Casino news source: Shreveport Times - http://www.shreveporttimes.com/
Eldorado Casino plans to make Red River District youth-friendly
January 12, 2007
By Michelle Mahfoufi
mmahfoufi@gannett.com
Shreveport's Red River District is about to become a family affair.
Behind-the-scenes planning is under way to make the small cluster of restaurants and bars beneath the Texas Street bridge more friendly to the under-21 crowd.
And the inspiration for the new vision "" which owner Eldorado Casino hopes to have come to fruition by summer "" can be found across the river at Bossier City's Louisiana Boardwalk.
New restaurants, live music and more police presence are part of a bigger plan to boost foot traffic in the district, which has been plagued by tenant turnover in recent years.
"I'm not into putting more bars into it. I think if you put more bars in, you're just asking for trouble," said Eldorado General Manager Mike Whitemaine.
"Our goal is pretty simple: bring as many people to downtown Shreveport as we can and make it a pleasurable experience."
Eldorado took over the district last June, becoming the third owner in just over four years.
Since then, the casino "" which has a bird's-eye view of district happenings from its perch across Clyde Fant Parkway "" has hired Shreveport real estate company Sealy & Dickson to market and manage the property.
The casino is also partnering with the Downtown Development Authority and Shreveport Parks and Recreation to provide entertainment, security and beautification efforts. The DDA has dedicated $15,000 "" a sum Eldorado is going to match "" to provide family events in the district. A committee is in the early stages of developing a program that could include live music, art demonstrations and themed contests beginning this spring and continuing through the fall.
It's a collaboration that those involved in the redevelopment attempt say was missing in the past.
"It's a renewed effort," said Sealy's Beth King, co-listing agent with Roland Ricou. "When a property is in a state of flux, a lot of things can't or won't get done. But Eldorado is in a position to push an agenda forward. It's going to make all the difference in the world."
Since its grand opening in 2002, the district has seen restaurants, nightclubs, shops and coffeehouses come and go while some promised tenants never materialized. Whitemaine points to inconsistent rents charged by previous owners as part of the problem. Some tenants were paying thousands of dollars a month in rent while others were paying a percentage of their sales.
"By the time we looked at all the contracts, it was a mess," Whitemaine said. "We're trying to make it fair and reasonable but not so high that you can't attract other tenants to come in. The rent was so outrageous and ridiculous that it just scared everyone away."
Since Eldorado took ownership of the district, one of the five tenants' leases "" Nicky's "" has come up for renewal. The Mexican restaurant just re-signed for three years.
Whitemaine's vision for the district includes filling the three empty storefronts facing the open-air mall with restaurants. The interior promenade connected to Eldorado's parking garage that was once used for retail will remain empty for now.
"I know (Sealy) can put people in there. I've already said, 'No,'" Whitemaine said of one proposal to turn the former McArthur's Chop and Crab House into a 7,500-square-foot bar.
But for some tenants, the lingering concern is safety.
Fernando Medellin, Nicky's general manager, said the restaurant has had a steady flow of lunch and dinner customers since it opened in the district two years ago, but homeless panhandlers have kept some customers away.
"We need more security," said Medellin, who has hired guards through a private firm. "Families don't come over here because they're afraid."
To address those concerns, Eldorado has donated space in a former coffee shop that will become a kiosk for Shreveport police officers. That police presence comes on top of uniformed security guards already provided by the casino Thursday through Sunday.
The DDA has also ordered security cameras that could be installed by the time events begin this spring.
"There are concerns about invasion of privacy but ... it's not designed for any invasive-type practices," said DDA Executive Director Frank Williams. "It's there as a deterrent and will be in place if something happens. ... We feel we owe it to the citizens and taxpayers of Shreveport to provide a safe environment."
The perception of a lack of parking, despite the availability of Eldorado's free garage, has also hindered revitalization efforts, King said. A two-level, 190-space parking facility being built by the city at the corner of Milam Street and Clyde Fant Parkway should be completed by June and help efforts to bring people downtown, she said.
"That's the best shot in the arm for the Red River District that will help guarantee the success over the long term."
Alisha Soukaseume, marketing manager at The Funny Bone, thinks the plan could work. The comedy club and its neighbor, Wet Willie's, are the only two original tenants still in the district.
"I think it is important to have something down here so people can go out, the 21-and-up crowd," Soukaseume said. "But I also do agree in making it family-oriented as well, the way to incorporate the two just like the Boardwalk to keep traffic going all day so there are more businesses down here." |
|
World Casino Directory 
Gambling Forums 
