Garry Lewis, a former U.S. Navy F-4 Phantom pilot and retired attorney, has spent the past two decades transforming the once-rural Exit 19 interchange in Satsuma, Louisiana, into a major mixed-use development with an executive airport.
His latest project, Patriots RV Resort, opened around July 4 and features nearly 100 acres with hundreds of RV sites, cabins, pools, a stocked lake and a 700-foot lazy river.
Beginning in 2006, Lewis purchased timberland around Exit 19 and developed master-planned communities, apartments, retail centers and commercial properties. His projects include roughly 1,000 homes, Suma Crossing, Southshire, Suma Lake Apartments and infrastructure improvements such as roads and utilities.
In 2017, he donated 242 acres to help launch the Livingston Executive Airport, helping secure millions in state funding.
Lewis faced significant challenges, including a decade-long wetlands dispute with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and opposition from neighbors who wanted to preserve the area’s rural character. Despite those obstacles, local officials credit his developments with accelerating infrastructure improvements and economic growth.
The idea for Patriots RV Resort came from a friend and was inspired by a successful RV resort in Florida. When complete, the resort will offer about 460 camping accommodations, employ more than 70 people and cater primarily to overnight guests rather than day visitors.
Now 79, Lewis remains actively involved in his developments despite handing day-to-day leadership to his son, Drake. His long-term vision is to continue shaping Satsuma into an attractive, family-oriented community while preserving high-quality amenities for residents and visitors alike.
