Spar Director: Land Deal Was Handled Properly

Shreveport purchased land along Cross Bayou in September as part of a long term goal of buying up the property on the bayou. The money comes from the 1996 bond issue which provided $5 million dollars for that purpose. Residents were told the land would be used for the development of a park.

Some Council members have concerns that the appraisal on the old D'Anna Produce building just north of the Hilton is two years old. They also don't understand why the administration did not let them know about the purchase.
SPAR Director Shelly Ragle addresses all of those issues about the $466,000 purchase.

There are some environmental concerns about the property. A report filed with DEQ shows some issues that might have to be addressed.
Here are some of the ones outlined in the report:

Two underground storage tanks still on the property. Soil and groundwater condition are unknown.
Potential for hazardous substances to have spilled/released and impacted soil or groundwater.
Flood drains with stains inside the cold storage building. Where the drains lead to are unknown.
Potential asbestos containing materials inside the building.

We also talked with Ragle about those issues.

There is one more piece of land just west of the D'Anna Produce building the city wants, but it is owned by KCS and the negotiations have been going on for many years.