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Hotels, restaurants, real estate coming to downtown BR
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BATON ROUGE - The Downtown Development District is expected to announce nearly 150 new apartment spaces coming to downtown Baton Rouge on Tuesday.
On Third Street in the downtown area, a used-to-be parking lot is now lined with fences and "Hard Hat Only" signs. It will soon become the downtown Marriott. And it's not the only job underway along the street, as finishing touches are being put on a new apartment complex and The Watermark Hotel. The director of the Downtown Development District, Davis Rhorer, said he is optimistic about what the buildings and business will bring to the community.
"We're so pleased to see it happening on so many different fronts right now," Rhorer said.
Rhorer said two new hotels in the downtown area are expected to be key in attracting entertainment and conventions to the River Center. The addition of some 150 apartment units, also expected to bring extra buzz to the area. Rhorer also said the addition of these new developments at the same time can prove to be productive.
"I think that predictability and stability are paramount for the private sector, cause these are dotted for private sector development," Rhorer said. "Also, things connect, they come together. You have hotels that need to be in walking distance of the River Center. You have a need with a new grocery store downtown, and 300 plus residential units along the Third Street corridor."
With new parks, a potential riverfront project, and the addition of new housing, the construction and development are expected to continue. All of this in hopes of bringing more people to the multiple attractions that line the riverfront and surrounding area.
"We can say the we have about 1,200 hotel rooms, within easy walking distance of the River Center. That's also easy walking distance to restaurants, cultural attractions, and the assets of the city," Rhorer said.
Among the most recent projects along Third Street is the new 19 million dollar library now under construction. Many existing restaurants in the area, also, are expected to announce rebranding in the coming months.
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