Proposed Perkins Road Art District breezes through metro council

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By Emley Kerry

The proposed establishment of a cultural district along Perkins Road passed with flying colors through the Metro Council on July 24. The unanimous vote in support of the resolution now sends the cultural district application to the lieutenant governor's office.

The Cultural District would allow for the sale of original, one-of-a-kind works of art exempt from sales tax and would also give property owners, both commercial and residential, the opportunity to apply for a state historic tax credit if they chose to renovate their property.

In the first year the Cultural District Program was implemented, thirty-nine districts across the state were designated as cultural districts.

"The purpose of the Cultural District Program was a positive venture initiated by the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism through the lieutenant governor's office to help revitalize and positively impact the lives and livelihoods of citizens in neighborhoods throughout the state based on the art and culture that are intrinsic in those neighborhoods and that can flourish in those neighborhoods, and that really is the sole purpose of it," said Gaye Hamilton, cultural economy program coordinator for the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism.

The proposed Perkins Road Arts District would encompass the area from Southdowns Shopping Center to the Baton Rouge Gallery along Perkins Road. This would include George's, Zippy's, Chelsea's, and Perkins Road Parlour, among other businesses.

The idea of creating an arts district on Perkins Road was brought before neighborhood residents in a community meeting at the Baton Rouge Gallery on June 2 and again on June 23. The proposed Perkins Road Arts District would comprise of District 10, under Councilwoman Tara Wicker, and a small part of District 12, under Councilman Rodney "Smokie" Bourgeois.

"Initially we held sort of a preliminary meeting with some of the neighborhood leaders just to get the information out there and sort of see how this would fly, if this was something people wanted to entertain. As a result of that meeting, we decided to open it up to the larger community," said Wicker.

Because of issues raised at the first meeting, the borders of the proposed Perkins Road Arts District were redrawn to address constituents' concerns.

"After that meeting we had earlier [on] June 2, it was clear that there were questions about the cultural district initiative and how it affects homeowners and residents," said Paul Connelly, who has been pushing for the arts district designation. "As a result of those meetings, we were able to garner support for the district if we basically eliminated the residential aspect of it, so the Perkins Road Art District is a commercial district."

Angela Angelloz, the vice-president of the Southside Civic Association, read a statement of support for the cultural district at the meeting on June 23.

"We're delighted to think that [the] part of Perkins Road that runs through our neighborhoods, which span both District 10 and District 12, will have the opportunity to be hospitable and encouraging of artists," read Angelloz.

"We think artists make good neighbors," she added to laughter and applause

Other residents expressed concerns about zoning, but supporters of the cultural district stressed that it is not a rezoning issue and that the proposal is "zoning neutral."

The cultural district application will be submitted to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor by July 1, and will face deliberation by a board that will ultimately decide whether to award the cultural district designation to the area. To learn the fate of the area, residents will have to wait anxiously for the approval process, which is expected to take about 45 days after submission of the application, to conclude.

For more information about cultural districts in the state, visit the Web site of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism at www.crt.state.la.us/CulturalDistricts/

Originally Published: Issue 806 - July 1, 2009

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