RDA transferring land in Ardendale to state for automotive training center, allied health facility

The East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority is finalizing paperwork today to transfer to the state 20 acres of property at Ardendale for the construction of an 86,000-square-foot automotive training center and 45,000-square-foot allied health facility. Both facilities will be part of Baton Rouge Community College’s new east campus, the centerpiece of the mixed-use development known as Ardendale, which sits on 200 acres north of Florida Boulevard in a neighborhood formerly called Smiley Heights. Once the transfer of the 20 acres is complete, the state will put out for bid the Center for Excellence in Auto Technology, as the automotive training center is officially known. Construction is set to begin in January, and it is expected to open in September 2016. The allied health training facility is scheduled to be completed in late 2016, as is a Career Academy High School, which will be developed on 8 acres that will be transferred to the East Baton Rouge Parish School System in the coming weeks. RDA President and CEO Walter Monsour says while work is proceeding with the ambitious project, the RDA continues to be hampered by a lack of long-term funding. At an upcoming special meeting, the RDA board of directors will discuss options for permanent funding. The meeting is scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Monday, Oct. 13, at the offices of the Mortgage Finance Authority, 601 St. Ferdinand St. —Stephanie Riegel