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Sailing Forward at the Shreveport Yacht Club
SAILING FORWARD
SAILING FORWARD BY ELIZABETH DEAL AND RACHEL DUPREE Located on 15 acres of prime shoreline of Cross Lake, the Shreveport Yacht Club recently completed an expansion of the Clubhouse facilities and the construction of a new boat pier. “It’s an exciting addition to Shreveport-Bossier,” says the club’s Commodore Steve Craig. A commodore is equivalent to a chairperson of a board. In the early 1900s, there was a period of water shortage in the local area, which prompted residents to construct a dam across Cross Bayou upon the Kansas City Southern Railroad Company’s property, forming Cross Lake. The Dilg League Club, as it was first called, was established in 1927, organized in a small cove on the east end of Cross Lake. Around 1930, the name was changed to the Shreveport Motor Boat Club and then to the Shreveport Boat Club which was incorporated in 1932. The final name change came in 1948 as the Shreveport Yacht Club. The club has grown to be a bustling destination for lake lovers and boat owners from the Shreveport-Bossier area and beyond. Cross Lake, the Shreveport Yacht Club of a new boat pier. “It’s an exciting addition to Shreveport-Bossier,” says the club’s In the early 1900s, there was a period of water shortage a dam across Cross Bayou upon the Kansas City Southern Railroad Company’s property, forming Cross Lake. The Dilg League Club, as it was first called, was established in 1927, organized in a small cove on the east end of Cross Lake. Around 1930, the name was changed to the Shreveport Mo was incorporated in 1932. The final name change came in 1948 as the Shreveport Yacht Club. The club has grown to be a bustling destination for lake lovers and boat owners from tunity to work here. Now, I bles. Some of the house favor ites are the beef tenderloin and the shrimp pomodoro, which he programs, and overall design for the expansion. “It’s a cool to make any major design changes. We were extending what rent the dining facility to host parties, events and weddings. A new multipurpose room downstairs will be used for ju
at the Shreveport Yacht Club
Award-winning chef John Hedgepeth has been on the staff for nearly three years. “I was blessed by God to be presented with the opportunity to work here. Now, I have a workplace that’s like a family to me, and I couldn’t be happier,” he says. The club and the members have been blessed with a new and improved menu. Hedgepeth, who specializes in fine dining, transformed the menu, which is now filled with fresh seafood, meats and vegetables. Some of the house favorites are the beef tenderloin and the shrimp pomodoro, which he makes with a secret ingredient. The chef plans to eventually add an herb garden outside for use in his menu creations.
With the new menu, the Shreveport Yacht Club became even busier, according to General Manager Rick Hutson. A higher capacity dining room was needed.
Tim Brandon Architecture did the renderings, schematic programs, and overall design for the expansion. “It’s a cool building – not something you see often,” says Lisa Frontaura, Vice President of Operations for TBA. “We didn’t want to make any major design changes. We were extending what they already had.”
The clubhouse has a grand dining room with a full menu, weekly chef’s specials, and a full-service bar. Members can rent the dining facility to host parties, events and weddings. A new multipurpose room downstairs will be used for junior sailing, club events, and private events.
The downstairs portion of the clubhouse was renovated The downstairs portion of the clubhouse was renovated first, which allowed members to sit down and dine while first, which allowed members to sit down and dine while the larger upstairs room was being reconstructed. Fron the larger upstairs room was being reconstructed. Frontaura wanted to get everything completed without in-taura wanted to get everything completed without interfering with business. During the kitchen renovations, terfering with business. During the kitchen renovations, Hedgepeth and sous-chef Mona Smith cooked out of a 10’ Hedgepeth and sous-chef Mona Smith cooked out of a 10’ x 20’ trailer donated by Complete Repair Service but it x 20’ trailer donated by Complete Repair Service but it didn’t hinder their work. Although they broke records for didn’t hinder their work. Although they broke records for the amount of food and beverages prepared and served at the amount of food and beverages prepared and served at the Club during that time, they are thrilled to start cook-the Club during that time, they are thrilled to start cooking in the renovated space. The commercial kitchen is tri-ing in the renovated space. The commercial kitchen is triple the size of the original, giving the kitchen staff more ple the size of the original, giving the kitchen staff more capacity and a more efficient workflow, with all-new in-capacity and a more efficient workflow, with all-new industrial stainless-steel countertops, a large convection dustrial stainless-steel countertops, a large convection oven, a dishwasher, a grill, and a frying station. oven, a dishwasher, a grill, and a frying station. The expansion included a complete renovation of the The expansion included a complete renovation of the club’s bar room, complete with a resplendent handcrafted club’s bar room, complete with a resplendent handcrafted bar designed and built by long-time member and former bar designed and built by long-time member and former Commodore Don Olson, who also served as the Owner’s Commodore Don Olson, who also served as the Owner’s Project Manager for the overall construction project. The Project Manager for the overall construction project. The dark wood of the 20-foot bar is mahogany, which is often dark wood of the 20-foot bar is mahogany, which is often used on boats, and the bar top has inlaid, unstained strips used on boats, and the bar top has inlaid, unstained strips of maple. The bar has two coats of stain and was finished of maple. The bar has two coats of stain and was finished with three coats of varnish to give it a stunning shine. The with three coats of varnish to give it a stunning shine. The foot rail is polished brass. foot rail is polished brass. The renovated interior has a minimalist design to keep the lake the center focus. Three walls of glass in the dining the lake the center focus. Three walls of glass in the dining room provide a panoramic view of the lake and the property. The exterior of the upstairs main room has some cedar finishing, and there is a new wooden and concrete deck with access to the ground floor. A refined nautical theme runs throughout the facility. “We wanted to give the whole expansion a very marine-type look,” says Beau McFaren, Construction Project Manager for M&M Builders. Portholes, like those on a boat, were for M&M Builders. Portholes, like those on a boat, were added to the swinging doors that lead to the kitchen, and the hardware used to attach the cabling to the guard rails on the concrete balcony is the same that sailboats use to hold the masts. Upstairs is all exposed timber construction with exposed pine beams.
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Hanging on the wall behind the bar is immediately. Located on the east end immediately. Located on the east end a stained-glass panel of the Shreve- of the property, the new pier extends of the property, the new pier extends port Yacht Club burgee made in the port Yacht Club burgee made in the 300 feet. The expanded Shreveport 300 feet. The expanded Shreveport classic style of leaded stained glass Yacht Club now has 4 boat piers and Yacht Club now has 4 boat piers and and framed in a decorative brass port- about 300 boat slips which can ac-about 300 boat slips which can achole. A burgee is a flag bearing the commodate sailboats, powerboats, commodate sailboats, powerboats, colors or emblem of a sailing club, and large cabin cruisers and houseboats. large cabin cruisers and houseboats. the Shreveport Yacht Club burgee is a the Shreveport Yacht Club burgee is a blue and red swallow-tailed flag with There are plenty of ways to eat, drink There are plenty of ways to eat, drink two stars and the letters “SYC.” The and be merry at the newly-expanded and be merry at the newly-expanded stained glass panel was the idea of Shreveport Yacht Club. And no, you Shreveport Yacht Club. And no, you members Paul and Linda Jordon, was don’t have to own a boat to apply for don’t have to own a boat to apply for designed and created by Eric Allen of membership! membership! Ed’s Emporium, and donated by Commodore Steve Craig. Wayne Wentworth, founder of Complete Repair Services, which specializes in the restaurant hospitality industry, managed the installation and fabrication of the kitchen, managed the installation and fabrication of the kitchen, bar and HVAC system. Outside the Clubhouse are ample grounds with covered and uncovered seating areas, charcoal grills, a swimming pool, a kiddie pool and a large playground adjacent to the pool area. The construction of the new “D” Pier added 42 boat slips (32 regular, four large, four uncovered) which filled up (32 regular, four large, four uncovered) which filled up
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