EBR Metro Council picks new advisor for Raising Canes River Center redevelopment project
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Metro council members move forward with bringing the Baton Rouge Convention Center Expansion and Headquarters Hotel Development Project to life.
With one opposed, council members chose to have Hunden Partners serve as the city-parish's advisor for the project. The project, which has been in the works, is to make the center cater more to conventions, all while construction for a headquarters hotel takes place next door. At the same time, a new LSU arena would take on the larger scale of events like concerts and games.
Councilwoman Carolyn Coleman, whose District houses the river center, supports the plan.
'This is just the first step. This process is not an overnight process as well but it is a much-needed process,' she said.
While many on the board like Coleman agree, Councilman Darryl Hurst said this should have been decided differently.
'Made a decision as a city parish. I urge the mayor and everybody else to slow down. We need to see the data before we make a decision as a council,' said Hurst.
Hurst said he's for the project as a whole to help reshape the parish, as it lacks an all-around convention center for businesses. But he worries the community is an afterthought.
'I'm for a better Baton Rouge. I'm for less burden on the taxpayers as long as the city-parish and the lawyers stay true, and the developers, that they're not going to ask the taxpayer for a dime, I support it,' he said.
With other projects taking over the parish and budgets shifting around due to new city changes, both Hurst and Coleman say this project is a reflection of not only economic changes, but a representation of the people.
'Baton Rouge has to become a priority for somebody, and it's definitely a priority for me,' said Hurst.
'Not I think, but I know that this is the first step toward what's the best is yet to come,' said Coleman.
The parish attorney will start contract negotiations with Hunden Partners, which will then have to be approved by the Metro Council.
EBR Metro Council picks new advisor for Raising Canes River Center redevelopment project
'It's a big problem in Baton Rouge': Authorities suspect human trafficking in massage parlors
College Drive flyover project complete, brings relief to Baton Rouge drivers
Louisiana lawmakers push for transparency in drug pricing, bill advances
Judge blocks Trump's National Guard deployment in Los Angeles
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
LSU picks search committee members to find its next president
LSU's Memorial Tower on Monday, March 20, 2023, on Tower Drive in Baton Rouge. (Matthew Perschall for Louisiana Illuminator) A search committee has been assembled to find LSU's next president. LSU is searching for a replacement for William Tate, who led both its Baton Rouge flagship campus and the LSU System that also includes medical schools in New Orleans and Shreveport, a New Orleans dental school and satellite institutions in Shreveport, Alexandria and Eunice. Tate departed Baton Rouge to become the leader of Rutgers University in New Jersey. Earlier this year, two board members confirmed to the Illuminator there is ongoing discussion over whether LSU will hire a system president and a separate chancellor for the its main campus. The school's news release announcing search committee members did not indicate whether there would be a separate search for a chancellor. LSU combined the two roles in 2012. Matt Lee, the dean of LSU's College of Agriculture, is serving as interim president. LSU Board of Supervisors chairman Scott Ballard announced the following list of individuals have been appointed to the 2025 LSU Presidential Search Committee, including himself as a member: Lee Mallett, LSU Board of Supervisors vice chairman Valencia Sarpy Jones, LSU Board of Supervisors past chair Rémy Voisin Starns, LSU Board of Supervisors past chair James Williams, LSU Board of Supervisors past chair John Carmouche, LSU Board of Supervisors Blaise Zuschlag, LSU Board of Supervisors Ben Bordelon, Bollinger Shipyards president and CEO Clarence Cazalot, LSU Foundation Board of Directors Paul Coreil, LSU Alexandria chancellor Greg Feirn, LCMC Health CEO E.J. Kuiper, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System president & CEO Pete November, Ochsner Health CEO Roger Odgen, LSU Foundation Board of Directors Emily Otken, LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport student, former LSU Board of Supervisors student member Kenneth Schafer, LSU Boyd professor and Ball Family distinguished professor Ryan Theriot, Former LSU baseball player Daniel Tirone, LSU A&M Faculty Senate president, associate professor Bill Windham, Shreveport-Bossier businessman Ballard told the Illuminator recently the board he predicts would work over the next six months or so to conduct a nationwide search for Tate's replacement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Big Ten school poaches LSU football recruiting staffer
Another LSU football personnel staffer in on the move. According to a report from CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, Jake Sugarman is headed to UCLA. The Bruins are hiring Sugarman as the director of scouting and high school relations. He is listed on LSU's staff directory as a personnel graduate assistant. Prior to his stint in Baton Rouge, Sugarman graduated from Arizona State in 2024 and worked under coach Kenny Dillingham. Advertisement Sugarman's departure follows Preston Tiffany and Jordan Arcement, both of whom served as the director of player development at LSU. Tiffany took a role with the Philadelphia Eagles while Arcement moved on to Athletes First, an agency representing a host of stakeholders across collegiate and professional athletics. With a mass exodus in player development, coach Brian Kelly has much to think about as LSU aims to maintain the SEC's top recruiting class in the 2026 cycle as well as a refined transfer portal approach. This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football loses recruiter to Big Ten
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Don't sweat it — I've found the 5 top cooler deals you can buy right now
Summer is here, and it's the best time to get prepped for all your weekend outings and getaways. That means checking out the top deals on the best coolers to ensure you stay chilled throughout your mini or mega-adventure. But to save you from sweating the hard stuff, I've pulled together the top deals on coolers right now, with savings of up to 29%. What's more, those savings are available on some of the top brands, including Ninja, Anker, Igloo, and Coleman. So, sit back and relax in anticipation of your break and look forward to saving big on the best cooler deals around right now. Pick up this smart cooler bag in Modern Blue or Bone at a discount 20% discount. The high-performing soft-sided cooler can hold up to 18 cans and features a MaxCold Ultra Insulation interior. The zippered main compartment features a wide compartment for easy loading, with additional storage pocket in the front, which also houses a bottle opener. One reviewer describes this Igloo Overland Ice Chest Cooler as the "best bang for your buck in the cooler market". The high capacity ice chest has extra thick 1.5-inch insulating wall, sturdy comfort-grip handles and a lid with a secure locking plate for added security. Plus, it comes with a built-in bottle opener and can hold up to 110 cans. You get a lot of capacity for your buck with Coleman's 316 Series Cooler. It might not have the bells and whistles of other premium coolers, but it's a great budget buy and right now you can save 29%. The 150-quart model can hold up to 124 cans with 82lbs of ice, and has a seat that can support 250lb — perfect for perching on during a fishing trips. Plus, it has two easy-grip handles to make it easy to carry. The Ninja FrostVault cooler is a real star. With 45-quarts of capacity it can hold 68 cans, or 40 cans with ice, and will keep your food and beverages chilled for days. It also has a handy dry storage drawer, compartments to keep food separate, and 'all-terrain' wheels, It's premium cooler that's worth snapping up. My colleague, Mike Prospero recently put the Anker Solix EverFrost cooler up against the EcoFlow Glacier, and the Anker Solix came out on top. It comes with a hefty price, but with a $250, it's a sound investment. And, as it comes with a battery, you'll never have to worry about filling the cooler with ice. Plus, it can even be recharged through solar panels.
