Stageworks poised to become sports, entertainment venue after unanimous vote

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The Shreveport City Council welcomed Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in a surprise visit to authorize his lease of the city-owned property Stageworks.

According to the lease, 50 Cent’s G-Unit Film & Television Louisiana LLC desires to ‘operate a sports and entertainment event venue to include, but not be limited to, amateur and professional basketball and volleyball leagues and tournaments, amateur and professional boxing and MMA matches, seminars, conventions, auto shows, concerts, and general business meetings.’

During the March 25th city council meeting, 50 Cent spoke to the councilmembers.

“Creatively, I haven’t had an opportunity to affect more, more people than I have at the moment because film and television there’s no age range. You know hip hop is a youth culture thing and I’m getting ready to turn 50 this year. 50 turns 50. 50 is going to do bigger things,” said 50 Cent.

The vote was unanimous to authorize the lease with councilmembers thanking 50 Cent for investing in the city. The Stageworks lease will be an annual payment of $2,400 for 30 years, including expenses and maintenance of the building. There is an option to renew for an additional 15-year term.

Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor says this venture will bring a rebirth.

“Mr. Jackson we are excited about betting on you in Shreveport. There was never a doubt in my mind what you were going to bring to this city,” said Councilwoman Taylor.

In an interview, Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux says 50 Cent was interested in both Millennium Studios and Stageworks back in 2023. Mayor Arceneaux said there are now two lease agreements for the properties to 50 Cent.

“I wanted to make sure that we were not foreclosing amateur sports, volleyball tournaments, basketball tournaments, those kinds of things from being able to be held in, in ‘Expo Hall’ there would have to be some additional renovations for some things like volleyball,” said Mayor Arceneaux.

These events are what Councilman Jim Taliaferro said he hoped would be in the facility. At city council, Taliaferro said he is unified with the administration and wants Stageworks to “provide a mechanism for continued growth” despite having different ideas.

“My vision and passion for Expo has always been to bring family, youth, and amateur sports to Shreveport. To have a city be the hub of family-oriented tourism. That’s not to say that we can’t do everything, but this is just one of my focuses,” said Taliaferro.

Mayor Arceneaux says he and city council hope to encourage certain events for Stageworks as it comes to their attention.

Prior to the vote, councilman Grayson Boucher acknowledged that many citizens have questioned 50’s whereabouts, especially after the Humor and Harmony Festival, following the lease of Millennium Studios.

“People are, they’re ready to see you here. And now we understand that a lot of this is not in your control. I mean, you had tax credits from the governor that were about to be taken away, you had lease issues with the Millennium Studios with some things tied up in a community block grant loan, or whatever it is,” said Boucher.

The councilman thanked the mayor for the transparency, but he wished communication had come a month or two earlier.

In an interview, Mayor Arceneaux said there were still open issues and negotiations with lease agreements, and there was a need for confidentiality.

“We did not have a programming plan that would say we’re going to have these employees; this is what they’re going to do. In my view, the promotion of amateur or professional events that would be held there is the responsibility of the Shreveport-Bossier sports commission,” said the mayor.

Additionally, there are ongoing negotiations to redo the lease for another building of Millennim Studios. Mayor Arceneaux says G Unit is in talks with a third party for the new lease.

50 Cent said Shreveport feels like a home away from home, but the city will soon become home as he says he has so much work to do.

One project is a television show that Mayor Arceneaux teased, “I believe there will be some filming, probably a television series in what we now know as Stageworks, and it will be mostly unscripted events, reality tv if you will, that will be filmed there. But I expect that to happen fairly quickly.”