Repentance Park and City Hall Plaza

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

As part of the Riverfront Master Plan within Plan Baton Rouge II and a key element of the Central Green concept, Repentance Park is a prominent public open space located just west of City Hall in downtown Baton Rouge. Designed in collaboration with Reed Hilderbrand, the park provides more than two acres of highly programmed lawn, interactive water features, and flexible gathering space that supports civic events and daily public use. The park is owned, managed, and maintained by the City of Baton Rouge and its Downtown Development District, serving as an important civic anchor within the downtown core.

JBC Landscape Architects provided integrated landscape infrastructure design services, including smart irrigation systems, engineered soil mixes, subsurface drainage, and high-performance turf solutions tailored to accommodate intensive public use. Stormwater management is achieved through a combination of engineered soils and a subsurface drainage network that captures and filters runoff from impervious surfaces before releasing it downstream. These systems significantly reduce runoff volumes during intense Louisiana storm events while supporting healthy turf and planting areas, resulting in a resilient, high-functioning civic landscape designed for long-term performance.