It's a great location on a very busy thoroughfare.
It's across the street from Whole Foods, many other retail shops and many restaurants.
It now has an attractive mod-looking building facade.
It has been long dormant as a hotel.
It now features high grass, parking lot debris and overflowing dumpsters.
It was last open as a Wyndham Hotel with announced plans to re-open as Town Place Suites and Spring Hill Suites with a Boston's Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar.
Frustrations have been expressed by councilman Grayson Boucher and Jim Taliaferro. At a council meeting earlier this year a mold problem was identified along with financing issues by the owner.
In reality not much can be done about the non-completion of the building. Property Standards citations can be issued for high grass and weeds, and care of premises violations and judgements can be rendered by Shreveport Environmental Court. Like with so many blighted properties, judgements against properties already encumbered by mortgages have little effect.
Out of town ownership compounds the challenges and financing woes of the building owners are not the problems of the City. Every city has buildings where construction and/or remodeling has ceased without completion, and Shreveport has its share. These structures also represent urban blight.
The rights of property owners are very sacrosanct, and the government can restrict some uses of property but rarely if ever can it compel or dictate the use of property--or in the instance the completion of remodeling efforts. In balancing the interests of government versus the property owner, the property owner has the upper hand.
Hopefully, free market forces will ultimately remedy this unsightly and unfortunate situation. Presumably there is a mortgage against the building and financial issues of the owner may result in foreclosure with a new owner motivated to make needed and overdue changes.