Much has happened since 225 debuted in 2005. Baton Rouge has morphed into a new city. Here’s a chronological look at how BR got where it is today.
2005
Courtesy Jim Zietz
JAN. 3 So long, Saban. Hello Les Miles: Les Miles officially becomes LSU’s 32nd head coach after Nick Saban announces his departure in December 2004 to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
JAN. 6 A. Hays Town dies at age 101: One of Louisiana’s most noted 20th-century architects and a Baton Rouge resident, Town leaves behind his signature style in the estimated 1,000 homes he designed. Acclaimed for his distinctive style, Hays designed many Baton Rouge homes with Spanish-influenced courtyards, plantation-style shutters, brick floors and Creole accents.
FEB. 24 First black police chief: Sgt. Jeff LeDuff is appointed by Mayor Kip Holden as the Baton Rouge police chief. With 22 years of experience on the force, he becomes the first African-American to head the Baton Rouge Police Department.
MAR. 5 Shaw Center for the Arts opens: The city’s largest mixed-use arts facility opens at 100 Lafayette St., housing the LSU Museum of Art, the Glassell Gallery, the Manship Theatre, Tsunami and more.
APR. 21 Baton Rouge gets an animation festival: The first annual Red Stick Animation festival draws 1,500 people. The festival grows each year, and more than 4,000 now attend the free event. In 2015, it is rebranded as the Red Stick International Festival, focusing on creative arts and technology.
AP file photo
AUG. 25 Katrina hits: A Category 5 storm before making landfall, the hurricane devastates southern Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. The storm prompts a huge influx of temporary and permanent residents to Baton Rouge.
SEPT. 2 Craigslist assists residents:Baton Rouge is added to Craigslist and quickly becomes a place to search for shelter, supplies and missing relatives in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
OCT. 5 Big move for The Advocate: The newspaper moves from its deteriorating downtown office to a 150,000-square-foot facility on Bluebonnet Boulevard.
NOV. 1 225debuts: The first issue of 225magazine hits the stands.
NOV. 19 Baton Rougeans go to Towne: Home to the city’s first Whole Foods grocery store and shops like Mignon Faget, The Towne Center at Cedar Lodge opens. Today, the complex houses more than a dozen restaurants and nearly 50 boutiques and shops.
2006
FEB. 1 Capitol Park Museum opens: Part of the Louisiana State Museum system, the new 69,000-square-foot museum opens downtown.
APR. 2 Perkins Rowe opens: After surviving multiple mishaps, the plans for Perkins Rowe finally work out and Baton Rougeans get a new playground full of restaurants, boutiques and apartments. Phase two of the complex opens in 2008.
APR. 13 Emerson Bell dies at age 74: A lifelong local resident, artist, jazz musician and teacher, Bell leaves behind a legacy still remembered nearly 10 years after his death. He was the first artist-in-residence in Baton Rouge schools supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
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AUG. 30 Capitol House reopens:The Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center has its grand opening. The historic 1927 art deco-style downtown building is resurrected with a $70 million renovation after its abandonment in 1985.
SEPT. 6 ‘All the King’s Men’ premieres: This locally shot movie starring big Hollywood names makes its worldwide debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, prompting movie producers to consider Louisiana for future movie shoots.
DEC. 13 Perkins Road Hardware burns: Baton Rouge loses another favorite to flames when this family-owned store, a neighborhood fixture for nearly 50 years, is destroyed in a two-alarm fire.
2007
JAN. 1 No butts about it: With the new year comes a new (and somewhat controversial) law: no smoking in workplaces or restaurants—not even in designated areas. Some bar-and-grills follow.
MAR. 20 Bye-bye, Big Baby: Glen “Big Baby” Davis announces he won’t play for LSU his senior year. The 6-foot-9, 289-pound forward enters the NBA draft, making his pro debut with the Seattle Supersonics.
JUN. 29 Cell phone upgrade: Steve Jobs and Apple release the first iPhone, launching the smartphone culture we know today.
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JUL. 9 Embarrassing politics: Sen. David Vitter apologizes for his connection to a D.C.-based prostitution ring. A day later, he is also linked to a madam in New Orleans. He calls the revelations “a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible.”
JUL. 13 Lombardi system: John Lombardi is named the fifth president of the LSU System. He is terminated in 2012 after clashing with the board.
AUG. 25 Call me Mike: LSU’s current Bengal-mix tiger mascot arrives in Baton Rouge. Mike VI is one of the school’s most gentle and interactive mascots, says his vet,
David Baker.
OCT. 28 Sunday fun day: Brunch becomes much more fun as Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden signs an ordinance that relaxes the long-standing Sunday liquor ban. Restaurants can serve alcohol from 11 a.m. to midnight; stores can sell before 11 a.m. Bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys, anyone?
DEC. 1 A touchdown for the win: The LSU Tigers defeat the Tennessee Volunteers 21-14 to win their third SEC Championship football game since the annual east vs. west conference contest began in 1992. The Bayou Bengals end the regular season with the best conference record for the 10th time.
2008
JAN. 7 Third time’s the charm:About a month after LSU football’s SEC Championship win, the team claims its third national championship title with a 38-24 win in the Superdome over the Ohio State Buckeyes.
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JAN. 31 Ice cream, you scream:Kleinpeter Dairy begins production on its new ice cream line, starting with vanilla and chocolate flavors. Kleinpeter ultimately discontinues its ice cream line in February 2015.
FEB. 18 Caught red-handed: Or red-lighted, perhaps. Drivers fall victim to the city’s first red-light cameras at Sherwood and Coursey boulevards.
MAR. 18 Happy Tuesdays: Happy’s Running Club holds its first run, attracting 17 people. Now, more than 100 members gather at Happy’s Irish Pub on Third Street every Tuesday to run, walk or drink beer and watch other members run.
MAR. 27 BRAC gets new president: Adam Knapp is appointed president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. Years later, he’s still in the position, helping BRAC make significant contributions to the local economy.
JUN. 30 End of a legacy: Long-time LSU baseball coach and Athletic Director Skip Bertman’s official tenure as A.D. ends, but he continues to work in emeritus status and raise funds for LSU athletics.
JUL. 10 Local brews: Baton Rougeans prove their love for local java such as CC’s Coffee. Starbucks announces the closing of nine locations in the city due to loss of revenue.
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SEPT. 1 Gustav sweeps Louisiana:Hurricane Gustav makes landfall as a Category 2 storm and is the first tropical weather system that causes serious local damage since Hurricane Betsy in 1965. It takes more than two months for the city to clean up debris.
SEPT. 8 Living in the dark (and heat):A week after Gustav, thousands of residents are still without power. Entergy faces mass criticism as many residents are hospitalized for heat exhaustion and dehydration.
OCT. 4 We pick Kip: Mayor-president Melvin “Kip” Holden is re-elected for a second term with 71% of the vote. Earlier in the summer, Storyville and Giraphic Prints creates a T-shirt with the mayor’s caricature and the slogan, “Kip Holden—Freshness you can believe in.”
OCT. 14 Kress redeveloped: One of downtown’s many structures on the National Historic Register, the Kress Building opens as a multi-use facility with residential, business and retail space. It was the first location of the Baton Rouge sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement of the ’60s.
DEC. 30 The Bulldog comes to B.R.: This bar and its expansive beer menu just barely makes the list of new bars in 2008 with an end-of-the-year opening. Though it originated in New Orleans, the bar is a Baton Rouge staple today.
2009
FEB. 17 Stanford’s scheme: Financier Allen Stanford briefly disappears from the business world and the media when his $8 billion Ponzi scheme is uncovered. Federal officials raid the Stanford Group’s offices downtown and charge the billionaire with fraud.
FEB. 20 LSU baseball gets a new home:The Tigers break in the new 10,000-seat Alex Box Stadium farther down Nicholson Drive at Gourrier Lane after one last winning season in the old Alex Box Stadium.
APR. 9 So surreal:The first Surreal Salon Soiree celebrates the opening of a one-of-a-kind pop art exhibit at the Baton Rouge Gallery. The over-the-top, costumed annual gala regularly draws hundreds of residents and artists, and the gallery exhibit receives art submissions from all over the nation.
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MAY 9 Coke relocates: The Baton Rouge Coca-Cola Bottling Company moves to its new 781,000-square-foot facility on Plank Road. The expansion creates more than 100 jobs and a $93 million local investment.
MAY 20 Bad news:The Advocate announces plans to lay off 49 employees, the first significant staff reduction since The State-Times went under in 1991. Publisher David Manship blames the move on the recession.
MAY 30 Downtown development continues: City-parish officials release plans for North Boulevard Town Square, which will become one of the city’s premier social gathering places for festivals, concerts, outdoor movie viewings and more.
JUN. 21 Spanish Town wins: Spanish Town residents and cultural preservationists fight back against developers who plan to demolish historic homes to make room for multi-storied apartments.
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JUL. 1 Chelsea’s Bill:Gov. Bobby Jindal signs Senate Bill 136, also know as “Chelsea’s Bill,” into effect. The law allows restaurants that earn more than 50% of monthly revenue from food sales to charge covers for live nighttime entertainment, leading to a big increase in revenue for venues like Chelsea’s.
OCT. 9 Celtic Media Centre opens: In the works since 2005, the center hosts a ribbon cutting ceremony for its 23-acre film lot. The largest studio facility in Louisiana, Celtic Media Centre helps Baton Rouge coin itself “Hollywood of the South.”
DEC. 22 Perkins Road expands: Residents breathe a sigh of relief as the Perkins Road expansion from Siegen Lane to Bluebonnet Boulevard is completed one month ahead of schedule. The problem it remedied later surfaces on Essen Lane.
2010
JAN. 1 New year, new troubles: The Acadian-Perkins Plaza catches fire on New Year’s Day. The Caterie, Claitor’s Law Books and Publishing, CVS Pharmacy, Imaging Office Center and more burn down.
FEB. 7 We are the champions: The Who Dat Nation erupts in tears of joy as the New Orleans Saints defeat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 to win Super Bowl XLIV. It is the Saints’ first-ever Super Bowl appearance in the franchise’s 43-year history and the team’s most successful season.
FEB. 12 Let it snow: One inch of snow is measured in Baton Rouge—enough for the National Weather Service to issue the city a winter storm warning.
MAR. 3 On the rise: Economy.com announces that the majority of the Capital Region has climbed out of the deep recession of 2009 and is on the way to recovery.
AP file photo
APR. 20 Oil spill: The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes, claiming the lives of 11 rig workers and causing the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history. The well leaks millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf, until the well is finally capped three months later.
MAY 29 Superfest, super crowds:Bayou Country Superfest comes to Baton Rouge for its first year and proves to be wildly successful, drawing crowds of more than 85,000 people.
JUL. 6 Son of a gun: Gov. Bobby Jindal signs into effect one of the more controversial bills from the 2010 Louisiana legislative session. The new law allows firearms to be carried into houses of worship and allows church officials to hire off-duty police and security guards to protect church attendees.
JUL. 9 Vampires in Baton Rouge: Summit Entertainment announces it will bring the blockbuster Twilight saga to the Capital City, filming both parts of Breaking Dawn here in the fall.
SEPT. 15 History repeats itself: Because of the recession, the state’s higher education system faces the impending doom of budget cuts and hundreds of lost jobs. Students protest and march the state capitol—and the same thing will happen five years later.
SEPT. 27 Big money: Pinnacle Entertainment releases plans for its new River Road casino that ups the original budget by more than $100 million and includes a permanent employment count of 1,000. L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge opens two years later.
OCT. 6 Instant moments: Instagram launches as a free mobile app and within two months has 1 million users. Today, many Baton Rouge restaurants and businesses use the photo-sharing site to communicate with potential customers.
2011
FEB. 2 Getting creative: The Baton Rouge Area Chamber launches a new brand campaign and business plan for Baton Rouge, calling it the “Creative Capital of the South.”
FEB. 3 Census shift:The Capital Region surpasses the 800,000-person population mark, and East Baton Rouge registers as the largest parish in the state with more than 440,000 residents. The growth pushes the region into the big leagues of business.
MAY 25 Heart health:Our Lady of the Lake Hospital breaks ground on the 330,000-square-foot, nine-story heart and vascular tower, expanded emergency room and Baton Rouge’s first Level I trauma center.
File photo
JUN. 7 Moving up: Fifteen years after it began business near the LSU campus, Baton Rouge-based chain Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers opens its 100th location in Laurel, Mississippi.
JUL. 27 Game on:Ground breaks on the new Louisiana Digital Media Center near LSU’s John M. Parker Coliseum. The $29-million, 94,000-square-foot building houses the video game testing center for Electronic Arts—best known for its Madden NFL franchise—and the university’s Center for Computation and Technology.
OCT. 7 Mid City hangout: Radio Bar opens in the Ogden Park Shopping Center and brings funky vibes, local music and good beer to Government Street. It attracts other new businesses to set up shop in the surrounding area and is one of the few bars in Mid City to this day.
OCT. 22 Bobby’s back: Gov. Bobby Jindal coasts into a second term as governor after he wins 66% of the total vote over nine other candidates in the open primary.
DEC. 4 Back on track: With help from the Honey Badger, the LSU football team defeats Georgia 42-10 and wins the SEC championship game. This is the 11th time LSU garners the best regular season conference record since the tally began in 1933. The victory earns the Tigers another trip to the BCS Championship Game in New Orleans in January.
2012
MAR. 3 BRAF co-founder dies:John W. Barton Sr., described as the “father of modern Baton Rouge” by former BRAF President John Davies, dies. He co-founded BRAF, Forum 35 and the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation.
MAY 24 Breaking news:The Times-Picayune announces it will cut print circulation to three days a week on Oct. 1. The paper and NOLA.com later expand their Baton Rouge market, and The Advocate starts a New Orleans paper of its own.
MAY 29 Holy wholesale:National warehouse chain Costco signs a purchase agreement for the former Coca-Cola bottling facility on Airline Highway at 1-12, indicating Baton Rouge has a bigger wholesale market than originally thought. The store opens in April 2014.
JUN. 1 School choice: The state legislature passes Gov. Jindal’s education voucher program, shifting funds to charter schools and angering teachers and parents of public school students. Nov. 3, a state judge rules the Louisiana school voucher program unconstitutional.
Courtesy Universal Pictures
JUN. 14 A cappella days: The soon-to-be blockbuster comedy Pitch Perfect begins filming in Baton Rouge, yet again upholding the nickname “Hollywood of the South.”
JUN. 25 Mural magic: The Walls Project artists Saliha Staib and Clark Derbes complete the art program’s first mural at 340 Florida St. To date, The Walls Project has painted 29 murals around Baton Rouge, and more are coming soon.
JUL. 30 Fortune gone: Baton Rouge loses its only Fortune 500 Company when Chicago Bridge & Iron Company buys The Shaw Group for $300 million.
AUG.29 Take two: Hurricane Isaac slams into Louisiana’s coast on the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Though not as powerful as Katrina, Isaac still produces gusts of wind above 90 mph and water surges of almost 12 feet.
Courtesy L’Auberge Casino & Hotel
SEPT. 1 A huge gamble: L’Auberge Casino & Hotel opens its complex on 575 acres of land fronting the Mississippi River, investing $368 million in one of the most undeveloped parts of Baton Rouge.
OCT.29 Crime rate rises: Baton Rouge makes the FBI’s list of the top 25 most dangerous cities, ranking 25th and beating out cities like New York, Chicago and Boston. Capital City businessman Lane Grigsby launches the “Fight, not Fear” campaign to advocate for police unification.
NOV.6 Long-term: Mayor Kip Holden is re-elected for a third term, winning 60% of the votes.
DEC.16 Star struck: Country star Rosanne Cash makes a stop in Baton Rouge and plays a show at the Red Dragon Listening Room, likely one of the smallest venues in which she’s ever performed.
2013
FEB. 6 White’s out: Mayor Kip Holden publicly fires the city’s police chief, Dewayne White. Holden accuses White of lying and violating statutory and public law.
File photo
MAR. 9 Baton Rouge becomes a TED town: The first TEDxLSU is held. Themed “Evolve,” it features speakers such as Casey Phillips, Jacques Rodrigue, Camille Manning-Broome, Michael Desmond, Jensen Moore, Jose A. Bowen, Kenny Nguyen, Tucker Barry and Brian Dixon, among others.
MAR. 27 Flagship’s new leader: LSU names F. King Alexander as its new president and chancellor of the A&M College. The decision is controversial, as LSU refuses to release the names of other candidates.
APR. 18 Louisiana gets a film fest:The first Louisiana International Film Festival kicks off at the Joy Theatre in New Orleans and continues the next day in Baton Rouge at Celtic Media Centre, with locally filmed movies like The Ice Man and Black Rock. Since 2014, the festival has been held in Baton Rouge at Cinemark Perkins Rowe.
JUN. 5 No public opinion: After months of advocating for hospital privatization, Gov. Bobby Jindal signs a bill eliminating the public’s right to vote on Jefferson Parish hospitals.
JUL. 24 Held accountable:East Bank levee authorities near New Orleans file a historic lawsuit against 97 oil, gas and piping companies. The suit calls for repairs on damaged wetlands and payment for years of coastal damage. Gov. Bobby Jindal fails to kill the case until almost a year later, when he signs a bill targeted at such lawsuits.
AUG. 10 Bye, Bye, Honey Badger: LSU’s “Honey Badger,” Tyrann Mathieu, is dismissed from the football team after failing more than 10 drug tests for marijuana.
SEPT. 18 Splitsville: The proposal for a new City of St. George in East Baton Rouge Parish is officially launched, and campaigning begins both for and against it. Gov. Bobby Jindal announces his support of the proposition Sept. 21.
File photo
SEPT. 26 Big business: IBM holds the groundbreaking ceremony for its $55 million Baton Rouge service center on Lafayette Street. The company expects to directly employ more than 800 people and indirectly create more than 500 other jobs in Baton Rouge.
OCT. 1 Federal shutdown: The federal government ceases all operations for 16 days in the first total shutdown since 1996. State parks and recreational facilities are forced to close, charitable organizations cannot operate and exporting any livestock is disallowed.
2014
JAN. 27 Snow day: Schools and many businesses close for what would turn into a four-day “snowstorm,” wreaking havoc on roads and costing the city roughly $2 million in preparation costs and lost product revenue.
MAR. 17 Edwards is at it again: Former Gov. Edwin Edwards reignites his political career, announcing he will run in the race for the 6th Congressional District.
APR. 22 No smoking: New Orleans bans smoking in all bars, restaurants and casinos—The Bulldog in Baton Rouge follows, becoming the first bar in the Capital City to fully ban smoking indoors.
AP file photo
JUN. 8 Miss USA:The USA portion of the Miss Universe pageant is held in Baton Rouge for the first time, putting the city on the national radar and bringing in $2.6 million in hotel occupancy alone.
SEPT. 30 Fueling the future: Louisiana’s first natural gas liquefaction facility is slated to be built on 80 acres at the Port of Baton Rouge. Construction on Tenaska Bayou LNG is underway, expected to create more than 100 construction jobs and around 30 direct and indirect permanent jobs.
OCT. 25 Football gets fined: LSU fans pour onto the field after the win against Ole Miss in Death Valley, and the SEC fines LSU $5,000 for violating its anti-field-rushing policy. Athletic Director Joe Alleva says he doesn’t mind paying the fine again if it means more LSU victories.
Courtesy Louie’s Cafe
NOV. 7 Louie’s big move:After 27 years, Louie’s Café moves out of its longstanding State Street location, taking up shop in a bigger, cleaner and more stylish spot that was the former Wendy’s on Lake Street.
NOV. 10 Students strike again:Athletic Director Joe Alleva issues a public apology statement after vulgar student section chants at the LSU-Alabama game are heard on the CBS broadcast of the game. The obscenities are directed at Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.
NOV. 15 North Gates keeps its coffee shop: Landowner Hank Saurage and business owner Clarke Cadzow reach an agreement on a new lease after Highland Coffees is almost booted out of LSU’s North Gates area. Locals protested the closing of the long-standing coffee shop and vowed to boycott any new business that would replace it.
2015
JAN. 22 Changes at Kleinpeter: After 11 years as president and CEO and 38 total years of service, Jeff Kleinpeter steps down as the leader of the local Kleinpeter Farms Dairy.
JAN. 24 The Response: Gov. Bobby Jindal faces backlash and protests for a public prayer rally at LSU. In the rally, dubbed “The Response,” Jindal appears as the keynote speaker. The event is sponsored by American Family Association, an anti-gay religious group.
MAR. 31 Emergency room closure: Because of a continuous loss of revenue, Baton Rouge General Mid City closes the doors to its emergency room after months of protest and debate.
APR. 30 No funds, no future: The state legislature threatens to drastically cut funding for higher education, but the students aren’t taking it. LSU students swarm the steps of the Capitol to protest budget cuts, shouting phrases such as, “No funds, no future.”
JUN. 24 The big leagues: Gov. Bobby Jindal announces his entry into the crowded 2016 presidential race, saying, “It is time for a doer.”
Photo by Allie Appel
JUN. 26 Love wins: The Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide after a 5-to-4 vote and rules that states cannot ban the legal union of homosexual couples.
JUN. 29 Smoke out: Gov. Jindal signs two bills that reform marijuana laws, making marijuana available to chronically ill patients and reforming criminal penalties for possession from a felony to a misdemeanor for a second offense. Efforts to pass similar legislation in 1978 and 1991 failed.
JUN. 29 Miss USA sees trouble:NBC announces it won’t air the Miss USA pageant, broadcast live from Baton Rouge, following comments about Mexican immigrants made by pageant co-owner Donald Trump during his presidential campaign. Although Reelz picks up the broadcast, the July 12 pageant nets its lowest ratings ever.
JUL. 17 Lakes redesign: The final master plan for the LSU and City Park lakes is presented, including an improved trail system, a bird-watching area, more green space and boat rentals.
