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BRAF reveals newest downtown master plan, targeting 10,000 new jobs and $1.5 billion in investment
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BATON ROUGE — The Baton Rouge Area Foundation has announced its new development plan for downtown Baton Rouge, outlining a vision to reshape the city's core.
BRAF released Plan Baton Rouge III on Wednesday afternoon, a plan that calls for more than $1.5 billion in early investments, aims to triple the downtown residential population and create 10,000 jobs.
BRAF's plan is built around five key principles:
- Making the riverfront a "front porch" for the city
- Diversifying the downtown economy
- Creating walkable neighborhood centers
- Connecting cultural and civic assets
- Improving transportation and accessibility
BRAF said key recommendations include a signature riverfront park and entertainment district, expanded housing options across income levels, a downtown transit network and investment in greenways, pedestrian corridors and cultural destinations. It also emphasizes preserving and repurposing historic buildings, supporting small businesses, and year-round programming to activate public spaces.
"Plan Baton Rouge III represents the next generation of our city's commitment to a strong and vibrant downtown," said Chris Meyer, BRAF President and CEO.
The plan was developed through a year-long process that included thousands of survey responses, public meetings and stakeholder interviews, BRAF said.
"Downtown Baton Rouge has incredible assets — from its riverfront to its history to its people — and this plan shows how we can bring those strengths together in a powerful way," said Mike Wampold, co-chair of the Plan Baton Rouge III planning committee and founder and CEO of Wampold Companies.
BRAF said implementation will be phased over time, with early projects designed to build momentum and unlock additional investment, followed by longer-term initiatives.
Plan Baton Rouge III builds on earlier downtown plans that together drove more than $3 billion in public and private investment.
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