Baton Rouge Coastal Research Center Could Bring 20k Jobs

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Baton Rouge will be the site of an expansive coastal research center called The Water Campus that will serve as a hub for work on restoring and protecting coastal communities.

The $45 million campus, announced Tuesday by state and local officials, will include an education and research center on an old dock along the Mississippi River and a river modeling center.

Gov. Bobby Jindal said the research facility will serve as a hub for public, private and academic coastal agencies to work together on solutions for sustaining wetlands and restoring the coast.

The state, Baton Rouge and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation will pay to build the research facility.

Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret said investment in the water management effort could bring 20,000 direct jobs to Louisiana by 2030.