A Louisiana legislator is reviving an attempt to create an economic development district along Plank Road that would raise a new tax to pay for economic development projects in the area, after the East Baton Rouge Metro Council rejected a similar proposal last fall.
House Bill 212, by state Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, D-Baton Rouge, brings back a plan first introduced by Metro Council member Darryl Hurst. But it reshapes key elements that drew opposition.
Hurst’s plan to create a Delmont Economic Development District failed after a lengthy debate in November. His colleagues took issue with its atypical board structure and questioned the impact of a proposed two-cent sales tax on a largely low-income area.
The new bill scales back the tax to one cent and tweaks the board structure, which could make it more politically viable.
If passed into law, the tax revenue would help pay for land acquisition, development, renovations, restorations and other investments.
“The Plank Road corridor deserves an economic development, but I think we have to be very intentional about how we do it,” Marcelle said.
Marcelle said she met with Hurst, who declined to comment for this story, and spoke with people in the area, which led her to reduce the sales tax and set the collection period at 20 years.
As a council matter last year, the district didn’t have an expiration date.
Who would oversee the district?
At the November meeting, Mayor-President Sid Edwards spoke in favor of the district, along with more than a dozen residents who called it a vital tool to curb crime and revitalize the corridor.
Council member Darryl Hurst, District 5, speaks during the Metro City Council Meeting on Wednesday, February 26, 2025.
But council members raised bipartisan concerns about the size of the tax and the lack of a major economic driver. They also opposed the way the board members who oversaw the district were selected: Three of the seven board seats in the early version of the district would have been appointed by Hurst, with four others controlled by the mayor, a state representative, a state senator and the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership — formerly known as the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.
After his proposal was rejected, a visibly frustrated Hurst said “We don’t care about oversight in certain places — just North Baton Rouge,” questioning whether there was a double standard in place as the council had just recently approved new taxing districts at LSU and Southern University.
“I don’t know if it was politics or what,” Marcelle said about the council’s decision. “I spoke to some of the people who were investing in it and thought it was better to change it to one cent to make it more palatable, and then make sure that district happened.”
Marcelle’s new iteration gives two seats to Hurst’s District 5 and one to Carolyn Coleman’s District 10, with the rest remaining the same.
Hurst’s version caps board service at six years. HB212 removes the cap but sets standardized four-year terms for members.
As of October 2025, the district contained only businesses and no registered voters, according to the registrar of voters. That means it would not require voter approval if authorized by the Legislature.
Why supporters want it
Marcelle said the area, which starts along Plank Road at Evangeline Street and stretches north up to U.S. 190, has enough economic drivers in place to make the district viable.
“We have great businesses there, like Krispy Kreme and like Tony’s Seafood,” she said. “I think adding additional businesses, like Walk-Ons and those types that can sustain that area, would be a driving force for other people to want to move there.”
While some hold concerns about imposing an additional cent of sales tax to shoppers at the area’s grocers like Shoppers Value, Marcelle said her research showed that most of those customers use SNAP benefits and would not be impacted.
The bill is awaiting its first committee hearing.
Marcelle says she hopes the council members who shot it down last time will now support the district in its new form.
“I’m not sure if there was some competing interest or whatever for other districts,” she said. “But I think it’s an opportunity for all of them to … get on board with seeing what they can do to help North Baton Rouge become the place that we know it can become. A thriving place for people to come work and play.”
