Jump to content

Redevelopment of High Point Rd/Lee Street


cityboi

Recommended Posts

The city wants to make High Point Road/Lee Street an attractive corridor between the Koury Convention Center and downtown Greensboro. I think its a great Idea because its a main artery into downtown and the corridor, particularly Lee Street between the coliseum and downtown looks awful with massage parlors, adult businesses and shady looking old industrial buildings. Its embarrassing when you have people from out of town come to events at the coliseum and then they go to downtown, they see how run down Lee Street looks. Its about time the are doing something about this. A civic leader mentioned to me that at some point, we could see a streetcar line connecting the Koury Convention Center with the Coliseum and downtown Greensboro along High Point Road and Lee Street. I think by improving the streetscape and focusing on redevelopment along this corridor, it lays the ground work for a potential streetcar plan.

http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...EC0101/70130029

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 74
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Something needs to be done to that area. It doesn't flatter G'boro any at all. I'm glad to see plans are underway to address this.

Its long over due. there is some good news. a 5 story office building is proposed on Lee Street near UNCG.

a few suggestion:

1) tougher zoning codes for adult businesses that will force them to move elsewhere.

2) improve streetscape by repaving the road and adding the brick carving on crosswalks at interscetions like they do downtown and near UNCG and A&T. Add decorative stop lights and stop sign/bury all power lines. Add a nice landscaped median with bike lanes.

3) toughen signage codes (height limits)

4) some kind of incentives that will help land owners improve the appearance of their building and condemn other buildings.

5) have a plan for the kind of businesses or other uses that need to be attracted along the corridor (between coliseum and downtown) should the focus be educational or office, entertainment/retail/restaurants or mixed-use residential. I personally would like to see a "downtown style" chain of connecting lowrise buildings similar to South Elm Street that has a mix of historic and modern hybrid architecture.

6) Finally have a plan ready for a streetcar system connecting the Koury Convention Center with Downtown Greensboro along High Point Road/Lee Street. A spur leg could connect to Spring Garden Street which runs through UNCG. A streetcar line will further attract reinvestment along the Lee Street/High Point Road Corridor. Guests staying at the Sheraton Four Seasons wouldnt have to get in their cars at all to go downtown. They could just take the trolley. A streetcar line is being considered as a potential transportation connection along this corridor although this idea has never been made public.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=12516

Here's a link to an earlier post about High Point Road and plans mentioned back in December. Looks like so far, things are on schedule. Back then, there were plans for a meeting this month.

Bullet points from past post:

-- Make the I-40 HP Rd. interchange the retail, entertainment, and residential center of the strip (plans for a new large shopping area immediately across the street from the mall at the corner of HP and Pembroke).

--Demolish old big boxes from I-40 down to Sedgefield and and replace with an assortment of apartments, live/work units, condos, libraries, grocery stores, different forms of entertainment (sports bars, upscale, younger crowds, all purpose (dave & busters or jillians type), putt putt ), and more hotels that incorporate existing businesses on HP Road.

--Within the next 5 years, HP Rd. south of Groometown Rd. will be widened and relocated to eventually include an interchange at Painter Blvd which will bring growth in and of itself.

The city is set for some major changes within the next 10 years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a UNCG student, I can attest that High Point/Lee is a pretty unattractive corridor and not the most impressive entrance into our university.

Definately. There are a few decent businesses, such as a pretty cool little skateboard store and some ethnic restaurants that add flavor to the area, but most of what's along there I wouldn't miss at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its the most unattractive corridor in our city. Its pretty sleezy. High Point Rd between the coliseum and I-40 isnt as bad as Lee Street becasue at least there are modern restaurants that contribute to Greensboro's nightlife but there still need to be some landscape changes. remove those lighted directional arrows signs above High Point because they are confusing and can be mistaken for traffic lights. I think Charlotte has those to near their old coliseum. build a nice brick like median in the center of High point Road which could one day be suitable for a streetcar line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

remove those lighted directional arrows signs above High Point because they are confusing and can be mistaken for traffic lights. I think Charlotte has those to near their old coliseum. build a nice brick like median in the center of High point Road which could one day be suitable for a streetcar line.

The lighted arrows and lack of a median have a purpose, actually. Those are reversible lanes, designed so that you can have more lanes heading TO the Coliseum before an event and more headed AWAY from it afterward. The lighted arrows are there to alert you which direction the lane is going at any given moment. And the whole thing, of course, wouldn't work with a median. It's not a great system (and I'm not sure how often it's actually used on High Point Road) but it's also used on 7th Street in Charlotte and on numerous streets in Atlanta to increase capacity at rush hour. They actually removed the reversible lanes on Tyvola Road near the old Coliseum in Charlotte after it closed, since there was no more need for it.

There's also a similar system on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, among others, but it's more low-tech and just uses something like traffic cones that are repositioned twice a day. I'm sure the poor slob who has to do this would probably love it if they switched to overhead lighted arrows...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

looks like UNCG may purchase a number of properties along Lee Street. the university is looking southward for expansion and has said buildings will likely be a little taller as the university expects alot of growth and there is very limited available land. Its a good way to help clean up Lee Street and for the city to move a little faster on a streetscape project for Lee Street.

http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../-1/NEWSREC0201

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This will go far toward revitilizing that area of Lee Street if UNC-G does infact decide to go with this plan. Maybe with some campus influence (some midrise and high rise dorms/private student living) Lee Street can become something like Franklin Street in that its a major street that is for the Univeristy, The City and Tourist. I would like to see a sort of town center around the blocks of Spring Garden and Lee Street. Seeing everything from student residential, retail, resturants, bars, clubs, maybe a movie theater, and the ACC Hall of Fame. This would help Greensbor become the permanent home of the ACC tournament.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This will go far toward revitilizing that area of Lee Street if UNC-G does infact decide to go with this plan. Maybe with some campus influence (some midrise and high rise dorms/private student living) Lee Street can become something like Franklin Street in that its a major street that is for the Univeristy, The City and Tourist. I would like to see a sort of town center around the blocks of Spring Garden and Lee Street. Seeing everything from student residential, retail, resturants, bars, clubs, maybe a movie theater, and the ACC Hall of Fame. This would help Greensbor become the permanent home of the ACC tournament.

I agree. I would love to see a "college row" like Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. currently the closest thing UNCG has to that is Tate Street. But that college row is barely a block long. a university corridor is a great idea and its a great way to connect downtown with the coliseum. I have a feeling UNCG will eventually own all the land south of the campus bordering Lee Street. A similar goal was in place for NC A&T back in the 80s. The university wanted to expand all the way to hwy 29 and own all that land fronting 29 and today that is a reality.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree. I would love to see a "college row" like Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. currently the closest thing UNCG has to that is Tate Street. But that college row is barely a block long. a university corridor is a great idea and its a great way to connect downtown with the coliseum. I have a feeling UNCG will eventually own all the land south of the campus bordering Lee Street. A similar goal was in place for NC A&T back in the 80s. The university wanted to expand all the way to hwy 29 and own all that land fronting 29 and today that is a reality.

What would be especially useful in the redevelopment of this particular area is the opening of the planned light rail station here. That would really expedite the process. I could see new businesses opening up and maybe even some of the crappy auto-oriented crap alond Lee being torn down in the vicinity of a light rail station. UNCG has its shuttle bus system for commuters, this could be slightly modified to be more like a circular transit system around the campus which would stop at commuter parking lots as well as the station.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What would be especially useful in the redevelopment of this particular area is the opening of the planned light rail station here. That would really expedite the process. I could see new businesses opening up and maybe even some of the crappy auto-oriented crap alond Lee being torn down in the vicinity of a light rail station. UNCG has its shuttle bus system for commuters, this could be slightly modified to be more like a circular transit system around the campus which would stop at commuter parking lots as well as the station.

light rail or commuter rail would definately promote development. A rail line is parallel to Lee Street and butts up against coliseum parking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

light rail or commuter rail would definately promote development. A rail line is parallel to Lee Street and butts up against coliseum parking.

I totally had this idea a few years ago haha. The rail line runs right behind (or in front of) campus too so it would be a good way to connect each end of campus

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

until i saw this thread, i was under the impression that everyone in greensboro and at uncg had just grown to accept how gross hp road/lee st. is. it makes me happy to see that some sort of effort is being made. ever since i came to uncg, ive wished there were some sort of gathering place like franklin street. it kinda sucks that right now students have to get into cars and drive all over the city to find entertainment, thus greatly decreasing the community feel of a college campus. its really common to go out on a friday night and not see any other students because we are all spread out across the city. i have often thought about how tate street could be improved to solve this problem, but when you look at it, it seems pretty unlikely. its just too small and and there isnt any room for it to expand, seeing as its surrounded by houses on 3 sides and campus on the other. uncg has been holding those meetings about the new campus master plan lately...has anyone mentioned the need for a franklin street-esque retail strip for uncg? they seem really focused on new classroom buildings and dorms (which are very important) but im afraid they may be overlooking the importance of retail that could attract and keep students. everyone thinks uncg is beautiful but everyone knows it can get boring with nowhere to shop or eat. this was kind of a long post. sorry. haha.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know Tate street isn't that large but there are some great restaurants there... IMO, anyway. The record store there closing recently pissed me off. It's been a while since I went to school there, but I remember there being a bar (Corner Bar?), mini-grocery, and some boutiques along Spring Garden between Tate and Mendenhall. What are the possibilities of a little strip developing there? I think there are houses across the street there, but it'd be something... and much closer than HP Rd.

I guess Tate street looks really great in hindsight... down here at UNCC it sucks in comparison. There is NOTHING in the way of pedestrian destinations near campus. I miss other little quaint pockets of cool you have there too, such as Walker/Elam.

What are the possibilities of Tate St. between Spring Garden and HP Rd? I can't remember what's there other than the art gallery building and parking lots. Could that be developed as a sort of mini-corridor/strip leading to what is done on HP Rd?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah Tate Street is pretty good for us UNCG students. Albiet not that long, I don't think much will change on Tate.. we see subtle changes over the years though. I think there is a rumor a Qdoba is coming to Tate street so I don't know? TowerRooster what kind of things do you invision for this mini-corridor? btw- it does suck that UNCC has nothing via walking distance like Tate street and you've got to cross those busy intersections to go to strip malls and big box centers :(.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah Tate Street is pretty good for us UNCG students. Albiet not that long, I don't think much will change on Tate.. we see subtle changes over the years though. I think there is a rumor a Qdoba is coming to Tate street so I don't know? TowerRooster what kind of things do you invision for this mini-corridor? btw- it does suck that UNCC has nothing via walking distance like Tate street and you've got to cross those busy intersections to go to strip malls and big box centers :(.

I attended UNCC. I know what you mean. but it is a beautiful campus. UNCC is just not located in an urban grid like UNCG. UNCC does have commons areas where there are places like Chik Filet but its nothing like a college strip. Actually UNCG has two college stips. Or course there is Tate Street but Spring Garden also serves as a college strip where there is a drought house restaurant/bar, Yum Yums also the way to Sonics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

At least it's getting some media attention although it doesn't sound like there is a very strong plan in place yet. You'd think with this being the main way to get to the Coliseum and a major way into downtown the city would be all over this project. It would have been nice if Fox 8 mentioned the new movie theater project across from Four Seasons and the reconstruction of Biscuitville across from the Double Tree.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's an amazing transformation from the old HoJo and Hi-Rise Hotel. Though I'm wary against the future of High Point Road since the video mentioned that the DoubleTree type development was what they wanted to see more of. :unsure: Seems like more chic-suburban mess for the poor stretch of road if that is their plan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.