BATON ROUGE — Baton Rouge leaders are striking up big ideas to keep more entertainment dollars in the Capital City. At Monday’s Baton Rouge Press Club meeting, local officials and business leaders discussed plans for a new world-class arena at LSU and a mid-size music venue, projects they say could bring more events, visitors, and revenue to the city.

“We see about 40% of people in Baton Rouge traveling outside of our community, half a dozen or more times to go to these entertainment events,” said Chris Meyer, president and CEO, Baton Rouge Area Foundation; “I’d rather them be able to spend their dollars here in Baton Rouge.”

The proposed arena and venue are part of a broader vision to expand Baton Rouge’s live entertainment options and transform its riverfront. The initiative would represent more than $1 billion in potential investment, officials said.

“We don’t have anything in the middle, and we certainly don’t have a quality arena today,” said Meyer. “What we’ve been working on collectively is to really bring over a billion dollars of investment to transform the River Center and add a new world-class arena at LSU.”

Supporters say the projects could help Baton Rouge compete with other cities when it comes to attracting concerts, sporting events, and conventions, all while boosting tourism and keeping local spending close to home.

“Unfortunately we rank 11th fewest in the nation, and this opportunity to really invest — both in the new LSU arena and a new mid-size music venue at the River Center — is exciting because it’s going to attract more people to our community and give us more live music opportunities,” said Meyer. 

Both projects remain in the discussion phase, but city leaders say they’re optimistic about the potential impact. If approved, they could bring new jobs, more entertainment, and millions in additional revenue to Baton Rouge.