New and improved? That should be the question to the principals in Gateway Development Consortium (GDC). The Shreveport Sun reports that a detailed presentation will be made at a Nov. 25 City Council meeting.
First problem is that the council will NOT meet that day. A vote was taken at the Tues. Nov. 12 meeting to have both the next work session and meeting on Friday Nov.22. This is to free up Thanksgiving week.
Problem number 2 may be the receptiveness of the council to a long presentation with citizen input on a Friday afternoon. The meetings are set to commence at 3 p.m.
After that, the Sun column raised more questions than answers. Which is par for the course with GDC when it comes to development of Cross Bayou. Here are a few on first reading.
GDC wants the city to assemble 88 acres in the cross bayou corridor and then donate the land to the project. Where is the city to get the money to buy the property? Can the city legally donate the property to this for profit venture? Can Brownfield site moneys be utilized by a private venture?
The article reports that GDC will then seek additional private/public partnerships (P3s) with the Caddo Commission, Red River Waterway Commission and the state and federal government. Presumably these P3 agreements are critical to the entire project.
So , which is the chicken and which is the egg? Is the City to acquire title to the 88 acres and donate it before these agreements are reached? If so, what happens it they are not effectuated?
As in prior versions of this project, a state office building is a key component. Governor John Bel has NOT committed to this project. And who knows if he will be the governor on Sunday?
Caddo D.A. James Stewart has NOT committed to a criminal justice complex.
The GDC representative naively says that the city is not putting any money into infrastructure. This sidesteps the economic investment the city must make in acquiring the land.
It could be long long afternoon at the council meeting if the hard questions are aske about this project. And how the votes go on the bond propositions will obviously over shadow any talk of the city spending more money on capital expenditures.