(The Center Square) — The Shreveport City Council voted on final passage of an ordinance that amended the 2025 Capital Improvements Budget for an additional $1.5 million in funding to complete police substations.
According to City Administrative Officer Tom Dark, the Cedar Grove Park East Shreveport substation is almost ready for bids. The passage of the ordinance allowed the project to continue.
The council moved swiftly on this ordinance as they had heard the item two weeks prior.
The funding for this project is coming from the interest earned on the 2021 bonds. The $1.5 million is being used for paying remaining costs on the three substation projects, including work done for the Traffic Bureau, Wildwood Park offices and temporary relocation costs for officers.
The Center Square previously reported on the progress of the three police substations, along with other public safety projects, after speaking with Shreveport Police Department Cpl. Chris Bordelon.
The department’s goal is to have the three substations up and running in the city by the first quarter of next year.
The three new substations are in addition to the newly constructed police headquarters, which costs $28.5 million.
The council and Dark spoke to a potential fourth substation to replace one currently being leased. However, bids for the police headquarters and two fire stations must come in first before they can consider the possibility of constructing a fourth.
Another item that received final passage was an ordinance concerning the Shreveport Code of Ordinance as it pertains to blighted and vacant structures.
According to Dark and Mayor Tom Arceneaux, during Monday’s administrative conference, the amendment clarifies that the city is looking at both blighted and vacant structures, not just vacant, and also amends a few timing-related things — changing notices sent by first-class mail to certified mail and the 15-day period is now 30 days.
“They’re minor changes,” said Arceneaux. “Most of which were the result of comments that were made right after it was introduced before it was tabled.”
Arceneaux said the registration requirements and inspection requirements are still in the ordinance.
“I think the teeth of the ordinance are still there,” Arceneaux said.
Property Standards is in charge of enforcing the ordinance, but some council members expressed concern about potentially overwhelming the department.
“If we get to a point where we see that it’s overwhelming Mr. Green’s department and Property Standards, come to us, because we want this to work. We want this to do what we intend for it to do, and that’s make downtown Shreveport look better,” said Councilman Grayson Boucher.
