re: Lake Charles posters, who we voting for Mayor today?

Like I said earlier, I imagine that's high for the comparable races.

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That would be really dumb. I wonder what he'd want in its place.

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It may be just the amphitheater he is against and he does have a valid point but so did Nick

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After the demolition of the Capital One tower in downtown Lake Charles, questions about how the city can best use the site along the lakefront have led to a dividing line in the upcoming mayoral runoff.

Mayor Nic Hunter, the two-term incumbent, announced plans late last year to build a new amphitheater on the property where the dilapidated skyscraper had served as a visual reminder of the damage that Hurricane Laura inflicted on the community. The building was imploded last September.

But Marshall Simien Jr., who is facing Hunter in a runoff May 3, has challenged why the city would want to give up property and sales tax revenue that could be generated by private investment at the site.

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Hunter has touted the project as a way to bring additional revenue to the city by connecting downtown restaurants, bars and shops to pedestrian traffic. He is a partner in the downtown restaurant Villa Harlequin, which is about a quarter-mile from the site.

“Where the amphitheater currently is, it kind of sits out on an island by itself,” Hunter said. “It does not do a lot to support the spine of downtown Lake Charles, which is Ryan Street.”

Simien disagreed.

“The numbers just aren’t adding up,” Simien said. “To ask the taxpayers to invest that kind of money when there’s so many other needs in this city, especially on the infrastructure side with roads and drainage, the priorities are just wrong.”

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Los Angeles-based ASM Global manages the city’s existing amphitheater under the Lake Charles Event Center. The company manages stadiums and event venues across the world, including Caesars Superdome and the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge.

A recent study that ASM conducted on the planned amphitheater project identified nearby casinos as the primary competition to draw crowds of 2,500 to 3,500 people for touring acts.

“Casinos will overpay artists and promoters to get shows, knowing that these events will attract people to their resort, creating economic value for them,” the study states. “Having four of these competitors in the market will create competition for the Lake Charles Amphitheater and could result in the Lake Charles Amphitheater having to pay more than market value for shows, negatively impacting revenues.”

Still, the study concluded that despite the competition, the proposed amphitheater would be an upgrade from the existing one. It says the new venue would better cater to performers and event organizers, and would have a positive economic impact on local hotels, restaurants and stores.

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Hunter said the city’s existing amphitheater could be reimagined as a park once the new one is finished and takes over the former Capital One site.

“We’ve got some time to make that decision,” Hunter said. “But I don’t see the city having a need for two amphitheaters.”

But if Simien is elected, the project could return to its roots and see reinvestment into the Arcade Amphitheatre.

“It’s sufficient. It’s utilized,” Simien said. “The view is magnificent at the lakefront. Put more into the sound stage, lighting equipment and maybe a cloth canopy and mist spray system for the heat of summer. There’s a number of ways to make it work.”

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LINK


I think looking at the amphitheater alone is shortsighted. You have to look at it as a whole, including the fact it will be right across from the new hotel and convention center.

Construction starts on the new bridge next year and and they claim it will be finished by 2031

We also have a new bridge being built right now to connect the casino area with downtown.

LC will continue to be the most navigable city in Louisiana

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Construction starts on the new bridge next year and and they claim it will be finished by 2031

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5 years to finish a bridge?

When the current one falls and people die.

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Care to share what you know?

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A lawyer got pissed off that Nic didn’t use (or continue using him) while in office so the guy decided to dig up every bit of dirt he could find on Nic and blast it out to everyone.

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5 years to finish a bridge?

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DOTD contractors like to slow walk projects.

A 3 lane lift bridge in Bourg is a year behind, To the contractor’s defense, there were two hurricanes in those four years, and recently LA DOTD did screwup some of the plans calling for some obsolete or impossible to source equipment because the plans were on the shelf for too long and the manufacturer stopped making the equipment called for.

Heck even in Belle Chasse the new toll bridge had some foundation problems that the contractor had to completely redo and has put the project behind schedule. Now they keep having issues with the tolling equipment and pushing back the implementation of the tolls.

DOTD has spent nearly 3-4 years repairing a bridge in Golden Meadow. The equipment is so old they have to get the parts custom made, and something keeps failing when the part arrives and doesn’t pass quality control.

A lift bridge in Houma turned into a see saw. Initial reports said it would be fixed within a few weeks. Now the hope is October.

DOTD crews have been restriping lane markers and cold patching some pot holes after years of neglect. But DOTD has “half-assed” some roads by putting markers on one side and center and forgetting the other side. My favorite issue with some of that restriping is that they are repaving some of those roads later this year under maintenance.

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Care to share what you know? I thought he’s done a good job dealing with hurricanes, COVID, downtown, and the lakefront area.

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My folks are MAGA as it gets. They stayed home yesterday. NH doesn’t help white business owners, but he will do anything for black business owners.

Hell if it only takes 5 years I would consider that a win. They’ve been working on the bridge over Hwy 165 between Iowa and Lacassine for over 2 years and still have a bit left. That’s a fraction of the bridge they will have to build for the I10 bridge.

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Whoa, that’s a bold claim! Do you have any receipts to back that up?

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Sure fricking do, pal