Arts & Entertainment
Additional INFO
third st

Downtown Baton Rouge Arts & Entertainment District
Established March 2008

The Downtown Baton Rouge Arts & Entertainment District was formed in 2008 to provide a means for growth and development through arts and entertainment related activities. The goal is to create a district that has a balance of arts and entertainment and a positive reflection of Baton Rouge.

Found in the heart of Downtown and highlighted by Third Street, the Arts and Entertainment District has galleries, shops, restaurants, nightlife, festivals, and free concert series, all within walking distance, contributing to an enjoyable downtown experience!

LAF

Music The Arts & Entertainment District holds host to Live After Five and Sunday in the Park, two free concert series in the fall and spring, featuring live music by the areas finest musicians. Both events, among others, are a great way to experience downtown culture and the people that make Baton Rouge a truly special place. Festivals/ Events

art melt
Arts In the heart of the Arts & Entertainment District you will find the Shaw Center for the Arts where you can watch a ballet, attend an art exhibit, or have sushi on the top floor overlooking the Mississippi River. In addition to the Shaw Center, Downtown is home to many local art galleries, and a handful of annual arts festivals such as The Art Melt and Fest for All. Festivals/ Events
nightlife

Nightlife For all you night owls, Downtown's many bars, pubs, and nightclubs offer dancing, drinks, and a diverse social scene that makes for a great time. People watch from a mezzanine on Third Street, catch a live band, or take a salsa lesson, you name it, we got it! Don't forget to end the night with a slice of pizza and get a safe cab ride home. Laisser les bons temps rouler! Map all Downtown Bars and Nightclubs
food
Food While visiting The Arts & Entertainment District, don't forget to check out the many restaurants and cafe's that serve up some of the best cuisine in town. Whether you're in the mood for a po-boy or a romantic dinner for two, Downtown has you covered. Check out the Map all Downtown Restaurants for more info!
   

The Baton Rouge Downtown Arts & Entertainment District was established as a result of a series of Chamber Canvas trips to cities such as Austin, Texas; as well as board action by the Downtown Development District. The goal is to (1) develop an area that has a balance of the arts with entertainment and (2) an area that reflects Baton Rouge.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

I. Boundaries and Design Guidelines
(Item accomplished – March 19, 2008 – See attached ordinance

  • The attached ordinance identifies strategies to strengthen and preserve the unique qualities of the designated district by providing guidelines in the areas of design, maintenance, landscaping and operations.

  • It is envisioned that the ordinance will be a living document which as the district develops, provisions in the ordinance may be amended and additional components added.
II. Economic Incentives

This component is part of Plan Baton Rouge Phase Two initiative. Through a cooperative endeavor, the Downtown Development District, Downtown Business Association, the City of Baton Rouge, the Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation raised $65,000 for the Arts & Entertainment District to be a component of the Plan Baton Rouge Phase Two project.

In this process the following objectives will be addressed:

(A) Evaluation of existing incentive programs and their effectiveness

(B) Determination of downtown user market segments (both current & potential

(C) Retail market analysis study and plan (void analysis, tenant mix, retail recruitment strategy outlining specific incentives for attracting arts and entertainment venues)

D) Annual absorption rates for retail

(E) Assessment of competition or opportunities for niche markets

(F) Impact analysis, cost benefit analysis, and /or cost-effectiveness analysis for any proposed incentives

The Downtown Development District is currently working with CRT to designate the Arts & Entertainment District as a Cultural Products District. This designation will allow galleries to sell original art void of state sales tax. Such a provision will assist Brunner Gallery at the Shaw Center, the Louisiana Arts & Science Museum and future gallery venues.

III. Policy

The Arts & Entertainment District Committee has identified the following policy initiatives (sub-committees):

(A) Security – this area encompasses three goals:

    1. Creation of a police storefront in the available ground floor retail space in the state garage located at Third & Convention Streets. The storefront would be utilized by officers currently assigned to the downtown area. As funding permits, the hours of the storefront may be extended into the evening. Currently, the Mayor’s Office is working with the State to make this storefront initiative a reality.
    2. Establish communication among the growing number of entertainment venues. This communication will greatly assist all participants
      Knowing what events are planned
      Assist in organization should a number of events be planned for the same evening or weekend
      Assist the police in knowing if large crowds will be in the area during a particular time
    3. Hiring off duty city police officers to patrol within the boundaries of the Arts & Entertainment District (similar to extra patrols initiated by some neighborhood homeowners associations). These patrols could be made possible through the creation of an entertainment venue cooperative with a potential partnership with the Downtown Business Association. This initiative would allow the cooperative to determine when the officers would be in place; for example, Friday and Saturday evenings form 10:30 p.m. – 2:30 a.m.

(B) Maintenance – this area encompasses two goals:

    1. Trash – the City-Parish is currently working on a plan to assist the Arts & Entertainment District tenants and property owners
    2. Sewer – there have been a number of issues facing downtown restaurants

(C) Operations – this area encompasses two goals:

    1. Street Closures – expediting the process
    2. Incorporation of bollards at intersections to close streets mid-block
A future initiative of the Policy Committee will be to review the current ABC regulations as they pertain to the Arts & Entertainment District.

THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE HAS INITIATED A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT ARE COMPLEMENTING THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

2007

The City partnered with Keep Louisiana Beautiful to install over 40 trash receptacles within the Arts & Entertainment District – total capital investment - $35,000.

The City allocated $4.5 M for the North Boulevard Town Square in the Mayor’s 2007 Budget Supplement. The Town Square, located within the Arts & Entertainment District, will be an epicenter for cultural events and will be a signature area for the new district.

2008

As a component of the Mayor’s Green Light Initiative – the downtown traffic signals will be replaced. Incorporated with the new signals are new street lights at the intersections as well as pedestrian crossings with countdowns.

The pedestrian crossings along Third Street from North Boulevard to Main Street will have specialty paving and will serve as a pilot program for the Arts & Entertainment District

This investment totals more than $10 M.

Downtown Development District