SHREVEPORT COMMONLouisiana’s Newest Creative

Place

© 2013 Wendy Benscoter, Benscoter Consultants, LLC for Shreveport Regional Arts Council and the City of Shreveport

Fast Forward last 24 months…

1-yearVision PlanningProcess

Public/Private30 Partners

36 Major Projects: Artist

Live/Work/MarketCommunity Space

InfrastructureTransportation

City Council/MPC approved “Advances the city Master Plan

for a Creative Cultural Neighborhood”

1-Year “Community Expert” led Research and

Strategies,Funding for Infrastructure

SHREVEPORT COMMON Team in PlaceMayor Appointed Team:

City/SPAR and SRAC City Department Heads and NWLA Roster Artist Representative

Paid Staff

Provide Oversight Develop Infrastructure Needed for Success:

Remove Obstacles - Find/Promote Funding - Expedite Processes

Plan and Help Implement Strategies

Community Experts Task Forces

9 Task Forces: Community Experts, Artists and Neighbors: Research and recommend best strategies and policies to fulfill the promise of the plan:o Parks &

Greenspaces

o Transportation

o Social Services

o Vendor Programs

o Developers

o Programming

o Artists’ Roles & Residences

o Public Art

o Communicating w Neighbors

Met for 6 months Researched other

communities and best practices

Proposed strategies & policiesBonnie Moore (CDC), Kent Rogers (NLCOG) & Chloe Duplessis

(CN) represented H.U.D. Choice Neighborhoods on the SHREVEPORT COMMON Management Team. Debra Seamster was the Choice Neighborhood Task Force representative

Creativity Authenticity Stimulating . Vibrant . Diverse True to History . Place . Character

SHREVEPORT COMMON Vision Plan and Strategiesfor a vibrant, animated, arts and cultural neighborhood built

on…

Sustainability Community Environmentally . Socially . Economically Inclusive . Hospitable . Tolerant

Choice NeighborhoodLedbetter Allendale

Downtown

ShreveportShreveport

Common

Cultural C

ommunity

“It is the heritage of opportunity, creativity and tolerance that make Shreveport Common a historically and spiritually dynamic place…

“…most dynamic” … “a crucible of change”  

That spirit lives today, embodied in the stories, landmarks, and people...”

Shreveport Common Home to 800 Residents

Providence House Transitional, families - 90

Fairmont Tower Apartments, Affordable - 530

Logan Mansion Private Home - 2

Mercy Center – Residences for HIV+ 3 houses - 36 Private Residences / Rental 4HOPE

Texas Ave. Private Residence - 1

710 Crockett Lofts - 14

725-731 Milam - private residences719 Milam– private loft - 3

VAO McAdoo - 30

James Burton Foundation, Studio (Rock N Roll Museum)

Nelson Hammons - 15

Logan Mansion Private Home - 2

Dominique’s Catering - 2

minicine?

Lakeside Baptist Church – 150 members, 3 staff

Dannye Malone Law - 6 Firm - 7 Scottish Rite

Cathedral - 2

Data Stor – 21, ESCO - 25

Credit Bureau South – 18, Superman – 1

Location Makers’ Fair

27 Shreveport Common Business, Churches, Organizations

James Burton Foundation Studio - 2

Korner Lounge - 7

Rescue Mission Warehouse - 4

Elite Computer Services - 2

i architecture – 2, JJ Diner 2 Strand - 3

SRAC Central ARTSTATION - 12

SMG Municipal Auditorium – 3, Friends of Municipal

Holy Cross - 3

ASEANA FoundationCalanthean TempleLittle

Realty - 6

It takes a Vision Plan for a revitalized cultural community, Strategies for Implementation,

and continued Proof of Change by over 30 partners to see a future beyond the abandoned properties

9 SHREVEPORT COMMON Arts-Led Community InitiativesPARKS & GREEN COMMUNITY SPACES

SOCIAL SERVICES

TRANSPORTATION

New connected Green Spaces, Funding, Design, Property Acquisition, Infrastructure, Artist on Design Teams, Goal: sustainable, surprising green spaces and niches

Funding, Complete Streets and Walkablility, Bike-Ped hub, Infrastructure, artist -designed CommonLink, designed and fabricated Bike Racks, Bike/Ped Paths, Crosswalks

Integrating the Social Service Organizations, Creating a Neighborhood, Workforce & Earned-Income Opportunities, Pay-It-Forward Teams Artists with Organizations, Help w/ Vagrancy Issues

DEVELOPERS Acquiring and Packaging Property, Market Study by TMG, Zoning Amendment, COS Infrastructure, Affordable Artist Live/ Workspaces, Markets, Artist Designed New Business/Residences

VENDORS Creating Arts, Culture

and Food Vendor Opportunities, Fresh Food, new Marketplaces, Market-entry opportunities, ordinance changes, designated properties, partnerships with Social Service Organizations

Creating Relationships,Partnerships, Current and New Neighbors, City/Parish partnerships, a sense of place, a sense of Community

NEIGHBORS / PARTNERS/ COMMUNICATING

$6M CENTRAL ARTSTATION renovation complete with Arts Resource Center, Black-Box Engine Room and Gallery!

$5.75M: Municipal Auditorium, Oakland Cemetery, Grand Promenade renovations underway!

$3M (VOA) McAdoo renovation complete! 9 “Community Expert” Task Forces created

Strategic Plan now Implementation Plan! 13 properties acquired; Environmental Phase I

complete! CommonLink Transportation/Information hub is

Shovel-Ready! 4 new businesses relocated to SHREVEPORT

COMMON! Creswell Hotel sold to private developer! Arlington Hotel “saved” by city of Shreveport! $60,000 SRAC + SPAR Temporary Public Art! 3 CADDO COMMON Clean-up Days, 700

volunteers! 65 Artists completed Entrepreneurial Training! PAY-IT-FORWARD program exchanges

space/venue rental and training fees for Artists community service!

UNSCENE! animates area with national and local artists, unabashed programming, arts market every month!

What is complete in SHREVEPORT COMMON

AUTHENTIC SUSTAINABLE CREATIVE COMMUNITY

SHREVEPORT COMMON Arts Initiatives …ACADEMY AWARD WINNING CREATIVE DIRECTOR + NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED + LOCAL ARTISTS, UNABASHED PUBLIC ART & ARTS PROGRAMMING, UNEXPECTED PARADES, UNLEASHED ARTS MARKETS, UNCOMMON VENDOR OPPORTUNTIES & EARNED INCOME OPPORTUNITIES = VIBRANT AND ANIMATED NEIGHBORHOOD!The first funded, year-long, large-scale opportunity …

UNSCENE!

Working / Coming Soon in SHREVEPORT COMMON

• TMG Market Study draft received, final report due Dec. 2013

• Zoning Amendment to Ordinance. Next step: MPC and 2nd round community meetings, (Goody Clancy)

• NLCOG/Transportation Task Force Bike / Ped path plan complete with SC as hub to 6 key anchors; state funding pending

• Phase II Environmental on acquired properties• COS to complete acquiring adjudicated properties• HUD Choice grant includes $ Artist Affordable

housing• Management Team meets monthly; Forming

Shreveport Common Redevelopment 501(c) 3• Workforce Development expands to Social Service

Organizations• Artist Entrepreneur Training expands to include

Southern University Business Certificate, and Practicum

• NLCOG plan for “Trail of Two Cities” through Texas Ave.

• Continue UNSCENE! monthly Arts Programming: nationally acclaimed and regional artists, $432,000 funded (national & local)

• Committed developer inquiries• CADDO COMMON Park design funded, RFS for

Design Team Dec. 2013

AUTHENTIC SUSTAINABLE CREATIVE COMMUNITY