Shreveport Common, Inc.

OVERVIEW: Shreveport Common, Inc. is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization working with City of Shreveport (public spaces, infrastructure), Shreveport Regional Arts Council (public art, programming) and over 50 public/private partners to advance the community revitalization of a long-blighted historic area to the promise of the Shreveport Common Vision Plan for an UNcommon community. This nationally awarded Creative Placemaking initiative is located at the eastern edge of Shreveport's first neighborhood, Ledbetter Heights and west of the downtown Shreveport business district.

TO DATE: Partners, stakeholders and property owners have invested over $82 million in transformational projects in the 9-block area including unique public art and programming, improved community venues and new greenspaces, and historic preservation and adaptive reuse of endangered buildings, creating unique market-rate and affordable, mixed-use, artist live/work spaces, community makerspaces and marketplaces. 36 construction projects are complete, 6 are under construction, 12 are in predevelopment ($ invested). 

A NATIONAL MODEL FOR CREATIVE PLACEMAKING: Shreveport Common was studied and featured by MIT as "...a leader in Creative Placemaking," and voted the 2015-2016 #1 Community Development Project in the Nation by the National Development Council for community process, unique public/private partnerships and commitment to the community's tenets for revitalization: Authentic, Creative, Sustainable and for ALL in our Community with no displacement of the current neighbors. 

Your support helps us continue to advance development efforts in Shreveport Common by removing obstacles and uniting partners to put endangered spaces back into commerce in exciting ways.

FROM BLIGHT TO BRIGHT: In 2009, half the buildings in the 9-block area were gone due to neglect. Of the 50% remaining, 64% of those were unoccupied. The historic Municipal Auditorium was woefully underused, one of many examples of state treasures in need of major updating and restoration. The 1924 Central Fire Station, BNAI Zion Temple and more than half of the 800 block of Texas Avenue buildings were unused, neglected and rapidly deteriorating. Blighted properties on the state's endangered building list included the buildings in the 800 block of Texas Ave., the "UNEEDA Biscuit" building, Andress Motor Garage, the Arlington Hotel, Calanthean Temple, Creswell Hamilton Hotel and the Ogilvie Wiener Mansion. 

CATALYST FOR CHANGE: In August of 2009, a random act of arson destroyed the offices of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC), ultimately creating a catalyst for community change. The community rallied, raising over $6 million to renovate the 10-year-empty Central Fire Station to the new SRAC headquarters with Emerging Artist Gallery, Artist Entrepreneurial Training Center and multi-purpose Engine Room. This creatively re-purposed building, the first capital improvement in over 50 years, is now home to SRAC, staff, hundreds of volunteers and Artists, and hosts over 200 days of free Arts programming each year. The former hose tower is now the Kallenberg Artist Tower for Artists-in-Residence. Atop it is the 20' LED-lit FLAME, a beacon for the area. The 20' tall LED lit ART THE DALMATIAN on Crockett St., 12 murals throughout the area, and now the new Caddo Common park with 20' tall LED lit artists trees and outdoor pavilion are now a popular place for programming, fun, a place to visit and take selfies for community and visitors alike. SRAC is committed to connecting Artists and community, providing access to the Arts for all and connects and engages the neighbors most living well below the poverty level, including the residents of nearby social service transitional housing programs for those who would otherwise be homeless.

TOGETHER - PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERS MAKING CHANGE: In 2012, City Council, Caddo Parish Commission and MPC approved the Shreveport Common Vision Plan as a strategy of the 2030 Caddo-Shreveport Master Plan. With approval of the Shreveport Common Vision Plan, private property owners began to preserve, redevelop, sell or donate their properties; SRAC moved into the Central ARTSTATION and began featuring dynamic programming and public art in surrounding area; City of Shreveport invested in public buildings and infrastructure, the preservation/renovation the Municipal Auditorium which now attracts sell-out shows, quadrupling ticket sales, and creation/improvement of community greenspaces including the beautiful Grand Promenade on Elvis Presley Ave., with Friends of Oakland and the ASEANA Foundation, major preservation and beautification of Oakland Cemetery and ASEANA Gardens. In 2015 the Shreveport Common Management Team became Shreveport Common, Inc. nonprofit to help advance redevelopment. In 2018 - 2021, City, SRAC, Shreveport Common Inc., Caddo Parish Commission and over 100 private donors repurposed 9-blighted parcels to the UNcommon Caddo Common park at 869 Texas Ave.