Projects Riverfront Process Program Context Alternatives A B C D E Communications Contact Links Organization Projects Waterfront WEST BATON ROUGE RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT INTRODUCTION ABSTRACT West Baton Rouge Parish has always been considered the gateway to the west bank of the Mississippi River. As a means of establishing a greater regional identity for Port Allen and its neighboring communities along the River and for the general bettering of the west bank's regional community the West Baton Rouge Riverfront Development Commission plans to develop Port Allen's waterfront, so that the River's edge is more fully integrated into the existing fabric of its downtown. OVERVIEW The Mississippi River is an important asset to the region and has shaped the character and features of the landscape and corresponding development of local towns and communities. Though other boundaries of West Baton Rouge Parish have changed over the years, the Mississippi River has remained static as the eastern boundary, separating it from its neighbor East Baton Rouge Parish. As modes of transportation have shifted from steamship to railroad to automobile, land uses and patterns of urban development have changed. All three can be viewed and appreciated from vantage points along the Mississippi River. A prime example of where ships, barges, trains and trucks interact is the Port of Greater Baton Rouge which is the nation's sixth largest deep water port and is located on the west bank at the foot of the I-10 bridge. The port handles over 86 million tons of commodities annually ranging from grain and foodstuffs to paper products, chemicals, manufactured goods, bulk ores and petroleum products. This trans-shipment site represents hundreds of millions of dollars annually. As modes of shipping and transport have evolved and expanded, so to has the petro-chemical manufacturing industry, and as a consequence, has become one of the leading economic forces of the State in addition to agriculture. As the majestic, antebellum plantation homes along the river remain as icons of a bygone era, offering opportunities to tell the story of Louisiana's history to tourists and younger generations alike, petro-chemical plants and grain elevators have become the modern "plantations," towering over the river delta and depending upon both river and rail transport for acquiring raw materials and exporting finished products to the nation and world. These industries produce products that are integral to the standard of living and modern conveniences that Americans have grown accustomed to. There is an opportunity to interpret these activities to tourists and the local population. Louisiana's story should be told. Though beneficial in many respects, the Mississippi River is also a threat to towns and communities located along its banks. Annual flooding from spring rains and snow melt in the Midwestern United States is the mechanism which actually created the natural levees along its banks. This is the "high ground" on which many deltaic towns are built and it generally slopes away from the river to "back swamps" which, in turn, drain via bayous to the coastal marshes and Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have provided flood protection to river communities by constructing levees, diversion canals, and other control structures. The levees protect the lives and property of river residents, but unfortunately also form a physical and visual barrier separating the communities from the river that initially gave them life. Many urban areas are growing away from the river towards flanking highways, sometimes vacating the old urban area in the process. PROSPECT West Baton Rouge Parish is an untapped resource that could provide quality residential development and employment opportunities located proximally to the Baton Rouge Metropolitan region. Riverfront development will re-establish the town's connection with the river. Recreational and entertainment amenities can be developed overlooking the commerce of the river and the skyline of Baton Rouge. ASSUMPTIONS 1. Riverfront development can serve as a catalyst to stimulate additional investments and improvements throughout West Baton Rouge Parish and the State of Louisiana. 2. Development in any riverfront location will face significant legal challenges. 3. This study represents the first phase of a multi-phase process which will take several years and additional funding to plan, design and implement. 4. Substantial riverfront development will require a public/private partnership for funding, construction and management. 5. There are no precedents in the State of Louisiana for the scale and nature of certain development concepts being considered in this study. 6. Appropriately located and designed improvements would be well received and utilized by the public. VISIONARY PROSPECT Although the optimum riverfront development alternative and organizational framework has not been determined at this time, the existing organization should sponsor and initiate a comprehensive vision and strategic planning program to determine the planning and development direction of West Baton Rouge Parish as it prepares to enter the twenty-first century. To secure the future for themselves, their children and grandchildren, citizens must seize the initiative that is clearly within their grasp and exercise their leadership role within the wider region. This prospect embraces more than mere survival. It foresees gaining a position on the leading edge of innovative planning among small communities in Louisiana, the achievements of which have received widespread recognition, as the process not only improves economic well-being but also enhances overall quality of life. To assure this realization the people of West Baton Rouge Parish need to free their unused potential, grasp unrecognized opportunities, meet unfulfilled needs and create new value. To seize and hold the future citizens must be empowered to work together to make better informed decisions, within flexible structures, responsive systems, and imaginative strategies. The regional community can take a major step forward in meeting future and ever-current challenges of adaptive growth and positive change by initiating their own long-range, strategic planning program.