The new northwest Louisiana state office building on Fannin Street will house approximately 500-600 state employees who will move from the Fairfield office building and other state agencies in the area.
The building, which has an employee parking garage, is located two blocks north of Texas Street.
It is anticipated that the building will open late May/early June of next year.
The $64,000 question is the impact those additional workers will have on downtown businesses, especially restaurants, between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and whether they will stay downtown after work.
Additionally, what will be the impact of those who visit the state office building be downtown?
Parking in the vicinity of the building is limited, much like at the Fairfield building.
SPORTRAN will certainly need to alter its downtown routes when the building opens.
Downtown advocates, including Shreveport’s Economic Development Director Bill Sabo, may want to consider a downtown trolley service during the lunch hours to boost lunchtime and retail trade for this much-needed influx of downtown workers and visitors.
One can only hope that the omnipresent cell phone tent on the sidewalk in front of the Fairfield office building does not move to the Fannin Street location.
John came to Shreveport in January of 1977 when he was transferred to Barksdale AFB.
He’s been active in Shreveport politics since deciding to make Shreveport his home.
John practiced law for 40 years and he now monitors local politics. He regularly attends Shreveport City Council and Caddo Parish Commission meetings.
John is published weekly in The Inquisitor, bi-monthly in The Forum News, and frequently in the Shreveport Times.
He enjoys addressing civic groups on local government issues and elections.