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Committee swaps Benton tract for East Bank District in Opportunity Zone designations
Summary
The Industrial Development Committee voted unanimously May 6 to remove the Town of Benton census tract and add the East Bank District (tract 22015011300) to Bossier Parish’s Opportunity Zone nominations, citing layering with existing cultural and economic districts to boost grant competitiveness.
Mr. Doug Rimmer, chairman of the Industrial Development Committee of the Bossier Parish Police Jury, presided over a May 6 meeting where members approved replacing the Town of Benton Opportunity Zone census tract with the East Bank District.
Dr. Ken Ward, parish administrator, described the parish’s original three proposed tracts and said Caddo Parish offered an additional Downtown Airport tract that would allow Bossier Parish to submit four designations. Jack “Bump” Skaggs, president and chief executive officer of The Coordinating & Development Corporation, urged the committee to back the East Bank District, noting its Cultural District status and ongoing rehabilitation work. Skaggs said the Opportunity Zone program "is another way to draw private entities to the area." Ms. Pam Glorioso moved to remove the Town of Benton census tract (22015011107) and add the East Bank District census tract (22015011300); Mr. Tom Salzer seconded the motion.
The committee voted unanimously to approve the change. Mr. Salzer and other jurors observed that layering Opportunity Zone designation with existing cultural and economic-development districts can improve scoring for federal and state grant programs and attract apartment and other private developments that seek opportunity-zone sites.
The chair directed that Ms. Glorioso make a substitute motion to reflect the committee’s action on the Regular Meeting agenda later that day.
What happens next: the committee’s selection will be reflected in the Regular Meeting agenda and submitted as part of Bossier Parish’s Opportunity Zone nominations to the Office of the Governor.
