January 22nd, 2018
CAPITOL PARK MASTER PLAN
As part of the Downtown Development District's 30th Anniversary, we are looking back at some of the projects that propelled downtown to where it is today.
In 1990, Act NO. 761 led to the creation of the Capitol Park Master Plan by State Facility Planning and Control, Division of Administration. With public input, this plan was designed by Post Architects to consolidate state agencies into a park-like capitol campus that connected to the core of Downtown Baton Rouge. Architects subsequently designed Art Deco buildings that complemented and did not compete with the Historic State Capitol Building. Building upon the existing Fourth Street axis to the State Capitol, the plan expanded and further delineated the formal theme of the existing grounds.
Emphasis was placed on the pedestrian scale; incorporating green plazas into each building site, establishing pleasant corridors between buildings, and integrating Capitol Lake sites and a riverfront park. This emphasis on the pedestrian experience comes to life daily as thousands of state workers visit adjacent downtown restaurants.
Another important goal of the planning was to energize the parking garages within the Capitol Park Complex by adding retail on the first floors. Today you will see the YMCA, Main Street Market and a variety of restaurants achieving this goal.
To date, the plan has resulted in over 2,000,000 square-feet of new construction and thousands of daily workers.
In 1990, Act NO. 761 led to the creation of the Capitol Park Master Plan by State Facility Planning and Control, Division of Administration. With public input, this plan was designed by Post Architects to consolidate state agencies into a park-like capitol campus that connected to the core of Downtown Baton Rouge. Architects subsequently designed Art Deco buildings that complemented and did not compete with the Historic State Capitol Building. Building upon the existing Fourth Street axis to the State Capitol, the plan expanded and further delineated the formal theme of the existing grounds.
Emphasis was placed on the pedestrian scale; incorporating green plazas into each building site, establishing pleasant corridors between buildings, and integrating Capitol Lake sites and a riverfront park. This emphasis on the pedestrian experience comes to life daily as thousands of state workers visit adjacent downtown restaurants.
Another important goal of the planning was to energize the parking garages within the Capitol Park Complex by adding retail on the first floors. Today you will see the YMCA, Main Street Market and a variety of restaurants achieving this goal.
To date, the plan has resulted in over 2,000,000 square-feet of new construction and thousands of daily workers.
