2021 SWLA Projects Report: Detailed 5.28.21 Compiled by the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance, this report reflects projects as of May 2021. Some of these projects may have been announced or started in prior years. Where information is available, we have included the history and stage of the project. All information in this report is either provided by the company themselves, from LED Fastlane, IMCAL or from press releases provided through media. This is not an exhaustive list of all projects in SWLA as some companies are in phases where they are not ready to publicly share information about their projects. Southwest Louisiana Task Force for Growth & Opportunity (GO Group) The Southwest Louisiana Task Force for Growth and Opportunity (GO Group), formed in early 2013, is focused on developing strategies to ensure the successful implementation of planned economic development projects for Southwest Louisiana. It was formed by local community leaders, stakeholders, and elected officials to identify the various socioeconomic issues involved with such projects. The GO Group aims to assist local governmental agencies in planning, policy development, and implementation of a strategic plan that identifies the short-term and long-term preparation and response actions necessary to achieve the economic and social benefits from the successful implementation of the announced economic development projects; to address the multiple related issues; and to also accommodate and support current and future economic growth throughout the five parish region. The goal of this strategic planning process is to ensure that Southwest Louisiana emerges from this growth and development stronger, smarter, and more diversified than before, and that local communities are positioned to take advantage of the ancillary social and economic development potential associated with the implementation of these projects. Much of the GO Group’s work is based on the Regional Impact Study, a study conducted by Sasol in 2014. The study analyzed how the announced industrial expansion projects would affect the five parish area of Calcasieu, Cameron, Beauregard, Jeff Davis, and Allen Parishes and evaluated potential impacts to housing, utilities, education, workforce development, transportation, public safety, public health, the environment, small businesses, and community relations. In response to the recommendations, and as part of the implementation phase of its plan, the GO Group formed several task forces in March 2015 to further analyze the study’s recommendations and evaluate how those recommendations would fit within the current structure and fabric of the community. Three task forces exist with category assignments including: public service improvements, education and workforce development, and growth planning. Each of these task forces is charged with issues relevant to their scope of work. Other studies such as the Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning and Development District’s Long Range Transportation Study and the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance’s Southwest Louisiana Housing Study, Strategic Plan and Implementation Strategy, are also essential aides and guides in the work of the GO Group. For more information on the GO Group, please visit www.gogroupswla.com. 1 In February 2014, the SEED Center played host to the launch of two major studies: 1) A Regional Impact Study (RIS) to assist the GO Group in preparing the region for this economic growth and all the changes growth will bring. Sasol sponsored the study. CSRS, a Louisiana company that specializes in infrastructure and facilities planning, conducted the study, and 2) Simultaneously, the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance conducted a detailed housing strategic plan for the region. Both studies provided community leaders with the information needed to plan for short term impacts and for long term quality of life and community growth. Regional Impact Study The Regional Impact Study examined the cumulative impact of the announced industrial, commercial, and other economic development related projects on our five-parish region. This study included a full socio-economic model of SWLA that includes the planned capital projects; an evaluation of the existing condition of the region's infrastructure; and recommended pathways to address the potential infrastructure gaps and community needs that may develop as these projects begin to reach the construction stage. The study investigated critical areas such as transportation, schools, health services, utilities, emergency services, environment, and regulations relative to land development and was released in the November 2014. Housing Study The period of growth and prosperity approaching SWLA will be widely evident in our community. Perhaps the most obvious indicator is the local housing markets. Demand for homes of all types and price-points are going to increase, which will ultimately result in an increase in pricing and potentially a scarce supply. We are on the brink of the finalization of the SWLA Regional Housing Strategic Plan. This plan, jointly funded by the SWLA Economic Development Alliance and the Office of Community Development Disaster Recovery Unit, is being created to assess resiliency and housing needs for the expected influx of new residents. As of July 2015, there were an estimated 40,447 new construction jobs and 18,329 total permanent jobs including direct, indirect, and induced jobs arising from recent industrial announcements. Due to this, the region must be proactive when assessing housing and required infrastructure. To communicate the plan, a Web-based interactive project portal with mapping capabilities is being created. The portal will utilize GIS layers to show the major growth regions for housing, existing infrastructure, flood zones, emergency response facilities including fire and police protection, culture and community features, etc. The portal will also display locations of announced economic development projects with a radius tool to show socio and demographic information around both industrial and temporary and permanent residential projects. The portal will be a means to update the plan to remain current into the future. It features many components that will make it not only a valuable tool for housing, but also for economic development of Southwest Louisiana. By proactively preparing a Housing Strategic Plan, the leadership of our community is taking steps to make sure that as the community grows, it does so in a resilient and sustainable manner. More critical than the plan itself, are the actions that our leaders take going in preparing SWLA for the coming years. The project team is optimistic that the plan will serve as a catalyst for future community planning efforts. As SWLA enters this time of unprecedented growth, we must prepare for the changing demands of our community. From this research, we ask the users of this work to make great decisions. Southwest Louisiana Housing Study, Strategic Plan, and Implementation Strategy The Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance has undertaken a significant project to guide housing strategies and decisions for Southwest Louisiana for years to come. The project consists of a Housing Study (completed in 2012 and updated in 2014), a Housing Strategic Plan and Implementation Strategy and, at the heart of the work, The Demand Model and the GIS based Housing and Community Development Web Portal. The Demand Model and the Web Portal are unique in that they are dynamic tools 2 that will allow the Alliance to keep information, data, modeling, projections, etc. updated as market dynamics change. The significance and focus of this work has changed dramatically in the last few years because of the unprecedented economic growth coming to Southwest Louisiana. With over five thousand hours dedicated by the Alliance staff, another two thousand hours invested by local stakeholders and leadership and $300,000 spent on professional contractors, the Alliance has unwavering confidence that this document will be the standard for housing decisions for our region for years to come. Participants included local, state and federal government representatives; home builders, developers, realtors, apartment owners, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the banking industry, nonprofit housing agencies, law enforcement, industry and many other stakeholders along the way. Who is our audience? We consider anyone who is in the business of providing housing or making housing decisions for our community to be our target audience. It was our hope to equip government, developers, builders, financial institutions, etc. with the tools they need to make well-informed decisions about our housing markets. In particular, we are aware that this market demand would stretch the limits of our local resources and that outside resources would be necessary to meet the demands. Studies and plans are often conducted by larger firms for their own purposes but it is our local builders and developers that we had in mind when creating this work. The document is designed to provide each Parish of Southwest Louisiana with a pullout report. Although each pullout report can be used as a stand-alone report, we encourage the readers to thoroughly study the entire report in order to truly understand the market dynamics of the entire region. This report can be used as: • As a repository of information for the Southwest Louisiana housing market • As a guide on the processes of building and developing