Downtown Entertainment District

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Momentum Snapshot

  • Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s G-Unit Studios leading $124M downtown revitalization

  • Bally’s purchase of Sam’s Town Casino sets stage for resort reinvestment and expansion.

  • North Market corridor generates $2B annual retail sales: 25 % drawn from visitors

G-Unit Entertainment District

  • $78 Millennium Studios upgrade & $34 M Stageworks overhaul build world-class production hub

  • New immersive G-Dome ($22M) adds live-event & esports draw

  • 20-year economic impact: $18.8B, 6,000 jobs, $300 M wages

  • State partnership finalized Jan 2026 secures incentives and fast-track permitting

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Hospitality & Gaming Upside

  • Bally’s to integrate Sam’s Town footprint, unlocking waterfront mega-resort cluster

  • Planned upgrades to 514-room hotel & 29 k sf casino floor amplify visitor capacity

  • Entertainment TIF district recaptures incremental taxes for supporting infrastructure

  • Adjacent pads ready for boutique hotels, food halls & riverfront experiences

Infrastructure & Incentives

  • City committing $4.7 M (FY 25-29) to drainage, roadway & streetscape near studio corridor

  • Louisiana film & TV productions earn up to 40 % refundable tax credit, renewed through 2036

  • Shreveport permit-streamlining de-risk adaptive-reuse projects

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Returns & Development Pipeline

  • Every $1 in downtown revitalization historically returns $18.03 in economic impact

  • $30 M conversion of historic tower to 117 market-rate apartments underway

  • Pipeline includes 200 k sf shovel-ready parcels for mixed-income housing & retail

  • 2024-25 jump-start investments added $4.6 M in tech, culture & streetscape upgrades

Key Takeaways

  • Entertainment & gaming catalysts de-risk early capital and drive consistent footfall

  • Robust state & local incentives lift project IRR and cut payback periods

  • Proven retail demand and residential absorption provide multiple exit strategies

  • Now is the inflection point—secure prime sites before valuations reset upward

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