Southern Void

I guess I shouldn't reference something for which I have no details, but there is a meeting coming up regarding the redevelopment of South Elm Street south of Lee Street (the land where Action Greensboro initially proposed building the baseball stadium). Due to the poverty and perceived unsafety of the surrounding neighborhoods, I think whatever goes there needs to have a strong anchor that will serve to draw people and development to the area (as opposed to simply building housing and retail in hopes that people will follow). I wish Guilford Technical Community College could have developed their new campus in this area--as opposed to on the outskirts of town on Wendover--as I think GTCC could serve as just such an anchor. In Charlotte, by analogy, both the community college and Johnson and Whales have served as anchors for development in similarly situated areas and have been catalysts for other development.

As if that weren't enough . . .

The News and Record reported this past weekend that a partnership bought the old Southeastern Building on the corner of Market and Elm Streets (across from the JP building) and plans to convert it into residential units on the top floors and retail/office on the bottom floors. The nine story building will be restored to its 1918 look, which had huge columns flanking the exterior of the first two floors along Elm and Market. Construction will not start for at least another year. I think that, if done right, this could be the most desirable apartment/condo building downtown.

Other newcomers to the downtown scene I left off my last update--Thai it Up (next to Blumenthal's on S. Elm) and the Pour House (where 360/The Blue Hour/etc. used to be . . . I predict another failure, not to be debbie downer). Also a Thai Restaurant is going in to the right of Fincastles, to open later this year.

Boomtown

Lots has happened in downtown gso since my last posting. . .

1. Fincastles Opens - Fincastles is a diner-esque joint featuring hamburgers, homemade onion rings and the sort. In other words, not exactly a health food place, but thumbs up for providing yet another alternative to the late night and lunch options. I recommend the butter steak sandwich with extra Fincastle sauce and the onion rings. . . but not if you plan to kiss anyone within the 24 hr. period following . . .

2. Hemingway's Downtwon Gears Up - Not open yet (opens June 10th officially), but looks muy cool from the outside. I can't wait to check it out next week. Not to make you jealous, but I have tickets to the invite-only black tie opening this Wednesday.

3. Metro Gourmet Market Opens - AWESOME sandwiches (although the staff needs some practice putting them together--sloppy presentation thus far). My fave thus far is the Starmount.

4. Source 230 Prepares to open - This store, which will apparently sell "distinctive clothing for men" will open roughly across from 223 South Elm. Looks cool; has me curious.

5. Kristine's Boutique - On the corner of February 1 and South Elm; this is a store that sells women's bags and accessories. Great that retail is increasing downtown and empty storefronts are filling up; hopefully there will be enough foot traffic to support the businesses.

6. New Retail Spaces Prepared - Many new retail spaces are being prepared for new tenants, and hopefully tenants will follow. On McGee Street, the developers of Smothers Place have renovated what were boarded up stores and have for lease signs advertising the space. The store to the right of Fincastles is being renovated by Milton Kern. Likewise, the ground floor of the office building on the corner of Elm and February One--directly next to the Elm Street Center--is being renovated for either retail or office use.

7. Southside Development Booms - There are numerous additional phases of Southside under construction currently or planned for the near future, most of which sell out quickly (you can check out some of the upcoming developments at www.ohenrybuilders.com) . Milton Kern is also planning a development in Southside, although I've been unable to find out any details regarding where it will be or what type of development it will be. Having home ownership in the center city is vital to its stability and growth.

8. Kavanagh Homes Plans Townhomes Near Ballpark - Kavanagh Homes plans to build townhomes on Bellemeade Street near the ballpark. Although I think that area is ripe for develoment and would be a great place to invest, I am skeptical about the involvement of Kavanagh Homes. Their developments typically lack quality and originality. The News and Record recently reported that the town homes planned will be covered in vinal siding for 3/4 of the exterior, which is not in keeping with the historic Westerwood Neighborhood in which they will sit. Hopefully Kavanagh will be more responsible and forego maximizing the dollars they could make off of the development in favor of a development that will be an asset to the community.

9. Departures and Setbacks - A few departures and setbacks accompany all of the positive news. First, the City Club, atop the Jefferson Pilot building, has closed. This is due to many factors, among them being the success of downtown in offering a lot of new upscale dining options. Second, the Southeastern Building (on the corner of Elm and Market across from JP), is hemhoraging tenants and falling into great disrepair. Fortunately the building is being sold in bankruptcy proceedings, so hopefully someone will buy it and reverse the trend. Third, the Civil Rights Museum's opening has been delayed yet again. Hopefully things aren't being mismanaged and the opening will occur as quickly as possible, as this could be an asset to downtown.