Depending on who is talking and who is listening, 2025 can be considered a good year for the City of Shreveport and Caddo Parish, at least so far. Critics can say the opposite.
The next six plus months will be a measuring stick for Mayor Tom Arceneaux's administration, and the prospects of his announced reelection plans. This time interval will also be important for the political aspirations of one, maybe two or three, Caddo Commissioners.
What can one expect for Shreveport/Caddo Parish for the remainder of the year? Here are some definites and some maybes:
1. The Caddo Commission will determine the viability of a proposed $10 million pickleball complex to be constructed on the YMCA Forbing property;
2. The west Shreveport Police Substation will open, construction will continue on the North Market Substation, and a bid will be let on the construction of a Cedar Grove Substation;
3. The Shreveport Council will approve much needed amendments to the downtown vacant property/blight ordinance;
4. Construction of totally remodeled/expanded Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park will be completed with a grand opening this fall;
5. Shreveport Mayor Arceneaux, along with interim DOWUS director Brandon Sneed, will be graded on the quality of Shreveport's water;
6. The fate of Shreveport's long dormant film industry will be determined by the Louisiana Economic Development Office (LED) and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson;
7. Progress should be expected on modification of Shreveport's EPA consent decree with a Republican president, two Republican U.S. Senators, a Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives who grew up in Shreveport, and a Republican Governor;
8. Fresh off Its announcement of the SkyWest maintenance facility to open at Shreveport Regional Airport, NLEP can be expected to make at least one more major economic project for Shreveport;
9. A new Chancellor for the LSU Health Sciences Center will be named;
10. Construction work will crank back up on the State Office Building now that a contractor bid was received in the budgeted amount.
This is not intended to be a Pollyanna forecast. A doom and gloom listing can wait. Without a doubt social media will address those issues.