On Thursday, Dec. 6, at 10 a.m., BREC, BREC Foundation and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundations break ground on the Capital Area Pathways Project at the Mall of Louisiana (North end of Dick’s Sporting Goods parking lot near Ward’s Creek).

Phase One of the Capital Area Pathways Project (CAPP) is a 2.2 mile section that will run from the Mall of Louisiana to Picardy Bridge and then to Siegen Lane.

When complete, CAPP will become a 7.4 mile loop for walking, running and bicycle riding which will connect to Essen Lane, the Perkins Road Park, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, the LSU Rural Life Museum and Perkins Rowe.         

In August, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation donated $1-million to the project which is also financed through BREC’s Imagine Your Parks Program passed by East Baton Rouge taxpayers in 2004.

In addition to the trails, this project will include a mobile recreation unit for the children of East Baton Rouge Parish.