East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority Programs
Community improvement plans
NORTHDALE
Is bordered by Canadian National Railroad to the west, Interstate 110 to the east, Choctaw Drive to the north and Interstate 110 to the south. This is one of Baton Rouge’s older neighborhoods established in 1956. Northdale was once a thriving neighborhood with Madison Avenue Park set in the middle and Memorial Stadium at the southern edge. Memorial Stadium was a beacon for cultural and recreational activities. Up until the mid 1980’s The Southern University Jaguars played football here. There are several proposed improvement projects for the Northdale area currently in various stages of planning.
Northdale Community Improvement Plan
- The Northdale Community Improvement plan is complete. Follow the links below to view the plan, appendix, or implementation matrix.
- Community Improvement Plan (21.6 MB)
- Appendix (21.1 MB)
- Implementation Matrix (290 KB)
News
20 May 2010 - Our first public meeting
A group of about 65 Northdale area residents gathered Thursday at the Community School for Apprenticeship Learning (CSAL) to work with members from the RDA and its consultant team to discuss and map out ideas for revitalizing their community. The meeting consisted of residents identifying assets within the community and challenges that need be addressed. Along with these challenges, the residents helped to locate potential sites for much needed development and revitalization projects. Types of development include: grocery stores or other types of shopping & services, clinics & pharmacies, daycare facilities, community centers, and new housing needs.
All the work and concerns voiced by the residents at this meeting are currently being evaluated and incorporated into plans that will be voted on by the residents at the next public meeting.
We greatly appreciate all the residents who volunteered their time at this meeting to let their voice be heard and helped to shape the future of the Northdale neighborhood. Please stay informed for future public meetings to continue the progress of moving forward in a positive direction.
Visioning Workshop Input Results
During the Northdale area Visioning Workshop, residents and stakeholders identified both assets and challenges, as well as areas of potential development. Assets identified include the Madison Avenue Park, Goldsby Field Park, and BREC Memorial Stadium. The Community School for Apprenticeship Learning was also identified as an asset, however some attendees also noted that it was a challenge because residents from the area cannot enroll their children to the school.
Other challenges include unsightly views near the rail road and DOTD Maintenance Yard, drainage issues throughout the neighborhood, and high crime near Goldsby Field Park. The area on Chestnut Street between North 18th and North 19th Streets was strongly identified as an opportunity for new housing. Additionally, many attendees indicated that a community center would be desirable on Scenic Highway in the Pawnee Street Park area. While many residents indicated the need to revitalize the existing businesses along Scenic Highway, opportunities for new commercial development were identified at the corner of Scenic Highway and Cherry Street, as well as at the corner of Scenic Highway and Foss Street.
Alternative Implementation Workshops 2010.08.14
The intent of the Alternatives & Implementation Workshop on August 14, 2010 was to gain public input on the catalyst area concepts developed by the Phillips-Davis Legacy, BROWN+DANOS team based on conducted market analysis and information received from the community at the Visioning Workshop on May 20, 2010. First, an introduction regarding the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority’s mission and an outline of the 5 CIPs project was given by Mark Goodson and Karen Phillips followed with a brief description of the process completed up to this point. Following the introductory presentations, Dana Brown revealed the concept plans created for the identified target area within Northdale. Attendees were given digital voting devices and were asked to vote on the concepts as a whole as well as individual components within each. After voting was completed, respondents took a brief break to visit participants of the Resource Fair while the consultant team made adjustments to the concepts. Finally, attendees reconvened at the tables and were shown an overall vision for the area and the preferred concepts illustrating their input were revealed. The Phillips-Davis Legacy, BROWN+DANOS team will continue to develop the Northdale Community Improvement Plan based on input received at both the Visioning and Alternatives & Implementation Workshops, technical analysis, collaboration with the RDA, and the team’s expertise.
Market analysis of the area was conducted to determine what types of catalytic development could be supported and conceptual designs were developed based on both the market analysis and the input from community residents. Two concepts for each of the two target areas were created for presentation to the public.
Analysis of input received by area residents at the Northdale Visioning Workshop identified one target area for future catalyst development. The site located along the southern corner of the neighborhood between I-110 and east of the BREC’s Goldsby Field, illustrated residents desires focused primarily on commercial and mixed-use infill with several areas of outdoor café seating. Design of the new catalyst development as well as plans for redevelopment and restoration of the entire neighborhood will continue to be refined over the next several weeks, and will be made available to the public in a final report.
Northdale - Inventory Maps
