Advocate editorial:
Now that East Baton Rouge Parish voters have defeated Mayor Kip Holden’s $901 million tax and bond plan for capital improvements, voters won’t be seeing any version of this proposal until at least next year.

In the meantime, parish officials and supporters of the tax proposal should reflect on why the plan failed so that they can build consensus around a proposal that has a better chance of passage.
Our Views: Weighing tax defeat

On what this can mean for the future of Baton Rouge:
WBRZ

Tonight is the Vote YES rally at Walk-On’s from 4-7. Be there and bring your friends! Eagle 98.1 will be broadcasting live. There will be food and drink specials, and Mayor Kip Holden will be there, too.

Remember to check out the TV commercials –
OurFuture
GetMoving
Value

Watch Kip Holden’s commercial about our future!

Watch the mayor’s “Get Moving” commercial

Watch one of the mayor’s TV commercials:

Value

Progress Is Radio Spot

This calendar shows when reruns of Mayor Kip Holden’s 30-minute program, “Our Future. Our Vision.” will air.

Letter to the editor
Nov. 2, 2009

On Nov. 14, the citizens of East Baton Rouge Parish will vote on a capital improvements plan that will address parishwide infrastructure needs, public safety concerns, drainage, economic development and job creation.

Some of the most stimulating projects in the proposal will have a resounding impact on downtown Baton Rouge with positive effects felt throughout our capital region.

The Alive project is an opportunity that will add value to our community. It is a new level of attraction that will help catapult Baton Rouge up the ranks, making it a nationally recognized premier destination. The Alive project is the economic engine of the proposal that will reduce the payback period of the bonds by nearly 12 years. Alive will attract thousands of visitors and create thousands of jobs, resulting in millions of dollars that will be injected into our local economy.

This is an iconic attraction that, when approved, will be a defining moment for the capital city. It will mark another chapter in Baton Rouge’s quest to become America’s next great city.

As downtown continues to grow, so does its need for infrastructure. The bond proposal includes two parking garages that will solve our increasingly problematic need for parking. This investment will be immediately leveraged by the expansion of the River Center. These investments will quickly improve Baton Rouge’s status as a host city for major events and conventions bringing in new economic development dollars.

Last, the consolidation of city-parish government offices into a true City Hall will improve efficiency and provide a “one-stop shop” for the public to access government offices. Consolidating surrounding governmental offices into one will enable the option of either selling the old buildings or leasing them, providing it with another stream of revenue.

Historically, during the past 20 years, for every public dollar that has been invested in downtown, the private sector has invested $1.38. An unprecedented $2.21 billion has been invested in downtown through projects that have been completed, are under construction or are in the planning stage.

The Downtown Development District is committed to building a dynamic downtown that serves as the cultural and civic epicenter of activity, as well as a social hub for our community.

I strongly support the capital improvements plan and urge you to do the same. I believe the investments represented by the bond proposal will yield extraordinary results, making East Baton Rouge Parish an extraordinary place to live, work and play.

Davis Rhorer, executive director
Downtown Development District
Baton Rouge

By: Stephen Ward and Sandy Davis
Oct. 28, 2009 – Page 1A

Questions about the proposed Alive riverfront attraction and the Audubon Nature Institute dominated an informational meeting Tuesday night about the $901 million bond proposal on the Nov. 14 ballot.

But questions about the project did not keep state Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu from endorsing the bond issue earlier Tuesday.

Read the full Advocate article here

Holden makes Alive case to delegation:
Mayor Kip Holden made his case for Alive to the Capital Region Legislative Delegation this morning, although the group will not take a position on state funding for the project until after the Nov. 14 election.

Holden is seeking between $40 million and $42 million in capital-outlay funding to pay for building up the Alive site. The administration has touted the idea of swapping a yearly 50% match of state funds that goes toward the River Center expansion to Alive.
- Emma James

Back-and-forth on Holden’s bond issue at LWV lunch:
Data-wielding supporters and rhetoric-armed critics of next month’s $901 million bond vote addressed around 30 people today at a League of Women Voters of Baton Rouge lunch discussion. Speaking for Mayor Kip Holden’s bond proposal that links infrastructure work with downtown development, Mike Futrell, chief administrative officer for East Baton Rouge Parish, said the Epcot-style Alive attraction by the river would create permanent jobs and bring outside tax money to the city to help pay down the bond. “The business case for it is just too strong,” he said.
- Todd R. Brown

Read the complete stories at businessreport.com