Officials from the Bossier City government, metropolitan planning commission and the Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation are eyeing plans for an entertainment district with a potential tax incentive to attract businesses, City Council President Chris Smith told The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate this week.
He said the plans are in very early stages, but the “economic development district” as it currently stands would stretch from Chasing Aces down to Live! Casino, encompassing all of the city’s casinos along with the Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets and the East Bank District.
“We are pulling property tax data, sales tax data, liquor sale data. We’re going to look at everything. We’re not 100% sure we want to do it, but if the district is going to grow, our thought process is there needs to be a mechanism so we’re not just throwing general fund dollars at it,” he explained, noting that the exact tax incentive scheme is still up in the air.
“We haven’t even talked to a bond attorney yet, so we’re very early,” he said.
Back in July, the council voted to put some money toward citywide marketing efforts, and Smith said the potential district is factoring into those plans. Chief Administrative Officer Amanda Nottingham also said Tuesday that the branding would include new exit ramp signs and a website redesign.
Smith hopes the marketing is up and going by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
“We’ve talked with the consultants that have put in bids on that. We’ve talked with them about doing some concentrated marketing for East Bank and then this greater entertainment district, but anything we do is going to be more broad, encompassing the whole city, or that whole entertainment district,” he said.
The ideas are coupled with some ongoing revitalization plans at the Boardwalk. On the city’s side, crews have pressure-washed and re-striped the parking garage, which it owns, and put up a new mural at the nearby police substation. On the ownership’s side is a potential pivot in the works, he said.
“Of course, they’re private entities. I don’t know 100% what their plans are, but the few conversations we’ve had with them, they’re looking to go away from being strictly retail and food and beverage. They do have their eyes set on some entertainment venues. So obviously The Picklr down there, that’s kind of like the first step and a more entertainment base,” he explained.
Those plans were alluded to by Picklr franchise co-owner Chris Alberson in August, who told The SBC Advocate at the time that their idea “is to really curate other businesses that are similar and that can work off each other.”
“The more people that come down here and see the potential, you know, the more we realize that it’s an under-leveraged asset in our community, and it needs to be taken advantage of,” Alberson said of the Boardwalk. “The mayor feels the same way. The city’s behind it.”
Chris Smith said he wasn’t able to discuss any specific tenants being courted, in part because there are conditions tied to some of the ideas being floated and in part because those talks are covered by a nondisclosure agreement. He said announcements were being planned for the start of December, but he isn’t sure why things haven’t been made public.
It all comes after somewhat contentious sit-down talks in June between city leaders and the Boardwalk’s Texas-based owner, Todd Routh, and several of his associates. Since Routh bought the property in 2022, it has shed tenants, leading to accusations from officials and residents that he hasn’t done enough to stem the tide.
Optimism from city officials was mixed coming out of that meeting, but Smith said this week that he’s since seen an about-face from ownership in part spurred by pressure from the outlet’s anchor tenants. Now, he’s downright excited.
“I don’t expect it to go completely as we currently have planned, but even if 85% of what we currently have planned works out, you won’t even recognize it this time next year,” he claimed.
Business Editor Liz Swaine contributed reporting.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.shreveportbossieradvocate.com ’
