July 4th happenings in Bossier

Wishing for a fun July 4 without spending a lot of time and money?
Don't miss Harrah's Louisiana Downs big, big fireworks show starting at around 9 p.m. at the Casino. Bring a lawn chair and watch the colorful show while you contemplate going in for the buffet.
The Bossier Tennis Center off Benton Road also will have a July 4 tournament that is open to the public. A partner is not required as pairs will be set up.

New Mexican restaurant in Bossier

I've been driving past the almost-built restaurant next to McAllister's deli off Airline Road for the past two months. I'm always curious to see if Bossier is going to get another restaurant to try out. So, imagine my surprise when I saw that the building had a sign that said Ta Molly's.Ta Molly's? I've never heard of it - have you?So, I called the corporate headquarters and found out a little about it.If all goes as planned, Bossier City will soon be home to Ta Molly’s, a privately-owned, Mexican-style eatery off Airline Drive across from the new Target shopping center.Ta Molly’s which according to its website www.tamollys.com, promises fresh ingredients at affordable prices, can be found in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.The eatery features lunch specials from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Sunday.Food choices include the Crispy Puffed Taco with seasoned meat, layered with chili con queso, sharing the menu with more American-style items such as chicken fried steak. Lunches start at about $5 with guacamole added - so that's really great news.A call to the company’s corporate office in Texarkana today, said there have been some delays for the restaurant’s opening.

New megadevelopment to break ground on Friday

The John Good Jr. developed community of Villaggio (Italian for Village) is that much closer to becoming a reality in Bossier City.
In fact, the upscale 64-acre development will have an official groundbreaking this coming Friday.
In my opinion, this community is a good thing because of its new urbanism point of view. Who wouldn't like to live in a place where you can literally walk or even skip merrily to shopping, dining, swimming and boating venues - right next to your home.
I lived in a "new urbanism" community in Tampa, Fla. There, neighbors would walk their children to school, within the community, and then meet for coffee at the local Starbuck's (within the community). It was great and I'm not kidding. You could walk to dinner on a Friday night and then walk home - no traffic, no hassles. You could even pick up dry cleaning along the way.
Villaggio will be on Highway 80 East, just east of Swan Lake Road and west of Bossier Parish Community College. In fact, the property will be within walking distance of Bossier Parrish Community College. Phase 1 construction is slated to cost of $80 to $90 million.
The mega-development will feature a sandy-beached lake, 55,000 square feet of retail space, multi-family housing with two and three bedroom apartments, town homes, dining, office and commercial space, and a lakeside promenade with the property’s trademark 45-foot clock tower. There also will be jogging/walking trails, swimming in designated areas, and paddle and sailboat rentals.
All this, Good said, for apartment rentals of about $700 to $1,300 per month.