Seventh Street and the Post Office Square

SSC-1

Observation

There are many gaps along the edges of this corridor that tend to destroy its pedestrian quality.

Discussion

These liner buildings are necessary on the Napoleon & Seventh Corridor and they may also be useful on gaps elsewhere, particularly on the open parking lots on the Third & Lafayette corridors.

Project A

Seventh Street

Recommendation A

Acquire the vacant Postal Credit Union building though condemnation. Design and develop it into a square defined by liner buildings.

Responsibility

Downtown Development District

Project B

Post Office Square

Recommendation B

Encourage the construction of liner build-ings along Seventh Street through a variety of means, including persuasion. Following the construction of the first set of liner buildings by Hibernia Bank (on its parking lot on Third Street) this will become easier to do.

Responsibility

Downtown Development District

Project Status

Numerous meetings with church leaders and other parties have been held to discuss affordable housing development. (See Residential section.)Three hundred trees were planted in October 2000 on the Seventh Street Corridor in honor of the late Charles P. Manship whose boyhood home was on the corner of Florida Street and Seventh Street. Baton Rouge Green installed the plantings that will provide shade and color during the four seasons. The City of Baton Rouge and the Department of Public Works removed concrete and prepared the beds for the tree plantings which were designed by the Louisiana Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The project won an award in 2001 from The Louisiana Urban Forestry Council for promoting urban forestry in Baton Rouge with “The Capital City Enhancement Masterplan.”

Implementation

Explanation of Terms

Product

Improved Streetscape

Responsibility

DDD

Implementing Agent

DDD

Feasibility Analysis

PBR

Initial Financing

Various

Project Financing

Acquisition and redevelopment subsi-dized with City Parish funds or CDBG funds. Housing financed with the State of Louisiana Housing Finance Agency bonds, sale of federal low income tax credits and developer equity.

Timing