Another downtown Shreveport building will be added to the G-Unit ownership rolls Thursday afternoon.
This follows the report of $50 million in state dollars dedicated to assist in the renovation of multiple city-owned, but G-Unit-leased properties, including the former Millennium Studios, the former Expo Hall/Stageworks and the construction of a permanent G-Dome.
The 104-year old M.L. Bath Building at 610 Market St. joins:
- 218 Texas St., $275,000, purchased in May 2024.
- 205 Texas St., $345,000, also purchased in May 2024.
- 611 Texas St., $250,000, in June 2024.
- 401 Spring St., $150,000, in June 2024.
- 510 Commerce St., $1.1 million, in December 2024.
- 624-626 Commerce St., $388,000, in December 2024.
- 630 Commerce St., $250,000, in December 2024.
- Vacant lot at the base of the Texas Street bridge, 500 block of Spring Street. $286,250, June 2024
- Entire city block, multiple parcels, site of G-Dome, $1,096,872, June 2024.
- Parking lot at the corner of Spring and Caddo streets, $200,000, May 2025.
With the inclusion of the $310,000 purchase of the Bath Building, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and his G-Unit have spent $4,651,122 on downtown properties.
The artist drawing of the proposed new Curtis Jackson-owned businesses at 510 Commerce Street in downtown Shreveport, La. This shows the Commerce Street facade.
They run a gamut of downtown locations, although most are in or near the Downtown Entertainment District. Four of the buildings and the parking and vacant lot on one city block front Commerce Street, one of the city’s traditional “club” districts.
G-Unit representatives submitted proposed drawings of the Commerce Street buildings to the Shreveport Historic Preservation Commission for review. Plans are for three of the buildings to be clubs, the fourth a restaurant and venue/event space.
Two of the buildings and a vacant lot are in the 100 and 200 blocks of Texas Street, also near nightclubs; another building is adjacent to the Sandbar lounge on Spring Street.
One parking lot is across from the Convention Center parking garage. The outlier is a vacant building in the 600 block of Texas Street near the Caddo Courthouse.
The historic 401 Spring Street has only four walls remaining. This structure sold for $150,000 on June 18, 2024.
The buildings with the exception of one, 510 Commerce St., are historic and most have been vacant long-term. All will require extensive renovation to be brought up to code. 401 Spring St. is only four walls after a roof collapse 5-6 years ago. Most of the interior floors have also collapsed.
The M.L. Bath Building has also been vacant for some years. Vandals have ripped out most of the electrical and plumbing components.
Listing agent and Realtor Trent Siskron showed dozens of people through the 45,000 square foot building and many had ideas for what it could become. He is excited that someone with the wherewithal to rehab the building will own it.
“You hate to see downtown buildings just sit. They can just kind of melt into the ground, so I’m very happy that somebody capable of actually doing something with it has acquired it.”
ML Bath, 610 Market Street.
Siskron, who has experience in positioning and selling other historic downtown buildings, knows the challenges that come with them.
“People have big ideas and big dreams for these buildings and it’s a lot of work.” He says the cost of rehab can be high, but historic tax credits and a tax abatement that allows lower ad valorem tax payments for five years can help make the difference.
Siskron is uncertain what Jackson has in mind for the Bath building or when construction of any sort might begin.
All of the properties with the exception of the ML Bath building, are in the city’s newly-created Film & Entertainment Gateway Economic Development District.
Within the district, an additional 2% sales and use tax will be levied, as will an additional 2% hotel occupancy tax.
That funding will go to “support the redevelopment of the district to support and complement G-Unit Studios, G-Stage, and G-Dome,” says the city.
The resolution approving a private, nonprofit economic development corporation to oversee the money collected in the district was pulled from the City Council special meeting agenda on Dec. 9 and will be introduced at a later time, City Attorney Marcus Edwards said.
Names of board members have not yet been made public.
