BATON ROUGE – Officials broke ground on Central Green, a network of green spaces linking downtown Baton Rouge's cultural and civic attractions, on Wednesday morning.

Central Green is a part of Plan Baton Rouge II, dedicated to reconnecting Baton Rouge with the Mississippi River through several green spaces near City Hall.

Central Green will redesign the City Hall Plaza by linking institutions such as the library, the Old State Capitol, the Shaw Center and City Hall. The green spaces include Repentance Park, Galvez Plaza, North Boulevard Town Square and City Hall Plaza.

According to officials, the renovation will remove spaces in the plaza that are not used and replace them with a large green lawn and oak trees. The total construction cost of the project is $4.9 million, funded by State Sales Tax Rebates dedicated to riverfront improvements.

"I am so excited to begin construction on City Hall Plaza as it will greatly improve ADA accessibility and pedestrian circulation within and around City Hall and the River Center; making downtown Baton Rouge even more accessible for all residents, and an attractive and walkable destination for conventions and tourists." Mayor Sharon Weston Broome said.

Upgrades to the space will also include the installation of a sound system to accommodate press conferences, events and music.

To read more about construction plans click here.