Business View City & Municipal | August 2022

60 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 T he City of Central is a rural suburban community located in Southern Louisiana on the outskirts of Baton Rouge. Central is taking an intentional approach to growth, bringing new economic opportunities, while protecting the friendly charm that residents and visitors know and love. Spanning 66 square miles, the city covers a large geographical area with concentrated residential and commercial areas mixed in with rural farmland. The community is determined to maintain its rural appeal, with careful planning to maintain open spaces while attracting development. Mayor David Barrow explains, “Right now in Central, in terms of economic development, a lot of people in our city want us to remain rural, as a suburb. So, we are carefully watching what projects come before us and what gets approved.” Working from an award-winning master plan which was developed in 2010, the city has designated five nodes, where commercial development efforts will be focused. “Most of these areas are around some of our major intersections, and this was done at the request of all the citizens who got involved in this, that wanted to try to keep Central from having that urban sprawl feel, where you have commercial all over the place,” Barrow describes. “We are trying to keep our commercial in designated locations and residential in the others.” AT A GLANCE CENTRAL, LOUISIANA WHAT: A charming, rural suburb; population 29,000 WHERE: Approximately 10 miles northeast of Baton Rouge, LA WEBSITE: www.centralgov.com siana Planning for progress