SHREVEPORT, La. — Mayor Tom Arceneaux says Shreveport has held up its end of a studio and entertainment deal with Curtis 50 Cent Jackson and that it is now up to the rapper and businessman to follow through.
The mayor’s response came after Jackson said on a podcast that reviving the city without City Hall’s backing was a losing fight and called local government difficult to work with. Even so, Jackson insisted his plans for the city remain on track.
Arceneaux said he will not negotiate business plans through podcasts or Instagram and would gladly talk face to face or by phone. He said he has called Jackson and has not heard back, while city staff keep working with Jackson’s team on Stageworks and Millennium Studios.
The mayor believes the friction centers on the Red River District, the entertainment area the city owns under the Texas Street Bridge, where no contract exists. Inspections there found major repairs were needed. Separately, the city is working to fix water intrusion at Millennium Studios, and Arceneaux said nothing prevents events from going forward at Stageworks.
The broader plan, announced by Louisiana Economic Development on Jan. 12, called for more than $124 million in investment at Stageworks, Millennium Studios and a new dome-style downtown venue, with the state offering up to $50 million in performance-based support. The state reimbursement contract calls for at least 26 events a year, but construction has not started on the downtown dome and no events are scheduled.
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