Site work has begun on a $6 million events center and wedding venue to be built in St. George.
Aurora Park is set to open in March. The facility at 16405 Jefferson Highway, between Antioch and Highland roads, will be a little over 11,000 square feet with two ballrooms, a kitchen for caterers, and separate suites for the bride, groom and wedding entertainers, said developer Michael McDowell.
McDowell said he got the idea for Aurora Park through his years as a piano player and performing at wedding receptions. He saw a gap in the market for facilities with professional-grade lighting permanently installed that didnโt have a lot of outdoor seating.
โIโve seen a lot of venues that do these things, but all of them are out of state,โ he said. McDowell has put on annual Christmas concerts at local Catholic churches and the Manship Theatre. That made him realize he had the expertise to develop the kind of event and wedding space he wanted to see.
"Knowing is half the battle," he said. "I want to see good events and it's exciting to me to bring into Baton Rouge/St. George, the kind of venue we deserve."
McDowell started promoting Aurora Park earlier this week, and he said he's gotten several requests per hour for events in March, including anniversary parties, senior brunches, and debutante balls.ย ย
Didier Architecture of Prairieville designed the building, while Matthews General Contractors is building the property.