John E. Settle Jr.
Editor / Publisher
Focus SB News
The Shreveport Chamber of Commerce has been housed in the historic Shreveport Library building at 400 Edwards St. since 1980.
This building is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. To be considered “historic,” a building must have three essential attributes: sufficient age, a relatively high degree of physical integrity and historical significance.
The library building is the property of the city of Shreveport. The Chamber has requested a donation of the building by the city to facilitate a major fundraising effort needed to restore, repair and appropriately maintain the building.
The Shreveport City Council could approve this transfer of title at its next meeting on Sept. 14. The ordinance before the council does not have any restrictions or requirements on the donation, and it should.
Registration on the National Registry does not impose any restrictions of the future use, care, renovation, remodeling or alteration of the physical structure of a building deemed “historic.” In reality, the National Registry listings are mostly symbolic, and protection of the property is not guaranteed.
Once title to the library building is transferred to the Chamber, how the building will be used, who will be housed there, what renovations/remodeling will be accomplished or whether or not the structure is demolished is totally within the Chamber’s discretion, subject only to the Shreveport Unified Development Code and Shreveport building ordinances. Considering the extreme, the downstairs of the building could be a 24-hour tattoo parlor and the upstairs/main floor be converted into a 24-hour laundromat, convenience store and hookah bar, all as tenants of the Chamber. Alternatively, the Chamber could sell the property to a pawn show, payday loan or massage parlor.
The Chamber has provided a great service to Shreveport by occupying and maintaining this structure since moving into the building. Substantial work is needed to keep the facility functional and to maintain its historic significance. But as a publicly owned property, the building should not be transferred to a private non-profit entity without safeguards for the general public.