Catfish

Okay, here's something I've been working on. It's a "W" hotel on the Shreveport riverfront between the aquarium and the bridge. In reality, this will never happen... but in my mind, it's as good as done! Mixing AutoCAD and Photoshop, this is what I came up with:

FYI the mayor did respond to my email yesterday morning and seemed very happy and thankful for my email to her. She is facing some major challenges in her term as mayor, and she knows it. She spoke to me candidly, off the record, and shared some information that I won't repeat but tells me of greater challenges that she faces on a daily basis involving Shreveport politics. I believe what she says to be true, and I know politics in Shreveport are backward. She just confirmed that for me in her email, and I would not want to be in her position. Years ago, after I first got married, I lived in Shreveport and I wanted to be the youngest mayor of Shreveport ever. I wanted to run for, and win, that position and run that city how I believed at the time it should be run. But I was a kid in my early-mid 20s and I was clearly very naive. I didn't realize that the career politicians, and people (men AND women) who have money and too much power, are actually the ones who run things in that city, just like in our national government. I do hope Shreveport gets its act together before it kills another positive project of this magnitude, IF another ever comes our way. If the city is seen as anti-outsider, it will never happen again. A large firm from Birmingham, unfortunately, just got a taste of what Shreveport politics are like, and so did Tom Benson. That's not a good image to portray to people who could help the city grow. Just my 2 cents!!

Here's something I just threw together for us all. I tried to use the most flattering photos I could find of each city; I hope I didn't disappoint with any of them.

Hey, it can't hurt for them to hear from the pro-arena/development crowd! That's what made me write to Mayor Tyler. Man, this thing was impressively designed, too...

Here's the text of an email I sent to Mayor Tyler this morning:

People in Shreveport just don't get it. This was literally our chance to change some things. First, it would change the face of a really blighted, unused portion of our downtown, adding to the convention center area, and creating a village. The renderings, albeit very early renderings, were extremely impressive. I know most of those were taken off similar projects around the country, but they did create some renderings specifically for that project and they blew my mind. I wish we could salvage this project. Maybe Corporate Realty out of Birmingham could pony up an additional $30 million for the arena. I mean, it would help them and then they would own it and could market it how they see fit. But I suppose only time will tell, however I'm very afraid that this might be the end of the road. And you're right about something else... you can NOT sit around and fight crime and fix streets all the while not TRYING to lure business to your city. Are they kidding? New Orleans is a PRIME example in this state. Crappy roads and FAR, FAR higher crime than Shreveport that even spills over into their biggest tourist attractions from time to time. But people still like what they have to offer and they still go there! What is so different about Shreveport? Absolutely nothing with the exception that we still need to build things for people to come see. And yes, people will travel from Lafayette and even some will travel from New Orleans, to see the minor league Pel's games. I promise you that. But they may not get the chance now... Pensacola is closer to New Orleans than we are (which I only recently learned) and if something doesn't get changed really fast, they will be home to the Pelicans G-league team. The aquarium is a great start. To have a re-done Sci-Port and an aquarium right across from one another, and two casinos within very easy walking distance, and (potentially) a mixed-use development with an arena to watch some NBA minor league basketball within a very short drive. That would be an excellent opportunity for the trolley service that runs during special occasions. I could see them making that drive, between the riverfront and the Cross Bayou area, a regular run for a trolley service, if everything worked out that way. And apparently people in Shreveport don't understand brownfields and such, where you can get grants to clean up contaminated sites. This being because everyone is now saying (their new argument) that the site is contaminated due to General Scrap being located there currently. Here's a definition for ya, Shreveporters, if any of you happen to find your way over here to UP (below). Brownfields are cleaned up all the time to make way for new developments. Some don't realize that where Margaritaville's impressive hotel sits, used to be a landfill. Now look at it. That's just one good, local example of what CAN be done. Sorry for this long post. lol I get carried away at times, especially when I'm passionate about what it is I'm talking about. Listen, we don't have all the answers, but those opposed to the project believe they do. I'm just a guy who is passionate about my hometown (even though I'm from Bossier, it's all one city to me most of the time anyway) and want to see it succeed! Who wants to be further embarrassed by watching their hometown fail again and again and again!? Not this guy. brown·field /ˈbrounˌfēld/ adjective 1. (of an urban site for potential building development) having had previous development on it. noun 1. a former industrial or commercial site where future use is affected by real or perceived environmental contamination.

Well, it looks like Shreveport screwed up another potentially positive thing for the city in the $150+ million sports and mixed-use project. I know a lot of people were against it, citing bad roads and crime as their reason for being opposed, knowing full well that $30 million is not going to fix the crime rate. Anyone who thinks otherwise is extremely naïve. This was to come from bond money, which the city would pay back over a number of years. This wasn’t $30 million out of the city’s budget, this was money the city didn’t even have yet. But people in Shreveport can be very, very ignorant. The other thing I noted from the article in The Times is that 25 people spoke IN FAVOR of the project and only 14 spoke AGAINST it. Now, that doesn’t sound to me like the city was listening to the people, if the people who were against it were that much in the minority at the meeting. It sounds like they listened to the minority of the people at the meeting rather than the majority. It was nice knowing you, Shreveport, but you’re letting the small town mentality take you down. As if you couldn’t tell, I was in favor of this project; and as a person who hates basketball, I still would have attended games just to help it succeed. Hopefully Mayor Tyler can come up with another way to make this happen. If not, the team will have to go to Pensacola, I suppose. And Shreveport misses out on an opportunity to develop the Cross Bayou area of downtown with a partner willing to put up over $100 million of their own money.

Here is my image. It's the latest building I've designed... another mixed-use concept. Higher end downtown or uptown apartments with a Walmart Neighborhood Market, Subway, Chipotle and a nail salon since those seem to exist in every shopping center ever built.

Sorry for the last 2 posts, I messed up.

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Today's "Photo of the Day" is actually 4 rendered concepts of the PROPOSED sports arena and multi-use complex for the New Orleans Pelicans G-League team.

Thanks, man! It's really easy to do actually, just takes a little knowledge of AutoCAD to draw the buildings and Photoshop to put it all together.

Here's another image of downtown Shreveport, with 3 buildings I've designed.

Ever since I came back, I've been trying to keep it active. Glad to see you back around!

Here's an mage I just put together. I took an imaginary hotel concept I designed in AutoCAD recently and placed it in a Google Earth image. Then I added a nicer sky for dramatic effect.

Artist's rendering of the planned multi-use sports development...

Shreveport Police Association and Shreveport Police Union came out today in opposition to this project because they think they would be better suited for the money. Let me just tell you, $1 million, $30 million, $1 billion is not going to fix the crime problem. Like it or not, it's cultural. The people committing these crimes, unfortunately, have grown up in these neighborhoods in a culture of violence. That's a hard chain to break. You can throw all the money in the world at the problem, but you will not fix it. FIRE the current Police Chief, because he's a joke. Promote someone who actually has a proven track record and who scored highly on the chief's exam, and you've got a good start. Surprisingly, the Downtown Development Authority has also come out as not quite on board with the project either. Their complaint is that it was never fully revealed to them. Hopefully they'll get on board; if not, it makes one wonder WHY NOT. Any DDA who would oppose a $150+ million development in their downtown would be foolish, and would warrant a change in leadership (not that their "leader" is a leader to begin with. She was a former mayor' lackie, and we never saw eye to eye.

Here are some screenshots I took on my cell phone yesterday. Not sure if you can zoom in more to the site plan, but this offers more views.

It would be a very nice development. As you and I discussed, I'm sad to see a lot of New Orleans residents opposed to Shreveport over Pensacola, but as a "homer", why not Shreveport? Even lots of comments on these stories have Shreveport-Bossier residents saying we don't want/need this. Sad to see all the negativity, but in all honesty, I expected it from that same group of Shreveport-Bossier residents, they're always the first ones to condemn anything other than "fixing the streets and crime". No crap we have streets needing to be fixed, and crime has spiraled out of control, but that stuff aside, this COULD be a great thing for Shreveport if done right. These same people complained about the aquarium, which wasn't even being built with public funds. These same people would complain about anything, so I suppose I'm not surprised. People always say "Shreveport needs more stuff to do as a family!" THEN TAKE YOUR FAMILY TO SEE THE BASKETBALL GAMES AND TO THE AQUARIUM. Finally, good things are happening and people STILL complain. As I said before, I don't even really like basketball, but I'll go support them.

Mayor officially unveils $100 million G-League development to the city council (renderings inside)... http://www.ksla.com/story/36191124/city-unveils-plans-for-sports-complex-related-development

CSRA building at night, eastern Bossier City...

So yesterday, Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler announced a plan, which will be fully unveiled at today’s city council meeting, for a $100 million mixed-use project to be built in the Cross Bayou area on the north side of downtown near the Hilton and convention center. Now, I know most people are opposed to this plan because (1) she’s a democrat and will be hated for that no matter what, and (2) all the typical yokels will spout off about how we need to fix crime, roads, education, etc etc etc. The same stuff they always scream about, even when the aquarium was announced and it was made clear that it was being funded privately. That said, I don’t care, I’m very much for the development, because I’m pro-development in my hometown area - especially downtown. I want it to be a success. The project’s main feature would be a “mid-sized” sports arena for the New Orleans Pelicans G-League team. Apparently the pool has been narrowed to just two cities now, Shreveport and Pensacola, FL. I hope to see some renderings for this project soon, and I hope the project is approved and that we get the G-League basketball team. I’m not at all a basketball fan, but I WILL support a local team.