50 Cent Team Pumps the Brakes on Plan to Run Red River District

Shreveport leaders are expected to approve a new lease with Curtis 50 Cent Jackson and his G-Unit Film and Television company. The new lease would extend the agreement for Millennium Studios to 99 years. The current lease is for 30 years with an extension for an additional 15 years.

G-Unit spokesman Temple Williams says G-Unit has over 40 projects across 12 different networks that are either in production, green-lit or past the production phase. He says this amounts to over a billion dollars over the past 10 years in production value. In the past 90 days, the G-Unit team has sold 4 projects to multiple major streamers.

Temple also says "G-Unit is very much like Tyler Perry, Taylor Sheridan and to a lesser extent Dick Wolf. We are going to be harnessing our own development pipeline, our own production pipeline and our own distribution pipeline. We will be producing our own content which gives us consistency. This gives us volume and it creates true enterprise."

He also says Curtis Jackson wants to create a world of production here. But to do that, "we have to create an environment where world class artists and technicians want to be here for productions. To attract those folks to town, we must create a robust entertainment district and that is why Jackson has invested so deeply in that area."

What Is the Plan for the Red River District

The G-Unit team has been exploring all options for bringing the entertainment district back as part of his plan to attract workers for his production company. But Elizabeth Martin, a consultant on the construction team for G-Unit told the council “we are not ready to move forward with that. We did have an inspector go in and inspect the properties. We are not saying we are not moving forward, but we do need to discuss the repairs that need to made."

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What Repairs Need to Be Made in Red River District

Martin says there is a leak in the building that currently houses Artipsy that caused another storeroom to flood. She also claims the HVAC systems are near end of life and she says there are problems with the roof on the properties. Martin also claims there  are severe plumbing issues in the area too.

SPAR Director Shelly Ragle told the council the roofs at the Red River District are inspected regularly. She also told the council the roof in the district is only 10 years old. But she did say they are doing work on the roof drains. She also says some waterproofing work is being done in the area.

Martin says she is currently working on a price to give to the city to try to negotiate an agreement on the cost of repairs in the area before G-Unit could step in and work to bring the district back to life.