Holden: Time to act on downtown studies

• Advocate business staff
• Published: Jan 13, 2009 - UPDATED: 12:40 p.m.

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The Downtown Development District kicked off its first meeting of 2009 with remarks from Mayor-President Kip Holden, who told the board and guests that the time for studying ways to make downtown better has ended and that now is the time to act.

“There will not be another study that this government will fund. There will be implementation,” he said, noting that portions of various downtown plans over the years can be used to guide development.

Plan Baton Rouge Phase II, funded in part by the city-parish, is currently in the process of mapping out the next phase of development for downtown, including economic incentives for business development, enhancement of public spaces, the development of arts and entertainment options and greater connectivity with the areas immediately outside of downtown. The steering committee for that effort will hold another meeting on Feb. 9 and present a draft of the plan in March.

Holden’s comments came after he reiterated his plans to go back to voters this fall with the nearly $1 billion tax package that failed in November. That proposal would use a half-cent sales tax and a 9.9-mill property tax to construct a new jail, expand the River Center, make drainage improvements, replace bridges, build an Audubon museum downtown and construct a number of other projects.

A key part of the River Center expansion was Virginia-based developer Armada Hoffler’s plans to spend $100-million to build two new hotels with a combined capacity of 440 rooms.

Holden said Armada Hoffler contacted him last week asking if the terms ironed out earlier would still be in place if the plan passes this fall and he told them the effort still has his full support.

“Think about it,” he said. “In the face of this tough economy ... they and their partners still want to be part of this community.”

In response to news reports out of New Orleans that the city will create an entity similar to Baton Rouge’s digital industries consortium to help develop high-tech business growth, Holden said Baton Rouge will not take challenges laying down.