and now for something completeley different. . .

First off, I'll reiterate that I do love gso and am psyched to have been a first-hand witness to so much excitement in this period of rejuvenation and redefinition. The crowded sidewalks on any given night, the stores filling spaces abandoned for years, the plans for new housing, offices, and retail. I mean, it's pretty damn impressive considering what the place looked like just five years ago.

Second of all, despite my enthusiasm and love for the community, I've actually jumped ship due to a job opportunity in DC. I do love gso and will always be a big fan/promoter of it, but this is the right move for me for now.

Thirdly and as a result, I'm probably not going to continue blogging on ole gso. I'm significantly out of the loop on a lot of things and as a result (JP's no more what? A new hair salon on Elm Street? 411 West Washington's progress? Etc. . . ), by the time I'd get around to blogging about it it'd be so-five-minutes-ago that it wouldn't be worth it.

I think I'm going to start a DC blog (not that you'd be interested if you're a gso-er), however, and will be sure to include the link to it here when I get around to it. . .

Anyway, thanks for reading!!!

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.

damn, this traffic jam . . .

way to feel like a big city. . . Driving home at 1:00 a.m. last night I actually found myself stuck in traffic--in downtown Greensboro no less. Cabs, limos and people desparate for that prime parking spot made me have to wait through several Elm Street stoplights. And there were people everywhere lining up to get in clubs, walking from one bar to another and satisfying the late night food cravings at the various eateries still open (Pizzaria L'Italliano, the hot dog vender on the corner of Elm and Washington, and Natty Greene's downstairs).

I was impressed.

Of course, instead of joining in on the fun, I came home and went to bed.

I'm such a rockstar.

The New North State

FINALLY today plans were disclosed for the redevelopment of the old North State Chevrolet site by the new baseball stadium downtown. The article from the News and Record follows below if you missed it. The Triad Business Journal reports that a grocery store may also be in the mix for the $60+ million development.



Shops, homes planned near ballpark
2-24-05
By Nate DeGraff, Staff Writer
Updated 4:30 p.m.
GREENSBORO — The owners of the North State Chevrolet property revealed their plans for shops and hundreds of homes today, hoping that the city will help pay for the massive downtown project.
Blueprints for the development, dubbed “Bellemeade Village,” show a sweeping mini-town straddling Smith Street, complete with retailers, a hotel, underground parking and more than 300 apartments and condominiums. A new road would slice through the project, which sits on a choice 6-acre tract just beyond the left-field wall of First Horizon Park.
The tract is owned by brothers Steve and Jim Jones, who are planning a giant mixed-use development for the site. (Photo courtesy of Jim and Steve Jones)
More details will be revealed this spring. Construction could start within a year.
“It’ll be the largest urban development Greensboro’s ever seen,” said Steve Jones, who co-owns the property with his brother Jim.
Some of the funding for the $70-$100 million project could come under Amendment One, a change in the state constitution which gives local governments the authority to borrow money for certain economic development projects without going to a bond referendum. Voters narrowly approved Amendment One last fall.
Ray Gibbs, president of Downtown Greensboro, Inc., said Amendment One money could fund 5 to 10 percent of the Bellemeade Village project. The funds would be used for parking and streetscapes, he said. A proposal could be brought to the city this summer.
"It really is exactly what Amendment One talks about," Gibbs said Thursday.
The developers approached city officials Wednesday with a prospective request for assistance. In a meeting with Mayor Keith Holliday, Council member Tom Phillips and City Manager Ed Kitchen, the developers asked about the city possibly borrowing money to build a parking deck and pay for roadway work around the project.
The city may opt to use Amendment One, which means the loans would be paid off with the increased property taxes the owners would pay. For instance, the city could build a parking garage that would be used by the residents and retail shops.
Phillips said the city’s involvement is still in the “conceptual” stage and no promises had been made to the developers. Holliday said that the city would do what it could to make the Bellemeade Village project work, but he said that more details would be needed before any city aid is pledged.
But Holliday and others said they liked the plans for the land and said it would be a great addition to downtown.
“These guys are trying to think outside the box,” Holliday said. “Hopefully it’s well received.”
Phillips agreed that the shops and homes will do well near downtown.
“There’s so much traffic that goes past there, I can’t help but feel that it will succeed,” Phillips said.
Holliday noted the irony that the developers want to add a street only a block away from where the city closed Lindsay Street to make way for the new stadium.
“With the baseball stadium, we closed a street,” he said. “With this one, we’re adding a street.”
If built, the project will also likely spur more development at the downtown’s northwest edge.
One hot tract is the Guilford County office building at West Lindsay and North Eugene streets. The building now houses the county’s tax collection department, but those offices will move to the nearby Independence Center as long as the county makes good on plans to buy it.
That would leave the old tax collections complex empty. Developers have been inquiring about the property for months.
“I would think the board (of commissioners) will probably put it on the market as soon as we can vacate it,” said David Grantham, the county’s property management director.
Bellemeade Village could also be a boon to existing businesses that don’t see much walk-up traffic in that part of downtown.
“I think it’d be great,” said Jimmy Contogiannis, who co-owns Acropolis, a nearby restaurant. “Because once everything gets built, you’ll have more people who are able to walk to the restaurant.”

Burned out, green and artsy

So there are a few more exciting things to report regarding the evolution of downtown Greensboro that made the news this week. . .

First of all, the burned out building in the 200 block of South Elm (former home to the Mantelworks Restaurant? before my time. . . ) has been bought by the developers of Smothers Place Lofts. They plan to tear it down within the next two weeks and replace it with a six story mixed use (residential and office) building. While it is sad to see such an old facade disappear from the downtown landscape and the height of the proposed development may be inappropriate for this stretch of Elm, this building has been a blight on downtown for many years. Further, bringing more office space and residences to the south end of downtown will be a good addition to the mix. Construction probably won't start for another year or so.

Secondly, the city of Greensboro has finalized plans for streetscape improvements to the south end of Greene Street. The interesection of McGee and Greene will feature a roundabout and the stretch between McGee and Washington will feature angled parking and a median in the middle of the road. Trees and lighting will also enhance the soon-to-be completely two-way road. The improvements will make the area much more pedestrian friendly and downtown easier to navigate by car.

Finally, Downtown Greensboro Inc. has commissioned artists to create unique way finders throughout downtown. Visitors will be guided through downtown by a series of unique yet informative pieces of art. Very cool.