Shreveport Opens New Water & Sewer Department Facility After Four Year Renovation
Renovations have now been complete on a new home operation for the Water and Sewer Department for the City of Shreveport. City leaders have cut the ribbon on the first phase of this big project.
The city of Shreveport bought a massive complex on West 70th near Bert Kouns for $9.5 million dollars more than 4 years ago and we are finally moving one city department into the property.
In November of 2022, Mayor Adrian Perkins signed the purchase agreement for this property. The money came from Water and Sewer bond funds. This purchase drew criticism. Opponents at the time thought the money should have been used to address infrastructure to meet the demands of the federal consent decree over sewer improvement requirements.
KEEL News was told at the time of the purchase this complex would be used to combine several city operations. Water and Sewer, Streets and Drainage and Public Workers were all supposed to move into this massive property. It is quite impressive. It even has a dirt or sand pit area which could be used for issuing sand bags during flooding conditions.
Why Has the Move to this New Facility Taken So Long for Shreveport?
CAO Tom Dark previously told KEEL News:
We have not fully moved into the 70th Street building. The contractor is finishing up the last of a renovation project on the main building. When they are done, Water and Sewer's Environmental Services and Customer Services divisions will be the first to move.
Well that is now complete and Water and Sewer is now moving into the building.
Dark has also told us Public Works' Administration, Solid Waste, Streets and Drainage and Traffic Engineering will also move out to West 70th, but that requires the construction of at least one additional building. $5 million was included in the City's 2024 bond issue for that purpose.
What Does the New Property Include?
It has a massive concrete parking area which will be ideal for housing all the garbage trucks, public works and water and sewer vehicles. It also has a truck repair area, a fueling station, wash bays and much more. The office complex also has labs which can be used by the water department for regular testing. It also has several training rooms which can be used by several departments.
City leaders have been looking for options for a new complex and projected costs topped the $30 million dollar mark.
This move will ultimately centralize city utility and public service divisions out of aging, deteriorating sites. This new complex will replace the Water and Sewerage Department’s aging facility on Greenwood Road. This facility features fully equipped testing laboratories, customer service offices, and environmental services divisions.