LINE AVENUE REMAINS A CATALYST FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES

You can sense the energy all along Line Avenue lately. It’s in the new shops and businesses that are taking root or moving to the area and in the growing crowds enjoying lunch at outdoor cafes on a bright weekday afternoon.

For locals and out-of-towners, these days, it’s become the hot spot, whether shopping for that perfect and original gift, looking for a top-notch dining experience or just gathering with friends.

As the saying goes, there’s something in the air. Line Avenue is the catalyst for a city on the rise.

In the last few years, a number of young business owners and new shops have cropped up on the stretch of road from Stoner Avenue to Ashley Ridge. Some, such as Smith Mason Legacies and Heart & Soul, have moved from nearby areas, and others, such as Twine, Fancy Pantz and Moore Resale Boutique, have just started.

There’s an uptick in interest by these young entrepreneurs and customers alike that is hard to define in terms of statistics and figures, and there have been only a couple of studies done specifically in this area that offer any clues.

It can’t exactly be attributed to traffic counts since, according to a study by the city of Shreveport showing the busiest street intersections, Line Avenue and Pierremont Road rank somewhat down the list at 31. For reference, Youree Drive and East Bert Kouns Industrial Loop are at No. 1.

However, according to a report by the Center for Business and Economic Research at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of households in a three-mile radius around Line Avenue and Cedar Grove making under $25,000 annually decreased from 5,564 to 4,182 – 25 percent – while the percentage of households making more than $100,000 annually increased from 1,395 to 2,468 – 77 percent.

This decrease in poorer households and increase in wealthier ones could mean more people have more cash to shop with and are likely to do much of it in their own neighborhood along Line Avenue.

But these statistics only offer part of the reason Line Avenue has been doing so well in the last few years, and store owners say that in itself points to the very reason for the interest.

It isn’t about the numbers. It’s about the feeling.

Just ask Lacy Pynes Galligan and her brother, Ray Pynes, who opened Another Broken Egg just three years ago at Pierremont Mall. Business, they said, has been spectacular.

“The clientele are wonderful, the neighbors are great, and we’re super happy where we are,” Galligan said.

“I go to Youree Drive all the time, but for what we offer, it’s too congested. We really like this area and who we’re partners with in this section and who they draw. Line Ave is historic; it’s right in the middle of South Highlands. It’s less commercial and more down home.

If you want to get the feel of Shreveport, then this is it.”

Nearby, John Pickens, owner of John Pickens Custom Clothiers, LLC, at 6022 Line Ave., said that after being in retail for more than two decades, he still considers Line Avenue a favorite. He’s been in his current location for eight years and just added 900 square feet to the space last year.

“This area is very accessible from I-49, and that makes it a stable area in the middle of some of the best local restaurants,” Pickens said. “There’re great retail areas on Youree Drive and a lot of growth there, but for my business, I’m centrally located for customers between downtown and south of town. They go to the restaurants at night, see the stores and then come back and shop the next day. That works for everyone.”

If anyone is representative of the new generation of business owners along Line Avenue, it’s someone like Rick Rose, owner of Twine. He opened his restaurant a year ago at 1513 Line Ave. and said it’s been just what he anticipated and more.

“I’ve worked in other parts of the country such as Missouri and Wisconsin, and I’ve always been drawn to areas in need of some gentrification,” he said. “This part of Line Avenue meant a lot to me for that reason. When you look at this mid-city area, back in the ’50s, it was vibrant. I wanted to bring back that retro feel and use the architecture here.

“Many people said to me, if you’re going to start a business, it has to be on Line Avenue. This location offers the appeal of Line Avenue without being in a retail cluster, so Twine has a self-identity, standing alone but also riding on the tails of Line Avenue.

“Another local business owner and I were talking about downtown development not long ago, about what’s happening with the Shreveport Regional Arts Council and what the mayor is doing. With places like Twine on this end of Line Avenue, and Bella Fresca Bistro and Wine Country opening locations near the south end at Twelve Oaks, there’s a new movement out there for Shreveport. It feels great to be part of that.”

Keitha Marcott, a Pierremont Mall leasing agent with Stirling Properties, LLC, said she has seen a definite heightened interest lately in the number of new boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops in the area including Krush Boutique, Pretenses Boutique and Happily Ever After Bridal in Pierremont Mall, Rhino Coffee on Southfield off of Line, as well as M Boutique, Heart & Soul and Another Broken Egg, which have filled vacancies at Towne Oak Square.

An interesting trend, she adds, is the number of businesses selling to the next generation of retailers, all of whom are choosing to remain on Line Avenue, such as Toy Fair, Imelda’s, King Hardware and Gifts, Mrs. McGregor’s Garden and Mint Julip Paperie.

“Line Avenue is the gold standard of restaurants and retail in this region,” Marcott said. “The merchants are committed to service and know their customers by name; they have a unique point of view, and their clothes and products demonstrate it. The restaurants are over-the-top fabulous and are constantly full.

“Big boxes and power centers and fast food places are about quantity, and Line Avenue is so much more about quality.

“That sums it up, doesn’t it?” Jane Allison, training and project coordinator with the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, said Line Avenue has a mix of retail, restaurants and even medical offerings that can’t be beat with family appeal and easy access.

“Most of the retail is locally owned, so it has a real Shreveport flavor to it; the owner is usually in the store or restaurant tending to individual customer needs. Also, Line Avenue is a major thoroughfare for people living in Ellerbe, Longlake and Southern Trace, and there are a lot of schools along the way such as Byrd High School and South Highlands Elementary, as well as Eden Gardens and Caddo Middle Magnet just off of Line.”

Meanwhile, for Ky Ellen Mason, who owns Smith Mason Legacies along with partner Kathy Smith, one of Line Avenue’s best qualities is that it’s the alternative to out-of-state shopping locations.

“Shreveport is a funny market, and it’s a tall order to win people over here when you first open a business,” Mason said.

“The things you find on Line Avenue, though, you just can’t find at the commercial chains on Youree and even in areas out of the city. I find that where it used to be a mark of distinction to drive to Dallas to buy something, it’s now a mark of pretension.

“A lot of business owners have moved here, too, because of the beauty and gentility of this area, even knowing they have to beat the market areas like Houston, Atlanta and New Orleans. In our case, we have designers coming to us now instead of those larger areas because our items come directly from Europe or private individuals, and we offer quality and prices that are equal or better.

“People can continue to buy into old ideas or be brave and buy into new ideas. We have to push our community and our city to be part of this.”

In the Towne Oak Square Shopping Center on the corner of Pierremont and Line, Martha Thomas and her daughter, Laura, run M Boutique, which opened last year. Thomas was the owner of Cactus Trading on Youree Drive for 12 years before moving to Santa Fe for 11 years. She came back to Shreveport when her family offered to help her get a store going.

“I have customers tell me it’s easy to come here because it’s close to the interstate, and there’s less traffic than some more commercial parts of town. It has a neighborhood feel. Plus, there are people coming back. Children have grown up and are returning as young adults to run their own businesses. Everybody has their wings and needs to fly away, but then roots pull at you, and you want to be home with what you love. We’ve been very successful here, and we love it.”

Nathan Slaughter, owner of Brewniverse, which opened last November in Pierremont Mall, said the clientele along Line Avenue was what drew him in. “The rent was competitive, but more than that, demographically this is one of the more upscale areas in North Louisiana and a better fit for our customers,” he said. “It’s been busier, and we’ve had more traffic and visibility than we even expected, plus we get spillover from the restaurants such as Superior Steakhouse and Broken Egg Cafe. Customers will be waiting for a seat, and they’ll come visit us. These businesses feed off of each other that way; we’re allies.”

Arlena Acree, director of film, media and entertainment for the city, said the movie industry loves Line Avenue, too.

“That’s where the cast and crew go to eat and hang out. They want that local, homegrown experience. It’s a one-stop shop for them.”

While development along Line Avenue is appealing to merchants and customers alike, it can also bring some tough choices for neighborhoods, said Michael Corbin, city councilman, District D.

“There’s a lot of development in areas around Twine, for example, because there’s been a lot of commercial real estate available,” he said. “People want something local that they can walk or bike to instead of having to drive out to Youree. Further down near 70th and Ashley Ridge, there’s land that’s been empty and is now developed, and that’s bringing in new places such as the Twisted Root Burger Company.

“Financially, there are options that are not available elsewhere, and it’s easier for people to get to. There’s a local and neighborhood focus.

Corbin notes that there needs to be a balance between what the city needs in order to grow and what neighborhoods need in order to stay green.

“The fact is, if we’re going to build the inner parts of our city again, we need to look at places like Dallas and Austin, where commercial, retail and residential can touch each other and it’s not detrimental to anyone.

“Closer to downtown, we need to build our economy. If there were condos and more people living there, that would instantly create a market for new restaurants and shops.

“We can do it, but it’s about finding what’s accessible and acceptable for everyone, and then having people with the ability to develop those kinds of projects.”

Ben Walker, co-owner with Walker Alley and Associates, LLC, Real Estate Resources, said there’s always been plenty of local interest in the area, though not always from regional or national retailers. “A lot of the time all they’re looking at is Youree Drive and 70th because that’s where the traffic numbers are,” he said. “When we show it to national companies, they want us to draw a big circle and tell them the demographics. You can’t do that here. There’s a dramatic difference in the demographics when you do it that way. They don’t see the heart of old South Highlands, Pierremont and Spring Lake. Plus, some parts have been remodeled, like Uptown Shopping Center, so these nice local restaurants are centered there, and there’s new development.

“Overall, though, it’s remained a strong area. In the last five years especially with the Haynesville Shale and these kinds of things, it hasn’t experienced the decline that some other areas had. Property owners have improved their properties rather than leave them. Also, the rents are lower on Line Avenue than they are along Youree Drive, but you still have the same quality of shoppers, so especially for small business owners, it’s a practical choice. There’s a good base of residential areas to support the shops, and you can get right off of the interstate to reach it.”

Time will tell how Line Avenue shapes up over the next few years, but judging from the input from business owners and developers, as well as the feedback from their customers, it’s only going to get better.