Shreveport Economic Development Director's Speech to NSBA

The speaker at last Tuesdays' (June 9)  meeting of the North Shreveport Business Association was Bill Sabo. Shreveport's Economic Development Director.

His comments are salient, especially considering he is not a Shreveport native. 

A big thanks for sharing with Settle Talk.

“LET ME ASK TWO QUESTIONS:
 
What would change if Shreveport stopped describing itself by what it lacks and started describing itself by what it already has?
 
What if the biggest challenge in recruiting investment to North Shreveport is not just land, traffic, or demographics — but the narrative we allow other people to believe about this part of the city?
 
I’ve been in Shreveport a little over a year and a half now, and one of the things I noticed early is that people here are very honest about the city’s problems. Sometimes brutally honest. And I understand that. We have real issues. We have crime concerns, infrastructure needs, blighted properties, workforce challenges, and  neighborhoods that need investment.
 
But Shreveport is not the only city with problems. I had a boss once who used to say, “If you sit next to someone from Louisiana on an airplane, you’re going to hear about potholes, crime, flooding, hurricanes, and everything that’s broken. If you sit next to someone from Texas, you’re going to hear that Texas is the greatest place in the world to live, work, and invest.”
 
The truth is that both places have problems. The difference is often the story people choose to tell.
 
And that matters in economic development. Because investors, retailers, developers, employers, and even our own young people are listening to how we talk about ourselves. If the only story we tell is what is wrong, then we should not be surprised when others believe us. But if we can be honest about our challenges while also being clear about our assets, our progress, and our opportunities, then we put ourselves in a much stronger position.
 
I especially appreciate the opportunity to speak to you because this is a group that keeps North Shreveport relevant and a vital part of the city.
 
Before I get into the main topic, I want to take a moment to talk about economic development. Most people think it’s ribbon cuttings, and announcements of new companies. But honestly, our work starts 2, 3 even 4 years before you hear about that grand opening.

It is also important to say that economic development is more than trying to convince businesses to move here. That is one piece of it, but the newer model shows that businesses now look very closely at crime statistics, quality of life, local schools, higher education, workforce, infrastructure, housing, and whether local government is responsive and predictable. A company may start with a site or a building, but the final decision is usually about the total environment around that site.
 
Economic development is often a concierge service. It’s problem solving. It is about making it easier to do business in Shreveport — for companies that are already here and for companies we want to attract. That means aligning city departments, private businesses, property owners, developers, utilities, workforce partners, and community stakeholders around opportunities.
 
True economic development creates a broader vision and strategy for making Shreveport a better place to do business not just today but 5, 10, 20 years into the future. It is often said it’s planting seeds for a tree under which you’ll never sit.
 
So, let’s talk about North Shreveport — not pretending everything is fixed, but also not pretending there is nothing here to build on. There is a lot here to build on.
 
That is why the Arceneaux administration’s broader work matters so much.
 
The $256 million in bond improvements are beginning to move from planning into visible impact. Those investments touch infrastructure, public facilities, neighborhoods, streets, and the basic conditions that support private investment.
 
The City is also working on public safety, including efforts to recruit more law enforcement personnel from Barksdale and strengthen the pipeline of people who can serve in local law enforcement. Public safety is not separate from economic development. It is one of the foundations of it.
 
We are also addressing blighted properties through the Block-by-Block initiative. Blight is not just a code enforcement issue. It affects neighborhood confidence, property values, investor interest, and the way people perceive an area. When we deal with blight in a targeted way, we are also improving the investment climate.
 
We have also re-engaged SIRA, our redevelopment agency, to begin the process of acquiring adjudicated land and buildings to move them back into commerce. We work closely with our universities to link training and courses with the workforce needs of our local companies.
 
We are working through major private-sector opportunities, including the ongoing administrative work connected to G Unit’s investments. There’s also ensuring local businesses are part of the construction of the data center. That is expected to be a $6 billion injection into our economy over the next 5 or so years. Both projects involve property, infrastructure, utilities, timing, financing, and long-term planning. But they are examples of how economic development today requires coordination across many different stakeholders and organizations.

At the same time, we are focused on the practical things that make City Hall easier to work with. The Mayor’s Small Business Task Force identified several areas where we can modernize and simplify processes. That includes moving more services online, reducing the need to come to city hall, streamlining permitting and licensing, improving communication with applicants, and removing unnecessary friction.
 
Sometimes the improvements are big. Sometimes they are simple but meaningful. For example, if someone can pay for certain licenses by credit card instead of having to get a cashier’s check, that may sound small. But for a business owner trying to open, expand, or stay compliant, those small points of friction matter. They send a message about whether the city is trying to help or simply making people jump through hoops. You will also hear more this week about a major downtown initiative that the City and the Downtown Development Authority are partnering on. Downtown is important to the whole city, and especially North Shreveport.
 
So, let’s spend some time on North Shreveport specifically.
 
One of the reasons we wanted better retail analysis is because too often conversations about economic development are based on perception, frustration, or wish lists. Those things are understandable, but they are not enough to recruit investment. Retailers, developers, and lenders make decisions based on data.
 
We hired a leading consulting firm our of  Birmingham to give us a thorough analysis of North Shreveport and North Caddo.
 
They took a 15-minute drive time perimeter from the middle of MLK, which basically gives you an area just south of downtown and all the way up to Oil City.
 
The good news is that the data shows North Shreveport is a strong real retail market and regional commercial destination.
 
It showed:

• 2 billion in annual retail sales

• $500 million from outside the area

• A daytime population of 115,000 people

• Significant business opportunities in grocery, fast-food, sit-down restaurants, health and wellness, lawn and garden and several others

 
There is significant spending power in and around North Shreveport. There is customer inflow. There are strong corridors. There are existing businesses that already serve as anchors. There is traffic. There is land in certain areas that can be positioned for future opportunities. And there is a business community that cares deeply about this part of the city.
 
That last point matters. When a retailer looks at a market, they are not only looking at rooftops and traffic counts. They are also looking at whether the area appears organized, stable, safe, and moving in the right direction. Groups like yours help tell that story.
 
Our job now is to be more disciplined and more targeted.
 
Retail recruitment is not just calling a company and asking them to come. Retailers look at population, income, traffic, access, visibility, available sites, crime perception, nearby businesses, competition, and whether the market can support the store. They also look at whether a site is ready or whether it would require too many steps and too much aggravation before a deal can happen. It takes between 2-4 years to move from a company choosing a market to a store opening.
 
The City’s is here to help organize opportunities. That means understanding the strongest areas, which properties are realistic, what infrastructure or access issues may exist, what types of businesses the market can support, and how we package North Shreveport in a way that speaks the language of private investment.
 
That is an important distinction. We cannot simply say, “We want this business.” We must be able to say, “Here is the market case. Here is the site. Here is the customer base. Here is the traffic. Here is the surrounding investment. Here is why this works.”
 
North Shreveport has sometimes felt like it had to fight to be seen. I understand that. But one of the things this process gives us is a way to move from asking to be remembered to presenting a business case for investment, which we are doing at conferences and conventions.
 
That is a stronger position.
 
It also means being honest. Not every desired business fits every site. Not every corridor is ready for every type of retail. Some opportunities will be stronger than others. Some investments will require property owners, businesses, city departments, and private developers to work together before the market responds.
 
But the opportunity is real.
 
The message I want to leave you with is this: North Shreveport is not starting from zero. It has assets. It has businesses. It has infrastructure corridors. It has customers. It has civic leadership. And it has an organized business community in this room.
 
The next step is to connect those assets to a more targeted strategy.
 
Let me close with this, the City can help with data, coordination, process improvements, site readiness, infrastructure planning, and recruitment. But North Shreveport’s business community must be part of the pitch. You show that this area is not standing still. You help show that people are invested here. You help show that North Shreveport is organized and serious about its future.
 
I have a handout that I hope you’ll take with you a read and share with others. It tells a great story about North Shreveport. It’s a story we need to tell over, and over, and over. 
 
Economic development works best when the public sector and private sector are pulling in the same direction. That is what we are trying to build.
 
And I believe North Shreveport has a strong case to make.”