Attendees listen as Chief Administrative Officer Mike Futrell expresses his support for Plan Baton Rouge II.

Local leaders converged January 25, 2010 at The Kress Building downtown to unveil and discuss the highlights of Plan Baton Rouge Phase II, a new master plan for Downtown Baton Rouge.  Plan Baton Rouge Phase II was created by national consultants, local planners and public officials with input from the public.

Plan Baton Rouge Phase II, led by Chan Krieger Sieniewicz of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a Master Plan Update & Economic Strategic Plan that builds upon the original Plan Baton Rouge and develops directions for future growth Downtown.  The goal of Phase II is to help make downtown a more vibrant place to live, work, shop, dine, learn and play. 

With planning costs totaling $588,000, the plan was sponsored by Fannie Mae, Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Center for Planning Excellence, Downtown Development District, Downtown Business Association, and Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Components of the updated plan include promoting a central green and planting an urban forest, making Third Street a vibrant entertainment corridor, ensuring downtown stays clean and safe, taking advantage of the Mississippi Riverfront, and establishing integrated public parking policies.
“Plan Baton Rouge Phase II heralds a new wave of economic development downtown and the DDD will position itself in the forefront of implementation efforts” says Davis Rhorer, Executive Director of the Downtown Development District.

After being endorsed by the Planning Commission of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, Plan Baton Rouge Phase II will be presented to the Metro-Council for adoption.  The plan will be incorporated into the new Comprehensive Master Plan for East Baton Rouge Parish coordinated by the Planning Commission and led by planner John Fregonese.

Downtown Baton Rouge has also been selected as a mobile workshop for the American Planning Association’s 2010 National Planning Conference in New Orleans April 10–13 because of its comprehensive planning and implementation efforts.  Planners from all over the country will visit downtown Baton Rouge for a working session on downtown improvements and planning.

Plan Baton Rouge Phase II plan is now available for viewing