Atlantic Coast Conference considering moving its headquarters out of Greensboro

[cityboi]

This is a wake up call for Greensboro.

 

The ACC which was started in Greensboro in 1953 could and likely will leave Greensboro for a larger city with Charlotte likely being the front runner. Greensboro is a great city but it lacks the allure that cities like Charlotte have. Once the league expanded it became clear to some that the headquarters needed to move to a "big city" as the conference grew larger and larger. In terms of jobs its not a big loss but it would be a huge symbolic loss for Greensboro and yet another headquarters leaving the Triad. Winston-Salem knows the pain as it lost two bank headquarters, Wachovia and BB&T. Greensboro lost VF Corp, its last fortune 500 company.

 

My two cents on Greensboro's problem.  I have just got to critique my hometown.  Alarm bells should have gone off when VF Corp left for Denver. How can things like this be happening to Greensboro? Why aren't we seeing rapid growth like in neighboring metros? We have great universities, great infrastructure, excellent quality of life with parks and many cultural and urban amenities, the things you'd expect to see in high growth areas yet Greensboro still has a glass ceiling. On the surface it is an image problem but its deeper than that. Here is where I see the problem and its not because Greensboro is dull or boring, its about the direction or lack of direction our city's leaders are steering us.

We don’t have aggressive leadership in government and in the business community. We need business leaders like Charlotte's Hugh McColl who was actively engaged in not just being a CEO, he was a key figure in Charlotte's growth. Some of the leadership in Greensboro is incompetent. The sloppy handing of the Westin Hotel project is just one example of that and it should never take 12 years to get a hotel off the ground. Sometimes you just have to take bold and risky steps instead of saying “its just not feasible in Greensboro” or “we can’t get this project to pencil out”.  Developers everywhere else find a way to make it happen. The city has done a great job with new amenities across the city and particularly downtown but we have ignored the root of the problem. Winston-Salem is beginning to figure it out. Look at the Innovation Quarter. While it has not matured yet, the city has done something that  has uniquely combined cultural elements and business. It involves the kind of jobs that lead to cities becoming like Charlotte or Raleigh/Durham. Greensboro needs to figure out how we can get thousands of high paying educated WHITE COLLAR jobs into this city and not in suburban office parks, I mean downtown but we have to make it easier to develop downtown. Off the record a number of out of town developers have said they have avoided Greensboro because the city is the most difficult to work with of all the major cities in North Carolina. That makes a tough environment for companies looking into moving to Greensboro. Have you noticed the few businesses that do move to the area moving into areas in the outskirts like Kernersville or Whittset instead of Greensboro proper?

If Greensboro can become a business hub maybe then PTI can become a bustling airport hub with direct flights to almost every major city in this country along with international flights. We need to become a BUSINESS hub, not a shipping hub. You either have to be a business hub or a tourist hub to have a bustling International airport. Having that status would help the entire Piedmont Triad grow and even ensure the Home Furnishings Market in High Point stay there long term.

Part of it relies on getting the community at large excited about change and economic growth in the community. A sense of pride. Just look at how many Charlotte posters there are on the forums versus Greensboro posters. Its a microcosm of the general population. Charlotteans have always been proud and excited about their city. If we are not excited about our own city, the business community won't be either and its a shame because there is much to be proud about.

Its all about high paying educated  white collar jobs. Lower taxes and less red government tape is a start but in order to gain these white collar jobs we have to nurture the white collar jobs we already have. What are Greensboro’s strengths in this sector? Greensboro does have a cluster in the insurance/financial sector. Decades ago we were dubbed “The Hartford of the South” because of the number of insurance companies here. Jefferson Standard Life led to the construction of one of the tallest buildings in the south back in 1923. Greensboro was on its way back then. Even today the insurance sector occupies more office space in downtown Greensboro than any other sector. That's a pretty big hint in the direction we need to go but but some how this city has lost the mojo it had between the 1920s and 1960s when it was pro growth the way Charlotte is today. This was a period when Greensboro experienced rapid growth and at one point surpassed Raleigh to become the second largest city in North Carolina. Something happened in the 1970s and 80s that led to Greensboro slowing down and becoming the "sleepy" town that was once called "Greensboring" We are making positive steps today but now we are eating Charlotte and Raleigh’s dust. The city should make a goal to become the largest insurance/financial hub in the Southeast and figure out how to achieve that goal. Charlotte did that with banking. Policy changes that would make Greensboro more business friendly is a start but we have to dream BIG as a community. Instead of just accepting what we are, we need to achieve what we want to be. Things like performing arts centers, ballparks, and nice parks are just window dressing. They are great and are a part of improving the quality of life to attract business but its not just about those kind of things. What is it going to take to get Greensboro leaders to understand this? Manufacturing/Transportation and logistics needs to be secondary. The city is not going to get the demographics it needs from those sectors PERIOD. Don't get me wrong, its great to have a diverse economy but the focus needs to be on white collar/business/highly educated jobs. The city and economic development groups spend most of its resources attracting logistics hubs and manufacturing.  They are putting big money on a mega site that isn't even in Guilford County. If our leaders won't make the tough and right decisions and have vision and a clear direction for our future then we need to elect new leaders who do. Otherwise we will keep losing companies to places where the grass is greener.

Edited October 29, 2021 by cityboi

[GSOstrong]

This is a wake up call for Greensboro.
 
The ACC which was started in Greensboro in 1953 could and likely will leave Greensboro for a larger city with Charlotte likely being the front runner. Greensboro is a great city but it lacks the allure that cities like Charlotte have. Once the league expanded it became clear to some that the headquarters needed to move to a "big city" as the conference grew larger and larger. In terms of jobs its not a big loss but it would be a huge symbolic loss for Greensboro and yet another headquarters leaving the Triad. Winston-Salem knows the pain as it lost two bank headquarters, Wachovia and BB&T. Greensboro lost VF Corp, its last fortune 500 company.
 
My two cents on Greensboro's problem.  I have just got to critique my hometown.  Alarm bells should have gone off when VF Corp left for Denver. How can things like this be happening to Greensboro? Why aren't we seeing rapid growth like in neighboring metros? We have great universities, great infrastructure, excellent quality of life with parks and many cultural and urban amenities, the things you'd expect to see in high growth areas yet Greensboro still has a glass ceiling. On the surface it is an image problem but its deeper than that. Here is where I see the problem and its not because Greensboro is dull or boring, its about the direction or lack of direction our city's leaders are steering us.

We don’t have aggressive leadership in government and in the business community. We need business leaders like Charlotte's Hugh McColl who was actively engaged in not just being a CEO, he was a key figure in Charlotte's growth. Some of the leadership in Greensboro is incompetent. The sloppy handing of the Westin Hotel project is just one example of that and it should never take 12 years to get a hotel off the ground. Sometimes you just have to take bold and risky steps instead of saying “its just not feasible in Greensboro” or “we can’t get this project to pencil out”.  Developers everywhere else find a way to make it happen. The city has done a great job with new amenities across the city and particularly downtown but we have ignored the root of the problem. Winston-Salem is beginning to figure it out. Look at the Innovation Quarter. While it has not matured yet, the city has done something that  has uniquely combined cultural elements and business. It involves the kind of jobs that lead to cities becoming like Charlotte or Raleigh/Durham. Greensboro needs to figure out how we can get thousands of high paying educated WHITE COLLAR jobs into this city and not in suburban office parks, I mean downtown but we have to make it easier to develop downtown. Off the record a number of out of town developers have said they have avoided Greensboro because the city is the most difficult to work with of all the major cities in North Carolina. That makes a tough environment for companies looking into moving to Greensboro. Have you noticed the few businesses that do move to the area moving into areas in the outskirts like Kernersville or Whittset instead of Greensboro proper?

If Greensboro can become a business hub maybe then PTI can become a bustling airport hub with direct flights to almost every major city in this country along with international flights. We need to become a BUSINESS hub, not a shipping hub. You either have to be a business hub or a tourist hub to have a bustling International airport. Having that status would help the entire Piedmont Triad grow and even ensure the Home Furnishings Market in High Point stay there long term.

Part of it relies on getting the community at large excited about change and economic growth in the community. A sense of pride. Just look at how many Charlotte posters there are on the forums versus Greensboro posters. Its a microcosm of the general population. Charlotteans have always been proud and excited about their city. If we are not excited about our own city, the business community won't be either and its a shame because there is much to be proud about.

Its all about high paying educated  white collar jobs. Lower taxes and less red government tape is a start but in order to gain these white collar jobs we have to nurture the white collar jobs we already have. What are Greensboro’s strengths in this sector? Greensboro does have a cluster in the insurance/financial sector. Decades ago we were dubbed “The Hartford of the South” because of the number of insurance companies here. Jefferson Standard Life led to the construction of one of the tallest buildings in the south back in 1923. Greensboro was on its way back then. Even today the insurance sector occupies more office space in downtown Greensboro than any other sector. That's a pretty big hint in the direction we need to go but but some how this city has lost the mojo it had between the 1920s and 1960s when it was pro growth the way Charlotte is today. This was a period when Greensboro experienced rapid growth and at one point surpassed Raleigh to become the second largest city in North Carolina. Something happened in the 1970s and 80s that led to Greensboro slowing down and becoming the "sleepy" town that was once called "Greensboring" We are making positive steps today but now we are eating Charlotte and Raleigh’s dust. The city should make a goal to become the largest insurance/financial hub in the Southeast and figure out how to achieve that goal. Charlotte did that with banking. Policy changes that would make Greensboro more business friendly is a start but we have to dream BIG as a community. Instead of just accepting what we are, we need to achieve what we want to be. Things like performing arts centers, ballparks, and nice parks are just window dressing. They are great and are a part of improving the quality of life to attract business but its not just about those kind of things. What is it going to take to get Greensboro leaders to understand this? Manufacturing/Transportation and logistics needs to be secondary. The city is not going to get the demographics it needs from those sectors PERIOD. Don't get me wrong, its great to have a diverse economy but the focus needs to be on white collar/business/highly educated jobs. The city and economic development groups spend most of its resources attracting logistics hubs and manufacturing.  They are putting big money on a mega site that isn't even in Guilford County. If our leaders won't make the tough and right decisions and have vision and a clear direction for our future then we need to elect new leaders who do. Otherwise we will keep losing companies to places where the grass is greener.

I agree with you wholeheartedly on everything you said. I am a very forward looking person and I have been living in Greensboro for 4 years. Things have definitely changed since I first moved into the city, most notably is the Tanger Center with their recent opening but that’s just not enough, Greensboro is very much still sleepy town compared to other cities in NC and other comparable cities by size. With all that being said, after 4 years I am ready to throw in the towel with this city. I am definitely ready to pack up and move somewhere more exciting, it doesn’t even have to be a bigger city, just a more exciting one and I wish I they leaders of this city could see this message because many people love this city but I doubt im the only one thinking this way. The saddest part of it all is that I moved here from Durham in the first place now it’s biting me in the ass.


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[Seaboard Fellow]

All great points listed above. I think an ACC centric redevelopment of the Four Seasons mall property into a true walkable mixed used destination would go a long way… the decline of this area has a had a bigger impact on Greensboro’s image than most will admit. This area has huge impression on out of towners especially during ACC events. 
 
I believe Charlotte has already been selected internally at this point and the ACC is going through the motions at this point to save face. 

Edited October 29, 2021 by Seaboard Fellow

[RichardC]

Perhaps Greensboro could start adapting and changing by working better in harmony with its neighbors (ie: Winston-Salem, Kernersville, High-Point) as does Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill?  Start by including W-S and/or H-P to the name of the airport, working better together by strengthening the neighbors assets instead of trying to copy them (ie: innovation or research campuses),  and focusing on amenities.  The track record of Greensboro speaks for itself in terms of the airport name,  being more cooperative when Winston-Salem tried to lure MLB years ago, and the puny “Triad Park.”

[cityboi]

18 hours ago, RichardC said:

Perhaps Greensboro could start adapting and changing by working better in harmony with its neighbors (ie: Winston-Salem, Kernersville, High-Point) as does Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill?  Start by including W-S and/or H-P to the name of the airport, working better together by strengthening the neighbors assets instead of trying to copy them (ie: innovation or research campuses),  and focusing on amenities.  The track record of Greensboro speaks for itself in terms of the airport name,  being more cooperative when Winston-Salem tried to lure MLB years ago, and the puny “Triad Park.”

The heart of the Triad proposal seems to have fell through. I haven't heard anything about it in over 10 years. I think part of it relies on getting the public to buy into Triad regionalism particularly when it comes to taxpayer dollars. But it does start with the Triad's leaders  putting their egos aside. Hopefully the Triad can come together because each city has something the other city falls short on.

[jthomas]

On 10/29/2021 at 10:07 PM, RichardC said:

Perhaps Greensboro could start adapting and changing by working better in harmony with its neighbors (ie: Winston-Salem, Kernersville, High-Point) as does Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill?  Start by including W-S and/or H-P to the name of the airport, working better together by strengthening the neighbors assets instead of trying to copy them (ie: innovation or research campuses),  and focusing on amenities.  The track record of Greensboro speaks for itself in terms of the airport name,  being more cooperative when Winston-Salem tried to lure MLB years ago, and the puny “Triad Park.”

While I agree with the sentiment and the need for greater regional cooperation, I'm not sure what you're on about regarding the airport name. It's Piedmont Triad International Airport. And that name is determined by the airport authority, not the city of Greensboro. Thank goodness they scrapped the godawful plan to rename it "Central North Carolina International Airport."

[cityboi]

While its looking grim for Greensboro keeping the ACC headquarters, the city is doing all it can to try to keep them including renaming the coliseum if they were to choose to stay. This is not likely to happen but in regards to renaming the coliseum could they take "coliseum" out of the name? Its so dated 

Edited July 1, 2022 by cityboi

[RichardC]

Bottom line is airport standing.  Charlotte Douglas snags another one for the Queen City.  The ACC wants more convenience and options for air travel for all the member institutions, and doesn’t need a Coliseum named for it.  Charlotte simply has more connections with its airport.

Edited July 1, 2022 by RichardC

[eastsider]

Frankly, the way things are shaping up not sure what will be left of the ACC in a few years.

[HRVT]

40 minutes ago, eastsider said:

Frankly, the way things are shaping up not sure what will be left of the ACC in a few years.

The airport access might be needed to meet with prospective members to replace Clemson, Florida State, Virginia Tech, etc.

[cityboi]

I just think its ridiculous to use airport connections as an excuse for a headquarters of 50 people and even for people traveling to the headquarters from the schools. For the most part there are direct flights to the areas where the schools are located.

[HRVT]

2 hours ago, cityboi said:

I just think its ridiculous to use airport connections as an excuse for a headquarters of 50 people and even for people traveling to the headquarters from the schools. For the most part there are direct flights to the areas where the schools are located.

It's also about officials from member schools, potential (or current) sponsors, media, etc.

Edited July 1, 2022 by HRVT

[jthomas]

The time for Greensboro to save the headquarters would have been several years ago, back when the ACC still had a commissioner (John Swofford) who was loyal to Greensboro. Perhaps the city could have proactively pitched a new headquarters/hall of champions/media center in a more attractive location (like downtown) that could have evolved into a draw for visitors in its own right. It still might not have worked due to macro factors out of the city's control. But the fact that city leaders 1) pitched an idea as silly as renaming the coliseum, and 2) thought that it could actually make a difference in addressing the league's reason for moving, shows me just how far Greensboro actually was from retaining the HQ.

As pointed out above, it may not matter that much in the end. The people in charge of college athletics are so hell-bent on chasing every possible dollar, that they are well on their way to destroying all the things that made college athletics valuable in the first place.

[cityboi]

20 hours ago, jthomas said:

The time for Greensboro to save the headquarters would have been several years ago, back when the ACC still had a commissioner (John Swofford) who was loyal to Greensboro. Perhaps the city could have proactively pitched a new headquarters/hall of champions/media center in a more attractive location (like downtown) that could have evolved into a draw for visitors in its own right. It still might not have worked due to macro factors out of the city's control. But the fact that city leaders 1) pitched an idea as silly as renaming the coliseum, and 2) thought that it could actually make a difference in addressing the league's reason for moving, shows me just how far Greensboro actually was from retaining the HQ.

As pointed out above, it may not matter that much in the end. The people in charge of college athletics are so hell-bent on chasing every possible dollar, that they are well on their way to destroying all the things that made college athletics valuable in the first place.

There is nothing Greensboro can do to change the ACC's decision. The train has already left the station. But it should be a wake up call for the city. Greensboro is moving in the right direction, just not aggressive and fast enough. There was an attempt to move the ACC headquarters in the 1990s and if John Swofford was not at the helm, it would have happened then. I still don't think the move is necessary. There are other conferences who have their headquarters is smaller markets such as Greensboro and are still among the most financially successful conferences in the country.

Edited July 2, 2022 by cityboi

[cityboi]

Well its official, the ACC relocating headquarters to Charlotte 

https://greensboro.com/sports/college/acc-relocating-headquarters-to-charlotte-from-greensboro/article_86f3f809-1d53-5a4e-beca-0dbc206515db.html