What Would You Like Shreveport to do with Fairgrounds Field Site?

SHREVEPORT, LA

The demolition equipment is gone, the rubble has been hauled away, and now the Fairgrounds Field site is one big, empty, sad, dirt covered field.  So what should the city now do with this valuable piece of property?  What would you like the city to use it for? 

KEEL News recently spoke with Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux about plans for the old ballpark site. 

We’re trying to determine how to make a decision about the use of that property.  Probably it's use as a field or a parking lot is not it’s highest and best use.  So, it’s likely that we will ask for proposals or concepts, or something that would give us an opportunity to have someone put something there that would be beneficial to the community.  

Could the Site Still be a New Caddo Career and Technology Center?

Caddo Parish School Board member Don Little, CPSB District 4 representative and Chairman of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, proposed building a new Caddo Public School Career and Technology Center at that location.  You can read about his proposal HERE.   

When asked about the Caddo Career Center idea, Mayor Arceneaux told KEEL News: 

Well, I don’t know. I think there are some others that seem to think it’s a good idea.  I have received some input from the opposite side of that. So I haven’t made any kind of a judgement about that. 

When asked what that opposition might be, the mayor said: 

I haven’t discussed it with the person, I just received information from a very credible person, in my opinion, that said that they don’t think it’s a good idea and I haven’t followed up on that. 

Could Shreveport Sell the Property?

The Fairgrounds Field site faces I-20, making it a highly-visible, highly desirable location.  Could the city possibly sell the property? The mayor talked about possibly just selling the property to an interested buyer, but said there are legal questions they would need to address. 

I also don’t know if we would be required, if we sell it, if we would be required to auction it. Which would mean we would not have as much control over, ultimately, what the use of that property would be. That’s why you see so many long-term leases of city properties.  We have a process for that where we can choose what we want, enter into contracts, have a degree of certainty on both sides.  

Mayor Arceneaux said the city hasn’t yet asked for proposals, but he is interested in ideas for the property.  

But when I say that, I’m not looking for pie-in-the-sky.  I’m looking for people that actually have a plan which includes financing, and sustenance.  Because those are the two things that I think have to happen.  When I look at where we’re going financially for the city, we do not have the resources to expend a bunch of public dollars to build a facility or to operate a facilty at that site. 

So, if you have realistic ideas that include funding, start getting them together.  Because is sounds like the mayor doesn’t want a big empty there.  And it might be your idea that gets developed.