One love, once more for River Center

The River Center will have one love for at least one more year, as the Metro Council last week approved a one-year, $418,500 naming rights extension with Raising Cane's and Legends/ASM.

Why it matters: The deal is a bit of a stopgap, as the River Center is transferring to interim management, bringing in a top-shelf consultant to help map its future and develop a new master plan.

The fine print:

• Visit Baton Rouge assumes oversight of the facility, with Spyridon's assistance, while an RFP seeks a day-to-day operator.
• Legends/ASM's current contract runs through year-end, and they can still bid to remain as that operator.
• Consultant Butch Spyridon—the guy who helped turn Nashville into a tourism juggernaut—is drawing $250,000 in year one and $275,000 in year two to help steer the redevelopment.

The pitch: Officials are exploring the feasibility of a 40,000-square-foot convention hall, a 29,000-square-foot ballroom and a 350-room headquarters hotel. Nothing is finalized, but Baton Rouge is looking to improve its convention business while also finding the best future use for the River Center, given the concessions granted by the city-parish to attract a proposed new LSU Arena.

The bottom line: Baton Rouge is betting heavily on Spyridon's expertise. The payoff would be for the city-parish to follow his recommendations.