The Y once owned about 50 acres of property at the site. Camp Forbing was home to the Y’s summer camp programs and a swimming pool, among other things. The Y took over operations there in the 1940s from the Louisiana Sunday School Association and operated the camp for 75 years.

One of every five U.S. residents lives within a 500- mile radius of Shreveport, making the location enviable for distribution and logistics companies. Amazon will begin construction of its Shreveport fulfillment center immediately, with plans to open the site in September 2022 in time for its busiest e-commerce season.

One of every five U.S. residents lives within a 500- mile radius of Shreveport, making the location enviable for distribution and logistics companies. Amazon will begin construction of its Shreveport fulfillment center immediately, with plans to open the site in September 2022 in time for its busiest e-commerce season.

“Tim James looks for projects like this,” Bradford said. “He was looking for growth and expansion in his business. He has some relationships here in Shreveport. He looked at our issues here, where a river separates two economically thriving communities — south Shreveport and south Bossier City — and the need to improve transit between the two.

“Allendale is right there next to downtown,” Brown said. “Allendale is kind of this gateway to the downtown area. A city is only as strong as its weakest neighborhood. Right now, Allendale is one of its weakest neighborhoods. That’s why I believe Shreveport is not strong.

“March 21 is the day I started working,” Chandler said. “We went to Baton Rouge two or three times and had a one-on-one with the governor. One of the things we discussed was the Jimmie Davis Bridge. We had $24 million already, and he gave us another $100 million.

They say people accomplish incredible things in crisis mode, like lifting Volkswagens off of babies. Back in January, the life that needed saving was mine, and amazing things did happen. I began walking every day. I started weighing my food. I cut way back on bread and fried things.

At its zenith, the B'nai Zion Temple in downtown Shreveport served as a herald for the city's thriving Jewish community, complete with majestic Corinthian columns and detailed stonework on the facade.