Shreveport/Bossier City Development

[dimebag1980]

Now it's April?

Damn...

[fridayinla]

Some developments going on at the downtown Shreveport airport:

Downtown airport aiming for me

[fridayinla]

From the Times, several new businesses opening in Southern Hills, and many others undergoing renovations:

Southern Hills seeing new businesses

[fridayinla]

Another artcle from the Times related to the opening of the Shreveport Hilton:

Shreveport looks to compete for tourists, conventions with new facilities

Some people believe the new convention center/hotel facility will help propel Shreveport to become a premier tourist and convention destination. Others are more doubtful. I love Shreveport and I see it through the eyes of a proud parent, but I'm also a realistic person who has visited many places. I think Shreveport/Bossier City still needs to continue expanding it's tourist appeal - and not necessarily with big-ticket "attractions", but with some quality "urban fabric" such as mixed-use infill developments that don't directly appeal to tourists, but enhance the image of the city's downtown. The downtown riverfront area has several strengths: the casino complexes are beautiful, the Sci-port Center is first class, Riverfront Park is a gem, there are handful of other quality museums, and most importantly there's the Boardwalk. But how does the pedestrian tourist staying a the Hiltol hotel travel to the Boardwalk? They're not going to walk gingerly across the Texas Street Bridge, that's for sure. How ridiculous is it that they can look across the river and see the Boardwalk only 300 yards away, but have to get in their car, drive across downtown, get on the freeway, cross the river, exit and drive to the massive parking structure, and 15 minutes later arrive at the Boardwalk?! That's INSANE! They need an attractive pedestrian access to connect it with Shreveport's riverfront, and with the neighboring Horseshoe casino. What is the excuse for the Horeshoe casino not being connected to the Boardwalk? The missing connectivity is a major problem for Shreveport's tourism market. If the city wants to take it to the next level, these issues should be addressed! Also, I've said this before but Cane's Landing and Cross Bayou are two untapped opportunities with limitless potential for enhancing the quality of life along the riverfront. I'm not suggesting another casino complex either. Consider beautifully designed mixed-use neighborhoods with residences above "neighborhood" retail (not outlet stores), intermixed with landscaped walkways and greenspace connecting it to the riverfront. Speaking as a tourist who has visited many cities around the world, sometimes this is the best kind of attraction. If city leaders want give Shreveport that competitive edge, they need to consider these important and fundamental rules of urban planning.

What do you guys think?!

[dimebag1980]

When the casino industry first came to this area, everyone was saying "It'll never work, they'll close within 5 years." No one ever expected the market to expand to the point of having two 20+ story hotel towers, numerous glitzy casinos, nightly major concerts, etc etc.

If you build it, they will come. That is the old adage that I live by, and I'm sorry to know that we still have so many naysayers living here. Those people need to just zip their mouths for a while and see how it does. In 10 years if it's a failure, then by all means start casting stones. But for crying out loud, Hightower was TRYING to help the city. With everything, there is always some half-wit conspiracy theorist who wants to make a big deal out of nothing. With this project, the conspiracy is that Hightower only wanted to construct a convention center and hotel to make work for his friends. GET REAL!! This city has lagged behind Alexandria, of all cities, in the convention market for years. Why? Has anyone here seen the old Expo Hall? THAT is why. We now have a REAL convention center with an attached hotel.

The hotel is a whole other topic. They tried to generate interest and get the private sector to build one. Great idea, but it didn't work!! Why? Not because the private sector is sure it won't work, but because it's a huge gamble with all the cities out there building similar facilities. I'm just glad Hightower had the balls - yes, I said balls - to just say to hell with everyone else and build one anyway. A public vote would surely have shot the project down, because for whatever strange reason we still SO MANY naysayers in our fair cities who would have voted against it. These same people, unfortunately, have infested the Shreveport Times forums and make that place the cesspool that it is.

Stephen, I've been happy to see an urban convenience store (just convenience items, no gas pumps) open across the street from the city bus terminal. I think it's actually called "Bus Depot convenience store" or something to that extent. This is a big step forward, even though the place is a dump. At least the owner of that business had the foresight to do something positive for that area. This is a great benefit for those living in apartments within walking distance of the store.

You said: "How ridiculous is it that they can look across the river and see the Boardwalk only 300 yards away, but have to get in their car, drive across downtown, get on the freeway, cross the river, exit and drive to the massive parking structure, and 15 minutes later arrive at the Boardwalk?! That's INSANE!"

Agreed!! I think it's just a matter of time, though. Let's just hope I'm right on that.

On another SBC development-related note, I saw a zoning change sign a few minutes ago, on a piece of land that appears to be next door to the giant pasture that was cleared between Highway 80 and I-20. The sign could have been for that property, but it appeared to be next door. Thanks to BPCC for building their nice campus along that corridor, it looks like Highway 80 is going to become a bigger player in the market in the coming years. Not too shabby for a highway that was replaced by Interstate 20 as a major thoroughfare some 40-50 years ago.

Edited January 27, 2007 by SBCmetroguy

[richyb83]

It's good to see the enthusiasm yall both have for the SBC Metro area. Yall bring up some great points that would only improve things with more progressive thinking. Connectivity is key..the Boardwalk was aa great idea; I remember reading how bold the idea seemed at the time to attempt such a large development. Would Cane's Landing be a good place to build some mid-rise condo lofts?? Cross Bayou is at a great location for some nice mixed-use development with walking/bike trails.

That's great Shreveport jumped onto the Convention Center scene..esp. with an attached hotel. I had no idea that it lagged behind Alexandria. I hear it's now Louisiana's 2nd largest. Do all Convention Centers have the same facets; Exhibition Hall; Arena; Ball Room, etc?? I was wondering how comparable(close in size) it was with the BR River Center. They are about to enter another expansion phase. I remember hearing how nation-wide convention centers were hurting due to the internet?? or something like that??

Edited January 27, 2007 by richyb83

[dimebag1980]

It's good to see the enthusiasm yall both have for the SBC Metro area. Yall bring up some great points that would only improve things with more progressive thinking. Connectivity is key..the Boardwalk was aa great idea; I remember reading how bold the idea seemed at the time to attempt such a large development. Would Cane's Landing be a good place to build some mid-rise condo lofts?? Cross Bayou is at a great location for some nice mixed-use development with walking/bike trails.

That's great Shreveport jumped onto the Convention Center scene..esp. with an attached hotel. I had no idea that it lagged behind Alexandria. I hear it's now Louisiana's 2nd largest. Do all Convention Centers have the same facets; Exhibition Hall; Arena; Ball Room, etc?? I was wondering how comparable(close in size) it was with the BR River Center. They are about to enter another expansion phase. I remember hearing how nation-wide convention centers were hurting due to the internet?? or something like that??

Most convention centers have exhibition halls and ball rooms, but only some have arenas. Shreveport's original plan, some years back, was to have an attached arena. The city decided they'd rather "study" the idea, paying thousands and thousands of dollars to have an analyst decide if it would work. Bossier City said "to hell with you guys" and built one instead. Bossier City is now the envy of Shreveport for having such a nice facility that continues to make Pollstar's prestigious list as one of the top 100 venues in ALL the world.

[dimebag1980]

Haughton's population could double in size over the next 3-5 years, says Mayor Billy Maxey.

A couple of excerpts:

Like most of Bossier Parish, the town of Haughton is experiencing tremendous growth with the construction of new subdivisions and businesses within the town limits. And with that growth comes additional traffic for the roadways, students for the schools and continued stress on the town

[baffroom]

Another artcle from the Times related to the opening of the Shreveport Hilton:

<a href="http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070127/NEWS01/701270372/1084/VIDEO" target="_blank">

Shreveport looks to compete for tourists, conventions with new facilities</a>

Some people believe the new convention center/hotel facility will help propel Shreveport to become a premier tourist and convention destination. Others are more doubtful. I love Shreveport and I see it through the eyes of a proud parent, but I'm also a realistic person who has visited many places. I think Shreveport/Bossier City still needs to continue expanding it's tourist appeal - and not necessarily with big-ticket "attractions", but with some quality "urban fabric" such as mixed-use infill developments that don't directly appeal to tourists, but enhance the image of the city's downtown. The downtown riverfront area has several strengths: the casino complexes are beautiful, the Sci-port Center is first class, Riverfront Park is a gem, there are handful of other quality museums, and most importantly there's the Boardwalk. But how does the pedestrian tourist staying a the Hiltol hotel travel to the Boardwalk? They're not going to walk gingerly across the Texas Street Bridge, that's for sure. How ridiculous is it that they can look across the river and see the Boardwalk only 300 yards away, but have to get in their car, drive across downtown, get on the freeway, cross the river, exit and drive to the massive parking structure, and 15 minutes later arrive at the Boardwalk?! That's INSANE! They need an attractive pedestrian access to connect it with Shreveport's riverfront, and with the neighboring Horseshoe casino. What is the excuse for the Horeshoe casino not being connected to the Boardwalk? The missing connectivity is a major problem for Shreveport's tourism market. If the city wants to take it to the next level, these issues should be addressed! Also, I've said this before but Cane's Landing and Cross Bayou are two untapped opportunities with limitless potential for enhancing the quality of life along the riverfront. I'm not suggesting another casino complex either. Consider beautifully designed mixed-use neighborhoods with residences above "neighborhood" retail (not outlet stores), intermixed with landscaped walkways and greenspace connecting it to the riverfront. Speaking as a tourist who has visited many cities around the world, sometimes this is the best kind of attraction. If city leaders want give Shreveport that competitive edge, they need to consider these important and fundamental rules of urban planning.

What do you guys think?!

I think you've got the right idea. There's lots of great things in downtown Shreveport and Bossier that just need to be made more convenient to get to. If you could park in one place and see it all, that would be great and I would be more willing to spend time and money there, instead of south youree like I usually do.

They definitely coud use more retail like supermarkets and pharmacy type stores.

I was a little disappointed when they decided not to build BPCC in downtown Bossier, near bossier high (or at bossier high). That would've been really beneficial to that part of town.

[dimebag1980]

I think you've got the right idea. There's lots of great things in downtown Shreveport and Bossier that just need to be made more convenient to get to. If you could park in one place and see it all, that would be great and I would be more willing to spend time and money there, instead of south youree like I usually do.

They definitely coud use more retail like supermarkets and pharmacy type stores.

I was a little disappointed when they decided not to build BPCC in downtown Bossier, near bossier high (or at bossier high). That would've been really beneficial to that part of town.

Agreed, I wish BPCC could have located downtown, because downtown Bossier really needs it! Still, they did end up with a very nice campus. Here are a few photos I took of the campus this afternoon (sorry, it was raining and I was shooting from inside my car.) I still haven't even finished processing these, but since you mentioned the college I figured I'd go ahead and upload and post them.

[fridayinla]

Haughton's population could double in size over the next 3-5 years, says Mayor Billy Maxey.

A couple of excerpts:

Like most of Bossier Parish, the town of Haughton is experiencing tremendous growth with the construction of new subdivisions and businesses within the town limits. And with that growth comes additional traffic for the roadways, students for the schools and continued stress on the town

[Metlife]

Hey, does anyone know if the pedestrian bridge contest ever materialized?

Edited January 28, 2007 by Metlife

[fridayinla]

Hey, does anyone know if they pedestrian bridge contest ever materialized?

It did materialize and winners in three categories were chosen. There were some nice designs. The next step, according to the NLCOG (Northwest LA Council of Governments) is to study construction feasibility and determine costs. Also, they planned to "shop" the winning designs around to build up momentum for the project. I have no idea of any timeline for actual construction.

[fridayinla]

Have you guys seen this before? A master planned community in Southeast Shreveport called Twelve Oaks? How long has this been around?

http://www.twelve-oaks.com/

[Metlife]

Twelve Oaks has been around about 3, maybe 4, years. It's located off of Flournoy Lucas; in b/w Youree and Ellerbe. I believe that 3132 may eventually run beside it.

Edited January 28, 2007 by Metlife

[dimebag1980]

Yep. Twelve Oaks is actually a very nice subdivision, and will probably be greatly enhanced by the Inner-Loop extension already under construction. It should be a very easily accessible area once the extension is complete, and then once I-69 is finally built as well.

[baffroom]

Twelve oaks looks pretty nice looking at that website. I didnt know they had neighborhood shopping planned. That sounds kinda cool. That's an interesting trend in housing developments.

I guess if I moved back to SBC, I'd probably give that area a look. I've always liked that part of town

[bigboyz05]

Haughton's population could double in size over the next 3-5 years, says Mayor Billy Maxey.

A couple of excerpts:

Like most of Bossier Parish, the town of Haughton is experiencing tremendous growth with the construction of new subdivisions and businesses within the town limits. And with that growth comes additional traffic for the roadways, students for the schools and continued stress on the town

[jcasey]

Wow! That's crazy growth! Good to see the area booming. I know traffic will be a real pain if it isn't already.

I grew up in Haughton, but I live in Bossier now. I am one of those people looking to move to Haughton. Most of "Haughton's" residents don't even live in Haughton, they live outside of the city limits. Brian can attest to this, there are new homes being built there like crazy. Now all they need is some commercial development. All that is in Haughton is a couple of convenience stores, a truck stop and a couple of dollar stores. We also have to remember that I-69 is slated to go right through Haughton.

Edited January 29, 2007 by jcasey

[richyb83]

Me and fridayinla was wondering about downtown Haughton...do they have a Main Street with post office, library, church, etc?? Just curious.

[dimebag1980]

I grew up in Haughton, but I live in Bossier now. I am one of those people looking to move to Haughton. Most of "Haughton's" residents don't even live in Haughton, they live outside of the city limits. Brian can attest to this, there are new homes being built there like crazy. Now all they need is some commercial development. All that is in Haughton is a couple of convenience stores, a truck stop and a couple of dollar stores. We also have to remember that I-69 is slated to go right through Haughton.

Hey, the walls are coming up on CVS, by the way! But we also have to keep in mind that the CVS is another one of those "Haughton" businesses that isn't actually in Haughton. How weird does that sound!?

We certainly need more commercial development. I've heard lots of rumors about the land on 157 near my house, ranging from fast-food joints to a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Rumors abound, but I would like to see SOMETHING developed there. As I've told people before, though, I don't see Wal-Mart being built there. For starters 157 would have to be widened to 5 lanes, which would also mean the overpass over I-20 would need to be widened to make room for the added traffic as well. Haughton's town limits don't include much in the way of retail or dining at all. We have Waffle House and Arby's, and a few gas stations... and I believe that's about it.

Me and fridayinla was wondering about downtown Haughton...do they have a Main Street with post office, library, church, etc?? Just curious.

They do, but it's not at all what you might picture. The town hall, police station, fire station, post office, etc are all on one road but it's not really a "downtown." There is a library, but it's actually in Princeton which is the next town over.

Bossier City, Bellevue, Red Chute, Princeton, and Haughton all run together along Highway 80. You literally cross from one town to the next without even noticing it. It's mostly rural with quite a bit of new residential being built along that stretch.

Edited January 29, 2007 by SBCmetroguy

[jcasey]

Hey, the walls are coming up on CVS, by the way! But we also have to keep in mind that the CVS is another one of those "Haughton" businesses that isn't actually in Haughton. How weird does that sound!?

I saw that. That CVS is going to be tiny!

We certainly need more commercial development. I've heard lots of rumors about the land on 157 near my house, ranging from fast-food joints to a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Rumors abound, but I would like to see SOMETHING developed there. As I've told people before, though, I don't see Wal-Mart being built there. For starters 157 would have to be widened to 5 lanes, which would also mean the overpass over I-20 would need to be widened to make room for the added traffic as well. Haughton's town limits don't include much in the way of retail or dining at all. We have Waffle House and Arby's, and a few gas stations... and I believe that's about it.

They do, but it's not at all what you might picture. The town hall, police station, fire station, post office, etc are all on one road but it's not really a "downtown." There is a library, but it's actually in Princeton which is the next town over.

Actually the town of Haughton does have a small library. It is right next door to the town hall.

[dimebag1980]

I saw that. That CVS is going to be tiny!

Yeah it does look that way. It actually appears smaller than the North Market store. But hey, I won't complain... it'll be nice to have one so close.

Actually the town of Haughton does have a small library. It is right next door to the town hall.

Really? I NEVER noticed that. Weird. I pay my bills at town hall but never noticed the library.

[richyb83]

That's funny....sounds like the library might be even smaller than the tiny CVS. But Haughton sure sounds like it's one of the faster growing suburbs around.

[jcasey]

That's funny....sounds like the library might be even smaller than the tiny CVS. But Haughton sure sounds like it's one of the faster growing suburbs around.

It is smaller than the CVS. It has been there since I was a kid. My daughters preschool takes them there once a week and they watch movies and have stories and such.