BATON ROUGE - BREC has begun the first phase of renovations at the North 14th Street Park.

The park, just off North Boulevard, houses BREC's Boxing Academy. According to a news release, ANR Construction won the bid for the project, which is estimated at $153,000. The project should be completed by early fall.

The Boxing Academy is a 6,500 square foot facility "in need of a fresh new look." Officials say improvements will include updates to the building exterior design to provide a more visually pleasing and safer facility.

“The expansion of the Downtown Development District is welcome news for the area in which North 14th Street Park is located, and we are excited to contribute to a revitalization of the area by providing a space for residents and visitors to engage in healthy activity,” said BREC Superintendent Corey Wilson.

All the renovations will be done while maintaining the "historic character" of the building. The building, which is over 75 years old, was once a Dr. Pepper bottling plant. The finishing touches to the facility will include a painted mural on the building’s exterior wall featuring a vintage Dr. Pepper advertisement.

There will also be site improvements which will include new basketball courts, ornamental fencing, lighting, security cameras, and more.