In downtown Shreveport, few properties carry the layered legacy of 525 Milam Street. Now listed for auction, this 14-story structure presents an extraordinary opportunity to reimagine one of the city’s most iconic towers, by finally fulfilling its original purpose.
In the late 1940s, plans emerged for a striking new residential building to replace the old Shreveport City Jail. Developers envisioned The Caddo Arms, a high-rise apartment complex designed to bring modern urban living to the south side of the Caddo Parish Courthouse. With a proposed investment of over $3 million—a significant figure at the time—the project was to include commercial spaces on the lower levels and residential apartments above, complete with then-cutting-edge features like telephonic intercoms, radio service, and high-speed elevators.
But the postwar building boom had its own challenges. Like many projects of the era, construction of the Caddo Arms faced repeated delays due to material shortages, especially steel. Those delays changed the course of downtown development. In 1951, Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation, a rising player in the natural gas industry, seized the moment and acquired the site. Within months, the structure was completed—not as apartments, but as corporate office space for a company that would employ hundreds and strengthen downtown Shreveport’s role in the energy economy.
For decades, 525 Milam stood as a regional hub of oil and gas operations. The building’s sleek mid-century architecture, steel frame construction, and location just steps from legal, civic, and cultural institutions made it a landmark of business and progress.
Today, however, the building is once again at a turning point.
Now up for auction, 525 Milam offers a rare blend of historic structure, architectural integrity, and strategic location with proximity to government, cultural, and entertainment sites. The tower is uniquely positioned for a return to its residential roots. The Shreveport DDA believes this site could be one catalyst for high-quality downtown housing, appealing to young professionals, entrepreneurs, and empty nesters alike.
As cities across the country reimagine urban cores, adaptive reuse of office space for residential living is not only practical—it’s forward-thinking. The Milam Street tower stands ready for such vision.
Downtown Shreveport is ready to welcome its next wave of residents. Could this landmark be their future address?
