Jump to content

Shreveport/Bossier City Development


NCB

Recommended Posts


Below you will find two maps of the Shreveport/Bossier City area (Minden/Webster Parish area not included.) The first map shows the areas of Shreveport/Bossier which area currently urbanized and the second is a representation I put together based on what is going on right now in the area.

Shreveport/Bossier urban areas as they exist right now:

132642391.jpg

Shreveport/Bossier urban areas PLUS pockets of activity which I have color-coded. The yellow-shaded areas represent the general areas with the largest amounts of growth occurring right now (residential and commercial;) the blue shaded areas represent areas where SOME development is occurring (almost all residential.) The areas shaded in yellow are more likely to represent the real city limits of Shreveport/Bossier within the next 20 years. Is it likely? Sure. Will it actually happen? Only time will tell.

132642392.jpg

If the development were to continue at its current pace, and these highlighted areas were to develop into urban areas, one could see the need for an outer loop (a true outer loop, unlike Bert Kouns which was supposed to become the "outer loop expressway" at one time.)

Edited by supkof
Link to comment
Share on other sites

132642392.jpg

If the development were to continue at its current pace, and these highlighted areas were to develop into urban areas, one could see the need for an outer loop (a true outer loop, unlike Bert Kouns which was supposed to become the "outer loop expressway" at one time.)

I could definately see the need for an outer loop there, and I hope that plan comes through. I can only imagine the traffic in the area without another loop. <_<

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I could definately see the need for an outer loop there, and I hope that plan comes through. I can only imagine the traffic in the area without another loop. <_<

Definitely, considering the urban areas fill out that far. Of course that is all speculation based on what is going on right now. The growth spurt could end tomorrow and there would never be a need, or the urban sprawl could get much worse and the need could arise for such a freeway. Only time will tell, I suppose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the best rendering I've been able to find of the Shreveport Comvention Center and Hotel. It's a very large image so you can see details. The facade of the hotel has changed somewhat since this rendering, but it's very close. Also, expect me to be taking hotel consteuction photos as time goes by. I wish I'd had a digital camera back when the casino hotels were being built, because I'd love to have those photos. I remember watching in awe as the Horseshoe tower was built. That was the tallest building I'd ever watched being built around here.

Shreveport%20Convention%20Center%20opening%202005_jpg.jpg

Edited by supkof
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to Island Park. This is a new development off Clyde Fant Parkway, just north of the Jimmie Davis Bridge in south Shreveport, in which my wife is heavily involved. It's being developed by The Bryan Co. of Jackson, MS, and is well underway. The first apartment tenants are expected to move in on March 25 and several homes/townhomes are under construction. Also, Phase II is about to begin, with a group of condos. Initially they wanted to do a high-rise condo tower, but because there are no other high-rises in that part of Shreveport, they scrapped that idea.

http://www.islandparktour.com/

ISLAND-PARK-RES-3.jpg

Edited by supkof
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow! Shreveport is on a roll with all these developments. I'm anxious to see what Shreveport will look like in 10-20 years.

As far as the residential developments are concerned, you haven't seen anything yet! My wife actually has 3 other projects (2 for certain) going that I'm not even allowed to mention YET due to confidentiality agreements. But as soon as I'm cleared to mention them, I will do so. All I can say is, one of them is just as large as the Island Park project I mentioned in my last post.

By the way, bigboyz05... welcome back from your trip! I read over on the Oklahoma board that you seemed to have a great time up there. That's cool... I should be going up that way soon myself.

Anyway, welcome back to good ol' Texarkana, and of course, the forums.

Edited by supkof
Link to comment
Share on other sites

By the way, here's an interesting piece of information about Island Park that you won't read about on their website...

Because the site is in a heavily-swampy wetlands area, just off the backside of what once was Hamel's Amusement Park, the property was 10' below the road level. And because it's in a flood zone, it had to be built up to 5' above the level of the Clyde Fant Parkway. That's right... the majority of this area had to be built up 15'... and you're probably thinking, "that must have been expensive hauling in all that dirt!!" Well, you're wrong. Had they hauled in all that dirt, the project wouldn't have been financially feasible, and thus would never have happened. Since this project is located just across the parkway from the Red River, the construction company, Blount Brothers Construction, has been running a dredging machine day and night LITERALLY for months. That's right... nonstop for months. They're still dredging for Phase II as I type this. Anyway, this dredging machine has allowed them to pump the river sand needed for this site straight from the Red River. The pipe is running from the river, to the site, through "dummy" culverts built under the parkway for that very purpose. Years ago, they planned for development on the wetlands areas next to the parkway so they had the dummy culverts put in during the construction of the parkway.

Anyway, that was just a little bonus piece of information incase anyone really cares!! I found it to be very interesting when my wife told me about it, and it was cool watching the sand be pumped in.

Oh, and incase you were wondering, YES Island Park is a TND (Traditional Neighborhood Development) like Provenance in extreme south Shreveport and the one in Lafayette (River Ranch?)

Edited by supkof
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the looks of Island Park . It looks very well planned .

Do you think Shreveport will follow the trend of a high-rise residential development ? Maybe somewhere between the downtown core and the casino hotels ? That could fill -in the large gap and create all elongated Skyline !!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as the residential developments are concerned, you haven't seen anything yet! My wife actually has 3 other projects (2 for certain) going that I'm not even allowed to mention YET due to confidentiality agreements. But as soon as I'm cleared to mention them, I will do so. All I can say is, one of them is just as large as the Island Park project I mentioned in my last post.

By the way, bigboyz05... welcome back from your trip! I read over on the Oklahoma board that you seemed to have a great time up there. That's cool... I should be going up that way soon myself.

Anyway, welcome back to good ol' Texarkana, and of course, the forums.

Thanks! I had a real good time in Oklahoma and I'm planning to go back real soon. On the 9th of this month I went to Harrahs by the race track and I won $100. That may not be much but, it's the most I've ever won. I've posted some more articles in the Texarkana thread of the Arkansas forum. Check it out when you get the chance.

Island Park looks fantastic! :thumbsup:

I really want to see Island Park when it is completed, it looks like it will be spectacular.

Hey NCB! How's it going? Anyway, that development will be smoking when it's finally completed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the looks of Island Park . It looks very well planned .

Do you think Shreveport will follow the trend of a high-rise residential development ? Maybe somewhere between the downtown core and the casino hotels ? That could fill -in the large gap and create all elongated Skyline !!!

I don't know, to be honest. All I can say is I hope so. I've heard little mention of any high-rise residential developments, and to be honest it's a little disheartening. I believe this city would be well-served by something like that. I suppose, once the city hits the level of sprawl that Baton Rouge has hit, maybe then they'll wake up and realize we need to be going up rather than out. I will say, there are two apartment complexes in Shreveport, that I know of, which are 10 or more floors high, but they were both built many years back. Back then, Shreveport was in the midst of the "oil boom," and of course that's also when the city's more modern high-rise office buildings were constructed. Then everything fell apart... the oil business left the city almost completely and the city literally fell into ruin. Everything's been great since about the mid '90's, and hopefully that trend will continue. Who knows, maybe Shreveport will follow the lead of other cities its size and start thinking tall rather than sprawl!

Island Park looks fantastic! :thumbsup:

I really want to see Island Park when it is completed, it looks like it will be spectacular.

I've got tons of construction pictures, and I guarantee I'll have tons more when it's completed. You may remember the downtown aerial photo I posted when I first came on board here... when my wife took that photo, she was going on an aerial tour of the Island Park site.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks! I had a real good time in Oklahoma and I'm planning to go back real soon. On the 9th of this month I went to Harrahs by the race track and I won $100. That may not be much but, it's the most I've ever won. I've posted some more articles in the Texarkana thread of the Arkansas forum. Check it out when you get the chance.

That's cool. The only time I've ever won money at the local casinos was back when I first turned 21... I had developed a bit of a "problem," which is why I don't go anymore. But I won over $200 at the Horseshoe on a Friday night, and went back the next night and won $150 more on the same machine. Then I was hooked and it took months of wasting away my paychecks to stop... but I finally did. It was great, though, while I was winning.

By the way, I drove by that Harrah's Louisiana Downs many times that day (last Thursday.) I live only about 5 miles east of there and I pass by it everytime I go in and out of the city.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Suburban growing pains...

Without a doubt, the one suburban Shreveport/Bossier town experiencing the most growth is Benton, just north of Bossier City. So the growth is good and bad. So many people are moving into this area so fast, it's putting a huge strain on the Benton/north Bossier fire departments.

View the article here:

http://www.ktbs.com/news/local/2470826.html

Progress doesn't come without its problems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Retail and residential growth in and around Benton, La., is stretching the resources of the local fire department, its fire chief said today.

That sounds exactly like what's going on here in Covington.

I wasn't aware that Benton was growing that fast, but it seems to be doing very well in that department.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That sounds exactly like what's going on here in Covington.

I wasn't aware that Benton was growing that fast, but it seems to be doing very well in that department.

Yeah, Benton is where it's all at... north Bossier/Benton and south Shreveport/north DeSoto are the hottest areas here. Between Bossier and Benton, these days, there is not much separation anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good afternoon supkof. With all the people moving to Benton, are new businesses going up out there? Also is Greenwood growing as well?

Yes, business and people... that's where the biggest problem is. When people move in, businesses follow and... bam... strained systems occur.

Benton, itself, is seeing more retail strips being built. When I was out there this last weekend taking pictures, I saw a new Fred's being built as an anchor to a new shopping strip and a shopping strip that included a local pizza place, a bank, and a few other tenants. Along Airline Drive, where Bossier and Benton meet, I saw a sign for another proposed retail strip, and about 1/2 mile further north, yet another sign for a proposed retail strip. There is also a huge truck stop planned for Benton, as well as literally hundreds... if not thousands... more houses in the years to come.

Yes, Greenwood is booming as well. There was an article in a local lifestyle magazine a few weeks back that mentioned 5 or 6 large-scale residential and commercial projects planned for Greenwood. Greenwood's growth is mostly attributed to GM's constant investments in its west Shreveport/Greenwood area auto plant, as well as overflow from the development along the Pines Rd/I-20/Westport developments of west Shreveport.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey supkof! How's it going? It seems the whole Ark-La-Tex is becoming a hotbed for growth. Shreveport, Longview/Marshall as well as Texarkana are growing faster than ever before. I'm glad the area is booming. I love hearing about your city's growth. Thanks for sharing and keep the info coming.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey supkof! How's it going? It seems the whole Ark-La-Tex is becoming a hotbed for growth. Shreveport, Longview/Marshall as well as Texarkana are growing faster than ever before. I'm glad the area is booming. I love hearing about your city's growth. Thanks for sharing and keep the info coming.

Yes, the Ark-La-Tex region, as a whole, seems to be keeping up with the current growth trends most of the nation is seeing right now. That's awesome, because for so long our region was struggling to keep up.

I'll be in Texarkana tomorrow visiting the in-laws, so I'll try to snap some photos of the area and post them to your Texarkana thread on the Arkansas board. My wife worked on many residential and commercial projects before moving to Shreveport, so I'll likely take photos of her old projects, some of which are still developing now. I'll also try to get some photos of the Richmond/Gibson area and the newer developments between Richmond Road and Nash.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've decided I'd make a list of new residential developments that I can think of right off the top of my head. This will only be a fraction of what's actually going on in the area right now, but it'll give an idea of the strength of the local residential market.

BOSSIER PARISH PROJECTS

Bossier City

South Bossier and north Bossier are both growing fast, but north Bossier is growing toward Benton at an almost alarming pace. Bossier is having its infrastructure stretched to its absolute limits with new residential areas like The Colony, Tiburon, Stonebridge, Oak Alley, River Bluff, Autumn Creek, Willow Lake, Legacy (3 large subdivisions in one similar to Twelve Oaks in Shreveport,) and MANY others. Bossier City and Benton actually run together seamlessly now, whereas less than 10 years ago they were at least 5-7 miles apart. At least one new school is planned to begin construction soon in extreme north Bossier, not far from Benton, to accomodate all the new students in the area.

South Bossier has the new developments of Olde Oaks, Savannah Place, Cold Harbor, Plantation Trace, Sunflower Place, Madison Place, Golden Meadows expansion, Southgate Estates, and a few other new subdivisions, the names of which I can't remember off-hand. Two new schools are also planned for south Bossier, between the Bossier City limits and the town of Elm Grove, to accomodate all the new students being crammed into schools in the south Bossier area.

Benton

Subdivisions like St. Charles, Kingston Plantation, Palmetto Place, and Sweetwater Oaks are keeping Benton growing at a very rapid pace. This town is also the home of Cypress Lake and Cypress Black Bayou, and new homes as well as subdivisions are being developed along all shores of the lake. Construction in the Cypress/Benton area has not let up in recent years and is not expected to any time soon.

Haughton

The subdivision I live in is fairly new, but is expanding out once again with at least 2 new streets. Just down the street from my subdivision, Cornerstone subdivision has been going strong for some time now. This is an upscale development that is helping Haughton turn the corner from rural hick town to full-fledged suburb.

Right across the highway from Cornerstone, another new subdivision is underway. I don't know its name, but I do know dirt work is being done now and lots are being sold.

Forest Hills, just a few miles down Highway 80, in west Haughton, continues to expand rapidly. The streets are extending at a fast pace, and now some of the homes can be seen from I-20. This is another upscale development helping Haughton become a real suburb.

Dogwood South, the modern extension of the older Dogwood Trail subdivision, is also going strong. This subdivision is set along rolling hills and is constantly expanding out. New roads are being built and lots are being sold rapidly.

Stockwell Place is also expanding once again. This area began as just a few blocks of homes, but in recent years it has grown east and north across two main thoroughfares. The latest growth in this subdivision has all been to the north. Stockwell Road continues to be extended every few months, and Pleasant Grove Drive is also being extended north.

CADDO PARISH PROJECTS

Shreveport

Most of Shreveport's growth today is south and east of the 3132 loop. Numerous residential developments are being built right behind the LSU-Shreveport campus, transforming the landscape from cotton fields to suburban developments. Projects currently under construction behind LSU-Shreveport include The Haven and Riverbrooke. There are others, the names of which I can't recall right now.

Right off Youree Drive, the King's Crossing area is still building up. At least one new apartment complex has begun construction in this area as well.

South of 3132, the areas of Southern Trace, Norris Ferry Landing, Norris Ferry Crossing, Hidden trace, Longlake, Lakeside on Longlake, Provenance, and numerous other projects I can't think of right now, are cruising along. Literally every time I drive out there, either a new subdivision has popped up or an existing subdivision has expanded out considerably.

The Southern Loop interchange at I-49 has been completed to take some of the strain off Ellerbe and Norris Ferry roads in the Forbing/south Shreveport area. The Ellerbe/Fluornoy-Lucas intersection is also being widened to 5 lanes and realigned to cut back on the number of traffic accidents in this area. The 3132 inner loop is also currently being extended to Fluornoy-Lucas Rd, so the traffic will only increase in this area. The Glen retirement community is expanding out with numerous assisted-living developments in this area, and Twelve Oaks is zipping along. Twelve Oaks is actually 3 large subdivisions in one, and since construction began it hasn't slowed one bit. A new school is being considered for this area to accomodate all the new students in the area.

West Shreveport is also seeing new residential growth these days. New apartments have been constructed on the 3132 service road opposite the Shreveport Regional Airport, and only 1 mile further down the road two new subdivisions are under construction, taking advantage of easy access to 3132 and a burgeoning retail/restaurant district around Pines Road @ I-20.

North Shreveport is pretty stagnant right now, as far as new residential developments go. But what's new? If anything were to change, I will definitely update this.

Blanchard/Mooringsport

These areas are still mostly rural, but new residential developments are slowly beginning to occur here. This area seems to have a lot of trailer parks going in, and in my opinion that trend needs to stop now as it's keeping larger, pricier residential developments from occurring.

Greenwood

I can't remember the names of the projects, but at least 5 major residential/commercial projects were announced earlier this year. Hundreds of homes are in the works, so Greenwood has a bright future ahead and might one day touch the Texas state line and/or become part of Shreveport proper.

Forbing

This once separate town has now become part of the city of Shreveport. This area serves as an link between the latest suburban south Shreveport areas and the actual south Shreveport city limits.

DESOTO PARISH PROJECTS

Mansfield

This small town is struggling with serious crime issues at this time, but new residential and commercial developments are still planned. I have no info at this time on the residential developments, but I do know a new Wal-Mart Supercenter is planned and the residents are fighting the proposal. <-- this town can use anything it can get... no need fighting progress.

Stonewall

Stonewall is fast becoming the overflow area for the south Shreveport residential developments. The schools are becoming overcrowded and homes are being built at a record-setting pace right now. I can't think of the names of any of the residential developments in this area, but I did read an article recently outlining numerous large residential/commercial projects in the works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Supkof, since the Shreveport area is pretty much growing in all directions, do you forsee the area eventually growing east to meet Minden and west over the Texas line towards Marshall? Do you think there will ever be a Shreveport/Longview/Marshall MSA? Also, I've heard people say that the growth occuring in Shreveport now is nothing compared to what will come in the future when I-69 comes through.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good for Business

Experts also feel that the I-69 needs to intersect the new port south of Shreveport. This would help maximize the shipping and commerce potential of I-69. Rogers says the port will play a major part in the area

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Supkof, since the Shreveport area is pretty much growing in all directions, do you forsee the area eventually growing east to meet Minden and west over the Texas line towards Marshall? Do you think there will ever be a Shreveport/Longview/Marshall MSA? Also, I've heard people say that the growth occuring in Shreveport now is nothing compared to what will come in the future when I-69 comes through.

I'd like to be optimistic and say yes, but I really don't... simply because the east Texas area (mainly Waskom and Marshall) isn't growing fats enough. If Shreveport and Greenwood were to spill across the state line to Waskom, I would definitely see something like that happening. Now Marshall isn't growing fast, but if you ever look in a Shreveport real estate guide, agents in Marshall are really pushing it as an "easy commute to Shreveport-Bossier" so who knows... it could eventually join the MSA. But Longview, I believe, is still a long shot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.