[annie_himself]

Im a native of BR and I love the city to death. I've been reading up on all the downtown development websites and things, really excited to see all the ideas for the area, including the much needed loop around the city. I'm wondering why construction hasn't started on anything yet. If anyone has information on this, I'd love to know all about it. I see in the River Front development there's gonna be buildings (hotel/casinos?) facing the river and a couple new outdoor concert areas. It was a dissapointment not to see the River Place Tower built, it would've really improved our rather boring skyline.
I now live in uptown Houston and its so different but I'd really like to see BR improve its downtown and surrounding areas. I lived in Prairieville which is a suburb of BR and we seem to be getting more development than the city.
One of my next questions is, what will they do to South Baton Rouge Neighborhood, its a huge low income neighborhood near downtown and it would ne nice to see that area improved without rudely moving the residents to failed project buildings like in New Orleans.

 

[Sean in New Orleans]

Well, to be quite honest, you can't improve an area with residents living there....Hurricane Katrina struck and everyone in New Orleans was forced to move, so I would hardly call it "rude," that people were forced to move. We did them a favor by not letting them come back....the housing projects in New Orleans were flooded, contaminated, and unsafe for life...they will come back and are coming back and we WANT them back because they are New Orleans. But, life in the lower income projects was terrible before Katrina...it was dangerous, too dense, and drug-infested. The areas are being rebuilt with many now open and residents returning....streets are open, it's new, mixed income, and offers a higher quality of life for the lower income in New Orleans...and all deserve that in this country. The S. of Baton Rouge has much potential and I believe that neighborhood will come back soon in a great way...it will need to be mixed income. And before it can happen, residents will need to be relocated. Renovation, rehabilitation, and construction cannot occur with residents living there. It's not practical, and it is also unsafe.

 

[annie_himself]

While it is true that you can't develop with people living there, in my opinion, it's too unethical to try and move an entire neighborhood to somewhere else in the city (where would they even go?)
South Baton Rouge is very similar to Calliope(?) projects in NO and I would like for it to be safer. I would have to say that mixed income seems like a really good plan for residents that would return to the area. But in NO, there was a tragedy that allowed the advancement of the area.
I'll admit, I'm a younger person so its cool to brag about how La has the highest murder rates per capita but I hate to see people gun down each other over the stupidest things.
I do see small improvements in the city and every small little thing counts, even the new CVS on Florida Blvd, and I'm glad to see some change for people that deserve it.

 

[Sean in New Orleans]

You can point your blame on what you mention clearly at the Federal Government...and you can attribute the solutions to emphatic demands by locals in New Orleans...we've had it and have for a long time. It's unfortunate, but, Katrina provided many opportunities and one of those areas that we demanded be addressed was public housing..and it has.

 

[lamsalfl]

New Orleans today >>>>>> New Orleans pre-Katrina in so many ways and it's not even close.

 

[GulfCoastal1]

Well, to be quite honest, you can't improve an area with residents living there....Hurricane Katrina struck and everyone in New Orleans was forced to move, so I would hardly call it "rude," that people were forced to move. We did them a favor by not letting them come back....the housing projects in New Orleans were flooded, contaminated, and unsafe for life...they will come back and are coming back and we WANT them back because they are New Orleans. But, life in the lower income projects was terrible before Katrina...it was dangerous, too dense, and drug-infested. The areas are being rebuilt with many now open and residents returning....streets are open, it's new, mixed income, and offers a higher quality of life for the lower income in New Orleans...and all deserve that in this country. The S. of Baton Rouge has much potential and I believe that neighborhood will come back soon in a great way...it will need to be mixed income. And before it can happen, residents will need to be relocated. Renovation, rehabilitation, and construction cannot occur with residents living there. It's not practical, and it is also unsafe.

I'm not a native of Baton Rouge, I am a graduate of LSU and the area between LSU and downtown is targeted to be redeveloped over the next several years. It will take time but there are plans posted in several locations on the internet.