Shreveport-Bossier CVB to Renovate & Expand Downtown Visitor Center

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Shreveport-Bossier CVB to Renovate & Expand Downtown Visitor Center

New 7,000 square-foot facility will include more Parking & Interactive Kiosks

By: Tom Pace, Executive Editor, SBLive!
December 5th, 2007

Shreveport and Bossier’s tourist industry is growing by leaps and bounds (a 30% increase over the past 3 years), so in order to meet increased visitor demand, the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau yesterday unveiled the Architect’s Drawing of a new building and parking lot to fill-in the empty space next to the bureau’s current offices at 629 Spring Street.

The ceremonial dirt turning saw some dozen or so folks, shovels-in-hand, alongside CVB President Stacy Brown, for the official groundbreaking.
Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover was there, along with Lisa Johnson, Executive Director of the Bossier Chamber of commerce…then there were Shreveport City Council members: Monty Wolford, Joe Shyne, and Bryan Wooley in attendance. Louisiana State Representative Roy Burrell, was also present, with lots of other local dignitaries and government representatives.

Look for the new Interactive Visitor Center and Parking Lot to become reality about a year from now, The expansion and renovation will include additional offices, visitor parking, additional meeting space, visitor restrooms, and an all new state-of-the-art interpretive visitor center that will showcase all of Caddo and Bossier parishes

"We want the visitor to come in the doors to the new visitor center and instatntly get excited about what the area has to offer,” said Convention and Tourist Bureau President, Stacy Brown, who continued, “visitors will be able to use our interactive kiosks and experience the area before they even leave our facility."

SGB Architects, LLP have designed the new fqacade of the building to include a modern twist on what the building looked like originally, when it was built in the late 1800’s. The structure will have large carved windows much like the original. The construction company, Carter Construction, estimates the project will take 11 months to complete.