wafb.com
On Wednesday, April 5, a topping-off ceremony was held for the third building at the Water Campus, located along the Nicholson corridor between downtown Baton Rouge and LSU.
Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, Baton Rouge Area Foundation President/CEO, John Davies, and Mayor-president Sharon Weston Broome joined President/CEO of The Water Institute of the Gulf, Justin Ehrenwerth, for the ceremony. Local officials and guests signed a piece of structural steel that will be installed near the top of the building, which is set to be completed by December of 2017.
This 34,000 square foot building will contain office space on the first and second floors, with an 8,000 square foot conference center on the third floor. The conference center will host academic conventions, research conferences, and will also serve as an event venue for both corporate and private receptions.
The Water Campus is a $60 million urban development project in downtown Baton Rouge and is the home of the Center for Coastal & Deltaic Solutions and The Water Institute of the Gulf, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, and the LSU Center for River Studies.
"Today's topping-off ceremony fulfills another milestone in our commitment to position Louisiana as a leader in the coastal solutions water sector. The Center for Coastal & Deltaic Solutions will propel Louisiana onto the cutting edge of coastal protection innovation, with Baton Rouge serving as a thriving landmark for major businesses and restoration projects," said Davies.
"This remarkable building on the bank of the Mississippi River represents and exciting future for The Water Institute of the Gulf. Together, we will move forward with restoring our coast while exporting the knowledge and science-based solutions developed in Louisiana to coastal and deltaic communities around the word. This iconic building will not only serve as a landmark in Baton Rouge, but it will become a gathering point for experts from around the world," said Ehrenwerth.
The Water Campus will serve as a catalyst for development along the Nicholson corridor and is a strategic location for future interaction between regional, national, and international coastal, environmental, and water-related stakeholders.