Plans to build a new sports and entertainment arena on LSU’s campus can move forward after the East Baton Rouge Metro Council approved an ordinance that will limit live music events to no more than 3,500 attendees at the Raising Cane’s River Center.
LSU Chief Brand Officer Cody Worsham says they needed a commitment from East Baton Rouge government that if a new arena was constructed on LSU’s campus, it would not have to compete with the River Center for major concert events.
“We see this as a collaborative effort with the entire city of Baton Rouge and the community at-large, we want this arena to be a community asset not just a campus asset,” said Worsham.
The projected cost of a new arena is 350-to-400 million dollars. Worsham says the facility will not be taxpayer funded. Contributions made to the Tiger Athletic Foundation will also not fund the project. Worsham says they have several developers who are interested in building the arena and they would pay for it.
“Of course, they will receive ownership of the arena and they will be able to monetize that, it will be a 30-year lease for the land that the arena is built on, so that’s there incentive they can come in to create a development and bring in entertainment acts,” said Worsham.
Worsham says TAF is overseeing the project because of their experience with large capital projects and public-private ventures.
He says privately owned arenas on campuses is the model that is working in places like the University of Texas in Austin, Florida State in Tallahassee, and Arizona State in Tempe.
“We’re borrowing a little bit of the playbook that’s worked in other places, but putting our own Louisiana flavor on it and making sure we really get a gem for the city of Baton Rouge,” said Worsham.
Worsham says it’s possible we could see blueprints of what a new arena would look like later this summer.
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