After several months of inactivity, construction activity on the new Louisiana state office building located at 500 Fannin Street in downtown Shreveport is poised to restart, signaling a significant push forward on the long-anticipated project.

Broadmoor LLC, the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) selected by the state, recently held an informational session for subcontractors and trade representatives to discuss upcoming opportunities. Eric Cantrell of Broadmoor emphasized that work is scheduled to resume in July, focusing initially on interior construction within the office building and the adjacent parking garage.

Broadmoor is actively seeking bids from a wide range of trades, including concrete, millwork, roofing, fireproofing, flooring, painting, elevators, and landscaping, among others, to support the 150,000-square-foot office project and its multilevel parking structure.

The project deadline is approaching rapidly, with Broadmoor requesting all bids be submitted by May 28 to finalize their proposal to the state. Roy Dowling, Project Manager with the Office of Facility Planning and Control, explained the state is awaiting Broadmoor’s Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP), which is due June 6.

In October, architect Christopher Coe estimated the overall project cost, including bond repayments, to exceed $100 million. The CMAR model places Broadmoor in a position to assume both construction management responsibilities and financial risk, ensuring the project stays on budget and on schedule.

Broadmoor brings a robust portfolio to the project, having worked on major developments such as the Caesars Superdome renovations, Tulane University buildings, and projects for Ochsner, NASA, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Several key subcontractors are already engaged, including Hamm Mechanical handling plumbing and HVAC, All Star Electric for electrical work, and Gage Precast providing precast concrete.

Cantrell and Broadmoor’s Kaitlin Farmer detailed the scope of remaining work, highlighting the complexity of interior finishes and specialty installations:

“We have two board assemblies, like a framing, all of the chipboard installation, inclusive of our complete assembly. Of course, we have new flooring and painting and finishing throughout. Specialties, toilet partitions, toilet accessories, operable partitions, fire protection. Specialties, signage, lots of things going on from an equipment standpoint as well. We have some parking equipment, we have window washing equipment,” Farmer said. “The list is much lengthier still.”

Addressing community concerns about diversity in contracting, Leon Wheeler, the City of Shreveport Fair Share coordinator, inquired about Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation. Cantrell responded, “There’s no official goal within the state procurement model, but our goal is to support as much as possible and that is in addition to global participation.”

Dowling projects the office building will be completed by late spring or summer of 2027. “If we can get started in July like I want to, then it’ll take two solid years minus two months. That’s what we’re hoping,” he said.

While Broadmoor will manage the construction schedule, the state remains focused on finalizing the GMP. Dowling noted, “The way the statute’s written is, if we can't come to guaranteed maximum price, we go to public bid with the job, which would change the whole job. We don’t see a problem at this point.”

The renewed momentum on the state office building promises to bring much-needed governmental office space to downtown Shreveport, supporting public services and the local economy once completed.

Originally reported by Liz Swaine