Downtown Greensboro Developments

[cityboi]

If the $90 million project goes on the Aloft site, its going to be a tall development no matter what due to the foot print of the site. That's $5 million less than the entire Brookstown ballpark project in Winston-Salem. Combine that with Carroll at Bellmeade and that is a total of $155 million. In ballpark projects investment from Carroll.  Another thing I'd like to point out is that Carroll stated he had "several" hotel projects in the works which would include the Aloft. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2017/01/06/pick-a-project-carroll-has-much-in-works.html&ved=0ahUKEwiD443Q1-XSAhXH5yYKHQdaBQsQFgggMAI&usg=AFQjCNH4t_6C2Gso_ymWWsoaWWQ_rKGDsw&sig2=Va81n4dtJJERkCOgID4teQ

Edited March 20, 2017 by cityboi

[cityboi]

An alert poster said Roy Carroll may have an anchor tenant lined up for Project 561. In addition he said there are rumors that a SkyHouse tower is being eyed for the ballpark area. There may be some evidence to back that up. Triad City Beat newspaper had reported that "several residential towers and hotels" are in the works for the ballpark area. If both rumors are true it would be a game changer. Having names like Aloft, Westin and SkyHouse would really change downtown Greensboro's image. Right now SkyHouse is just a rumor.

But I would so love to see one of these pop up in downtown Greensboro and it would add some height near the ballpark.

Edited March 31, 2017 by cityboi

[cityboi]

Can Greensboro support two Convention Centers? Currently Greensboro has a privately owned convention center with a 1,000 room hotel at the I-40/Gate City Blvd interchange. However the stars seem to be aligning for a large downtown convention center now that downtown has new hotels, restaurants, theaters, entertainment, urban parks, museums and new performing arts center and a huge piece of real estate opening up for a high impact large mixed use development  (the News and Record building and lot). The Koury Convention Center opened in 1990. During that time Downtown was dead after work hours with very few restaurants and no night life at all. It was the worst place to build a convention center at the time, so Joseph Koury built it next to the mall where there was retail, other hotels and restaurants along Gate City Blvd  (High Point Rd back the). That was where Greensboro's nightlife was back then. That's not the case today. There are more people downtown after hours than on Gate City Blvd. Downtown has all the ingredients now for a large convention center and the perfect location for one. The News and Record site also sits across the street from the future Westin Hotel as well as the depot/train station. However the News and Record site is so large it could be a mixed use high density development that includes a convention center. Developer Marty Kotis suggested putting a convention center on the site. The new hotels opening downtown makes it even more feasible but how the city deals with the fact that it has a large privately owned convention center two miles away is the issue. How would a new downtown convention center affect the Koury Convention Center, can the city support two convention centers and if so how big should a downtown convention center be. The stars have indeed aligned for a new downtown convention center which would attract more hotels and other development.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2017/01/11/possible-sale-of-primenews-record-property-creates.html

Edited April 2, 2017 by cityboi

[drawscape]

On 4/3/2017 at 5:00 AM, cityboi said:

Can Greensboro support two Convention Centers? Currently Greensboro has a privately owned convention center with a 1,000 room hotel at the I-40/Gate City Blvd interchange. However the stars seem to be aligning for a large downtown convention center now that downtown has new hotels, restaurants, theaters, entertainment, urban parks, museums and new performing arts center and a huge piece of real estate opening up for a high impact large mixed use development  (the News and Record building and lot). The Koury Convention Center opened in 1990. During that time Downtown was dead after work hours with very few restaurants and no night life at all. It was the worst place to build a convention center at the time, so Joseph Koury built it next to the mall where there was retail, other hotels and restaurants along Gate City Blvd  (High Point Rd back the). That was where Greensboro's nightlife was back then. That's not the case today. There are more people downtown after hours than on Gate City Blvd. Downtown has all the ingredients now for a large convention center and the perfect location for one. The News and Record site also sits across the street from the future Westin Hotel as well as the depot/train station. However the News and Record site is so large it could be a mixed use high density development that includes a convention center. Developer Marty Kotis suggested putting a convention center on the site. The new hotels opening downtown makes it even more feasible but how the city deals with the fact that it has a large privately owned convention center two miles away is the issue. How would a new downtown convention center affect the Koury Convention Center, can the city support two convention centers and if so how big should a downtown convention center be. The stars have indeed aligned for a new downtown convention center which would attract more hotels and other development.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2017/01/11/possible-sale-of-primenews-record-property-creates.html

Wow, it seems like after so many years of only small projects actually being built, I'm getting the feeling Greensboro has some exciting times ahead.

[cityboi]

5 hours ago, drawscape said:

Wow, it seems like after so many years of only small projects actually being built, I'm getting the feeling Greensboro has some exciting times ahead.

2017 seems to be the year for big announcements downtown. Constructionwire has the highrise Westin hotel slated for construction by the end of this year. Something big is in the works for the site south of the ballpark. Aloft confirmed its opening up a hotel on the site by 2020 and developer Roy Carroll owns the site. He has hinted either a mixed use project, likely residential or his project 561 which he has said would include a boutique hotel. Aloft fits that category. And rumor has it he has an anchor tenant lined up for his 561 foot tall planned skyscraper. We may be seeing two or three tower cranes downtown over the next 4 years. Greensboro is starting to see the kind of large scale urban projects you see going up in Charlotte and Raleigh all the time. 10 years from now, downtown is going to look very different. 

Edited April 4, 2017 by cityboi

[cityboi]

People dont realize that downtown Greensboro is much larger than the Elm Street area where this is a cluster of highrise buildings. Downtown is a little over a square mile. The large brown field around the tracks in downtown Greensboro really needs to be redeveloped. Action Greensboro's downtown comprehensive plan from 2000 called for a chain of lakes resembling a river and green space bordering the tracks all the way to the depot. Today developer Marty Kotis who is building the midtown projects purchased part of the property and plans to create entertainment venues and a beer garden. The abandoned tracks link to the downtown greenway and I think they could be a great greenway extension to South Elm Street. I still like chain of lakes idea but I also see this property as a possible future extension of the University District with educational/research facilities and residential. Currently NC State and UNC Charlotte are the only universities in NC with architecture schools. Greensboro has been trying to get an architecture school and I think a joint architecture school between NC A&T and UNCG could be built in this part of downtown and include an arts park. The two schools already have programs to compliment it. NC A&T has an architectural engineering program and UNCG has an interior architecture design program. There is an opportunity to do something interesting here because it's such a large area but it may be a ways down the road since there is a greater focus currently in the ballpark area. This is clearly the most blighted part of downtown and has attracted hobo camps in the past.

Edited May 8, 2017 by cityboi

[cityboi]

Looks like Marty Kotis wants to slowly transform the brownfield. There is an aerial video on the link showing his properties and plans. 

http://www.greensboro.com/news/local_news/can-acres-of-fallow-land-in-greensboro-be-an-entertainment/article_a1e64283-391e-5832-87c1-743f481a7d60.html

Edited May 9, 2017 by cityboi

[cityboi]

Got a light show tonight. The new Lincoln Financial Tower LED lights are changing all kinds of colors tonight, everything from multi colors, red white and blue, solid blue, solid green, solid red. They were flashing and even chasing around the building.

Edited May 12, 2017 by cityboi

[KJHburg]

This is a great new addition to downtown Greensboro and for the office market. New 9 story office building at the Greensboro Grasshoppers stadium and they have a anchor tenant too. http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2017/05/24/b9-story-office-building-planned-next-to.html?ana=e_ae_set1&s=article_du&ed=2017-05-24&u=oAaDx%2B74FoP4qOJ%2By4AU6dhJPpc&t=1495654648&j=78247811   The building looks fantastic and the balconies are cool for baseball games. 

[KJHburg]

Here is the News and Record article on this new building downtown. http://www.greensboro.com/news/local_news/new-office-building-will-be-integrated-into-greensboro-baseball-stadium/article_c32c354b-26da-55c7-86eb-1b1be76c5c35.html

[cityboi]

 

I absolutely love the design and the architecture ties in with the (FNB) First National Bank Field as well. I love the sloped roof with the awning like structure on top.  The building is 9 stories but it has the height of an 11 or 12 story building. It appears even taller from the lower seating bowl inside the stadium. Maybe FNB will lease space in the tower for a downtown office location. Interesting that this news coincides with the FNB tower announcement in Raleigh.

Here is the rendering of the office tower overlooking the ballpark. The Aloft mixed use tower which will be a 20 story building on top of an 8 story parking deck will stand across the street. Looks like the office building itself will be on the entry plaza in the stadium and this is a separate project from what Roy Carroll is doing across the street which will be a much taller project.  Triad Business Journal shows more renderings. Construction will begin on the office tower in September and will be complete the following year. The developers are Gemcap Companies of Winston-Salem and Carolina Investment Properties. Others involved are Linville Team Partners of Winston-Salem, Landmark Builders and the architects are Moser Mayer Phoenix of Greensboro which designed the ballpark and West & Stem Architects of Winston-Salem.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2017/05/24/b9-story-office-building-planned-next-to.html?ana=e_ae_set1&s=article_du&ed=2017-05-24&u=mnmDx%2FblRo2M8KUGo7FXWNAnLY1&t=1495655989&j=78247811

Also FOX video link

http://myfox8.com/2017/05/24/new-office-building-to-be-integrated-into-greensboro-baseball-stadium/

Now we have 3 confirmed towers downtown

you can see a completed Carroll at Bellemeade/Hyatt Place in the background. However its the first design of Carroll at Bellemeade which means this office tower must have been in the works for the past few years.

Edited May 27, 2017 by cityboi

[cityboi]

Greensboro based Moser Mayer Phoenix and Winston-Salem based West and Stem Architects designed the ballpark tower. I'm familiar with both of their design styles and I can easily pick out the elements in the building that both firms designed. I can say West and Stem did most of the design work particularly with the glass and rooftop elements  and Moser Mayer Phoenix did most of the design work that resembles the stadium with the brick arches. West and Stem does great work and is one of the best architectural firms in the area. They also designed the Charles Aris corporate headquarters next to Carroll at Bellemeade and the planned midtown Greensboro development (Red Entertainment District) pictured below which includes a 10 story hotel, loft apartments, retail, fitness center, parking deck and restaurants all built around an existing movie theater.

But I'm excited about the yet to be named ballpark tower and construction will begin in September! It will be the tallest integrated ballpark office building in the state. But that building is going to look really small compared to what will be going up across the street and its expected the design will look as good or better.

 

Planned midtown development. West and Stem does excellent work.

Edited May 27, 2017 by cityboi

[cityboi]

developer Andy Zimmerman trying to bring Trader Joe's to downtown Greensboro? I noticed this sign on the old Blue Bell denim mill on South Elm Street. Blue Bell denim acquired Wrangler Jeans which is based in downtown Greensboro. Wrangler is owned by the world's largest Apparel company, VF Corp, also headquartered in Greensboro. Blue Bell had merged with VF Corp which also owns Lee Jeans and other major apparel brands. The old Blue Bell mill is being converted into a larger space for the Forge makerspace, a co-working space but it looks like he is trying to attract Trader Joe's there as well. If it happens it will become downtown's second grocery store. From a distant that sign reads "Coming Soon Trader Joe's" but when you get really close there is a small question mark after it.

website for the old Blue Bell Mill (Gateway Greensboro)

https://www.gatewaygreensboro.com/

News 2 link about Trader Joes sign. This sign comes after Greensboro City Council members sent a letter to the company's CEO, asking for the grocery store to reconsider coming to Greensboro. This be the only downtown Trader Joe's in North Carolina. Charlotte has one close to downtown located in the midtown area. This would also give downtown Greensboro two grocery stores. The other store is Deep Roots Market near the ballpark. Deep Roots is basically a mini Whole Foods however Deep Roots now carries some regular store brand products. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=/amp/www.wfmynews2.com/amp//news/local/coming-soon-trader-joes-sign-posted-in-greensboro/443741811&ved=0ahUKEwjLnefQj5XUAhUB4CYKHfG_CdUQFggfMAA&usg=AFQjCNGWgGfgY1mFJIiTQVIzHgLxgMfF7w&sig2=gGPFmkZiysXS805IDWWEyA

Wrangler Jeans were once made in this building.

The apartments at Carroll at Bellemeade

The back side of Carroll at Bellemeade

Edited May 29, 2017 by cityboi

[zalo]

Looks like Zimmerman can pull his sign down.

http://www.greensboro.com/news/local_news/trader-joe-s-says-greensboro-not-currently-on-our-list/article_f72b7951-4d77-5d8c-a24d-067f0337ad57.html

Regarding the Ballpark Office Bldg. that structure looks really great & is a great addition to DT GSO.

Edited May 31, 2017 by zalo

[cityboi]

A little information about possible future development. A fellow poster who heard rumors among city employees about a SkyHouse being built in downtown Greensboro said "a certain residential company" has been spotted again looking at sites around the ballpark. If I had to make an educated guess as to where Novare Group would build a SkyHouse apartment tower, it would be the gravel lot on Bellemeade St right across the street from the ballpark box office. The site sits right next to the planned 8 story city parking deck and Roy Carroll's planned Aloft Hotel/tower. Novare likes to build SkyHouse towers next to city parking decks because it cuts down on construction cost. All they would have to do is lease the parking. The gravel lot also happens to be the perfect fit for the foot print for a SkyHouse tower. A typical SkyHouse is around 23 or 24 stories.  This is very interesting news to say the least and this poster said look out this summer for other major unannounced projects for downtown. A SkyHouse typically has 300 plus apartments. If one were to be built across from the stadium it would add to a growing number of apartments directly around the ballpark which would come to a total of over 1,000 apartments not including what Carroll may have planned at the Aloft site. 

Edited June 2, 2017 by cityboi

[RALNATIVE]

10 hours ago, cityboi said:

A little information about possible future development. A fellow poster who heard rumors among city employees about a SkyHouse being built in downtown Greensboro said "a certain residential company" has been spotted again looking at sites around the ballpark. If I had to make an educated guess as to where Novare Group would build a SkyHouse apartment tower, it would be the gravel lot on Bellemeade St right across the street from the ballpark box office. The site sits right next to the planned 8 story city parking deck and Roy Carroll's planned Aloft Hotel/tower. Novare likes to build SkyHouse towers next to city parking decks because it cuts down on construction cost. All they would have to do is lease the parking. The gravel lot also happens to be the perfect fit for the foot print for a SkyHouse tower. A typical SkyHouse is around 23 or 24 stories.  This is very interesting news to say the least and this poster said look out this summer for other major unannounced projects for downtown. A SkyHouse typically has 300 plus apartments. If one were to be built across from the stadium it would add to a growing number of apartments directly around the ballpark which would come to a total of over 1,000 apartments not including what Carroll may have planned at the Aloft site. 

 

If dealing in rumors and pseudo facts had any monetary value, you'd be a bizillionaire...

Edited June 3, 2017 by RALNATIVE

[cityboi]

8 hours ago, RALNATIVE said:

 

If dealing in rumors and pseudo facts had any monetary value, you'd be a bizillionaire...

Weren't you one of the ones that said the Wyndham/Westin hotel would never happen and ridiculed me for believing it would? Pseudo facts? Guess I'd be broke.  Its funny how some of the people who laugh at these "rumors" or "wild proposals" get real quiet when they happen.

How many times have we heard posters talking about rumors in other big cities in the state that were not based on "facts" but just hearsay? That goes on in every city section on the forum. The funny thing is the ones that have ridiculed me for it do it themselves and some of those rumors are wilder than anything I ever posted. If there were rumors among city employees about Novare looking at Greensboro for a Skyhouse, they are probably true. Now whether they actually invest in Greensboro, thats another story. We'll just have to wait and see. There were similar rumors about SkyHouse being discussed by posters from the city next door. 

a Greensboro hater once said Greensboro had a "tired downtown"... Well its about to wake up. 

Edited June 3, 2017 by cityboi

[RALNATIVE]

1 hour ago, cityboi said:

Weren't you one of the ones that said the Wyndham/Westin hotel would never happen and ridiculed me for believing it would? Pseudo facts? Guess I'd be broke.  Its funny how some of the people who laugh at these "rumors" or "wild proposals" get real quiet when they happen.

How many times have we heard posters talking about rumors in other big cities in the state that were not based on "facts" but just hearsay? That goes on in every city section on the forum. The funny thing is the ones that have ridiculed me for it do it themselves and some of those rumors are wilder than anything I ever posted. If there were rumors among city employees about Novare looking at Greensboro for a Skyhouse, they are probably true. Now whether they actually invest in Greensboro, thats another story. We'll just have to wait and see. There were similar rumors about SkyHouse being discussed by posters from the city next door. 

a Greensboro hater once said Greensboro had a "tired downtown"... Well its about to wake up. 

Has construction on a Wyndham/Westin actually started? Just like the "rumor" that Dolce and Gabbana was considering Greensboro for a boutique. Rumors seem to be rampant in your city, and as you said, we will have to see...

[cityboi]

2 hours ago, RALNATIVE said:

Has construction on a Wyndham/Westin actually started? Just like the "rumor" that Dolce and Gabbana was considering Greensboro for a boutique. Rumors seem to be rampant in your city, and as you said, we will have to see...

Nope but the developers have the funding in place, the city has already made the agreement with the Westin developers,  purchased the land for the hotel deck and is currently designing the deck that will go beneath the hotel. Also Starwoods website has a set opening for 2019 and the project is on the construction bidding websites. These are all FACTS and the ball is in motion,  not visionary rumors that never saw the light of day like a few of the past that fell through. Something would have to happen out of the control of Greensboro to stop it over the next several months like a great depression. 

Edited June 3, 2017 by cityboi

[Rufus]

Alright let's take a step back. It's nice to see Greensboro getting some action. I do feel like there is a lot that we don't know that is about to happen for Greensboro. Have farfetched rumors been present in this forum? Absolutely, but it happens in every forum. Let's be happy for Greensboro getting it's due. It's interesting bc every down of the main cities in the state are experiencing a unique level of development. I think Greensboro has a good chance at being dense, but maybe not super tall. There's no need to try and follow Charlotte. There are a lot of good bones in place for nice, dense downtown developments with the occasional skyscraper. 

Although, just being honest...I would like the Midtown development a lot more if it wasn't so bulky and long. Break it up into multiple buildings. 

[cityboi]

26 minutes ago, Rufus said:

Alright let's take a step back. It's nice to see Greensboro getting some action. I do feel like there is a lot that we don't know that is about to happen for Greensboro. Have farfetched rumors been present in this forum? Absolutely, but it happens in every forum. Let's be happy for Greensboro getting it's due. It's interesting bc every down of the main cities in the state are experiencing a unique level of development. I think Greensboro has a good chance at being dense, but maybe not super tall. There's no need to try and follow Charlotte. There are a lot of good bones in place for nice, dense downtown developments with the occasional skyscraper. 

Although, just being honest...I would like the Midtown development a lot more if it wasn't so bulky and long. Break it up into multiple buildings. 

Couldn't have said it better myself. Occasionally we have a few that like to spoil good news coming out of downtown Greensboro. Its like they want to pick on Greensboro. Dont know why they hate the city so much or why they believe Greensboro is the only major city in the state that can't have large scale urban developments downtown even while its happening right before their eyes. These are exciting times for downtown. We have a large midrise residential/hotel going up right now across from the ballpark. Construction on a small office tower is set to begin in about 3 months, the performing arts center is moving forward and and Roy Carroll is set to make a major announcement about his Aloft hotel project this summer. We may not be seeing things happening on the scale of whats happening in Charlotte but thats ok. Greensboro and Charlotte are totally different cities. Look at how vibrant Greenville, SC's downtown is and it doesn't have the impressive skyline that Charlotte has. Its probably not a good thing to try to become a clone of another city anyway because I think a city loses its soul, individual uniqueness and identity when it does. The character of all five major cities in North Carolina are different and different doesn't make one city better or worse than the other and some people need to understand that. 

Edited June 3, 2017 by cityboi

[rancenc]

CITYBOI, I want to commend you on your constant updates on development within Greensboro.  I am a member of the Charlotte grouping, and there have been and continues to be articles like yours which details actual projects, projects that could be happening soon "as heard it through the grapevine", projects that have been announced and cancelled, and "wishful thinking" projects.  Keep up your work on notifying the rest of the state on actual and possible projects in Greensboro and Guilford County!!

[RALNATIVE]

Oh please! Maybe if certain people spent more time discussing details about actual projects and legitimate prospective projects than "marketing" Greensboro and constantly comparing the city to other cities in the state, more people would feel inclined to engage in these threads. This sentiment is nothing new, and i'm not the only one who has expressed these concerns over the years. These threads have become all but obsolete other than for its entertainment value.

[Rufus]

9 minutes ago, RALNATIVE said:

Oh please! Maybe if certain people spent more time discussing details about actual projects and legitimate prospective projects than "marketing" Greensboro and constantly comparing the city to other cities in the state, more people would feel inclined to engage in these threads. This sentiment is nothing new, and i'm not the only one who has expressed these concerns over the years. These threads have become all but obsolete other than for its entertainment value.

I will not deny a certain level of puffery found in many of these forums. Hell, we do it ourselves in the Charlotte forum. However, in Greensboro's defense, this forum has never had the same investigative support that is found in Raleigh or Charlotte, and you have to commend Cityboi, no matter how many times it does sound farfetched or embellished, for maintaining this section as he has done. And now it does seem like it is getting some traction and diversity in posters. There are some projects that I do have less faith in, Project 561 seems a bit much for Gtreesnboro, but I do think the Westin and Aloft proposals are strong, and the Wyndham project is moving. Greensboro doesn't have the civic support like Charlotte, Raleigh, Asheville, Winston or Durham have, but it is certainly turning a corner. 

Now that more attention is being paid, there is more accessibility for others to follow suit and provide even more concrete information. 

Give it a chance. Let it grow. And be proud that another city in this state is surviving and thriving. 

[RALNATIVE]

13 minutes ago, Rufus said:

I will not deny a certain level of puffery found in many of these forums. Hell, we do it ourselves in the Charlotte forum. However, in Greensboro's defense, this forum has never had the same investigative support that is found in Raleigh or Charlotte, and you have to commend Cityboi, no matter how many times it does sound farfetched or embellished, for maintaining this section as he has done. And now it does seem like it is getting some traction and diversity in posters. There are some projects that I do have less faith in, Project 561 seems a bit much for Gtreesnboro, but I do think the Westin and Aloft proposals are strong, and the Wyndham project is moving. Greensboro doesn't have the civic support like Charlotte, Raleigh, Asheville, Winston or Durham have, but it is certainly turning a corner. 

Now that more attention is being paid, there is more accessibility for others to follow suit and provide even more concrete information. 

Give it a chance. Let it grow. And be proud that another city in this state is surviving and thriving. 

I agree with you and greatly appreciate your post. It is sensible and you make some excellent points.