NewQuest Properties, YMCA of Northwest Louisiana Breaking Ground Next Week at Camp Forbing
October 21, 2021
SHREVEPORT, La. – The YMCA of Northwest Louisiana will break ground Oct. 26 on its third branch in Shreveport, an affirmation of the success of NewQuest Properties’ Camp Forbing Town Center and strong residential development in the city’s southern tier.
The 44,000-sf project will be situated on nearly six acres adjacent to the 203,868-sf Camp Forbing Town Center. The YMCA tentatively is slated to open in late 2022.
“This groundbreaking would not have happened without the Y’s CEO Gary Lash’s tireless fundraising. He believes in the site, the opportunity and the strength of the community,” says Katherine Hatcher, development partner of Houston-based NewQuest Properties.
The groundbreaking, slated for 5:30 p.m., brings to fruition an eight-year vision for NewQuest and the Y. The facility has been an integral component in the developer’s master plan for Camp Forbing Town Center, located at the junction of Flournoy Lucas and Ellerbe roads in the Southern Trace neighborhood.
To enhance the project’s cohesiveness, NewQuest created a water feature as a natural barrier between the Y and its 42-acre mixed-use development. “A walking path along the pond integrates the Y with Camp Forbing’s shopping and office components,” Hatcher says. “It’s a beautiful amenity.”
NewQuest’s lifestyle center is anchored by a 123,500-sf Kroger Marketplace, the top-performing grocery store in a 50-mile radius. Weekly visits average 25,000. Kroger and the Y will be positioned directly across the pond from each other.
“Camp Forbing Town Center’s success lies in the strength of Kroger’s performance and the growth of Shreveport in that area, which clearly supports the need for a Y,” says Hatcher, who partners with Bob Conwell, senior vice president, to lease the project.
Within the five-mile trade area, the population has reached 90,671 and is rapidly growing. The average household income hovers $142,000 per year within one mile of NewQuest’s award-winning development. Single-family homes are commanding upward of $450,000 on average, according to online statistics of residential real estate firms.
Camp Forbing Town Center was developed on part of a former campground developed in the 1930s by the YMCA, which has had a presence in Shreveport since the 1860s. The new branch will complement facilities in downtown Shreveport and Billiton.
“Camp Forbing truly is a unique property. We’ve taken great care with our development to preserve the natural setting of the Y’s cherished campground,” Hatcher says.
For more leasing opportunities at Camp Forbing Town Center click here.
