Mooretown residents gathered Tuesday to discuss issues affecting their neighborhood and plans for its future. The “Let’s Talk Mooretown” town hall focused on concerns including blight, violent crime, abandoned vehicles, housing and neighborhood revitalization.
City Officials Attend Meeting
Representatives from the Shreveport City Council, Property Standards, Community Development and SWEPCO attended the meeting to help residents understand how to address problems in their neighborhood. Some residents raised concerns about landlords collecting rent while failing to pay utility bills.
Community Development Director Verni Howard encouraged residents to contact the city before problems escalate. The department can be reached at 318-673-5900. The meeting also highlighted plans to repurpose the former Mooretown Elementary School.
On Tuesday, the Shreveport City Council approved a 99-year lease with the Caddo Parish School Board to transform the former school into senior housing and a community center. Howard said the school remains an important part of the neighborhood’s history and could become a central part of its future.
Under the plans, classrooms at the former elementary school would eventually be renovated into housing for elderly residents as part of a second phase of the project. The public is invited to a meeting at Mooretown Elementary at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 to learn more about the project and provide input on what residents would like to see included in the development.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
