SHREVEPORT, La. - Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson continues to purchase property in downtown Shreveport, adding three more buildings to his real estate listings this week.
That caught the attention of a state lawmaker and prompted a response from Jackson.
Jackson posted on Instagram Thursday saying Louisiana state Sen. Sam Jenkins "must not want to turn things around in Shreveport" and is "waiting for an imaginary deal to come."
"I expressed some concern about publicly owned property. I think I was in my right to talk about it. I'm not against Mr. Jackson and the investments he is making in the city. My comments were really about publicly owned property that is controlled by the city," said Jenkins.
Jenkins says he is suggesting city leaders use caution selling or leasing city owned property in order to help facilitate future projects downtown.
"My caution was that the city has other projects in the future, and we're going to need to have some assets to get behind some of these projects," said Jenkins.
Jackson has purchased 10 privately owned buildings and empty lots on Texas Street, Spring Street and Commerce Street since May, paying over $3.7 million in cash.
Jenkins says he is not concerned with private sales, but is worried the city might back itself into a corner by selling city-owned property. He sent a letter in October to Mayor Tom Arceneaux detailing his concerns.
"We have a number of projects on the books like the Amtrak Interstate 20 corridor, the I-20 Economic Development District, the Shreveport Health Care Corridor, Cross Bayou Pointe Development and the Red River Entertainment District," said Jenkins.
Some Shreveport City Council members responded to Jenkins' statement.
"The Council consistently does its due diligence to ensure any decisions we make are in the best interest of the city and its residents," said Council Chairman Alan Jackson.
"We invite all investors and community stakeholders to bring their proposals and dollars to the table to support all areas of Shreveport, not just downtown," said Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor.
The Council members adding it must act decisively when faced with opportunities for significant economic growth.
Jenkins says the issue is not a matter of lack of trust in city leadership.
"I trust the mayor and City Council to be able to make good decisions about economic development, but I do think we need to see plans and we need to try to make all of these other projects work together," said Jenkins.
Jenkins reiterated he wants to help Jackson succeed in Shreveport. The senator championed keeping the film tax credits in the state budget during the most recent Legislative session.
He is asking Jackson to stop the rhetoric and show concrete plans for development of the Red River Entertainment district.
Jenkins wants to sit down and talk with Jackson about how to better Shreveport's economic future.
SHREVEPORT, La. - Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson continues to purchase property in downtown Shreveport, adding three more buildings to his real estate listings this week.
That caught the attention of a state lawmaker and prompted a response from Jackson. Jackson posted on Instagram Thursday saying Louisiana state Sen. Sam Jenkins "must not want to turn things around in Shreveport" and is "waiting for an imaginary deal to come."
"I expressed some concern about publicly owned property. I think I was in my right to talk about it. I'm not against Mr. Jackson and the investments he is making in the city. My comments were really about publicly owned property that is controlled by the city," said Jenkins.Jenkins says he is suggesting city leaders use caution selling or leasing city owned property in order to help facilitate future projects downtown. "My caution was that the city has other projects in the future, and we're going to need to have some assets to get behind some of these projects," said Jenkins.Jackson has purchased 10 privately owned buildings and empty lots on Texas Street, Spring Street and Commerce Street since May, paying over $3.7 million in cash. Jenkins says he is not concerned with private sales, but is worried the city might back itself into a corner by selling city-owned property. He sent a letter in October to Mayor Tom Arceneaux detailing his concerns."We have a number of projects on the books like the Amtrak Interstate 20 corridor, the I-20 Economic Development District, the Shreveport Health Care Corridor, Cross Bayou Pointe Development and the Red River Entertainment District," said Jenkins. Some Shreveport City Council members responded to Jenkins' statement."The Council consistently does its due diligence to ensure any decisions we make are in the best interest of the city and its residents," said Council Chairman Alan Jackson."We invite all investors and community stakeholders to bring their proposals and dollars to the table to support all areas of Shreveport, not just downtown," said Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor. The Council members adding it must act decisively when faced with opportunities for significant economic growth.Jenkins says the issue is not a matter of lack of trust in city leadership."I trust the mayor and City Council to be able to make good decisions about economic development, but I do think we need to see plans and we need to try to make all of these other projects work together," said Jenkins. Jenkins reiterated he wants to help Jackson succeed in Shreveport. The senator championed keeping the film tax credits in the state budget during the most recent Legislative session. He is asking Jackson to stop the rhetoric and show concrete plans for development of the Red River Entertainment district.Jenkins wants to sit down and talk with Jackson about how to better Shreveport's economic future.