Work begins to remodel downtown park

Construction has begun in downtown Repentance Park, the green space off River Road bordered on three sides by the River Center, the Old State Capitol and City Hall.

The $3.5 million renovation began Feb. 6 and is expected to be completed by Sept. 3.

The idea behind the remodeling is to provide a seamless connection between the park and the new North Boulevard Town Square, city officials said.

The park area, which has served as the site for the annual Baton Rouge Blues Festival, is separated from Galvez Plaza and the Town Square by a wall and staircases that tend to hide the park, said Davis Rhorer, director of the Downtown Development District.

But after construction is finished, pedestrians will be able to move easily from one area to the next, he said.

“We had this area we knew that wasn’t functioning the way it could be,” Rhorer said. “People don’t envision that Repentance Park is near North Boulevard. You know it’s there, but it’s hard to get to and you never see people there.”

The construction project will open up the park and link it to the recently renovated Galvez Plaza and Town Square.

“We reshaped and refigured Town Square, and now people are using it everyday,” Rhorer said of the construction work completed in December.

Repentance Park’s most prominent feature, a massive circular fountain that can be seen across the street from the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum, will be removed and replaced with green space.

A more modern, interactive jet fountain that costs less to operate will be installed on the other end of the park, closer to Galvez Plaza, Rhorer said.

The project is funded through state sales tax rebate money designated for downtown construction.

The project is part of the “overall greening” of downtown Baton Rouge, which is an effort to make the area more attractive for people to enjoy festivals, outdoor concerts or just taking a break outside, Rhorer said.

The $7.2 million Town Square renovation was completed in late December and added two stages, a fountain and a 42-foot-high “media beacon” with flat screen panels to display photos, presentations and sometimes movies.