Redevelopment in downtown Shreveport prompts parking review

(The Center Square) – An uptick in commercial and business development plans for downtown Shreveport have raised concerns about parking, which is ample but not always in convenient locations.

Past studies concluded that parking is sufficient for current demand but the city manages only a small portion of those spaces.

Following the decline of businesses using commercial office space that began in the late 1980s, the downtown landscape is evolving, with a growing emphasis on an urban living experience unique to Shreveport. Urban living attempts to celebrate the historic character of a city.

The organization overseeing downtown development and parking management says it’s time for fresh ideas that reflect today’s realities.

Encouraging demolition of historic buildings for additional parking lots – considered more profitable than vacant buildings – will not be one of them, nor is a new parking garage likely because a citizen-led committee rejected the idea while shaping infrastructure proje...