Downtown Greensboro Developments

[beyonce245]

You're mistaken. Cityboi's headline in his last post said, "Construction on new addition to Greensboro skyline underway."

Ahh yes. My apologies for not catching that. In any event, I agree with your comment about the skyline and urban fabric.

[krazeeboi]

No prob. But I guess it's about as good as a jail could get architecturally speaking.

[cityboi]

good news for downtown. A Raleigh group wants to develop 5 downtown buildings into restaurants and stores.

http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/11/11/article/group_to_develop_5_downtown_buildings

[Beany]

Thanks Raleigh for sending investors our way!

[beyonce245]

good news for downtown. A Raleigh group wants to develop 5 downtown buildings into restaurants and stores.

http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/11/11/article/group_to_develop_5_downtown_buildings

I mentioned this project a couple of weeks ago.

The Biz Journal reports that Momentum Development Partners, a Raleigh investment group, is planning to invest $6.5 million to renovate two buildings at S. Elm and Lewis Streets. The buildings are already under contract and the group hopes to recruit "well known destination restaurants" for the buildings by the third or fourth quarter of 2010. Office space will be on the second floors. They're also planning to to build a 150 spot surface parking lot on land on Barnhardt Street, adjacent to Sidetrax.

Normally I would be opposed to a surface parking lot, but I think more parking is needed in this area of S. Elm. All of the city's parking decks are located on the other side of the tracks, and street parking is quite hard to come by.

I wonder if the group's decision to do this now was in anyway influenced by the fact that the city will soon be redevelopment the S. Elm and Lee land not too far away?

Information about the group, their marketing package for these buildings, and photos can be found here.

But still, it's good to see interest from outside investors. Hopefully increased competition from locations across the train tracks will force building owners in the more established area of S. Elm to lower their rent rates and clean up some of the empty storefronts.

In other news, Center City Bar and Grille plans to open up in December in the former Rim location at 219-A South Elm.

[krazeeboi]

good news for downtown. A Raleigh group wants to develop 5 downtown buildings into restaurants and stores.

http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/11/11/article/group_to_develop_5_downtown_buildings

That's excellent news. I don't think Elm Street in particular gets its just due sometimes as a successful urban street. It has the right use of mixes and still has many of its historic storefronts intact. One thing that it does better than Tryon Street here in Charlotte is retail, particularly locally-owned retail. While in town for A&T's homecoming the other weekend, two friends and I took a stroll on Elm and the window displays do a great job of drawing you in. South Elm is full of untapped potential and the Raleigh group is making a sound, wise investment. I'd do the same if I were in a position to do so.

[cityboi]

The steel frame has already started going up on the 5 story building on South Elm Street. The first segment already reaches 5-stories and is clearly visible from my apartment at CityView. The midrise building will really help add to Greensboro's skyline.

[beyonce245]

The steel frame has already started going up on the 5 story building on South Elm Street. The first segment already reaches 5-stories and is clearly visible from my apartment at CityView. The midrise building will really help add to Greensboro's skyline.

Sorry cityboi, but this won't do anything for the skyline. There are buildings on Green Valley taller than that. But it's certainly good to hear that progress is being made.

Edited November 18, 2009 by beyonce245

[krazeeboi]

^I agree. The building's real impact will be at the street level, and it will help as far as urban density is concerned. If a five-story building helps to add to any city's skyline, then they really didn't have a skyline to begin with. Cityboi, I know you really want Greensboro to have this burgeoning skyline, but touting eight-story jails and five-story commercial buildings as significant additions to the skyline really comes across as overboosterish. But that's your right.

[cityboi]

if you are looking from where I view Greenboro's skyline, it will have a small impact. The frame work clearly stands above almost all the buildings in that part of downtown. Its the tallest building between Gateway Plaza and the Guilford Building and helps fill in the gap a little. buildings dont have to be 20-stories tall to have an impact on the skyline. Half of what makes a great skyline are midrise buildings, its not all about the tall buildings. High Point is a great example. Its downtown doesnt have but maybe one or two buildings that reach 10-stories but the density of midrise buildings make up for it. Great skylines have buildings that vary in height. And yes an 8-story building that just happens to be a jail will have an impact on building density in downtown Greensboro.

Edited November 18, 2009 by cityboi

[gso27]

if you are looking from where I view Greenboro's skyline, it will have a small impact. The frame work clearly stands above almost all the buildings in that part of downtown. Its the tallest building between Gateway Plaza and the Guilford Building and helps fill in the gap a little. buildings dont have to be 20-stories tall to have an impact on the skyline. Half of what makes a great skyline are midrise buildings, its not all about the tall buildings. High Point is a great example. Its downtown doesnt have but maybe one or two buildings that reach 10-stories but the density of midrise buildings make up for it. Great skylines have buildings that vary in height. And yes an 8-story building that just happens to be a jail will have an impact on building density in downtown Greensboro.

I have to agree with Citiboi. Part of what makes downtown High Point and to some smaller extent Winston-Salem so interesting is the density of buildings 4 to 10 stories tall. Greensboro lacks any real density beyond Elm Street, so any new large mid-rise buildings are welcomed (even this ugly jail to some extent). What it offers to the urban streetscape is debatable, but structures of this scale will boost the base of Greensboro's skyline by filling in the many gaps that are visible from certain vantage points. Beyond aesthethics, as land prices rise downtown, more and larger multi-use facilities should increase the foot traffic downtown at all times of the day. I think Greensboro will see more mid-rise development, and hopefully something taller in the future. I get excited with any new developments downtown and I'm even more grateful considering the current economic climate, so there's nothing wrong with getting a little excited with each new announcement.

Edited November 18, 2009 by gso27

[krazeeboi]

^Don't get me wrong, the five-story commercial building will be a great asset to downtown and as you stated in your first sentence, one of its major contributions will be density. But when it was stated that the building "will really help add to Greensboro's skyline," you'd think this was going to be a 200-footer or something. Cityboi somewhat tempered his original statement by stating that it will have a "small impact" on the skyline which is much closer to the truth.

[DiTTO2o]

You can vote for Center Pointe in the 2009 Best Installation Award from 3form now until 12/18!

http://www.3-form.com/installations-best_installation_contest-2009_entries.php?cat=commercial&entry_id=722

[cityboi]

Downtown Farmers Market opens:

http://news14.com/charlotte-news-104-content/top_stories/?ArID=617910

[sean]

Downtown Farmers Market opens:

http://news14.com/ch...es/?ArID=617910

thats fantastic!

[Lee street bully]

Any building will help Greensboro's skyline so I'm happy about the jail project. Hopefully we'll get something much larger in the future.

[beyonce245]

A few photos of Construction on 324. South Elm.

And a few of the Civil Rights Museum.

Edited November 29, 2009 by beyonce245

[krazeeboi]

Elm Street continues to get better and better.

[twincity]

very nice photo update. the Civil Rights museum looks great. I love the signage above the main entrance.

[beyonce245]

The South Elm Street Redevelopment project has a new website that provides a great overview of the redevelopment and the plan for the site.

[krazeeboi]

The South Elm Street Redevelopment project has a new website that provides a great overview of the redevelopment and the plan for the site.

Some good stuff there. If even half of it comes to fruition, South Elm will be much better for it.

[Beany]

Thanks for the photo updates of Elm.

Regarding the South Elm St. Redevelopment website: 'That is what I am talking about.' How would that hotel fit into this plan? I liked the hotel idea but it would have had to have been rendered much differently to fit in with the way the neighborhood is being drawn.

[cityboi]

Downtown Grocery store is finally on the way!

http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/12/11/article/deep_roots_grocery_may_move_downtown

plans are in the works for a 9,000 square foot full service grocery store.

Deep Roots currently offers organic produce, supplements, health and beauty products, bulk items and frozen foods. The new store would add fresh meats and seafood, a deli section, a sit-down cafe, a community meeting room, a customer service desk and perhaps beer and wine.

Edited December 12, 2009 by cityboi

[twincity]

Is their preferred site located where the ballpark village was proposed?

[luvdowntowngso]

Is their preferred site located where the ballpark village was proposed?

Yes. The track of land is the eastern part of what was to be the "ballpark village".

Edited December 14, 2009 by luvdowntowngso