DOES CADDO NEED TO PAY $70 MILLION FOR EIGHT BASKETBALL COURTS

Traveling sports teams are a big deal for parents whose children are on travel teams.
 
Presently many parents and their children who play basketball, volleyball and even soccer spend many weekends outside of northwest Louisiana, often involving overnight stays.
 
The question is not if a sports complex is needed for basketball, volleyball and/or pickleball, but how many courts are required and at what total cost.
 
The proposal approved by the Caddo Commission for a $60 million general obligation bond package, which requires $10 million of private dollars, will feature 8 basketball courts that can be converted into 16 volleyball courts or 24 pickleball courts.
 
Here are some questions that Commissioners should consider;
 
1. Should the complex have a large ballroom/meeting space area with a full-service industrial kitchen
 
2. Should the complex have event space that will compete with the Convention Center, Riverview Theatre and Hall, the Brookshire’s Grocery Arena, the Bossier Civic Center, The Strand, Marjorie Lyons Playhouse, and other event venues
 
3. Should the complex include a 10,000 square foot medical tenant lease space when the Parish has no commitment for a lease
 
4. Should the complex have 700 parking spaces
 
5. Should a complex be approved BEFORE construction on the $10 million pickleball has been completed or even started
 
6. Should a complex be approved before the $10 million in private dollars is committed for project funding
 
7. Should a complex be approved before the Parish has identified the 12 plus acre high visibility location for the facility on 1-20 or 1-49
 
The November 3 ballot will include the $60 million general obligation bond package for voters. If approved, the Parish is NOT obligated to issue bonds in that amount that will be needed, along with the $10 million in private dollars to build the complex as presented to the Commission. Much more information will be needed by voters, including the answers to the questions above and there are four plus months for the Parish to provide.
 
The bigger question is does the Parish need to build the Taj Mahal of sports complexes versus a more practical, scaled-down facility that costs much less money.
 
Hopefully the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce and/or the Committee of 100, who both support the concept of a sports facility, will conduct a deep dive into the economics presented by the Parish that justify the proposal, and more importantly the practicality of the plans presented to the Parish.
 
Bigger is not always better, especially when tax dollars are involved, and when there are underused public facilities in both Caddo and Bossier parishes that most likely be adversely affected by the grandiose plans for the sports complex outside of the actual courts.