SHREVEPORT, La (KMSS/KTAL) – At Green Oaks High School, an on campus football stadium is a dream 50 years in the making.
“It’s been something that’s been talked about literally for decades,” said Louisiana State Representative (and Green Oaks alum) Cedric Glover. Thanks to an unlikely source, that dream may become a reality.
“I was contacted by an anonymous person, who said this was the time, who has plenty of resources who said this is the time and wants to help us get this off the ground,” said Caddo Parish School Board member Jasmine R. Green.
The three proposed options carry three different price tags: the top tier option runs around 10 million dollars, with the second tier coming in around 7 million dollars and the third tier falling close to 5 million. So, who foots the bill?
“I think what it would definitely be would be a partnership,” said Representative Glover. “It would be a public-private partnership that would have many hands at the wheel to make the load light.”
The proposal also includes brand new LED stadium lights.
One proposal could add up to 200 new parking spots if approved.
This is a rendering of what a new locker room could look like.
Some renderings had seating for as much as 1,000 people on the home side and 650 on the visitor side.
In a parish with open enrollment, having a new football facility has plenty of benefits, most notably attracting those who may have left the school for other campuses across the parish.
“Those whom are here, those who have parents who are from here who may have gone on to other places in the city, would maybe look upon this as an opportunity to come back to their roots, and be a part of something that ends up being legendary,” said Representative Glover.
It’s too early in the proceedings to say who will be responsible for the majority of the bill. It could be a combination of community fundraising, private donors, and state money, according to Representative Glover.
This isn’t the first time an on-campus stadium has been discussed, but Giants head coach Chadwick Lewis believes there is enough momentum behind this particular effort to bring the facility to life.
“It is something that’s going to happen. It’s going to be something that is a community revival,” said Coach Lewis. “Now when you’re coming in on I-49, you’ll see the stadium, you’ll see the lights, and say that’s where we’re going, we’re going over there.”
From left to right: Steve White (Director of Capital Projects for Caddo Parish Schools), Jasmine R. Green (Caddo Parish School Board Member) and Cedric Glover (Louisiana State Representative) answered questions from the community in a public forum setting at Green Oaks High School.
If the stadium does become reality, because it’s being built on Caddo Parish land, the school board will ultimately be able to decide who uses the facility. Much like Green Oaks playing their home games at Northwood High School, other schools would likely also be able to utilize the facility, while the Giants would have first priority. While an installation of turf wasn’t included in the presentation, Director of Capital Projects for Caddo Parish Schools Steve White projects that cost at “somewhere around 2 million dollars.”
“The time is now,” said School Board Member Green. Representative Glover echoed the same sentiment in the community forum, telling the crowd, “The question of ‘if’ this can be done has been answered. The question of ‘how’ this can be done has been answered. The question of ‘will we?’ has still yet to be answered.”
