Greensboro Triumph Center
by Knightrider | Published on May 3rd, 2007, 4:55 am | Greensboro
The cat is finally out of the bag! A developer is looking at several sites in downtown Greensboro that would be the largest complex the center-city has ever seen! The complex would include a high-rise hotel, restaurants, entertainment venues, residential, office and retail space. some of the sites being considered are1 directly next to First Horizon Ballpark behind left field
2 the large Duke Power site next to the Children's Museum
3 a site between Market and Friendly Streets
apparently this is a MAJOR project because the unnamed out of town developer is looking at a few other cities so this is not a done deal but based on the size and scope of this project, we could see more than one high-rise in this project. This would be a HUGE DEAL for downtown Greensboro. The entertainment venues could turn out being venues such as "The house of Blues" since this project is being considered for other cites.
Whisper of major project stirs city
GREENSBORO — An out-of-town development company is considering four sites downtown for an entertainment, shopping and residential complex that could be the largest ever in the center city.
The project, which is still in the discussion phase, could cost at least $50 million and top out at $150 million.
The development could include restaurants and entertainment venues; residential, office and retail space; and a high-rise hotel.
City officials and downtown leaders have been tight-lipped about the project because it could wind up in another city; the developer is said to be considering sites between Virginia and Florida.
"It's so early," said Ray Gibbs, president of Downtown Greensboro Inc. "It upsets me when people start talking about ... something that is extremely conceptual. We don't want to comment because it is so conceptual."
The developer has not been identified.
A decision could be made on the project within six months. It would then take a year to put the plans together.
So far, the developer has been shown six sites downtown. That list has been narrowed to four, only two of which have been identified:
* the Weaver Foundation property at Church Street and Friendly Avenue, plus land across Friendly owned by the city and Lincoln National Corp.;
* the former Bellemeade Village property next to First Horizon Park.
Some property owners apparently are unaware that their land is being considered.
"No one has been in contact with us," said Skip Moore, president of the Weaver Foundation, which owns the former Duke Power property at Church and Friendly. "If they want to build on our property, it is pretty early."
Efforts to reach Jim and Steve Jones, who own the 6-acre Bellemeade Village tract, were unsuccessful.
City officials have had little comment.
"All I can say is that there has been some interest in those areas," said City Manager Mitchell Johnson, referring to the Weaver property and the land across Friendly. "It is very exciting when you think about what the potential is for that area."
Johnson said he and a committee of area stakeholders had already been putting together a development plan for the downtown cultural district, an area that includes the city, Lincoln and Weaver properties.
The parcels cover about 8 acres.
Because of the project's scope, sources say, it would likely require some public money to make it work. Those incentives would primarily come in the form of improvements such as a parking deck, sidewalks and streets.
Sources say it is too early to know the amount of an incentive request.
They say no plans have been drawn or buildings designed. There's also no word on how many rooms the hotel might have or how tall it might be.
Those familiar with the project say the developer must decide if the project will work in Greensboro and specifically downtown.
"The project here is one that I think can be extremely exciting," Gibbs said. "(But) it's extremely early .... It's like the first mile of a marathon. We are at the easy mile."
Multimillion dollar projects are becoming more frequent downtown.
Developer Roy Carroll is moving ahead with a $37 million rehab of the former Wachovia building on North Elm Street.
And developer John Kavanagh and Brown Investment Properties plan to spend $42 million on a housing, office and retail project in an area bounded by Summit Avenue, Lindsay Street and Murrow Boulevard.
