Bossier is a city and parish that are growing and evolving constantly. As the area and its leaders seeks to maintain their standard of being forward-thinking and progressive, there are several resources available to promote the area to future, and current, residents.
One of these is the Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation and its Annual Report. Available for free at their website, here are some interesting tidbits that help give a clear picture of what life is like in Bossier City and Parish. Also relevant for those curious about Bossier’s economy is their Economic Information & Statistics report for 2017.
Bossier City/Parish projected to add thousands of residents by 2022 – Bossier City and Parish are expected to experience a population boom thanks to strong law enforcement, emphasis on quality education, and progressive view. Bossier City has already achieved a growth of 8,500 people 1990-2010, but from 2017 to 2022 it is expected to add almost 5,000 residents alone. The parish is expected to see an increase from 134,168 to 145,669.
“Annually, the GBEDF works with our partners at the state level to forecast population projections for Bossier City, Bossier Parish, and the surrounding areas of Haughton, Benton and Plain Dealing. Our population forecasts estimate a 7% increase for Bossier City and an 8.6% increase for Bossier Parish over the next five years. Combined, the city and parish can expect the potential to add over 16,000 new residents by 2022,” GBEDF Director Rocky Rockett said in a column for BIZ. Magazine.
Work on new ER for Bossier underway – CHRISTUS Health Shreveport-Bossier has begun construction on a micro-hospital with an emergency care center on Viking Drive in Bossier City. Aimed at being the first and only of its kind in the region, the new care center comes after expansions at CHRISTUS’ Highland campus.
Educational Achievements – Bossier Schools was awarded a $1.5 million DoDEA grant to further STEM curriculum. Amber Beach, fourth grade math teacher at Princeton Elementary, was named the 2017 Elementary State Teacher of the Year. Bossier Schools received a ‘B’ district letter grade based on 2015-16 performance.
NWLA receives $60M federal grant for transportation – Louisiana will receive $60 million in FASTLANE grant funding from the US Department of Transportation for advancing the design of a new ramp and gate into Barksdale Air Force Base at the I-20/I-220 interchange.
GBEDF invests $675,000 in quality of life – With tourism and quality of life being important for creating a community that will attract and retain a suitable workforce, GBEDF has invested more than $600,000 in events such as the Independence Bowl, Rockets Over the Red, and the Barksdale Air Show.
“Quality of life for residents supports new growth for businesses. It helps to shape our community by allowing for effective planning and implementation of strategies that will help the community to further grow and develop as a leader within the region,” said Rockett.