Calling on imagination, ideas for future use of SporTran terminal on Crockett Street

Downtown Shreveport has more than its share of iconic symbols.

“Once in a Millennium Moon,” a giant mural created by 2,000 people, stands out on two sides of the AT&T building. When lit, the Neon Bridge is colorful and eye-catching, dominating online search image results when the word “Shreveport” is entered.

Perhaps the most unusual of all our iconic downtown landmarks, though, is the huge canopy of the SporTran bus terminal at 400 Crockett St. Completed in 1985, people immediately chose sides over the 35,000-square-foot structure.

They either loved it or hated it, but all agreed that it stood out.

In the years since, the tensioned fabric canopy has won over a legion of fans who are ever fearful that the terminal tent will somehow “go away.” Two years ago, SporTran did decide to move its terminal to a new location to better take advantage of the “multi” or “intermodal” concept of housing several modes of transit in one place. Construction began at a new terminal location on Murphy Street, which is scheduled to be completed in 2017.

What does this mean for the current terminal and the iconic canopy? We are unsure, but now is the time to be deciding. The worst-case scenario for SporTran – and downtown – would be a wallet-draining empty facility. SporTran certainly doesn’t want to have to pay to maintain and secure two terminals, and the costs could get passed on to the city.

Meantime, downtown doesn’t need a facility without watchful eyes, a regular clean-up crew and a reason for being. SporTran – or the city – could sell the facility or keep it, depending on what makes the most sense.

“I’d love for you to be a seatmate in this discussion. Pull on your thinking cap, put Google to work and see what you can find and e-mail them to me at Liz@downtownshreveport.com.”

So what does make the most sense in terms of that structure and its infrastructure? It sits in a prime location near apartments, office buildings and Festival Plaza. It is easy to get to and offers an outdoor experience with protection from rain and sun. It has ample electricity, bathrooms and office space – or – space that could be converted into another use.

We have a short list of ideas that we think would add life and fun and could potentially pay for themselves. We are working with architect Kevin Bryan to come up with some drawings and potential plans to get the conversation going. It’s exciting and scary, but we don’t have a lot of choice; the die is cast, and terminal operations are moving, so to borrow a saying from SporTran, it’s time to “get on the bus.”

I’d love for you to be a seatmate in this discussion. What do you think would work there, make money, pay the bills and keep people coming back for more? What cool things have you seen in other cities that seem to lend themselves to this location and our community? Pull on your thinking cap, put Google to work and see what you can find and e-mail them to me at Liz@downtownshreveport.com. In turn, we’ll pass them on to SporTran and the city and developers and investors who might be interested. I can’t promise the city will name the canopy after you if you come up with an incredible idea, but we’ll definitely thank you out loud and buy you a coffee (with whipped cream and sprinkles because we’re going all out).

Let’s get this party started. The clock is ticking, and before long, the buses will be leaving the station.

– Liz Swaine