make the city more competitive on the national level. It's time for the young people of Baton Rouge to get in gear, make a positive decision for the future, and actually get things done!
Posted by A6 on February 6, 2007 at 2:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No doubt this MUST happen. The article hits it right on the head. A6 (www.A6br.com) has joined the committee overseeing this process and will soon announce a project to drive this issue to action. Go to the website, click on "projects" and get active! Right on 225!
Posted by nopars on February 6, 2007 at 3:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why is everyone always blaming the "old burbanites" for wanting to hold back revitalizing downtown. It ain't us - it's those North EBR Parish politicians who get elected by anti-drinking, anti-dancing, anti-smoking and anti-everything except my Church Service on Sunday congregations.
All the burbanites I know want the downtown to develop into a dynamic living center of activity and culture. We'd also like to see limo service developed to bring us home, as we will be out of our zip codes when we’re through being bedazzled.
So focus on those politicians that are giving you the headaches and leave us burbanites alone.
If you build it, we will come.
Posted by jbeary on February 8, 2007 at 10:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Boy oh boy, are people around here dumb. I made the very sad mistake of moving back here after I had escaped. And while I was gone I learned that people in the north aren't stupid enough to believe that alcohol in some way equals culture, recreation, and/or entertainment. What is attractive about Baton Rouge's downtown other than a gaggle of tasteless new buildings? And when I say "tasteless" I don't mean that in the positive way such as the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Yep, it does not matter where you live in the parish, Baton Rouge is bereft of culture. Don't get me wrong here, I hate not being able to buy a bottle of wine on any given Sunday but I'm also kind of freaked out at the diverse array of liquor that our local Wal-Mart stocks. Yet if I want to "enlighten" myself, I have to leave town. The reason why? Well it's the same reason why this State is practically last in everything that really matters, we lack strong and smart leaders who can actually lead. Too often we will support confidence men; and we've been doing this since the early '30's. Our schools, our roads, our health, the lack of good paying jobs; pick a topic Baton Rouge, Louisiana; we suck at it and have for far more than a generation. All this is nothing new and A6, 225, the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce are evil for making the assertion that things are crummy around here because we don't have an entertainment district or an open container law. I say we not only clear out the charlatans in our Metro Council but also the fools who promote band-aid reinvigoration. Yo, before you people get in ya'll's pirogue and paddle down the alcohol stream that runs along a grungy Florida Boulevard and past the arboreal dell called I-110 to Baton Rouge's sparkly downtown you should put a little effort into actually attending some Metro Council meetings rather than publishing divisive yellow dreck.
jeffrey_beary@yahoo.com
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