Could Haughton become a city? The mayor thinks so

BPT Staff

April 27, 2018

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HaughtonDevelopment — Photo by Amanda Simmons/Press-Tribune

Haughton is on track to becoming a city by 2020, according to Mayor Jack Hicks.

The town has a current population of about 4,750. A city in Louisiana has more than 5,000 residents.

“We are definitely on the grow,” Hicks said. “On our next census…we will be a city.”

Crews have cleared 90 acres for commercial development along LA Highway 3227. Behind that is another 150 acres zoned for residential development, which Hicks said will eventually have more than 300 homes built on it.

Because of Haughton’s proximity to the interstate and metro area, along with its availability of land, it’s a prime location for growth.

Last February, Hicks told the Press-Tribune they had prospects like Cracker Barrel and Holiday Inn looking to build there. More than a year later, neither companies have signed commitment contracts.

“As far as we know, the talk is still there,” Hicks said. “There have been talks of a grocery store, restaurants, a bank…nothing is set in stone though.”

Haughton is, however, the place where Duckwater Services (based in El Dorado, Arkansas) chose to expand their business. They will be constructing a $4 million, state-of-the-art transportation services center on LA Highway 3227, just off Interstate 20 and Exit 33.  The new facility will be located on 10 acres of land behind Superior Graphix, according to Haughton officials.

A 15,225 square-foot facility will house Duckwater’s commercial tank cleaning services and a commercial waste water treatment operation. Duckwater’s state-of-the-art, onsite treatment plant can treat waste streams from other companies as well as the discharge from its tank cleaning operation.

The facility will house Duckwater Services and tenants, Miller Maintenance Services and Frac-N-Vac Tanks, and create 28 new direct jobs.

Their expansion to Haughton will double Duckwater’s current workforce and capacity.  The company broke ground on April 1 and anticipates a completion date later this year.

So what else is coming to Haughton? The possibilities are endless. Any future developments will have to go before the town council for approval, Hicks said.

“We’re excited for new growth like this,” he said. “This is just the beginning of of a lot of development.”

The Haughton town council meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.