Community Partners Invest in Monkhouse Drive Neighborhood to Improve Safety and Infrastructure
BRF and The Committee of One Hundred Partner with City and Law Enforcement to Improve Safety, Use and First Impressions Along Monkhouse Drive
The Committee of One Hundred (C100) and BRF each contributed $30,000, a total of $60,000, for the purchase and installation of security cameras along Monkhouse Drive, near Shreveport Regional Airport. A check presentation was held with representatives from BRF, C100, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Shreveport Police Department, Shreveport Regional Airport, Shreveport City Council and the City of Shreveport Mayor’s Office to announce the joint investment and shared commitment to improving one of the city’s key gateways.
“Security cameras along Monkhouse Drive, from the airport to Interstate 20, will provide real-time monitoring to support law enforcement and improve safety for residents, travelers and local businesses. Spearheaded by Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux, this is part of a broader improvement vision that includes upgraded lighting, landscaping, enhanced signage, and infrastructure repairs,” said John F. George Jr., M.D., BRF President and CEO. “These improvements, via the successful passage by voters of Shreveport’s 2024 bond issue, are intended to contribute to a safe, vibrant and welcoming corridor.”
The Committee of One Hundred and BRF each contributed $30,000, a total of $60,000, for the purchase and installation of security cameras along Monkhouse Drive, near Shreveport Regional Airport. Left to right: Larry Blackwell, Director, Shreveport Regional Airport; Clay Young, Chairman, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Foundation; Grady Morrison, Chairman, BRF; Sheriff Henry L. Whitehorn Sr., Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office; Mayor Tom Arceneaux, City of Shreveport; David Dethloff, President, Committee of One Hundred; Councilman Reverend James Green, Shreveport City Council; Corporal Chris Bordelon, Shreveport Police Department.
The City of Shreveport and voters within the city recently demonstrated their commitment to revitalizing the area through the passage of a bond proposal that allocates $2 million toward infrastructure, safety, and beautification improvements on Monkhouse Drive.
Monkhouse Drive is a key corridor for tourism, business travel and regional connectivity but has faced persistent challenges. The area has suffered from infrastructure deterioration, blight, and safety concerns.
“Both BRF and C100 see investment in this gateway to our city as critical to the region’s economic success. Many groups and individuals have made efforts to organize and drive change on this half-mile stretch of roadway that greets passengers to and from Shreveport Regional Airport,” said David Dethloff, C100 President. “C100 has a longstanding interest in ensuring this region supports business growth and development, and that we remain a competitive and attractive community to both residents and visitors. We are excited to be here today with Monkhouse business owners, law enforcement, the City, airport leadership and other stakeholders to announce this step in a community-wide project.”
Law enforcement agencies, including the Shreveport Police Department and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, are key partners in implementing safety upgrades. A new police substation recently opened at the former Foremost plant site near Monkhouse Drive, part of the city’s broader effort to decentralize operations and increase patrol visibility in high-traffic areas.
Statements
The collaboration between public, private, and nonprofit partners exemplifies that we are all devoted to moving Shreveport forward. This investment delivers visible, lasting improvements in one of our most important gateways, and thereby supports our shared vision of a safer, stronger Shreveport.
The collaboration between public, private, and nonprofit partners exemplifies that we are all devoted to moving Shreveport forward. This investment delivers visible, lasting improvements in one of our most important gateways, and thereby supports our shared vision of a safer, stronger Shreveport.
The collaboration between public, private, and nonprofit partners exemplifies that we are all devoted to moving Shreveport forward. This investment delivers visible, lasting improvements in one of our most important gateways, and thereby supports our shared vision of a safer, stronger Shreveport.
The collaboration between public, private, and nonprofit partners exemplifies that we are all devoted to moving Shreveport forward. This investment delivers visible, lasting improvements in one of our most important gateways, and thereby supports our shared vision of a safer, stronger Shreveport.
About the Monkhouse Drive Revitalization Project
The Monkhouse Drive Revitalization Project is a community-driven initiative supported by BRF, C100, the City of Shreveport, and numerous civic organizations. The project seeks to enhance safety, infrastructure, and aesthetics along the half-mile stretch of Monkhouse Drive from Shreveport Regional Airport to I-20. Long-term plans include roadway resurfacing, sidewalk and lighting upgrades, noise abatement features, and blight remediation to create a corridor that reflects Shreveport’s economic and cultural potential.
BRF, headquartered in Shreveport, is an innovation hub and economic development organization establishing North Louisiana as a preferred destination for high-growth initiatives. Diversifying the region’s economy is its mission. It fulfills this mission through initiatives that start new businesses, recruit new businesses and retain current businesses in the region, and through supporting the development of a science and technology-based workforce.
The mission of Committee of One Hundred is to identify opportunities and needs within Northwest Louisiana, continually seeking the truth, and work with others to remove obstacles and silos and create pathways to success.
