re: What do you Shreveport Baws think about 50 Cent? He seems to be investing a lot in city.

You want to talk about a chocolate city now

quote:

---

There is absolutely no reason why Shreveport should not be a booming metropolis right now. We have I20 and I40 corridor coming right thru town. We have an accessible river port. We have a national rail system. We have ample space for manufacturing to build facilities. We have a large population center. We have beautiful scenic outdoor areas such as Caddo Lake, Lake Bisteneau, Bodacau.

---

I’d like to add that Shreveport has an unbelievably good road system with 220, 3132, Bert Kouns, and Clyde Fant Parkway. It also has some really good public schools at the elementary level (South Highlands, Eden Garden, Fairfield), Caddo Middle Magnet, and high school level (CMM, Shreve, Byrd). Shreveport is a player in health care as a regional medical center with a med school. It also has a low cost of living.

quote:

---

I’d like to add that Shreveport has an unbelievably good road system with 220, 3132, Bert Kouns, and Clyde Fant Parkway.

---

I'd counter that Shreveport doesn't have the population trends to support its infrastructure. It chased population by annexing parts south of town, further stressing its infrastructure. Then half a generation or so didn't come back after college.

Good for 50. Downtown Shreveport has good bones, they just have too much idle wealth sitting on those buildings and not enough ideas.

quote:

---

I'd counter that Shreveport doesn't have the population trends to support its infrastructure. It chased population by annexing parts south of town, further stressing its infrastructure. Then half a generation or so didn't come back after college.

---

The first mayoral candidate to broach the topic of de-annexation has my vote, no matter what else their platform is. It's a conversation that is LONG overdue

quote:

---

There is absolutely no reason why Shreveport should not be a booming metropolis right now. We have I20 and I49 corridor coming right thru town. We have an accessible river port. We have a national rail system. We have ample space for manufacturing to build facilities. We have a large population center. We have beautiful scenic outdoor areas such as Caddo Lake, Lake Bisteneau, Bodacau.

---

Shreveport has the water and wastewater infrastructure of Detroit. Because it's the size of Detroit. With less than 200,000 people. That ain't gonna work. And with the population running for the borders and the city constantly chasing them this is only going to get worse till it collapses.

Shreveport needs radical change. Weirdly enough, Fiddy might be the one to bring it on. He's smart as hell. He's not a liberal. He's really their only chance now.

quote:

---

We have I20 and I40 corridor coming right thru town

---

Could you please advise on I40. I’m currently on I20 and haven’t seen any signs for I40

quote:

---

. Chase who owns Fatty arbuckles and has opened a few places here and there has been trying to carry that area on his back for years and it's just ot feasible.

---

I listened to a local podcast host that had Chase on a while back. I do not know him, but he is the definition of resilient. Its impressive how he has been able to shift and stay open over the years.

quote:

---

I do not know him, but he is the definition of resilient

---

He's a buddy of mine and I can say resilient is an understatement . The dude navigated running a bar through COVID, has been at times the only business in the red river district, and at one point was operating both fattys and Fat's oyster house often going back and forth between the two. In that time he's hustled to not only support but create festivals for that area from scratch. By all accounts he should have been forced out of buisiness years ago but that dude will not drop the banner for downtown Shreveport

quote:

---

I'd like to add that Shreveport has an unbelievably good road system with 220, 3132, Bert Kouns, and Clyde Fant Parkway.

---

When I got here after living in Baton Rouge, I praised the road system and said they just needed to do two things: (1) replace the raggedy Jimmie Davis Bridge and (2) complete the 3132 loop.

Political crooks screwed the loop completion. The new JDB is finally underway, albeit 25+ years after it should have been done.

Perhaps the bigger problem now is that all those roads and streets are crumbling into horrific disrepair. Big chunks of concrete pop out. Maybe they slap some asphalt on it eventually, or maybe not.

The downtown streets were redone under Tyler with Glover bond issue money, and they are still decent. Now we have a new Arcenaux bond issue that is supposed to improve several other city streets.

But the interstates and state highways are perhaps the bigger problem, and I see no construction zones other than the long overdue I-20 project. I-49 from Bert Kouns to downtown, as well as Hwy 3132 and much of I-220, are like driving through Kyiv after a bombing campaign. Bert Kouns itself is also falling apart in many areas, especially on the east end near WK Pierremont, as well as 70th Street.

Every time one of those potholes makes my teeth rattle, I become more committed to leaving the state after I retire.