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Downtown Greensboro to get a carousel


cityboi

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I think this is a nice touch for downtown Greensboro :) The rotary club will raise as much as $2 million. The project would include a building to contain the carousel, a concession stand and restrooms. An endowment fund will be used to operate it.

If Center-City Park had enough room, it would be perfect there :) But a site at Festival Park, across the street from Center-City Park is being looked at as well as other downtown sites which im sure would include First Horizon Park and the planned "rail yard park" next to Southside. This will be a a pretty big carousel too since the building will be 10,000 square feet, probabally bigger than the on that use to be at Carolina Circle Mall. I doubt it will be just an ordinary carousel too.

Maybe the downtown carousel will lead to other amusements, sort of like a small urban amusement park. That would be a good idea as well.

http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...EC0101/70423032

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Next to [and part of] the Children's museum would be fine with me, but anywhere else a little weird. A giant carousel seems a little beach pavilion-esque to me, and not quite in tune with downtown that typically doesn't cater to children. What children are there are typically at the museum and library across from it. Even with a good number of DT residents that have children, I'm just not seeing this, but I am intrigued about others' opinions on it.

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the carousel is for children but I think its just a qaulity of life issue for downtown residents and visitors. Its an image thing to have something like this downtown even though its for children. It helps building on the image of downtown being a destination and not a large office park. Greenville, SC also considered this with a planned italian project but was removed from the plan when some thought it to be out of place with the development. The best place for it in downtown Greensboro is a park setting like Festival Park or Center-City Park or near the Children's museum. This is not going to be like some little cheezy carousel that you typically see at carnivals or ballparks, its going to be a nicely done carousel which is why its going to take two years before its ready for the public. To be housed under an open 10,000 sqaure foot building, its going to be a pretty big carousel too.

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Yeah, but I'm still picturing in my head a large one I am familiar with which is contained within a mall off of I-10 in Houston, it just seems out of place to me in a building dedicated only to it, in a DT setting and if not adjacent to and part of the childrens museum.

I'm seeing unsanitary conditions and nervous parents because such a structure will need policing. In the winter it will attract "vagrants" and might also become a place of drug activity or a hang out for older kids which is rarely good for the small children for whom it is targeted, or even a place that drunken partiers downtown gravitate to in the wee hours and vandalize.

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Yeah, but I'm still picturing in my head a large one I am familiar with which is contained within a mall off of I-10 in Houston, it just seems out of place to me in a building dedicated only to it, in a DT setting and if not adjacent to and part of the childrens museum.

I'm seeing unsanitary conditions and nervous parents because such a structure will need policing. In the winter it will attract "vagrants" and might also become a place of drug activity or a hang out for older kids which is rarely good for the small children for whom it is targeted, or even a place that drunken partiers downtown gravitate to in the wee hours and vandalize.

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here is a carousel in the middle of a public square in London. There are no other nearby children's attractions. this particular one doesnt have a shelter over it though

410303802_b1fd7de35e_b.jpg

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another carousel in an urban square

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here is one in Paris

464512404_f2a686ac98.jpg

There is also one in Central Park in New York City.

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Burlington has had one(A Dentzel at that) outside for YEARS (along with a train ride, planes, boats and a little car ride). There is a playground, walking trails, and picnic areas.(and much more...see link below) It is close to the Y and the Burlington Aquatic Center. (Year round-Summers the top comes off-it's amazing...built several years ago)

Burlington City Park

http://www.burlington-area-nc.org/location.asp?id=69

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I think a carousel is a great idea. When they say it will be enclosed I'm envisioning something like the one in Coolidge Park in Tennessee.

You can see pictures of this park here: http://history.amusement-parks.com/tenncool.htm

Given the potential size of it, being enclosed, I'm thinking you will need a nice lot of of land. Maybe the future rail yard park would be a good place for it?

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I think a carousel is a great idea. When they say it will be enclosed I'm envisioning something like the one in Coolidge Park in Tennessee.

You can see pictures of this park here: http://history.amusement-parks.com/tenncool.htm

Given the potential size of it, being enclosed, I'm thinking you will need a nice lot of of land. Maybe the future rail yard park would be a good place for it?

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I saw a clip about this on the news last night and it looks like the site they are looking at is Festival Park which is adjacent to Center-City Park. The carousel would likely be built were they have that concert stage at Festival Park next to Cafe' Europa. I also know the goal of the city is to eventually merge Center-City Park with Festival Park so that it all one big park. In the process Festival Park would be upgraded. Other proposed attractions for Festival Park include an amphitheater and a rock water fall. The YWCA is looking to move to a new location downtown so that will open up alot of land for other things to happen in Festival Park. I think the YWCA site is a great location for an IMAX theater.

The carousel is being proposed to be built in the rectangle area that says "Festival Space"/"Concrete Patio Dance Area"

festivalpark2006.jpg

a little info about what carousels have done for other downtowns

http://www.missoulian.com/specials/carousel/downtown.html

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So kids don't belong downtown, is that what you're saying?

Carousels have grown in popularity over the past several years, and have even been credited with jumpstarting the revitalization of several downtowns throughout the nation (Mansfield, OH being a prominent one). A successful downtown is one that has a variety of uses and doesn't just cater to one or a select few demographic(s) (i.e., young professionals, empty nesters). A carousel, if done right, will be a great attraction and will lure families downtown--a big step in the right direction.

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That could possibly be debated. For all intents and purposes it is in an area considered "downtown".

From what I've seen, Greensboro likes to copy other cities rather than come up with their OWN unique ideas and plans to set them apart.

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Look at my edited post (edited while you were typing I suppose). I do not see Greensboro jumping ahead of a trend when Burlington has had this sort of thing for years...I understand what you are saying...but I would argue that the park is where the central business area for downtown BEGINS. I know this may not mean much to you....but it's how I see it. (and I doubt among Alamance County you'd find few making the distinction you are trying to make where Burlington is concerned)

I grew up in Greensboro...I'd like them to be a good city...but I'd like them to come up with their own ideas rather than copy what everyone else is doing. (or has been doing for years)

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Im saying right downtown, and within walking distance to other downtown attractions (3 or 4 blocks).

how far would you have to walk from the LabCorp headqaurters to Burlington City Park? over a mile.

the point im trying to make is that downtown amusements have not been a trend despite the park near the central business district of Burlington.

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