By Stacey Tinsley, stinsley@bossierpress.com
East Bank District business owners are patiently awaiting for a new development coming to the area.
Last year, the Bossier City Council gave final approval to the sale of a 13.7-acre lot in the East Bank District.
Dapper Holdings, LLC purchased the land, located at the corner of Coleman Street and Bearkat Drive, for a $35 million medical facility, boutique hotel, and office building.
Owner of Tubbs Hardware, Don Tubbs says he is excited about having the new establishment coming to the East Bank District.
“We’re excited to have them coming to the East Bank District. That’s where I was born and raised. I still own property in that part of town. So we’re very excited to have anything like that coming in and bringing an economic boon down there,” Tubbs said.
The development is expected to bring 75 to 100 temporary construction jobs and 100 permanent jobs.
Robin Jones, executive director of the Bossier Arts Council, says she is excited that another new business is coming to the East Bank District.
“With each new business we are drawing more patrons to the East Bank District and surrounding area. Each new business brings new job opportunities and economic structure,” she said.
The first phase of the proposed development is a 60,000 square feet medical facility, which would begin as a 10-bed short stay surgical hospital with an ambulatory surgery center.
William Barrow, representing Dapper Holdings, previously declined to disclose who the operator of the facility would be.
Numerous followup calls to Dapper Holdings seeking an update on the facility were not returned.
Barrow told the Bossier City Council last fall that he sees the medical facility as an “evolving” development.
“It would be developed to allow other healthcare facilities,” said Barrow. “It would be allowed to develop services such as rehabilitation and acute care.”
Of the land sale profits, $750,000 will be used to build two new parking lots in the East Bank District and another $700,000 of the sale will go towards completing design drawings for the Louisiana Tech Research Institute (LTRI) in the city’s National Cyber Research Park.
