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Utilizing Tax Incentives to Cultivate Cultural Industries and Spur Arts-Related Development
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Louisiana Cultural Districts
Louisiana Cultural Districts

CULTURAL DISTRICTS PROGRAM

The Louisiana Cultural Districts Program was created by Act 298 of the 2007 Regular Session of the legislature. The primary goal of this initiative is to spark community revitalization based on cultural activity though tax incentives.

This site is intended to provide pertinent information to local governing authorities, key stakeholders, interested communities, organizations, businesses and individuals about the Cultural Districts program, the application process, and be a means whereby the public can offer feedback, and suggestions.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

July 1, 2011- The Office of the Lt. Governor and the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism are pleased to announce certification of 8 new Cultural Districts. This brings the total number of Cultural District to 59. They are in all 34 towns and 24 parishes in all corners of Louisiana, making this a successful, growing statewide initiative.

Eight (8) Round 5 Cultural Districts certified effective July 1, 2011

Highland Community Cultural DistrictShreveport
City of Denham Springs Cultural DistrictDenham Springs
Downtown DeRidder Cultural DistrictDeRidder
Breaux Bridge Cajun Creole Cultural DistrictBreaux Bridge
Grand Coteau Cultural DistrictGrand Coteau
Ascension Parish Cultural DistrictAscension
City of Donaldsonville Historic Cultural DistrictDonaldsonville
Old South Baton Rouge Cultural DistrictBaton Rouge

Six (6) Round 4 Cultural Districts certified effective February 8, 2010

Downtown Lafayette Cultural DistrictLafayette
Minden Art and History Cultural DistrictMinden
Cottage Shops Cultural DistrictLake Charles
Main Street Crowley Cultural DistrictCrowley
Town of Welsh Cultural and Historic DistrictWelsh
Mid City Cultural DistrictBaton Rouge

Six (6) Round 3 Cultural Districts certified effective September 16, 2009

St Francisville Downtown Cultural DistrictSt. Francisville
Hammond Cultural DistrictHammond
Abbeville Cultural and Heritage DistrictAbbeville
Village of Grand Cane Cultural DistrictGrand Cane
Irish Channel Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Perkins Road Arts DistrictBaton Rouge

Ten (10) Round 2 Cultural Districts certified effective February 10, 2009

Alexandria Cultural DistrictAlexandria
Baton Rouge Arts & Entertainment Cultural DistrictBaton Rouge
Charlestown Cultural DistrictLake Charles
Madisonville Cultural DistrictMadisonville
Riverside Cultural DistrictMonroe
Natchitoches Historic Cultural DistrictNatchitoches
Federal City, Tunisburg, & Algiers Point Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
South Broad Street Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Shreveport Downtown Cultural DistrictShreveport
West Monroe Cultural DistrictWest Monroe

Twenty nine (29) Round 1 Cultural Districts certified effective October 1, 2008

Midtown Cultural District of Abita SpringsAbita Springs
Deux Bayous Cultural DistrictArnaudville
Covington Cultural DistrictCovington
Eunice Prairie Cajun Cultural DistrictEunice
Grand Isle & Grand Cheniere Caminada Cultural DistrictGrand Isle
City of Gretna Cultural DistrictGretna
Houma Cultural DistrictHouma
Fontainebleau Cultural DistrictLacombe
Old Mandeville Cultural DistrictMandeville
Downtown Historic New Iberia Cultural DistrictNew Iberia
West End Historic New Iberia Cultural DistrictNew Iberia
French Quarter Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Freret-Claiborne Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Gentilly/Ponchatrain Park Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Bayou Road African American Heritage Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Downtown Development District Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Lafitte Greenway Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Lincoln Beach Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Lower Garden District Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Lower Ninth Ward Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Magazine Street Gallery Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Museum City Park Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Oak Street Riverbend Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Old Algiers Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Oretha Castle Haley Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Rampart-Basin Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
St. Claude Corridor Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
Viet Village Cultural DistrictNew Orleans
City of Slidell Olde Towne Cultural DistrictSlidell

2010 ANNUAL REPORT

The Executive Summary of the 2010 Annual Report features the highlights of the full report submitted to the legislature in February 2011. The full report is a compilation of the individual reports submitted by the 51 cultural districts in existence by 2010.

LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION

  1. Overview of the the Cultural District Program

  2. Act 298

  3. Cultural Districts Rules

  4. Historic Tax Credit Information

  5. Art Defined for the Cultural Districts Program Q & A

  6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  7. Forms

  8. Sales Tax Exemption Instructions

  9. Cultural Districts Power Point Presentation

  10. National Trends

  11. Public Meetings

RESOURCES for CULTURAL DISTRICTS

Creative Placemaking Report - Arnaudville Cultural District is featured in the Mayor's Institute on City Design's white paper summarizes two decades of creative American placemaking, drawing on original economic research and case studies of pathbreaking initiatives in large and small cities, metropolitan to rural, as well as published accounts. Link to PDF

Artist Run Gallery Workshop (Audio) - The Arts Council of New Orleans hosted an Artist Run Gallery Workshop on May 19, 2010 that may be of interest to artists, gallery owners, and those with ambitions to become a gallery owner, in any city. You can listen to the audio of presenters Kyle Bravo, Tami Curtis Ellis, and Steve Martin. Click here to connect to the ACNO link.

CULTURAL DISTRICTS in the NEWS

Need community development? Put your money on the arts by Anne Gadwa September, 2011 Click to Read
Historic factory renovation in S. Broad Street CD April, 2011 Click to Read
LSU Minden Main Street Workshop January, 2011 Click to Read
Lafayette Announces Tax Free Designation Lafayette March 10, 2010 Click to Read
Lake Charles Cottage Shops Recognized as Cultural District Lake Charles March 5, 2010 Click to Read
New Mid City Cultural District in Baton Rouge Baton Rouge February 22, 2010 Click to Read
Jimmy Robinson: Musician, Incubator and Advocate
New Orleans
November 2, 2009 Click to Read
Tax incentives hope to stimulate local art world
New Orleans
October 4, 2009 Click to Read
Slidell Announces 2009-10 Cultural Season
Slidell
October, 2009 Click to Read
Marigny Chosen as Great Neighborhood by APA New Orleans September 2009 Click to Read
Will the arts revitalize downtown?
Shreveport
June 7, 2009 Click to Read
District aim to boost arts, cultural commerce ShreveportJune 7, 2009 Click to Read
Byawater Art Lofts New OrleansJune 2, 2009 Click to Read
HoumaJan 28, 2009 Click to Read
MadisonvilleJan 26, 2009 Click to Read
Cooltown StudiosJan. 9, 2009 Click to Read
Times PicayuneDec. 4, 2008 Click to Read
St TammanyAugust 3, 2008 Click to Read
Preservation in Print — Page 16Summer 2008 Click to Read
St. ClaudeJune 23, 2008 Click to Read
Cultural Economy Tax Initiatives PackageJune 2007 Click to Read

For more information, questions or comments please email or call Gaye Hamilton, 225-342-8161, ghamilton@crt.la.gov

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