The East Bank District has long been one of Bossier City’s most distinctive destinations with a walkable mix of restaurants, local businesses, music, art, and history. Now, with Rich Carroll overseeing the district as the new East Bank arts building and plaza manager, the focus is on creating an even more engaging atmosphere for residents and visitors.

Only a few months into his role, Carroll isn’t focused on simply maintaining historic buildings. It’s about connecting people, supporting local businesses, and helping the East Bank District become an even more vibrant gathering place for the community.

“It’s exciting some days, daunting other days,” he said with a laugh. “But I love the idea of giving back to the city that I grew up in and getting to do something a little challenging.”

His responsibilities stretch far beyond managing Bossier City’s historic Municipal Building. As the city’s liaison to Louisiana’s East Bank Cultural District, he oversees the district’s cultural development while working alongside business owners, artists, and event organizers to strengthen one of the city’s fastest-growing destinations.

“The more people we can bring through this building, the more people that we get into our East Bank District, whether that’s going to the restaurants, shopping at the antique stores, or grabbing a snowball,” Carroll said. “The more people we each drive, the better it is.”

That collaborative mindset sits at the heart of his vision.

Rather than programming every event himself, Carroll sees the city as a facilitator that creates opportunities for artists, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and community groups to bring their own ideas to life.

“I don’t want this to be my show,” he said. “I want this to be the residents’ and visitors’ opportunity.”

Already, Carroll is working with artists to schedule gallery exhibitions, helping organizations reserve the annex for meetings and classes, and encouraging festivals, concerts, and markets to utilize the plaza across the street.

“The idea is to have a place for residents and visitors to come and experience whatever we have going on,” he said.

His enthusiasm for the role comes naturally. As a Bossier City native, he was already a frequent visitor before accepting the position.

“I love the East Bank District,” Carroll said. “It is one of my favorite parts of Bossier City. Before working here, I was down on the street pretty regularly at the restaurants and going to shows.”

That personal connection fuels his desire to see the district continue growing. While he can’t yet discuss businesses that are preparing to open, he says momentum is already building.

Carroll’s role isn’t to recruit or curate specific businesses, but rather to help prospective owners navigate opportunities available within the Cultural District, including historic renovation tax credits and city resources.

“There’s more growth coming down here,” he said. “I’m happy to work with people who are interested and talk about whether they’d fit in.”

That passion for storytelling comes from a nearly two-decade career spent connecting people with causes and communities through event management, community engagement, public service, and nonprofit leadership. 

Before arriving back in Bossier, Carroll worked in event planning at a museum in Pennsylvania and previously managed large-scale fundraising events for the American Cancer Society, where he coordinated hundreds of volunteers, built community partnerships, and learned the importance of listening.

Those experiences have shaped his definition of success. He sees that it isn’t measured only by attendance numbers or economic reports, but by progress. Whether that’s launching a new initiative, helping a local business, or simply having meaningful conversations with residents, he sees momentum as positive steps forward.

“Anything outside of just sitting around doing nothing counts as success,” Carroll said. “Progress is success.”

Just a few months into the position, Carroll has spent much of his time preparing the nearly century-old Municipal Building for its next chapter. Painting walls, repairing floors, restoring spaces, and maintaining the historic structure may not be glamorous work, but he sees each improvement as another investment in the district’s future.

“I love when people walk in because they saw the historical marker,” he said. “I get to walk them through this 100-year-old building and tell them the history of Bossier from the early 1800s to now.”

As the building’s restoration winds down, he expects that definition to evolve. His focus will increasingly turn toward building partnerships, expanding tourism, supporting local businesses, and creating experiences that encourage people to return repeatedly.

“Success becomes networking with the community, further enhancements of the district, and people coming in the door to see what we have going on,” Carroll said.

Above all, he wants the East Bank District to belong to the people who live here. He wants the community to know they have an open invitation to stop by.

“I would love for people to come by and see me because I want to hear what they want out of this building, the plaza, the theater, and the annex,” Carroll said.

Because his vision for the East Bank District isn’t about dictating what’s next, it’s about creating space for the community to shape the future together.

“The more that we do that,” Carroll said, “the better we make this place.”