Gov. John Bel Edwards is expected to announce at a press conference this afternoon plans to cleanup the City Park Lakes.
Though details are sketchy, Edwards’ communications director Shauna Sanford confirms the governor will throw his support behind a request for state capital outlay funds to kick start the project.
Several other key entities also will be involved, sources familiar with the project say. LSU’s Real Estate and Facilities Foundation, which owns four of the lakes in the six-lake system, will serve as the facilitator of the multiyear project, which has been estimated to cost anywhere from $50 million to $80 million.
BREC, which owns the other two lakes, will also play a key role.
In late October, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, which conceived lake cleanup plans several years ago and funded a $1 million master plan for the project, asked BREC to put up $5 million towards the engineering and dredging of two of the lakes. The BREC Board of Commissioners did not vote on the request but the BREC administration has said it supports the effort.
The lakes were first dug in the 1930s, and last dredged in the early 1980s. Without any further dredging, the lakes will become mudflats.
The city-parish will also put up some funds from its MovEBR tax collections. Mayor Sharon Weston Broome is expected to join the governor, and officials from LSU, BRAF and BREC at today’s 1 p.m. announcement at the Capitol. Read Daily Report PM for details.
