THREE, TWO, ONE. GOOD AFTERNOON. WELCOME TO TODAY'S METROPOLITAN COUNCIL ZONING MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, [CALL TO ORDER ] [00:00:09] JUNE 17TH, 2026. WE OFFICIALLY CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. JUSTIN, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBERS THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST TO MOVE ITEMS TWO AND THREE TO TAKE THEM TOGETHER BEFORE WE GET TO ITEM ONE. [Items 2. & 3.] AND SO WE'RE GOING TO GO STRAIGHT TO ITEM TWO AT THIS TIME. ITEM NUMBER TWO FUTUREEBR TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT AMENDMENT, MAJOR STREET PLAN TO AMEND THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS SO AS TO AMEND THE MAJOR STREET PLAN BY REDUCING THE RIGHT OF WAY WIDTH SHOWN 125FT TO NO LESS THAN 100FT FOR THE SEGMENT OF BURBANK DRIVE BETWEEN MILFORD AVENUE TO WEST PARKER BOULEVARD. PLANNING STAFF FINDINGS RECOMMEND APPROVAL BASED ON REVIEWS OF THE AREA AND A GREATER LEVEL OF DETAIL CONSIDERING THE TERMINATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE, THAT THE REDUCTION OF RIGHT OF WAY WILL BE APPROPRIATE. WE'LL OPEN UP PUBLIC HEARING THIS TIME FOR THE ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? CHARLES LANDRY I'M HERE AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEVELOPER IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. MY APOLOGIES. SO ITEM THREE IS LET ME READ IT. SO SPUD 126 LV COLLECTIVE STUDENT HOUSING TO REZONE THE GENERAL RESIDENTIAL, A4 TO SMALL PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT FOR A HIGH DENSITY MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WITH COMMERCIAL ON PROPERTY LOCATED NORTH OF BURBANK DRIVE, EAST OF MILFORD AVENUE. PLANNING STAFF FINDINGS. THE STAFF CERTIFIES THE PROPOSED REQUEST. WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCIL. SO MOVE. ALL RIGHT. MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCILMAN MOAK. SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN. ANY OBJECTIONS? MOTION PASSED. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU. ALL RIGHT. ITEM NUMBER ONE. PLAN BATON ROUGE THREE SMALL AREA PLAN. [1. 26-00648 PA-2-26 Plan Baton Rouge III Small Area Plan ] THE PLAN FOCUSES ON THE DOWNTOWN HISTORIC CORE OF BATON ROUGE, GENERALLY BOUNDED BY THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER ON THE WEST OKLAHOMA STREET, NICHOLSON DRIVE AND MYRTLE AVENUE ON THE SOUTH, THE CANADIAN PACIFIC KANSAS CITY RAILROAD CORRIDOR ON THE EAST AND CHOCTAW DRIVE AND ADJACENT RAIL SPUR EXTENDING TOWARDS NORTH 3RD STREET AND EILAND STREET CORRIDOR ON THE NORTH, RETURNING TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN PLANNING STAFF FINDINGS. THE PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL. WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME FOR THE ITEM. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? STATE YOUR NAME AND WHO YOU ARE. ERIC DEXTER, 574 SILVERBILL LANE. I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF CIVIC LEADERSHIP INITIATIVES AT THE BATON ROUGE AREA FOUNDATION. I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE AS BEING THE PROJECT LEAD ON THIS PROJECT, AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS. ONE TO THANK YOU AGAIN, CHAIRMAN, AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR WALKING THIS JOURNEY WITH US OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS AS WE'VE DEVELOPED THIS PLAN. I JUST WANTED TO SAY HERE IN BATON ROUGE, WE LOVE OUR SPORTS EVEN SO MUCH. SO WE DECIDED TO HIRE AND ELECT A COACH TO BE OUR MAYOR. BUT YOU DON'T BUILD A DYNASTY IN ONE SEASON IN SPORTS. YOU ESTABLISH A SYSTEM, YOU TRUST THE PROCESS. YOU LET THE RESULTS ACCUMULATE OVER TIME. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS COMMUNITY DID WITH PLAN BATON ROUGE ONE AND TWO. MORE THAN 25 YEARS AGO, PLAN BATON ROUGE ONE HELPED TO REIMAGINE A DOWNTOWN THAT EXPERIENCED DECADES OF DISINVESTMENT WITH THE RENEWED FOCUS ON DOWNTOWN AT THE HEART OF OUR REGION. A DECADE LATER, PLAN BATON ROUGE TWO EXPANDED DIVISION, PRIORITIZING CONNECTIVITY, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, AND A STRONGER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. IT WORKED. TOGETHER. THOSE PLANS LED TO $3 BILLION IN BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENTS OVER TWO DECADES. THAT'S NOT A COINCIDENCE THAT'S THE COMPOUNDING POWER OF CLEAR, COMMUNITY BACKED PLAN EXECUTED OVER TIME. THOSE PLANS CATALYZED THE DOWNTOWN GREENWAY NORTH BOULEVARD, TOWN SQUARE, GALVEZ PLAZA, THE SHAW CENTER FOR THE ARTS, NEW RESIDENTIAL HIGH RISES LIKE THE HERON DOWNTOWN AND 525 LAFAYETTE AND A HOTEL MARKET THAT SIMPLY DIDN'T EXIST BEFORE. THAT TRANSFORMED DOWNTOWN FROM A PLACE PEOPLE LEFT AT WORK AT THE END OF THE DAY, INTO A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE INCREASINGLY CHOOSE TO LIVE, WORK, VISIT, AND INVEST. PHASE TWO ALONE SAW OVER 80% OF ITS 104 PROPOSALS IMPLEMENTED AND EARNED NATIONAL RECOGNITION. THIS REGION PROVED IT KNOWS HOW TO EXECUTE, BUT OUR WORK IS NOT FINISHED. PLAN BATON ROUGE TWO WAS COMPLETED IN 2009, AND A LOT HAS CHANGED IN 16 YEARS. DOWNTOWN DESERVES AN UPDATED PLAYBOOK. PLAN BATON ROUGE THREE IS THAT PLAYBOOK? IT'S PRACTICAL, IT'S AN IMPLEMENTABLE. ROADMAP, TARGETING MORE THAN $1.5 BILLION IN EARLY INVESTMENT, OVER 5,000 NEW JOBS, $37 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL TAX, ANNUAL TAX REVENUE, AND TRIPLING DOWNTOWN'S RESIDENTIAL POPULATION OVER THE NEXT DECADE. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS PLAN WAS BUILT BY THE COMMUNITY THROUGH SURVEYS, PUBLIC MEETINGS, [00:05:01] WORKSHOPS, STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS, THOUSANDS OF VOICES HELPED SHAPE ITS RECOMMENDATIONS. THIS ISN'T A PLAN HANDED DOWN. IT'S A PLAN THAT HAS BEEN EARNED. TODAY'S VOTE IS NOT THE END OF A PLANNING PROCESS. IT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT CHAPTER. SO, ON BEHALF OF THE BATON ROUGE AREA FOUNDATION, OUR STEERING COMMITTEE AND HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUSINESS OWNERS, NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS, AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS WHO SHAPE THIS VISION, I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN ADOPTING PLAN BATON ROUGE THREE INTO FUTURE BR. WE'VE PROVEN WE CAN DO THIS WITH PLANS ONE AND TWO. THEY GAVE US THE RECEIPTS. SO TODAY PLAN BATON ROUGE THREE GIVES US THE ROADMAP. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. DEXTER. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF. SURE. HI. I'M LAURA CATING, AND I'M THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS FOR VISIT BATON ROUGE. WE'RE HERE TO STATE OUR SUPPORT FOR PLAN BATON ROUGE THREE AND TO APPLAUD THE UNIFIED EFFORT BEHIND THIS PLAN, THE COLLABORATIVE APPROACH BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES, INCLUDING OUR MAYOR AND OUR CITY OFFICIALS, AS WELL AS THE CONCERTED EFFORT TO RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT. A GREAT DEAL OF PUBLIC INPUT HAS LED US TO TODAY, A VERY IMPORTANT POINT. SO AS THE DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION FOR OUR ENTIRE PARISH REPRESENTING ALL FIVE MUNICIPALITIES. VISIT BATON ROUGE HAS BEEN REALLY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS PLAN TO ENHANCE THE PARISH'S FRONT PORCH DOWNTOWN REFLECTS OUR PARISHES VITALITY TO VISITORS, MEETING PLANNERS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE. TWO KEY AREAS ADDRESSED BY PLAN BATON ROUGE THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE VISITOR ECONOMY. OUR FIRST OUR RIVERFRONT. YOU HEARD ERIC MENTION IT, BUT THE PLAN DRIVES FOCUS TO THIS RIVERFRONT, SHOWCASING BATON ROUGE'S IDENTITY AS A RIVER CITY. IT PROPOSES ENTERTAINMENT VENUES ON THE RIVER COMPLETELY REIMAGINES THE PARK NEAR CITY DOCK, WHICH IS A KEY AREA OF OPPORTUNITY TO BETTER WELCOME OUR RIVERBOAT CRUISE PASSENGERS. TWO YEARS AGO, WHEN WE DOVE INTO A PERIOD OF RESEARCH AND VISITOR FEEDBACK TO REDEFINE OUR OWN BRAND, WE NOTED HOW OFTEN MEETING PLANNER SURVEYS AND VISITOR DIARIES ENHANCED AND REFERENCED THE INTRIGUE OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. ONE MOTHER EVEN NOTED THE HIGHLIGHT OF HER TRIP, BEING THE MOMENT HER YOUNG DAUGHTER DISCOVERED A TURTLE FAMILY SUNNING THEMSELVES ON THE EDGE OF THE WATER. INTERNATIONAL VISITORS, LIKE THE THOUSANDS WHO WERE ALL FOLLOWING ON TWITTER, I'M SURE, WHO ARE ROAD TRIPPING ACROSS THE US RIGHT NOW FOR THE WORLD CUP. THEY OFTEN SHARE THAT A TRIP TO THE BANKS OF THE MISSISSIPPI IS ON THEIR AMERICAN BUCKET LIST. THEY HAVE TO DO IT WHILE THEY'RE HERE. CITIES LIKE MEMPHIS, CITIES LIKE OMAHA, THEY'RE CURRENTLY MAKING STRIDES TO RETURN THEIR FOCUS TO THE RIVERFRONT, AND THEIR VISITORS ARE NOTICING OURS WOULD TOO. SO SECOND WE LOVE THAT THIS PLAN FOCUSES ON THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE RAISING CANE'S RIVER CENTER. THE PLAN RECOGNIZES THE EFFORT TO REPOSITION THE RIVER CENTER, TO FOCUS ON CONVENTIONS AND ADD AN ADJACENT HOTEL, A HEADQUARTERS HOTEL. AS ONE OF THE LARGEST U.S. CITIES WITHOUT A DEDICATED CONVENTION CENTER WITH AN ATTACHED HOTEL, BATON ROUGE NEEDS AN INTEGRATED FACILITY TO HELP US COMPETE FOR CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY MISSING OUT ON. CITIES LIKE SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, WACO, TEXAS, ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA. TULSA, OKLAHOMA, AND MOBILE, ALABAMA ARE CURRENTLY INVESTING IN THEIR DOWNTOWN CONVENTION CENTERS, AND THEY'RE LEAVING BATON ROUGE BEHIND. UPGRADING THE RIVER CENTER FACILITIES IS CRUCIAL TO THE VIBRANCY OF DOWNTOWN, BUT THIS PLAN ALSO ADDRESSES NOT JUST UPDATING THE FACILITIES, BUT ALSO NEARBY ENTERTAINMENT AREAS, WALKABILITY, RIVERFRONT CONNECTION AND MORE TO ENHANCE THE OVERALL VISITOR EXPERIENCE. IT'S GOING TO CONNECT THEM TO OUR CULTURAL ASSETS ALL THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN. SO VISIT BATON ROUGE IS PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS AND TO BE A PART OF THE EFFORT TO BRING YOU TODAY THIS PLAN BATON ROUGE THREE AND THIS VISION FOR OUR FRONT PORCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT. IF NOT, MOVE TO COUNCIL. COUNCILMEMBERS. SURE. COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN. YES. SO WE HEAR PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. AND I SAY TO YOU, TODAY IS NOT JUST ABOUT A PLAN ON PAPER, BUT IT'S ABOUT CONTINUING THE MOMENTUM, THE PARTNERSHIP, THE INVESTMENT THAT'S NEEDED TO MOVE BATON ROUGE FORWARD TOGETHER. AND AS WE MOVE FROM PLANNING TO IMPLEMENTATION, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY TO DIG THE DIRT. I LIKE THE RIBBON CUTTING. SUCCESS WILL DEPEND ON MAINTAINING THE SAME SPIRIT OF PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION THAT WOULD MAKE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN POSSIBLE. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT INCLUSIVENESS IS INCLUDED IN THIS. [00:10:01] SO I SAY TO ALL OF MY COUNCILMEMBERS THAT THIS WILL BE GREAT BUT WE SHALL MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE ALL OF THE DISTRICT AND DISTRICTS AND KEEP EYES ON THE PLAN. AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I MOTION TO MOVE. ALL RIGHT. MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN. ANY OTHER COUNCIL COMMENTS AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT. SO MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MOAK. ANY OPPOSITION? ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. MOTION TO ADJOURN. ALL RIGHT. YOU HAVE AN AMAZING EVENING. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO TODAY'S ZONING MEETING FOR JUNE 17TH. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.