Triad Off-Topic

[suburban george3]

Just a shout out the the Academic League team from Hanes Middle School! They just beat out a team from the Salt Lake City, UT area to take the national championship in the National Academic League Finals!!

WSJ Article about Hanes Middle's Academic Team Championship!

[krazeeboi]

Winston-Salem has been named a Top 10 Value City for Retirees by MSN.com. Good press for Winston-Salem.

[cityboi]

NASCAR and NFL Stadium in the Triad?

That would have been the case in the 1960s if Guilford county commissioners had not voted the proposal down. 1960s renderings of a sports complex on the Guilford/Forsyth county line showed a 60,000 seat NFL stadium, a 2.5 mile NASCAR track and a drag strip. The idea was very popular among Triad Residents and at the time and would have passed in a bond referendum but thanks to short sighted leaders, The Triad has no NASCAR track or NFL team today. More than 70% of residents in Greensboro, WInston-Salem and High Point based on polls supported paying taxes for this plan. BTW Foryth county leaders voted to place it on the bond referendum Another project that would have been on the bond referendum was a Triad park and zoo on the other side of I-40. This sounds very similar to the major league baseball attempt in the late 1990s...but I had no idea the Triad was SO close to having an NFL team and a NASCAR track. There are two rendering in todays News & Record. Another interesting tidbit is that in the late 60s NC had the ABA Carolina Cougars which was major league basketball at the time. The team had rotated games among venues in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh. The team was based in Greensboro and Greensboro had the highest attendance numbers...the owner lost interest in the team and sold it despite strong crowds in Greensboro. If the Carolina Cougars had not been sold, Greensboro could have an NBA team today. A number of the ABA teams such as the Indiana Pacers merged with the NBA.

Edited May 20, 2007 by cityboi

[luvdowntowngso]

NASCAR and NFL Stadium in the Triad?

That would have been the case in the 1960s if Guilford county commissioners had not voted the proposal down. 1960s renderings of a sports complex on the Guilford/Forsyth county line showed a 60,000 seat NFL stadium, a 2.5 mile NASCAR track and a drag strip. The idea was very popular among Triad Residents and at the time and would have passed in a bond referendum but thanks to short sighted leaders, The Triad has no NASCAR track or NFL team today. More than 70% of residents in Greensboro, WInston-Salem and High Point based on polls supported paying taxes for this plan. BTW Foryth county leaders voted to place it on the bond referendum Another project that would have been on the bond referendum was a Triad park and zoo on the other side of I-40. This sounds very similar to the major league baseball attempt in the late 1990s...but I had no idea the Triad was SO close to having an NFL team and a NASCAR track. There are two rendering in todays News & Record. Another interesting tidbit is that in the late 60s NC had the ABA Carolina Cougars which was major league basketball at the time. The team had rotated games among venues in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh. The team was based in Greensboro and Greensboro had the highest attendance numbers...the owner lost interest in the team and sold it despite strong crowds in Greensboro. If the Carolina Cougars had not been sold, Greensboro could have an NBA team today. A number of the ABA teams such as the Indiana Pacers merged with the NBA.

Very interesting info! I wonder if our county commissioners of today are really any different than those of 1960? Having watched their meetings on cable, I don't think so! What a joke and embarrassment to our community! I think most would agree that "major" mistakes have been made throughout Greensboro's history. It is my belief that we would today equal or have passed Charlotte in development if our leaders would have been more progressive in their thinking. Charlotte took the ball and ran with it back in the 60's and 70's. I painfully say...Good for them!

I believe we are soon to be tested again in a major way! "If" the rumored downtown project is Disney...and "If" they

select Greensboro, you can bet they will ask for the farm! They will seek an incenatives package that will make the "Dell Deal" seem like cookie crumbs! The question is...Is Greensboro ready to play ball or allow this project (whatever it is) to go to a city that has a real vision and game plan for its future!

Edited May 20, 2007 by luvdowntowngso

[cityboi]

Very interesting info! I wonder if our county commissioners of today are really any different than those of 1960? Having watched their meetngs on cable, I don't think so! What a joke and embarrassment to our community! I think most would agree that "major" mistakes have been made throughout Greensboro's history. It is my belief that we would today equal or have passed Charlotte in development if our leader would have been more progressive in their thinking. Charlotte took the ball and ran with it back in the 60's and 70's. I painfully say...Good for them!

I believe we are soon to be tested again in a major way! "If" the rumored downtown project is Disney...and "If" they

select Greensboro, you can bet they will ask for the farm! They will seek an incenatives package that will make the "Dell Deal" seem like cookie crumbs! The question is...Is Greensboro ready to play ball or allow this project (whatever it is) to go to a city that has a real vision and game plan for its future!

Greensboro could have been exactly in Charlotte's shoes today....most people dont realize that the NCNB bank was this close to being headquartered in Greensboro which means Bank of America would be there today.........If this is Disney, this is something Greensboro and really the Triad cant afford to pass up......Its sort of like FedEx. FedEx has and will attract spin off industries, while Disney would make this into a destination area luring other tourist realated Attractions....one thing about having Disney in your city is that it puts you on the map.....Everyone has heard of Anahiem, California. but they are not familiar with the other Los Angeles suburbs. Everybody has heard of Orlando...... Disney would put our city on the radar for companies looking to relocate. But importantly think what this could do for downtown. Disney would help bump downtown development into the next gear.....but everything could be just a coincidence and this development mave have nothing to do with Mickey Mouse....but I dont want to talk too much about this here because thats for another thread.

Edited May 20, 2007 by cityboi

[cityboi]

Here is one of the renderings

[krazeeboi]

No offense, but sometimes I think you guys spend too much time on the "woulda, shoulda, coulda" soapbox. Just because a development is huge doesn't necessarily mean that it's good, and every development shouldn't be accepted because "it's better than nothing," as some do more harm than good. With the present development, I hope Greensboro's leaders don't get bullied into a corner and start offering outrageous incentives that don't match what y'all will be getting. If the incentives package will make the Deall deal "look like cookie crumbs," then you'd better believe that such a package won't get approved quietly. At least the Dell incentives were all about economic development and not for what is being depicted as an entertainment complex (i.e., nothing that will oil the economic development machine of Greensboro in any significant way).

Oh, and Charlotte's success has nothing to do with major league sports venues; they are merely a by-product.

[cityboi]

No offense, but sometimes I think you guys spend too much time on the "woulda, shoulda, coulda" soapbox. Just because a development is huge doesn't necessarily mean that it's good, and every development shouldn't be accepted because "it's better than nothing," as some do more harm than good. With the present development, I hope Greensboro's leaders don't get bullied into a corner and start offering outrageous incentives that don't match what y'all will be getting. If the incentives package will make the Deall deal "look like cookie crumbs," then you'd better believe that such a package won't get approved quietly. At least the Dell incentives were all about economic development and not for what is being depicted as an entertainment complex (i.e., nothing that will oil the economic development machine of Greensboro in any significant way).

Oh, and Charlotte's success has nothing to do with major league sports venues; they are merely a by-product.

I think it depends..one could argue that the incentives for Dell were too much for the number of jobs and the salaries for those jobs. I think it was over $200 million Dell incentives for jobs that pay about $26,000 per year. In comparison, $100,000 was offered to Honda jet for a world headqaurters and factory and for jobs that pay $70,000 plus per year. Then there is all that money that was offered for Google which was a whole lot worse. about $200 million was offered just to get a Google data center which has no effect in attracting more jobs. An entertainment complex can really jumpstart other development downtown so it can be worth it, just depends on the nature of the complex.....dont forget Roy Carroll got incentives from the city and county to build his Center Pointe. Some call it corporate welfare and they would be correct....I dont think anyone likes giving incentives but unfortubately its a game we have to play.

Edited May 20, 2007 by cityboi

[krazeeboi]

I think it depends..one could argue that the incentives for Dell were too much for the number of jobs and the salaries for those jobs. I think it was over $200 million Dell incentives for jobs that pay about $26,000 per year.

That's exactly why I said that if an incentives package for this secret development were to make the Dell incentives package look like cookie crumbs, then you'd better believe there will be an uproar over this.

I'm not saying that there shouldn't be an incentives at all, but for the love of God, don't give them "the farm." The incentives need to be in proportion to the scope of the development.

Also, I can understand the need to sometimes hash out frustration over what appears to be missed opportunities in the past that could possibly have made for a bigger Triad region, as you guys are located between two of the nation's fastest-growing metros and the Triad's growth is moderate in comparison. However, I think that in order to go on from here, you guys should focus on, market, and strengthen the positives of the region (of which there are many) and learn from the mistakes of the fast-growing neighbors.

[suburban george3]

I definitely think the Dell incentive deal was 'way too much.' However, we do as a region need to quit 'crying over spilt milk' that we've lost development to Charlotte and Raleigh. The Triad was, at one time, the leading economic engine of the state and we've lost that. Manufacturing in this country is a dying industry, no matter the type. We have rested on our laurels that the status quo would stay the same, and it has not. Now we are playing catch-up and trying to imitate our neighbors here in the state that have been experiencing phenomenal boom-times as of late. We may boom sometime in the future, but we need to deeply weight the costs of incentives offered to developments and companies as to what future benefit they will offer us.

One thing we can do different, and we need to do it before it gets worse, is develop our cities to be much more accesible by alternate forms of transit and make more walkable districts in our cities. Sprawling metros like Charlotte, Raliegh, and Atlanta will suffer if gas prices and climate changes become much more negative.

just as a side note.. Honda requested on the lines of $1.3 million in incentives... much, much less than the 'dowry' that Dell got...

[cityboi]

I definitely think the Dell incentive deal was 'way too much.' However, we do as a region need to quit 'crying over spilt milk' that we've lost development to Charlotte and Raleigh. The Triad was, at one time, the leading economic engine of the state and we've lost that. Manufacturing in this country is a dying industry, no matter the type. We have rested on our laurels that the status quo would stay the same, and it has not. Now we are playing catch-up and trying to imitate our neighbors here in the state that have been experiencing phenomenal boom-times as of late. We may boom sometime in the future, but we need to deeply weight the costs of incentives offered to developments and companies as to what future benefit they will offer us.

One thing we can do different, and we need to do it before it gets worse, is develop our cities to be much more accesible by alternate forms of transit and make more walkable districts in our cities. Sprawling metros like Charlotte, Raliegh, and Atlanta will suffer if gas prices and climate changes become much more negative.

just as a side note.. Honda requested on the lines of $1.3 million in incentives... much, much less than the 'dowry' that Dell got...

we got complacent......The Triad was the big cheeze in the state and the movers and shakers didnt see the Triangle and Charlotte's prosperity coming.....I think the Triad is in a good place though because we are working so hard now to change our economy. We have alot of good things going for us and I will tell you we havent seen the last of what FedEx will attract here....the best is yet to come!!

[cityboi]

Joey Medaloni "Mayor of Downtown Greensboro" sells off his nightclub and restaurant empire. He has single handedly transform downtown Greensboro's nightlife scene and now he has his eyes on politics. Hes considering a run for Mayor this fall. Mayor Keith Holliday wont be running for another term. Joey says he thinks Greensboro (nightlife scene) could become the "Los Angeles of the east coast" in 10 years. Id like to see him run for mayor. We need someone who is young, full of energy and ideas to move this city forward. Greensboro's leadership has been too conservative. Several cities are trying to lure Joey to do to their downtowns what he has done to Greensboro.

story and video link

http://www.myfoxwghp.com/myfox/pages/Home/...mp;pageId=1.1.1

Edited May 24, 2007 by cityboi

[blburton]

Based on the hoopla I've read about concerning certain city council members, it seems like we really need a new city council that's "full of energy and ideas"... or at least a mix of the old and the new. Right now, they're more caught up in petty BS rather than luring companies and people to the city center and proactively brainstorming funding for future mass transit. Hopefully Meddaloni decides to stay in Greensboro and help spur a change in the method of thinking of Greensboro city leaders. He's definitely been successful with respect to the nightlife aspect and it seems that he's got the business sense and personality to serve the city well.

Joey Medaloni "Mayor of Downtown Greensboro" sells off his nightclub and restaurant empire. He has single handedly transform downtown Greensboro's nightlife scene and now he has his eyes on politics. Hes considering a run for Mayor this fall. Mayor Keith Holliday wont be running for another term. Joey says he thinks Greensboro (nightlife scene) could become the "Los Angeles of the east coast" in 10 years. Id like to see him run for mayor. We need someone who is young, full of energy and ideas to move this city forward. Greensboro's leadership has been too conservative. Several cities are trying to lure Joey to do to their downtowns what he has done to Greensboro.

story and video link

http://www.myfoxwghp.com/myfox/pages/Home/...mp;pageId=1.1.1

[luvdowntowngso]

So far, Yvonne Johnson is the only person to announce she is running for mayor. If someone doesn't step up to

the plate soon...I'm moving to High Point! Nothing against Johnson, but we do need some young "new blood" in local goverment. At this point, if Medaloni jumped into the ring, he'd get my vote.

[cityboi]

I agree.....Joey has something to bring to the table that Greensboro has needed for a long time.... I would defeinatly vote for him as well. He has proven that he is qaulified for the job. He is very smart, business minded and is charasmatic. Im sure he will champion for small businesses and entrpreneurs as well. I think having a young mayor like that would also help Greensboro's image. Id also like to see Zack Matheny run for city council, another young person that would bring a breath of fresh air to city council with forward thinking ideas. But I think we need a mayor that stands out as a leader for the city and not just a person that presides over city council meetings and I think Joey can be that leader that can take Greensboro to the next level.

http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...EC0101/70524006

Edited May 24, 2007 by cityboi

[luvdowntowngso]

I agree.....Joey has something to bring to the table that Greensboro has needed for a long time.... I would defeinatly vote for him as well. He has proven that he is qaulified for the job. He is very smart, business minded and is charasmatic. Im sure he will champion for small businesses and entrpreneurs as well. I think having a young mayor like that would also help Greensboro's image. Id also like to see Zack Matheny run for city council, another young person that would bring a breath of fresh air to city council with forward thinking ideas. But I think we need a mayor that stands out as a leader for the city and not just a person that presides over city council meetings and I think Joey can be that leader that can take Greensboro to the next level.

http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...EC0101/70524006

I don't know Zack Matheny. However, I'd sure like to hear his views. Having read the N & R story, I was surprised

to read that Milton Kern is 90% sure he will run! Interesting! I don't know him very well, but he and I have had some

good conversations about DT over a burger, fries, and a Cheer Wine at Fincastle's. He has done quite a bit for downtown Greensboro as well. Cityboi, if you read this, you may want to consider making this a seperate topic. It would be interesting to get everyone's two cents!

Edited May 24, 2007 by luvdowntowngso

[cityboi]

I don't know Zack Matheny. However, I'd sure like to hear his views. Having read the N & R story, I was surprised

to read that Milton Kern is 90% sure he will run! Interesting! I don't know him very well, but he and I have had some

good conversations about DT over a burger, fries, and a Cheer Wine at Fincastle's. He has done quite a bit for downtown Greensboro as well. Cityboi, if you read this, you may want to consider making this a seperate topic. It would be interesting to get everyone's two cents!

Good Idea

[suburban george3]

Winston-Salem is going to start enforcing a strict sign ordinance law on June 1st! If you are having a yard sale for example, you are only allowed to put a sign up at noon on Friday and it must be down by noon Monday. You also are NOT allowed to post these signs on utility poles. YOU MAY BE FINED $50 PER SIGN!! FYI.

WGHP FOX8 article about W-S sign ordinance

[cityboi]

It is possible to get to Winston-Salem from Greensboro in under a minute!!

here is a cool video I found...from Greensboro to Winston-Salem...time lapse. It starts off on the west Wendover Ave area and ends in downtown Winston-Salem.

Edited May 26, 2007 by cityboi

[JerseyBoy]

Well speaking of traveling between Winston and Greensboro. I was on my way to Raleigh yesterday and noticed they finally put up the freeway lights on I-40.

[cityboi]

Its been so long I didnt think they were going to do it...they have them up from the city limits in west Greensboro all the way to the Koury Convention Center

[Mr Downtown]

Well speaking of traveling between Winston and Greensboro. I was on my way to Raleigh yesterday and noticed they finally put up the freeway lights on I-40.

Its funny... I was just about to write to see if anyone else had noticed the lights on 40. I knew they had been up for a bit.. but suprised to see that the lights were actually on from the 40 split to 68... and off and on again to Wendover. Makes me wonder when they are finally going to turn on all the lights from the split to death valley. They have posted lights from the Mall to death valley but for some reason they havent turned them on yet.. and the posts have been up for at least 2 years.

Besides making things alot safer.... I think it makes Greensboro seem like a bigger city at night with them on. My only problem with them is that they seem to be using a lower intensity light than I have seen in other cities.. not sure if they are trying to save a little money or what. Also a noticeable number of them are already burned out

[Mr Downtown]

So far, Yvonne Johnson is the only person to announce she is running for mayor. If someone doesn't step up to

the plate soon...I'm moving to High Point! Nothing against Johnson, but we do need some young "new blood" in local goverment. At this point, if Medaloni jumped into the ring, he'd get my vote.

Moving to High Point? Surely things won't be that bad

[cityboi]

The center lights do make Greensboro seem like a bigger city especially with the 10 lanes. reminds me of Atlanta and even Cincinatti

Edited May 26, 2007 by cityboi

[Mr Downtown]

The center lights do make Greensboro seem like a bigger city especially with the 10 lanes. reminds me of Atlanta and even Cincinatti

Actually its funny how much lanes and lights make a city appear bigger or smaller than it actually is. Perfect case in point, I have always thought that Burlington appears to be a bigger place than Greensboro. Especially traveling through at night... with the 8 lanes and the center lights, and the way the city is built up near the highway. You would think Burlington has at least 150,000 in population, not 50,000. Another good example is Salisbury of all places. Go through there at night.... again with the 8 lanes and the center lights A city of 26,000 seems much larger.