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Downtown Greensboro Area Strategic Plan

Steering Committee
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Is this to be completed by our August meeting?
Explain how best to connect sites.
Give examples. Be specific.
What does this mean? Please be specific.
I certainly support this. However, I suggest we look at what is already in place partnering with Action Greensboro and the City.
I suggest a highly visible, new-age, child care centerfor the Center City. It could be a model care center with leadership and participation from UNCG. Funding might come from the legislature, participating employers, and employees. It could focus on children ages 3 months through age 3, maybe 4; offer after school care in partnership with the Ys, Black Child Development, and Parks and Rec; take advantage of the library, the parks, the Children's Museum, and the GSO History Museum; and serve as a lab school for childcare workers in our community.
Concern
People, including me, will be highly interested in what is being suggested for the catalytic sites. Not just whatt, but how they might relate to each other or provide overall strategic development for the Center City. I think this section needs more specificity. The options need to be clear. Do we as a committee know what investments will provdie the most bang for the buck, have benefitted other communities, might be unique to Greensboro, what the market is interested in, etc.?
Are we missing an eighth site - the Mike Weaver/Weaver Foundation property? There are some environmental concerns. What is the highest and best use of the property?
This metric is important. I don't know that we have set goals in the past, kept track of this in the past, identified barriers in securing agreements, and addressed the barriers.
What is the ultimate housing goal? Is it 5% of the City's population? Is it 10%?

Do we want to identify the price ranges for housing? Does the market drive that? Do incentives help with ensuring there is "affordable" housing? or that there is "Middle" housing?
As was earlier stated, this district should include Deep Roots Market and Holy Trinity Church, both along the Greenway and both activators for downtown.
Fully activating Center City Park is dependent on several things:
1. Reducing or eliminating the problems of the unsheltered
2. Funding activities that are frequent, predictable, engaging, and fun
3. Activating the areas around the Park
a. reducing the number of parking decks or adding housing to the parking decks - on top or surrounding
b. renovating the Cultural Arts Center to make it more inviting bringing people into the gallery spaces, adding a cafe, etc. OR consider demolishing and putting housing in that spot and moving the cultural center elsewhere.
c. supporting the new Symphony Rehearsal Hall to help it draw people to downtown
I think this is one of the most important actions that could activate downtown and enhance its charm.
I am uncertain as to whether this overlay is the same as Design Guidelines. Can we look at the desinh guidelines developed some time ago, update, and have the City Council adopt them?

These would be useful for other development including upgrade of underused and unused buildings.
To bolster downtown as a destination site, we need creatives working together who do not have a vested interest in how their respective organizations benefit. This needs to be a team effort bringing together the variety of our assets.
Does the Blandwood site need to be folded into the Greensboro Historical Museum?
Instead of talking and talking about a grocery store needed for downtown, can we partner with Deep Roots to expand its mission and develop it into a grocery store that can serve many? Wouldn't it be easier for it to expand than for us to bring in another grocer?
This map needs to include Deep Roots Market and Holy Trinity Church.
There is more we can do along Bragg Street/The Downtown Greenway to make that area attractive and welcoming. Several concerns, though, are:
Investments in that area tend to be vandalized and/or misused.
The homeless problems can be significant along the Greenway's southern phase and need addressing just like those of other areas in the Center City.
We have got to lock up development in and around Union Square. A strong showing there would serve as a catalyst for development elsewhere. I wish the City and DGI would make this a priority . Are new tools needed to promote investmetn?
Concern
I am concerned about naming a district TRACKS. Can we think of another name?
Addressing the homeless issues downtown is a key element to securing additional and large investments in the Center City. The City in collaboration with the County must develop and share a short- and long-range plan before we can make significant headway.

Improvements or Changes
Adding convention space to this area is critical - if a soccer stadium is a focus for this area, it would be strengthened by convention and visitor infrastructure that can support small-to-medium sized conferences, especially when considering the amount of sports/athletics draw the city already has. Whether or not a tournament is being held at Bryan Park or a meet at the WAC, a downtown meeting space should be a necessary and incredible booking for affiliations, promoters and associated vendors as well as other professional or special interest groups.
Question
This could also be where "cultural offerings" come into play in order to drive tourism. Having the city and DGI focus on supporting entities/infrastructure that already has significant draw (Tanger, Children's Museum, Downtown Parks, Folk Fest, Cultural Center, Libraries, History Museum, Greenway etc.) in order for them to "attract local, regional, national, and international visitors" is a no brainer. What would the cultural district look like in 5-10 years with the right community investment to activate, enhance, and grow the space? Can tourism focused taxes, city bonds, or other creative fund-raising strategies be used to support?
Suggestion
3.C. - ...or updates to current storefronts.
Suggestion
Add Strategiy: Develop and sustain cultural offerings, institutions, and infrastructure that are regional destinations.
Suggestion
Additional Strategy addition: Develop and maintain regionally attractive cultural offerings, institutions, and infrastructure.
Suggestion
To reiterate a comment made in the last meeting, we need to lean into districts that are established or are driving near term Thrive 35 goals and initiatives and/or have the capacity to grow into larger footprints.

These would be South End, Historic Core (needs a better name "Historic Elm", "High Street District", etc.), Cultural District (again better name, NOCH [North Church] Cultural District??), LOFI, Ballpark.

Less established districts should be allowed to organically grow and reach definition as they become more established.

Question
DGI & Local business owners are starting to identify Elm St @ McGee as "The Square" and have been activating the space with programming for the past several months. How can this plan recognize and bolster the organic definition of this space and support its growth?
Overall I think it’s well done, strategic, comprehensive, and ambitious for a 10-year plan. I wonder if MIG has any suggestions on a proposed timeline for implementation. It would be nice to have a tiered timeline in phases, etc. What are things that need to be done first such as, regulatory change first? Or something else?

With such a small team, are there recommendations for DGI to build capacity? If so, what roles/skillsets are needed?
Greensboro Chamber/Launch Greensboro does this.
Add the Greensboro CVB and Sports Foundation?