Chamber Supports $60 Million Sports Complex for Caddo Parish

Caddo Parish voters are set to vote on a $60 million dollar bond proposal to ok a multi-sports complex. This proposal has won the support of the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce. Chamber President Dr. Tim Magner says

The Greater Shreveport Chamber supports it. Our Board of Directors voted on October 7th to support the proposition. We Did the Homework. The Caddo Sports Complex Earns a Yes.

The Chamber did months of research before voting to support this project. The panel did come up with seven real concerns about this plan and the parish has committed to address each of the concerns before beginning construction.

SEE MORE ABOUT THE SPORTS COMPLEX

The report from the Chamber says they studied 40 publicly owned sports complexes with half of them in markets the size of Shreveport Bossier.

This research turned up evidence on 18 of these facilities that "struggled, closed or needed bailouts." This report also showed some success stories including Rockford, Illinois, "a rust-belt city that has lost population which beat its forecast by 60 percent. Virginia Beach, wealthy and growing, lost $2.7 million in its first two years. Gulf Shores, Alabama, with a population of 15,000, thrives."

The Chamber Outlines Why This Is Good for Caddo Parish

This evaluation says it will be built for the public. Tournaments will only use about 11% of court hours. The other 89 percent of the time will be available to residents: youth leagues, school teams, adult rec and open gym. This student also shows that about 62,000 people within 30 minutes already play indoor court sports. This proposal also allows for expansion of court space for youth sports like volleyball and cheer which currently have to struggle for gym time at our local high schools.

Why This Multi-sports Complex Is Needed

The Chamber report says Caddo Parish "needs family friendly amenities to attract new homeowners and keep existing families. As we look to attract families to move to Caddo Parish, and keep families who are already here, family friendly amenities such as sports venues are key." The evaluation says this complex will compliment other sports venues we currently have in the area.

How Much Money Could the Sports Complex Generate for Caddo

This study shows travel sports is about a $50 billion market meaning that the $20 million forecast does not require Caddo Parish to dominate anything. "It requires us to capture a sliver of a very large market and to be the only purpose-built option for 90 minutes in any direction." The Chamber board says this facility will also complement existing facilities such as Brookshires Grocery Arena because large scale NCAA and Olympic sports require backup facilities to host tournaments and events.