Take me to the river
A smelly eyesore could become an asset on the Mississippi. What happens depends on local government.
The city-parish may ask developers to propose ideas for a potentially valuable piece of Baton Rouge real estate: the former sewage treatment plan on riverfront land near Nicholson Drive.
Why it matters: The old plant sits in a corridor already drawing serious investment: the Water Campus, new housing, mixed-use projects and thousands of student beds around Burbank and Nicholson, and proposed sports tourism facilities and an LSU sports and events arena.
Redeveloping the site could turn a former smelly eyesore into another catalyst for the stretch.
The details: Lon Vicknair, Mayor-President Sid Edwards’ chief of staff, says the city-parish may gather public input or issue a request for proposals for the property.
A decision on how to proceed should come this year, though Vicknair says much remains undecided.
Background: The city-parish no longer needs the site because it built a larger wastewater treatment plant farther south, near Nicholson and Brightside.
Demolition is underway at the old plant. Engineering studies show the roughly 21-acre site can handle most types of redevelopment without major environmental cleanup.
The bottom line: Baton Rouge has spent years turning its back to the river. This is a rare chance to turn around.
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Mukul Verma
