Downtown Greensboro Inc. has unveiled its GSO 35 plan, laying out objectives for growing the downtown area over the next decade.
One of the key initiatives is to energize Elm Street, and to do this the plan calls for revitalizing empty store fronts and historic buildings on Elm.
Councilman Zack Matheny, president of DGI, said DGI was in talks with the owner of the Kress Building, which has been vacant for years, about the building’s future.
“There’s a lot going on with the Kress building right now,” Matheny said.
The plan also calls for expanding outdoor dining on Elm and adding more curb extensions and benches to improve the streetscape.
A second key part of the plan is making downtown greenways more pedestrian friendly.
“Part of it is making sure our sidewalks are clean and the tree canopy is correct,” Matheny said. “Working with store owners (to see) if they can update their facades.”
Anthony Cordo, CEO of Visit Greensboro, said in a video about the GSO35 plan that having a well-maintained tree canopy and plant life downtown were crucial in making the greenways tourist friendly.
“As we’re talking about the downtown and developing it into something you can experience and actually want to be around, plant life should be a huge part of that,” Cordo said. “It breathes life, literally, into a community. It’s all part of that package of making something that makes you feel like you’re at home, you’re in your garden or a welcoming place.”
The plan also calls for new entertainment districts in downtown.
Matheny said DGI sees Church Street as an area that has the potential to bloom into an entertainment district.
“Church Street is a great canvas,” Matheny said. “A few years back, we had the mayor of Raleigh coming into town and she took the train, and I just kept thinking about what the experience was coming off that train … When you come out of the depot at the train station, that is the first thing you see.”
Cordo said he sees a lot of potential in downtown Greensboro. Cordo said his group’s goal is to eventually generate 12 million visitors a year to Greensboro’s downtown.
“To get there, you need a space that has amazing greenspace, great shopping, awesome entertainment districts, easy accessibility; that list goes on and on,” Cordo said. “There’s spots that are available down here. That blank canvas is really a cool place to be when you start thinking about it in that way. We get to create all those experiences that are going to bring the 12 million people here.”
Currently, there are only a few businesses near Church Street, The Abbey Tap House and Cadillac Service Garage, to name a few. Matheny said he would like to see something centered around sports in that area.
“What drives tourism is really sports and entertainment,” Matheny said. “What can we do in the entertainment field that would also end up driving not only tourism, but developers to want to build around what would be a cultural asset.”
The plan also calls for the redevelopment of the former News & Record site into a site that is tourism friendly.
“Investors are having active meetings,” said Matheny. “They are looking really at anything that will come.”
A fourth initiative is to add housing throughout the city ranging from apartments to condos and other mixed-use housing with the goal of bringing in 5,000 new residents.
“We got to have housing that people can afford to live in,” Matheny said. “We don’t have enough for purchase or as they may say for sell product.”
The final initiative of the plan is to attract small businesses and startups to fill vacant store fronts in downtown.
“We do have retail businesses and restaurants that are looking,” Matheny said. “Our vacancy rate is lower than the national average and lower than state average, so we’ve done really well with folks looking to locate downtown.”
Matheny also said a part of attracting businesses is working with local artist to make the downtown area more vibrant.
“We’re actually working with the United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro,” Matheny said. “That is a major line item for us to really work with artists to activate Elm Street.”
camdyn.bruce@greensboro.com
336-373-7094
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