Tucked away just off the beaten path, a couple of miles behind a forest is a secluded enclave and Shreveport’s splashiest new community: the Southern Loop. One could understand the modus operandi of downtown Shreveport to be restoring and revitalizing, but out here, it’s build and grow—and eagerly at that. Multiple players are involved in the development, including families with multiple generations in and commercial real estate companies.

But long before any of the development you see now was there, there was a neighborhood that is the anchor of it all…Southern Trace. Southern Trace is likely Shreveport’s most lavish neighborhood now, but it started with humble beginnings in 1987 with someone who could be considered the granddaddy of Southern Trace: Johnson Ramsey. Johnson, who insists the neighborhood’s development is a “miracle,” inherited 250 acres…the 250 acres that would become Southern Trace today. “I would have to worry about pigs crossing the road at night back then because it was just farmland,” he muses.

The pig-crossing days are long gone: after years of development and further expansion, Southern Trace now stands at an official 599 acres of idyllic suburban sprawl. Replete with all the amenities one would expect of a gated community of this stature, like a country club, tennis courts, pickleball courts, a pool, and fitness center (not to mention a couple of neighborhoods flattering Southern Trace with imitation named “Oakwood Trace” and “Hidden Trace” across the street), the crowning jewel remains the golf course. This neighborhood beginning as Johnson’s inheritance could explain why he’s been known to be such a good steward of the land from the beginning, and the golf course was the beginning. Wanting nothing but the best for his pride and joy, Johnson outsourced the project to a world-renowned golf course designer from Toledo, Ohio at the start of the neighborhood’s design, with the designing of homes secondary.

“I wanted a nationally renowned golf architect, Arthur Hills, because that would speak volumes of the quality golf course project we were undertaking.” 

The strategy worked: Southern Trace’s golf course has been ranked #1 in Louisiana multiple times by Golf Digest. Despite the apparent prestige and wealth of the neighborhood, Johnson laments any notion of “snobbery” that may be associated with the neighborhood: “Elitist country clubs were things of the past. My desire was to welcome members without being restrictive to social status.” Club memberships, of which there are many varieties, are open to nonresidents of Southern Trace.

Just a stone’s throw away from Southern Trace is what feels like the future of Shreveport: The Southern Loop and Provenance Town Center and neighborhood development (notice the new stoplight at the Wallace Lake Road intersection, a sure sign of things to come). The commercial side of the Living In the Loop By Kevin Hinson sbmag.net | nov. 2024 13 development is Windrush Village, a 17,000 squarefoot shopping center with tenants like Mae & Co, El Cabo Verde, Windrush Grill, the third location for the ultra-successful Shreveport coffee upstart Rhino Coffee, ProVision Barber, Southern Smoke Cigar House, Marble Slab along with some other services like a post office and an LSU Health building. The square can now double as its own little city with a new Brookshires (about 20 years in the making, it turns out) just across the way for a grocery store. But it wasn’t always like this out at the Loop.

“Everybody loves trees, but retailers are attracted to rooftops,” says Roger DeKay, a commercial real estate agent with Sealy Real Estate Services (also the one who pegs Southern Trace as the “anchor” of the subdivision). About 20 years ago, Roger spoke with the corporate director of real estate for Brookshires in Tyler, Texas, about potentially building a store on the sight it now sits at the intersection of Southern Loop and Norris Ferry, convinced he had found a hidden gem. To his surprise, the director said every real estate developer in town had already tried getting him to build a store. However, Roger gives a pivotal lesson about retailers: they want rooftops and disposable income; seclusion alone wouldn’t do it.

On the other side of Southern Loop are many available office spaces for lease from Sealy Real Estate (Roger has been involved with those properties for about ten years), as well as an Anytime Fitness, a Johnny’s Pizza to go along with two Pizza Hut’s on the street (including one at the Brookshires that you can even sit in…heady stuff these days), Counter Culture, Corks and Cuts, and a Daq’s Wings and Grill. Other assorted businesses and restaurants round out the Southern Loop’s offerings, but these establishments are about more than being a good place to eat or shop; they are a sign of something, a sign that this is one of the fastest-growing areas in town, one that finally became appealing to Brookshires’ corporate. “It’s a classic example of a local retail services center that was a response to the rooftops and the disposable income,” says Roger, and that was not something the Southern Loop had 20 years ago.

Well, it does now. Walking the 377-acre Provenance Community Traditional Neighborhood Development behind the Windrush Village is the closest thing to walking through a real-life Candy Land. This is undoubtedly part of the charm for residents, which will only be increasing in the coming years since Vintage Realty, the owners of the Provenance Town Center, and developers of the neighborhood plan 1,000 home sites. “Provenance started about 20 years ago as a traditional neighborhood development. It’s meant to be a place that invites the community in. There’s parks built all through it, and we have a lot of public events each year,” explains Matt Snyder, a PR consultant for Provenance.

If you’re looking to see the future of Shreveport and spend some idle time shopping or grazing at multiple establishments, the Southern Loop is an attractive place to spend that time. Maybe you can contribute to the area’s growth by patronizing it or officially becoming a part of it through residence or business. Either way, what started as one developer’s neighborhood project is far from being finished, and there will be plenty of room and time for new contributions if you can stray off the beaten path just a little bit.

The post LIVING IN THE LOOP appeared first on SB Magazine.

by BECKY CUNNINGHAM

In the gardening world, dahlias have become the most coveted flower in the last few years. The wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes raise the average garden to another level. Last year I gave dahlias a trial run by purchasing a potted plant from a local nursery. To my surprise, it continued to bloom beautifully through the hottest part of our Louisiana summer. After researching more about these amazing blooms, I decided to plant dahlia tubers (similar to bulbs) this spring. And oh my goodness! It has been the most rewarding garden adventure so far!

Several online nurseries offer dahlia tubers that ship to your home when the planting season begins. My tubers arrived in March from dahlias.com which is Swan Island Dahlias, located in Oregon. This family-owned dahlia farm grows over 370 varieties and ships high quality tubers all over the world. Open to the public for viewing and shopping, they have been in operation for over 93 years! The tubers are packaged in separate bags with tags for labeling after planted. Each tuber is stamped with the name on the tuber…with the most intriguing names, such as Mikayla Miranda, Lady Liberty, and Marionberry Milkshake.

Planting tubers is a simple process. Start in mid-March, after the ground has reached 60 degrees or warmer. The ideal area is in an existing flower bed, or a raised garden bed that receives at least six hours of sunlight daily. Especially in Louisiana, early sun and late afternoon shade makes an ideal growing situation. Be sure to water deeply three times a week, for optimum blooms. It is best to plant dahlia tubers directly into an existing flower bed. However, if you start a new raised bed, be sure to use soil free of fertilizers or herbicides. Cow manure low in nitrogen is a safe soil additive rich in nutrients…just be certain to use sparingly. Be careful, as most composts are high in nitrogen and promote smaller blooms and spindly, weak plants. Bone meal is a safe additive during the planting process.

Plant tubers approximately six inches deep in soil, with the eye of the tuber facing up. Sometimes the eyes have a small sprout already growing and is easy to identify. Tubers need 12-24 inches between each one for adequate growth, as each one can grow to be 18 inches or more in diameter. There is no need to water the tubers until they begin to sprout above the ground. The sprouts may take up to four weeks to appear. When sprouts appear, apply a slug bait around the new growth to protect the plants from being eaten by slugs.

Before the sprouts get to be a foot tall, be sure to add some type of staking device. Dahlias can reach up to 4-5 feet in height and will need steady stakes to hold up the tall, heavy blooms. When plants reach approximately 12- 16 inches tall, be sure to pinch (or snip) the very middle, tallest stem…as this encourages fuller, stronger growth, and an abundance of blooms. During the blooming season, be certain to add a low-nitrogen, bloom food each month. This will encourage dahlias to thrive throughout the summer into fall.

Speaking of blooming season…approximately eight weeks after planting, the magic happens. Buds begin to appear! Then, in a few days they open into beautiful dahlia blooms. Some varieties have dinner plate size flowers!

No matter the size, the intricacies of the blooms are delicate and so unique. I am pleased to report they are as stunning as the photos depict. I planted a mix of purple and white dahlias…dwarf, small pom-pom, and large blooms too. The dahlias will continue to bloom until the first frost. The anticipation of the blooms is a lesson in patience. However, once the first bloom opens, it is worth the wait!

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