BATON ROUGE - A fixture in downtown Baton Rouge was being sent off Tuesday to Terrebonne Parish. 

The riverboat segment of the Belle of Baton Rouge, a combination casino and hotel, was towed from Baton Rouge to Gibson.

With the riverboat out of the way, the Belle's new project will consist of a "down-to-the-studs transformation" of the hotel and 25,000 square feet of landside gaming in an effort to transform a dormant downtown Baton Rouge into a vibrant entertainment destination. This will open in April 2025, more than 30 years after the Belle opened as the city's first casino in 1994.

The Belle of Baton Rouge currently hosts 10,000 square feet of Vegas-style gaming space, over 240 slot machines and three table games. 

"We're looking towards the future with great excitement. The Riverboat sendoff shows that things are changing in downtown Baton Rouge," General Manager Richard Cannon said.

According to the Baton Rouge Business Report, once in Terrebonne Parish, the riverboat will be dismantled and most of the boat will be recycled.