Louisiana casino denied request to demolish historic building for parking

Wednesday, June 26, 2024 8:25 PM
  • Elizabeth Bourgeois, WAFB-TV

The Belle of Baton Rouge Casino has requested permission to demolish the Maritime II Building which was once part of the catfish town in downtown Baton Rouge. It’s located where Government Street turns into River Road and the casino wants to demolish the building for additional parking. The Historic Preservation Commission denied the Belle’s request.

”There are parking lots and parking garages in the vicinity, that was part of our questioning, and we just didn’t get a good sense of why this was required,” said Rex Cabaniss, a member of the Historic Preservation Commission.

The building is currently used as offices for the Belle and needs extensive repairs.