Thursday, June 28, 2012
Another Huffman Street Burglary
David J Thomson reported this morning that his Huffman Street home had been broken into.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Slow Groceries
Harris Teeter is looking to hire a part time slow grocery selector in Greensboro. For more info, see our Jobs page.
Job listings are always free to applicants. Employers may post jobs that will display on this and dozens of websites for $25.oo per month. Uptown Classifieds are currently free to Uptown addresses.
Job listings are always free to applicants. Employers may post jobs that will display on this and dozens of websites for $25.oo per month. Uptown Classifieds are currently free to Uptown addresses.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Two Bit Magic Trick?
Darryl Lee Hooper was arrested today at 1000 Summit Avenue on charges of Failure to Appear. No details have been forthcoming on how he plans to close the show.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Crossing The Lion
Donald Earl Lee was arrested last night and charged with second degree trespassing at the Food Lion shopping center on East Market Street.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Pathways to Life
Pathways to Life is seeking an administrative assistant to work full time in Greensboro. For more info, see our Jobs page.
Job listings are free to applicants. Employers may post jobs that will display on this and dozens of websites for $25.oo per month. Uptown Classifieds are free to Uptown addresses.
Job listings are free to applicants. Employers may post jobs that will display on this and dozens of websites for $25.oo per month. Uptown Classifieds are free to Uptown addresses.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
None Of The Above
Editorial
What would happen if everyone went to the polls this November and wrote in "none of the above" for every office in the land?
Many assume that those in power would remain in power but I don't think so. You see, the law in this nation requires that elected officials actually be elected but if everyone wrote in "none of the above" then none of the above would be sworn into office. You see, it's the law.
Yes, some of the above-- incumbents-- would claim the right to remain seated but their challengers would see none of the above as an obvious indication that we-the-voters wanted the incumbents out. And while that might not be 100% true, the challengers would use the vote to take the incumbents to court to challenge their standing.
At that point the courts would be forced to consider that because we voted for none of the above, that means neither incumbents or challengers would be allowed to hold office.
Here's where it starts to get sketchy. Because everyone or at least a majority voted for none of the above, the courts can't seat any of the above. Again, the law requires elected officials to be elected in most instances. How the courts would resolve the issue is beyond me but one thing that would be certain is the fact that the courts would be forced to recognize that none of the above represent we-the-voters. And when the courts recognize that none of the above represent we-the-voters then all of the above would be forced to go looking for private sector jobs. You know, like most of we-the-voters are forced to do.
I'm not sure how it would all end but I'm not sure it would be all bad. Would government break down? What, it's not already broken down? Would the (insert hated political party here) not gain more control? You mean (insert hated political party here) isn't already in control? Would that turn us into Socialists? Would it turn us into Conservatives? Would activists judges take control? You mean they haven't already?
No, I don't know how it would all end but I do know one thing that would happen if a majority of we-the-voters were to write in, "none of the above" on our ballots come November: The Democratic and Republican Parties would both be forced to admit that neither side represents we-the-voters of the United States of America.
I'm casting my ballot for none of the above come November.
What would happen if everyone went to the polls this November and wrote in "none of the above" for every office in the land?
Many assume that those in power would remain in power but I don't think so. You see, the law in this nation requires that elected officials actually be elected but if everyone wrote in "none of the above" then none of the above would be sworn into office. You see, it's the law.
Yes, some of the above-- incumbents-- would claim the right to remain seated but their challengers would see none of the above as an obvious indication that we-the-voters wanted the incumbents out. And while that might not be 100% true, the challengers would use the vote to take the incumbents to court to challenge their standing.
At that point the courts would be forced to consider that because we voted for none of the above, that means neither incumbents or challengers would be allowed to hold office.
Here's where it starts to get sketchy. Because everyone or at least a majority voted for none of the above, the courts can't seat any of the above. Again, the law requires elected officials to be elected in most instances. How the courts would resolve the issue is beyond me but one thing that would be certain is the fact that the courts would be forced to recognize that none of the above represent we-the-voters. And when the courts recognize that none of the above represent we-the-voters then all of the above would be forced to go looking for private sector jobs. You know, like most of we-the-voters are forced to do.
I'm not sure how it would all end but I'm not sure it would be all bad. Would government break down? What, it's not already broken down? Would the (insert hated political party here) not gain more control? You mean (insert hated political party here) isn't already in control? Would that turn us into Socialists? Would it turn us into Conservatives? Would activists judges take control? You mean they haven't already?
No, I don't know how it would all end but I do know one thing that would happen if a majority of we-the-voters were to write in, "none of the above" on our ballots come November: The Democratic and Republican Parties would both be forced to admit that neither side represents we-the-voters of the United States of America.
I'm casting my ballot for none of the above come November.
Honda Seeks Administrative Assistant
Honda Aircraft Company is looking to hire a Senior Administrative Assistant. More info can be found on our Jobs page.
Job listings are free to applicants. Employers may post jobs that will display on dozens of websites for $25.oo per month. Uptown Classifieds are free to Uptown addresses.
Job listings are free to applicants. Employers may post jobs that will display on dozens of websites for $25.oo per month. Uptown Classifieds are free to Uptown addresses.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Soap Box
Letter to the Editor
By Laura Smith
i went to dinner with 5 friends tonight and 4 of us admitted to running out of money before the end of the month... but, that seems to be the norm these days instead of being exceptional.
we have lowered the standard of living and just surviving is what so many people are doing and it has to stop. we have to change something...
i did everything right, i went to school got a great job, had savings...
it isnt about "pulling yourself up by the boot straps" anymore.. good people, honest people have lost so much so recently.
i dont even want to talk politics, neither side has a feasible answer and they spend more money and time tearing down the other side so that no progress is made..
we have a system that is rigged and broken and the politicians aint about to fix that.. the people will have to do it by realizing we are all humans and will have to work together to build a better future for ourselves and our children.
if you are comfortable and happy... you are so lucky. i remember that feeling of security. it was fantastic. but you are in the minority.
this isnt the country it was made to be. and people have to open their eyes to see what it is becoming for so many displaced americans and work to change that.
struggling to survive.. is becoming the american way of life. that is no way to live... do something! before it gets any worse, as if it isnt bad already.
The writer lives in Greensboro.
By Laura Smith
i went to dinner with 5 friends tonight and 4 of us admitted to running out of money before the end of the month... but, that seems to be the norm these days instead of being exceptional.
we have lowered the standard of living and just surviving is what so many people are doing and it has to stop. we have to change something...
i did everything right, i went to school got a great job, had savings...
it isnt about "pulling yourself up by the boot straps" anymore.. good people, honest people have lost so much so recently.
i dont even want to talk politics, neither side has a feasible answer and they spend more money and time tearing down the other side so that no progress is made..
we have a system that is rigged and broken and the politicians aint about to fix that.. the people will have to do it by realizing we are all humans and will have to work together to build a better future for ourselves and our children.
if you are comfortable and happy... you are so lucky. i remember that feeling of security. it was fantastic. but you are in the minority.
this isnt the country it was made to be. and people have to open their eyes to see what it is becoming for so many displaced americans and work to change that.
struggling to survive.. is becoming the american way of life. that is no way to live... do something! before it gets any worse, as if it isnt bad already.
The writer lives in Greensboro.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Warehouse 29 Break-in
Greensboro Police report a Burglary - Forcible Entry at Warehouse 29, a club located at 1011 Arnold Street near the center of the Uptown, sometime before 7:45 this morning.
Woody Bar The Gate
Someone broke into the home of Joseph Lee Roth on Gatewood Avenue sometime yesterday or this morning.
African-American Female Missing
Greensboro Police are looking for 26 year old Emily Renee Perry who went missing from English Street 2 days ago.
City Council Promotes Denise Turner Roth
The Greensboro City Council hired interim city manager Denise Turner Roth to fill the city manager position left vacant when Rashad Young slipped out in 2011. Roth has been employed by the City of Greensboro since 2008 and filled the responsibilities of former city manager, Mitchell Johnson while he was tangled up in the firing of former police chief, David Wray. Good luck, Ms Roth, some of your bosses are real jerks, this is a tough city to manage and Uptown Greensboro wishes you well.
When Local Media Fails
Editorial
When myself and others reported George Hartzman's blowing the whistle on Wells Fargo, it was assumed that bigger media outlets would soon pick up the story and run with it but as George points out, that hasn't been the case.
This, dear readers, is one of the reason the working class is loosing faith in media, banks and government. And in the end it will be one of the reasons publications and media outlets like the Greensboro News & Record, WFMY TV and other local media outlets go out of business or get swallowed up by bigger publications with even less interest in reporting the truth.
And if you don't believe me then read this.
When myself and others reported George Hartzman's blowing the whistle on Wells Fargo, it was assumed that bigger media outlets would soon pick up the story and run with it but as George points out, that hasn't been the case.
This, dear readers, is one of the reason the working class is loosing faith in media, banks and government. And in the end it will be one of the reasons publications and media outlets like the Greensboro News & Record, WFMY TV and other local media outlets go out of business or get swallowed up by bigger publications with even less interest in reporting the truth.
And if you don't believe me then read this.
Happy Juneteenth, Uptown!
Today is the day that slaves in Texas learned they were free men and women back in 1865. While the actual date of the Emancipation Proclamation was effective January 1, 1863, it took almost 6 months for the news to reach Texas so folks in Texas started celebrating the Emancipation on June 19th. Now 41 states including North Carolina recognize Juneteenth and people in the other 9 celebrate as well. So if you're wondering why the fireworks around the Uptown for the last few days-- now you know.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Bank Of America Opens Invisible Uptown Branch
While searching for something else I came upon a listing for a Bank of America branch at 1500 Elmer Street here in Greensboro, North Carolina. There's even a telephone number listed. Now being that Elmer Street is in a residential neighborhood right around the corner from my house I thought it strange that an Internet search engine would indicate a BoA branch there. So I went there to check it out. Here's what I found there.
Now I know a photograph of a mail box isn't proof that there is no BoA branch at 1500 Elmer Street but trust me, there is no BoA branch nor is there an ATM machine at that address unless it's inside the house. Or, unless the ATM machine, like the BoA branch, is invisible.
Should you be looking for a real BoA branch bank or ATM in Uptown Greensboro, you can find it at 1616 East Bessemer Avenue where, while looking rather shabby for a BoA branch, it is really there.
Now I know a photograph of a mail box isn't proof that there is no BoA branch at 1500 Elmer Street but trust me, there is no BoA branch nor is there an ATM machine at that address unless it's inside the house. Or, unless the ATM machine, like the BoA branch, is invisible.
Should you be looking for a real BoA branch bank or ATM in Uptown Greensboro, you can find it at 1616 East Bessemer Avenue where, while looking rather shabby for a BoA branch, it is really there.
Bessemer Forged
Charles Ernest Mcmurry was arrested today at 946 East Bessemer Avenue and charged with felony count of Uttering A Forged Instrument.
Maple Robbed
Cashnere Nashay Davis was arrested and charged with Common Law Robbery at 1106 Maple Street.
Moore Larceny
Everette Moore reported to Greensboro Police that he was a victim of Larceny this morning when someone stole his bicycle from the 2600 block of East Bessener Avenue.
Aggieland
Here's another Uptown Greensboro landmark found on East Market St at NC A&T University. It's the smoke stack from the TE Neil Heating Plant where water is heated for steam heat and hot water. Click on the photo to enlarge.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Northeast Greensboro Bypass Plans
In case you're wondering, here's the map of the route for Preddy Blvd, aka, I-840, The Northeast Greensboro Urban Loop. Clicking on the image makes it bigger.
It's going to be interesting to hear what folks on Cotswald Avenue and the Lake Jennette area have to say about it. The lucky ones will have to sell their homes. The only thing we might notice here in the Uptown is less traffic on East Wendover and US 29.
Stolen from Duke University.
It's going to be interesting to hear what folks on Cotswald Avenue and the Lake Jennette area have to say about it. The lucky ones will have to sell their homes. The only thing we might notice here in the Uptown is less traffic on East Wendover and US 29.
Stolen from Duke University.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Stolen Camera Finder
Here's something of value to Uptown Greensboro and anywhere else.
Has your digital camera been stolen? StolenCameraFinder.com allows you to upload photos previously taken on your camera so it can compare and match photos elsewhere on the web and locate the current user of your camera if he or she is using your camera to post photos online.
You can also locate your camera by serial number should the first attempt fail.
Has your digital camera been stolen? StolenCameraFinder.com allows you to upload photos previously taken on your camera so it can compare and match photos elsewhere on the web and locate the current user of your camera if he or she is using your camera to post photos online.
You can also locate your camera by serial number should the first attempt fail.
Nature Calls?
Constantine Woodrow Darden was arrested this morning at 1103 Summit Avenue and charged with Urinating In Public.
Cheap Drunk?
Deshawn Thaxton was arrested this morning and charged with Open Container-prohibited at 1699 East Bessemer Avenue.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Hartzman Blows The Whistle On Wells Fargo
Being that Wells Fargo has an Uptown branch I guess this story qualifies as Uptown News. And if it doesn't I'm running it anyway.
Local blogger, banker, accountant, investment adviser and accounting ethics teacher, George Hartzman is blowing the whistle on Wells Fargo claiming violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other Federal banking and investment laws. Hartzman is claiming his employer, Wells Fargo, required him to knowingly give bad investment advice to customers.
You might have previously seen Mr Hartzman speaking at numerous Greensboro City Council meetings.
Local blogger, banker, accountant, investment adviser and accounting ethics teacher, George Hartzman is blowing the whistle on Wells Fargo claiming violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other Federal banking and investment laws. Hartzman is claiming his employer, Wells Fargo, required him to knowingly give bad investment advice to customers.
You might have previously seen Mr Hartzman speaking at numerous Greensboro City Council meetings.
New Motorcycle Shop Comes To East Greensboro? Or Not?
It's not quite in the Uptown but this week the Greensboro Zoning Commission approved the rezoning of 112 Aunt Mary Ave to become a motorcycle shop, garage or boat repair shop.
A property at 1080 Gatewood Avenue was approved PUD (Planned Unit Development) so that a cell phone tower can be constructed there. Sadly, I don't think there are plans to locate the tower on top of a building. The tower is to be built by Pinnacle Towers Inc of Sarasota, Florida.
A property at 1080 Gatewood Avenue was approved PUD (Planned Unit Development) so that a cell phone tower can be constructed there. Sadly, I don't think there are plans to locate the tower on top of a building. The tower is to be built by Pinnacle Towers Inc of Sarasota, Florida.
American Airlines Hiring Station Agents
American Airlines, American Eagle division, is looking for station agents in Greensboro. To learn more see our jobs page.
Our classified ads are free to Uptown addresses. Employers can list jobs on this and dozens of other websites for $25 per month.
Our classified ads are free to Uptown addresses. Employers can list jobs on this and dozens of other websites for $25 per month.
99 Blocks Closes Its Doors
The online publication, 99 Blocks recently announced their closing after 5 years in business in Downtown Greensboro. Despite what some think, online publishing is rarely profitable and I'll be surprised if Uptown Greensboro News & Reviews manages to hang on so long.
That said, we are following a slightly different model with lower overhead and a larger physical market so we're hoping for the best. We hope Bill Hancock goes on to do great things.
That said, we are following a slightly different model with lower overhead and a larger physical market so we're hoping for the best. We hope Bill Hancock goes on to do great things.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Bike Safe North Carolina
The Guilford County Sheriff's Office will be hosting the Bike Safe, Rider Skills Days, motorcycle safety classes on June 22. Classes are free. Training includes classroom and actual riding. You must own a motorcycle and have a motorcycle endorsement to participate.
Teenage Rapist
A 17 year old male was arrested for 1st Degree Rape at the police substation at 1106 Maple St this morning. No word on where the crime occurred.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Don't Mess With Junkyard Dogs
Tamiyer Shavar Horton was arrested for First Degree Trespassing at Salvage America today. He was also charged with Failure To Appear on previous charges.
Time For Ripping-off Time Warner
Yolanda Lamika Hall was cited and arrested today on charges of Cable Service Theft at 2502 East Wendover Avenue. Next door, at 2504 East Wendover, Maliasha Perez was also arrested for theft of cable services.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Aycock Cafe
Here's an Uptown landmark and a view most photographers never catch. Nicknamed the Aycock Cafe by the teens who eat there, it's really the cafeteria at Aycock Middle School just off of East Bessemer Ave on Cypress Street. It's without a doubt, one of the oldest buildings in the Uptown and brings back all sorts of horrid memories of the awful foods served to myself and other alumni of Aycock Jr High School.
Aycock Middle School was named for North Carolina Governor, Charles B Aycock who, while generally thought of as a great education proponent, was also in-part responsible for the Wilmington Massacre in 1898 before being elected governor 1901-1905.
Aycock Middle School was named for North Carolina Governor, Charles B Aycock who, while generally thought of as a great education proponent, was also in-part responsible for the Wilmington Massacre in 1898 before being elected governor 1901-1905.
Transportation Security Officers In Demand
The Greensboro office of the Department Of Homeland Security is seeking Transportation Security Officers. To learn more check out our Jobs page.
If you're an employer who would like to place jobs on our job listings, click here. Your ad will display on this website and others at a cost of $25 for 30 days.
Classified listings including jobs are free to Uptown addresses. Click here to learn more.
If you're an employer who would like to place jobs on our job listings, click here. Your ad will display on this website and others at a cost of $25 for 30 days.
Classified listings including jobs are free to Uptown addresses. Click here to learn more.
Princess Robbed In Greensboro
Ordinarily we only report crime in Uptown Greensboro but when we got word that Princess Black was robbed of her laptop at gun point while sitting on her Julian Street porch late last night we couldn't help but make mention. After all, it's not every day a princess gets robbed-- especially in Greensboro, North Carolina. No word on what government the princess represents.
Monday, June 11, 2012
You Think You're Having Problems?
Metals theft is a problem everywhere but no where in the Uptown is it as big a problem as it is for Salvage America, the Uptown's only legit scrap metal buyer, where someone broke in again last night. Even with chain link fences, double rows of razor wire, dogs, closed circuit television cameras, alarm systems and an angry old security guard who shoots first and calls the police later, thieves still break in regularly.
Body Found
Greensboro Police reported finding a dead body this morning but have yet to release the location, cause of death or name of the dead person.
Fast Container Gardening
If you think you can't garden in the Uptown, think again. Here's cucumbers being grown in containers made from old race care tires or racing slicks as they're known in faster circles.
A little bit of green paint, some old plastic bags on the bottom to retain moisture, soil and you're ready to grow.
A little bit of green paint, some old plastic bags on the bottom to retain moisture, soil and you're ready to grow.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Cone Hiring Teacher's Assistant
Cone Health is looking to hire a teaching assistant to work with children at Cone Hospital. To learn more see our Jobs page.
All job postings are free to job seekers. Employers may list jobs by clicking this link. The cost is $25 per month with the ads running on this and hundreds of other websites nationwide.
All job postings are free to job seekers. Employers may list jobs by clicking this link. The cost is $25 per month with the ads running on this and hundreds of other websites nationwide.
Expand The Airport Where?
Letter To The Editor
By JM Wallace
I recently read of plans to expand Piedmont Triad International Airport. Being familiar with the area I find myself wondering where? With the airport bordered by West Market Street to the south, NC68 to the west, Bryan Blvd. to the north and I-73 to the east there's no place for PTI to grow. Are we going to move all those brand new limited access roads to make way for airport expansion?
Maybe they should just elevate the entire airport and let it cover the whole west side of Greensboro?
View Larger Map
The writer works in Uptown Greensboro.
By JM Wallace
I recently read of plans to expand Piedmont Triad International Airport. Being familiar with the area I find myself wondering where? With the airport bordered by West Market Street to the south, NC68 to the west, Bryan Blvd. to the north and I-73 to the east there's no place for PTI to grow. Are we going to move all those brand new limited access roads to make way for airport expansion?
Maybe they should just elevate the entire airport and let it cover the whole west side of Greensboro?
View Larger Map
The writer works in Uptown Greensboro.
Some People Never Learn
Greensboro Police arrested Eric Tyrone Johnson for Second Degree Trespassing at 934 or 936 East Bessemer Avenue again today. This is Mr Johnson's 5th arrest in 10 days. Previous arrests include Trespassing and Intoxicated And Disruptive.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Magic Trick Gone Wrong?
Ebony Monique Hairston was arrested today at 1298 E Wendover Ave and E Lindsay St and charged with Failure to Appear.
Eye Septor For Contact Lense Users
Uptown Greensboro business man and inventor, Sherman Harris Jr. has invented a new, safer and cleaner way to handle contact lenses using his new tool, the Eye Septor.
The Eye Septor is being manufactured locally and will soon be available. For more info see EyeSeptor.com.
The Eye Septor is being manufactured locally and will soon be available. For more info see EyeSeptor.com.
Tomato Stake Extensions
Do your tomato stakes always end up being too short before the
gardening season ends? I know, a lot of you use cages but by October
when tomato season ends here in my neck of the woods, my tomato plants
always end up about 3 feet taller than cages or stakes. I tried longer
stakes but had to use a step ladder in the soft garden soil to get high
enough to drive them into the ground. Anyway, ladders on soft ground
isn't a good idea so I used some pieces of scrap PVC pipe, old tomato
stakes and other assorted pieces of wood and a few wood screws to put
together these tomato stake extensions. Do it early before your tomatoes
grow too tall. Clicking on the pictures makes them bigger.
Here's more in a raised bed. That's cucumbers growing in the red pipe tower in the background. Last year I grew tomatoes in the red thing but I rotate my crops each year to prevent plant diseases and keep the soil healthy. Next year I'll grow early sweet peas in the red thing and harvest them before tomato planting time so I can grow late tomatoes in the red thing again.
In case you're wondering, I grow mostly indeterminate tomatoes as they have a much longer harvest than do determinate varieties developed for commercial growers who want to harvest their tomatoes all at once. Most of the plants and seeds being sold today are determinate but if you'll read the fine print you'll still find plenty of indeterminate plants. Indeterminate plants still give you lots of tomatoes in the summer but continue to produce steadily until frost. Just before frost I pull up my plants and hang them upside down in an enclosed shed where the green fruits slowly ripen and provide us with homegrown tomatoes until January without heat or a greenhouse. Here's an end shot showing the end of an old shovel handle inside the PVC pipe.
And this final shot shows the screw that holds it all together. The only tools needed was a saw and a drill driver with a Phillips head bit. In case you're wondering, the faucet is supplied with only rain water from approximately 2200 gallons I store to get me through the dry spells. And the runoff from my garden? It goes back into my underground water storage tanks until at which point I simply run out of storage space.
Here's more in a raised bed. That's cucumbers growing in the red pipe tower in the background. Last year I grew tomatoes in the red thing but I rotate my crops each year to prevent plant diseases and keep the soil healthy. Next year I'll grow early sweet peas in the red thing and harvest them before tomato planting time so I can grow late tomatoes in the red thing again.
In case you're wondering, I grow mostly indeterminate tomatoes as they have a much longer harvest than do determinate varieties developed for commercial growers who want to harvest their tomatoes all at once. Most of the plants and seeds being sold today are determinate but if you'll read the fine print you'll still find plenty of indeterminate plants. Indeterminate plants still give you lots of tomatoes in the summer but continue to produce steadily until frost. Just before frost I pull up my plants and hang them upside down in an enclosed shed where the green fruits slowly ripen and provide us with homegrown tomatoes until January without heat or a greenhouse. Here's an end shot showing the end of an old shovel handle inside the PVC pipe.
And this final shot shows the screw that holds it all together. The only tools needed was a saw and a drill driver with a Phillips head bit. In case you're wondering, the faucet is supplied with only rain water from approximately 2200 gallons I store to get me through the dry spells. And the runoff from my garden? It goes back into my underground water storage tanks until at which point I simply run out of storage space.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Sullivan Street Car Theft
This morning, Barbara Jean Smith reported her car was stolen from 1015 Sullivan Street sometime during the night.
Plant Products You Can Make At Home
Lots of things are made from plants, most notably, food, but lots of
other things are made from plants and some of those things can be made
at home from plants you probably have access to. The following is a list
of plant based products that can be made at home
Need a pre-emergent weed killer for your lawn or garden? It's called corn meal. Actually it's the Corn Gluten in the meal that does the trick but corn meal is about the closest thing you'll find in your local grocery store or feed mill. Walnut shells ground to a powder will also keep the weeds down. Try mixing either with vinegar and it becomes a post-emergent and pre-emergent weed killer combined.
Combining ground hot peppers and garlic with water and soap or vegetable oil works to repel most insects and mammals from anything you spray it on. It's great for keeping the dogs from peeing on your tires or sensitive plants and repels cats too. But it won't repel birds.
Orange, lemon and grapefruit peels can be pressed for oil that can be mixed with water and and used to repel some kinds of birds. It will help you keep your chickens from eating your garden before you do. Like the repellent above, it's perfectly harmless when sprayed on and around your crops.
Saponaria, soapwort, yucca, New Jersey tea plant, red clover, Chinese soap berry, aloe, lavender and other plants can be used to make soap. Even the lye in lye soap is a residue from the burning of wood. Flower petals and the leaves of aromatic plants can be added if you want your soap to smell pretty. Most commercially made soaps contain lye and palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil or laurel oil.
Sawdust can be used as cat litter.
Sawdust and corn starch can be made into charcoal briquettes. The sawdust must first be processed via pyrolysis-- burning in a low oxygen environment. Pyrolysis is what gives bread a crust. Unlike Kingsford and other commercial briquettes, your charcoal briquettes won't contain that nasty coal that is mined via mountaintop removal.
Need a pre-emergent weed killer for your lawn or garden? It's called corn meal. Actually it's the Corn Gluten in the meal that does the trick but corn meal is about the closest thing you'll find in your local grocery store or feed mill. Walnut shells ground to a powder will also keep the weeds down. Try mixing either with vinegar and it becomes a post-emergent and pre-emergent weed killer combined.
Combining ground hot peppers and garlic with water and soap or vegetable oil works to repel most insects and mammals from anything you spray it on. It's great for keeping the dogs from peeing on your tires or sensitive plants and repels cats too. But it won't repel birds.
Orange, lemon and grapefruit peels can be pressed for oil that can be mixed with water and and used to repel some kinds of birds. It will help you keep your chickens from eating your garden before you do. Like the repellent above, it's perfectly harmless when sprayed on and around your crops.
Saponaria, soapwort, yucca, New Jersey tea plant, red clover, Chinese soap berry, aloe, lavender and other plants can be used to make soap. Even the lye in lye soap is a residue from the burning of wood. Flower petals and the leaves of aromatic plants can be added if you want your soap to smell pretty. Most commercially made soaps contain lye and palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil or laurel oil.
Sawdust can be used as cat litter.
Sawdust and corn starch can be made into charcoal briquettes. The sawdust must first be processed via pyrolysis-- burning in a low oxygen environment. Pyrolysis is what gives bread a crust. Unlike Kingsford and other commercial briquettes, your charcoal briquettes won't contain that nasty coal that is mined via mountaintop removal.
Coopers Hawk
A not so common resident of Uptown Greensboro is the Coopers Hawk. As they are wary of humans I had a hard time getting this photo.
Coopers Hawks are one of 3 breeds of hawks commonly called chicken hawks but all but your youngest chickens are too large for this small predator who prefers to hide above places where tiny song birds gather to eat then crash 6-10 feet to the ground on top of them.
Coopers Hawks are one of 3 breeds of hawks commonly called chicken hawks but all but your youngest chickens are too large for this small predator who prefers to hide above places where tiny song birds gather to eat then crash 6-10 feet to the ground on top of them.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
SBI Agent Wanted
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is looking to hire an agent to work out of their local offices. More info can be found in the Uptown Jobs section of this website.
All job postings are free to job seekers. Employers may list jobs by clicking this link. The cost is $25 per month with the ads running on this and hundreds of other websites nationwide.
All job postings are free to job seekers. Employers may list jobs by clicking this link. The cost is $25 per month with the ads running on this and hundreds of other websites nationwide.
Machine And Welding Burglary
Greensboro Police invested a burglary, breaking and entering at Machine And Welding Supply, 810 Post St in the Uptown this morning.
None Of The Above
A worldwide effort to express dissatisfaction with the current political system is underway in Greensboro. Called, Ballot Beating, the effort is to get as many voters as possible to write in, "None Of The Above" as their selection for every position on the November ballot. The organizers believe this would force changes in the system that better reflect their belief that, "Politics is no longer Left vs Right, it's become Truth vs Propaganda."
Complete disclosure: I joined.
Complete disclosure: I joined.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Greensboro Historical Museum Seeks Curator
The Greensboro Historical Museum is looking to hire a Curator of Education. See our Uptown Jobs Page for more information on this and other local jobs you can apply to without fees.
Employers may post jobs by clicking this link. The price is $25 per month (30 days) and the jobs are listed on hundreds of websites around the world.
Employers may post jobs by clicking this link. The price is $25 per month (30 days) and the jobs are listed on hundreds of websites around the world.
More Uptown Embezzlement
Raymond Anthony Hall was arrested and charged today with Felony Embezzlement by Virtue Of Office/employment, at Autozone, 901 Summit Avenue.
Intoxicated And Disruptive
Today, Eric Tyrone Johnson was arrested for the 4th time in less than a week. Today's arrest was for Intoxicated And Disruptive at 934 E Bessemer Avenue. Two previous arrests were for trespassing at that same address and another for trespassing at 1000 Summit Avenue.
Eric, she ain't worth all that!
Eric, she ain't worth all that!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Interesting Notes From The Tabb Study
The Tabb Study, aka, A Strategic Plan for East Greensboro raises a lot of interesting questions and a lot of facts the residents of west Greensboro most likely don't know or don't understand. Today I'm pointing those things out along with more than a few comments of my own.
...the residents of East Greensboro spend a disproportionate portion of their income."
The cost of feeding a well-to-do family is no higher than the cost to feed a poor family but when the poor are forced to buy from higher priced convenience stores-- many owned by the same few people-- or travel across town, then the cost to feed a poor family becomes higher than the cost of feeding better-off families.
Then there's the failure to take into account residents in Eastern Guilford County-- most more affluent than East Greensboro residents-- who travel outside of Guilford County to buy groceries and shop because other cities are closer than West Greensboro shopping centers. How many millions are being lost annually to other counties?
And might I remind more affluent Downtown residents who recently lobbied the City of Greensboro to help bring Deep Roots to Downtown that most East Greensboro residents live even farther away from grocery stores than Downtown residents.
"East Greensboro has experienced a considerably sharper economic decline than any other part of the City."
Remember: with economic decline comes increased crime and as crime increases on the east side it starts to spill over into more affluent areas of the city. Already, Downtown has a higher crime rate than most of the city including most of East Greensboro.
"The highest population density
Largest decrease in home ownership
Lowest residential rental rates"
For those of you West Greensboro residents who have long profited from the rental homes you own in East Greensboro, what does that say about the future of your business model? If I were you I'd be selling my East Greensboro properties. Only problem is: no one is buying in East Greensboro. Not even the slum lords. In one .03 of a mile radius in my East Greensboro neighborhood alone there are currently 40 empty single family homes plus apartments.
"11 of 16 public schools are in the process of working to improve their overall performance"
The same was true in the 1960s and early 70s when I was a student in East Greensboro. When I applied for college with my honor roll high school diploma in hand, I was told I would have to repeat high school before I could be accepted, as my East Greensboro High School was so poorly rated. And so it is, as school performance suffers the problems that plague East Greensboro grow and continue to spill over into the west. Is that something West Greensboro is prepared to face? And if so-- how?
On the office market:
"Vacancy rates, however, have grown steadily each of the past 10 quarters and remain above 14.5%. Given the size of the office market, this high vacancy translates into approximately 500,000 square feet of unoccupied space in the market, or 35 buildings based upon the market’s average building size of 14,660 square feet."
I can't help but wonder what that will do to office rental rates city wide.
On the industrial market:
"The Industrial market in Greensboro has experienced a steady and relatively large (10%) decrease in quoted rental rates since 2007. "
About those planned water and sewer extensions along the eastern and western county lines...
On the residential housing market:
"Avg Listing Price $236,776 Avg Sale Price $122,000"
That figure is city wide, people. You do the math. For some of you that means the value of your home may well be half of what you thought it was. If that's not enough motivation for you to seriously consider doing something about East Greensboro then you're probably beyond intellectual reach.
"One of the most difficult challenges the area faces is the large inventory of low and extremely low income housing. These communities of older housing stock have below market rents and offer a mixture of quality levels ranging from the poorly-kept, unsafe renter housing to high quality, market leading Hope VI communities. In order to see new multi-family housing successfully developed by market rate developers, pricing must increase and housing quality levels must improve across the entire Study Area."
Again, we're not talking about the value of my East Greensboro home-- it's already tanked lower than it was 20 years ago-- we're talking about retaining value in your west Greensboro home as the economic problems continue to spill over.
The eastern half of the City of Greensboro has a total of 8 shopping centers. Overall, Greensboro has 93 shopping centers.
"Only Wendover, Lawndale and Green Valley have higher actual sales than East Greensboro."
And to think, you're spending a fortune to keep your business in Downtown Greensboro...
"Transportation is a very interesting, yet well known issue for East Greensboro. While the area has good local road access, and should be the centerpiece of several attractive entrances into Greensboro, its connectivity through interstates and major roads is perhaps the worst in the City and effectively cuts off access to the entire eastern and northern part of the Greensboro."
Okay, here's where the study authors start to show their true colors. Up until now everything they've written is established fact but if anyone is hoping to use the study as an excuse to build bypasses around East Greensboro then you can bet they'll start quoting the line above. Well here's a little secret: you can travel twice as far in East Greensboro in half the time that it requires to navigate west Greensboro even though the population density of East Greensboro is higher than the west side.
"Ultimately, the goal is to see household incomes in the area grow to the point that there begins to be an increase in the projected Consumer Expenditures."
Hard to argue with that.
"New traffic patterns on the Murrow Boulevard edge of E. Market and Friendly Streets culminating in a new signature architectural roundabout and greenspace at the current site of the Exxon gas station. This traffic corridor needs to be upgraded to improve traffic flow in and out of Downtown. The current configuration has two one way streets that converge between S. Dudley St. and Murrow Blvd. This bottleneck creates a difficult island of retail/office and accentuates the divide created by Murrow Blvd between Downtown and the universities. By modifying this traffic pattern and creating a signature gateway into Downtown, we hope to bring life to both Downtown and the universities."
As I wrote before, "The study is pointing to a portion of East Market and East Friendly where the cement used in the most recent redesign of the "gateway" has hardly had time to dry." Seriously, you can see the hand of Mayor "Pave-it" Perkins and Jim "Bobblehead" Melvin all over this study.
"A new select service or boutique hotel on the current bus depot site and incorporated into the surrounding adaptive reuse projects located off of Murrow Blvd, along the Downtown side of E. Market Street. Our research with RLJ Lodging Trust indicated that Downtown is underserved by hotels, with the select service and boutique classes almost non-existent in the entire City. This planned redevelopment site is ideally located to take advantage of the Downtown CBD, the S. Elm Street retail and the proximity to the universities and proposed retail and performing arts venue."
As I also wrote before, "I was under the impression this study was about East Greensboro but the study is discussing areas (the Depot) that are clearly a part of Downtown Greensboro. I think we may now know the sudden interest in a part of the city that has been systematicly destroyed for the last 50 years. Remember: East Greensboro used to have all these things even before it was a part of the city." That's right, for those of you who might not know, East Greensboro had Greensboro's first fast food restaurants and big box retailers before the area was incorporated.
"A new mixed use retail and destination venue located on the site of the former post office, now controlled by the United House of Prayer would allow the area to receive much needed quality retail, while introducing a destination use that would be beneficial to the schools, the Church and the City. Today, only the Aycock Auditorium, Greensboro Coliseum Complex and Harrison Auditorium serve the assembly needs of the E. Market area. We recommend a joint study with the UHOP, the city, and the universities to identify an appropriate destination use that supports all of the major stakeholders."
Again, like I said before, "Actually, there are several privately owned venues in East Greensboro that are capable of meeting assembly needs and currently exist to offer such services-- two are located on East Wendover Ave. There are also multiple empty commercial buildings in the immediate area that could be retrofitted to meet such needs." For them the issue isn't East Greensboro but expansion of Downtown Greensboro.
"Facilitate an expansion of North East Plaza through the assemblage of adjacent property to add an additional anchor tenant.
2. Inquire as to the long term viability of Bob Dunn Hyundai, and a possible relocation West to the adjacent land between Bill Black Chevrolet.
3. Redevelop Bob Dunn Hyundai for a possible “Club” retailer such as Sams, BJ Wholesale, or Costco."
Me again, "There are literally thousands of acres available in East Greensboro for big box retailers that would not require the relocation of East Greensboro's only new car dealerships, Bob Dunn Hyundai and Bill Black Cadillac-Chevrolet." But if Bobby Dunn and Bill Black Jr. would like to relocate their businesses to another East Greensboro location then I'm all for using tax incentives to make it happen for them as both are second generation businesses with huge potentials for growth and long records of serving East Greensboro. To loose either to the west side of the city would be devastating to East Greensboro.
Like I wrote before, the hand of Greensboro's development crowd is written all over this study but facts are facts and dealing with these facts are 50 years overdue. All of Greensboro should be talking about redeveloping East Greensboro not from a developer's point of view but from the point of view that as homeowners you want to see your own investments to remain protected and your children's lives better than your own.
East Greensboro doesn't need 85 or so new shopping centers to bring us up to parity with the 85 shopping centers located in west Greensboro but the 8 somewhat empty shopping centers we have isn't enough. Smart business leaders should be looking hard at East Greensboro locations for their own businesses be it through locating your businesses in the hundreds of empty shops that already exist (the preferred way) or building new locations. And remember: every time a property goes empty in the east, the tax burden increases for the entire city.
East Greensboro doesn't need an urban loop-- that's for folks from out of town who don't plan to shop in East Greensboro. Nor do we need development along the east and west county lines as the writers of the A Strategic Plan for East Greensboro would have us believe. The residents of East Greensboro are the least likely to own cars-- we need jobs in East Greensboro. The development crowd will use this study to support the very same kinds of activities they've done for the last 50 years-- the very activities that destroyed East Greensboro in the first place.
Recognize the development crowd will use this study to spend millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars to fatten their own wallets. Don't let them. Things like a downtown performing arts center as recommended by the study authors were put there to appease the development crowd but jobs Downtown and along the county lines will be of little benefit to my neighborhood here in East Greensboro or the rest of Greensboro. But understand that if the rest of Greensboro doesn't soon step up to help the community that built this entire city... Well, don't come crying to me when East Greensboro's problems come back to bite your Downtown and west Greensboro butts.
If you'd like to read the study for yourself: Parts 1 and 2.
Comments are welcome and will be published. E-mail your comments to uptowngsonews@gmail.com with the words, "Interesting Notes From The Tabb Study" in the subject line of your e-mail.
...the residents of East Greensboro spend a disproportionate portion of their income."
The cost of feeding a well-to-do family is no higher than the cost to feed a poor family but when the poor are forced to buy from higher priced convenience stores-- many owned by the same few people-- or travel across town, then the cost to feed a poor family becomes higher than the cost of feeding better-off families.
Then there's the failure to take into account residents in Eastern Guilford County-- most more affluent than East Greensboro residents-- who travel outside of Guilford County to buy groceries and shop because other cities are closer than West Greensboro shopping centers. How many millions are being lost annually to other counties?
And might I remind more affluent Downtown residents who recently lobbied the City of Greensboro to help bring Deep Roots to Downtown that most East Greensboro residents live even farther away from grocery stores than Downtown residents.
"East Greensboro has experienced a considerably sharper economic decline than any other part of the City."
Remember: with economic decline comes increased crime and as crime increases on the east side it starts to spill over into more affluent areas of the city. Already, Downtown has a higher crime rate than most of the city including most of East Greensboro.
"The highest population density
Largest decrease in home ownership
Lowest residential rental rates"
For those of you West Greensboro residents who have long profited from the rental homes you own in East Greensboro, what does that say about the future of your business model? If I were you I'd be selling my East Greensboro properties. Only problem is: no one is buying in East Greensboro. Not even the slum lords. In one .03 of a mile radius in my East Greensboro neighborhood alone there are currently 40 empty single family homes plus apartments.
"11 of 16 public schools are in the process of working to improve their overall performance"
The same was true in the 1960s and early 70s when I was a student in East Greensboro. When I applied for college with my honor roll high school diploma in hand, I was told I would have to repeat high school before I could be accepted, as my East Greensboro High School was so poorly rated. And so it is, as school performance suffers the problems that plague East Greensboro grow and continue to spill over into the west. Is that something West Greensboro is prepared to face? And if so-- how?
On the office market:
"Vacancy rates, however, have grown steadily each of the past 10 quarters and remain above 14.5%. Given the size of the office market, this high vacancy translates into approximately 500,000 square feet of unoccupied space in the market, or 35 buildings based upon the market’s average building size of 14,660 square feet."
I can't help but wonder what that will do to office rental rates city wide.
On the industrial market:
"The Industrial market in Greensboro has experienced a steady and relatively large (10%) decrease in quoted rental rates since 2007. "
About those planned water and sewer extensions along the eastern and western county lines...
On the residential housing market:
"Avg Listing Price $236,776 Avg Sale Price $122,000"
That figure is city wide, people. You do the math. For some of you that means the value of your home may well be half of what you thought it was. If that's not enough motivation for you to seriously consider doing something about East Greensboro then you're probably beyond intellectual reach.
"One of the most difficult challenges the area faces is the large inventory of low and extremely low income housing. These communities of older housing stock have below market rents and offer a mixture of quality levels ranging from the poorly-kept, unsafe renter housing to high quality, market leading Hope VI communities. In order to see new multi-family housing successfully developed by market rate developers, pricing must increase and housing quality levels must improve across the entire Study Area."
Again, we're not talking about the value of my East Greensboro home-- it's already tanked lower than it was 20 years ago-- we're talking about retaining value in your west Greensboro home as the economic problems continue to spill over.
The eastern half of the City of Greensboro has a total of 8 shopping centers. Overall, Greensboro has 93 shopping centers.
"Only Wendover, Lawndale and Green Valley have higher actual sales than East Greensboro."
And to think, you're spending a fortune to keep your business in Downtown Greensboro...
"Transportation is a very interesting, yet well known issue for East Greensboro. While the area has good local road access, and should be the centerpiece of several attractive entrances into Greensboro, its connectivity through interstates and major roads is perhaps the worst in the City and effectively cuts off access to the entire eastern and northern part of the Greensboro."
Okay, here's where the study authors start to show their true colors. Up until now everything they've written is established fact but if anyone is hoping to use the study as an excuse to build bypasses around East Greensboro then you can bet they'll start quoting the line above. Well here's a little secret: you can travel twice as far in East Greensboro in half the time that it requires to navigate west Greensboro even though the population density of East Greensboro is higher than the west side.
"Ultimately, the goal is to see household incomes in the area grow to the point that there begins to be an increase in the projected Consumer Expenditures."
Hard to argue with that.
"New traffic patterns on the Murrow Boulevard edge of E. Market and Friendly Streets culminating in a new signature architectural roundabout and greenspace at the current site of the Exxon gas station. This traffic corridor needs to be upgraded to improve traffic flow in and out of Downtown. The current configuration has two one way streets that converge between S. Dudley St. and Murrow Blvd. This bottleneck creates a difficult island of retail/office and accentuates the divide created by Murrow Blvd between Downtown and the universities. By modifying this traffic pattern and creating a signature gateway into Downtown, we hope to bring life to both Downtown and the universities."
As I wrote before, "The study is pointing to a portion of East Market and East Friendly where the cement used in the most recent redesign of the "gateway" has hardly had time to dry." Seriously, you can see the hand of Mayor "Pave-it" Perkins and Jim "Bobblehead" Melvin all over this study.
"A new select service or boutique hotel on the current bus depot site and incorporated into the surrounding adaptive reuse projects located off of Murrow Blvd, along the Downtown side of E. Market Street. Our research with RLJ Lodging Trust indicated that Downtown is underserved by hotels, with the select service and boutique classes almost non-existent in the entire City. This planned redevelopment site is ideally located to take advantage of the Downtown CBD, the S. Elm Street retail and the proximity to the universities and proposed retail and performing arts venue."
As I also wrote before, "I was under the impression this study was about East Greensboro but the study is discussing areas (the Depot) that are clearly a part of Downtown Greensboro. I think we may now know the sudden interest in a part of the city that has been systematicly destroyed for the last 50 years. Remember: East Greensboro used to have all these things even before it was a part of the city." That's right, for those of you who might not know, East Greensboro had Greensboro's first fast food restaurants and big box retailers before the area was incorporated.
"A new mixed use retail and destination venue located on the site of the former post office, now controlled by the United House of Prayer would allow the area to receive much needed quality retail, while introducing a destination use that would be beneficial to the schools, the Church and the City. Today, only the Aycock Auditorium, Greensboro Coliseum Complex and Harrison Auditorium serve the assembly needs of the E. Market area. We recommend a joint study with the UHOP, the city, and the universities to identify an appropriate destination use that supports all of the major stakeholders."
Again, like I said before, "Actually, there are several privately owned venues in East Greensboro that are capable of meeting assembly needs and currently exist to offer such services-- two are located on East Wendover Ave. There are also multiple empty commercial buildings in the immediate area that could be retrofitted to meet such needs." For them the issue isn't East Greensboro but expansion of Downtown Greensboro.
"Facilitate an expansion of North East Plaza through the assemblage of adjacent property to add an additional anchor tenant.
2. Inquire as to the long term viability of Bob Dunn Hyundai, and a possible relocation West to the adjacent land between Bill Black Chevrolet.
3. Redevelop Bob Dunn Hyundai for a possible “Club” retailer such as Sams, BJ Wholesale, or Costco."
Me again, "There are literally thousands of acres available in East Greensboro for big box retailers that would not require the relocation of East Greensboro's only new car dealerships, Bob Dunn Hyundai and Bill Black Cadillac-Chevrolet." But if Bobby Dunn and Bill Black Jr. would like to relocate their businesses to another East Greensboro location then I'm all for using tax incentives to make it happen for them as both are second generation businesses with huge potentials for growth and long records of serving East Greensboro. To loose either to the west side of the city would be devastating to East Greensboro.
Like I wrote before, the hand of Greensboro's development crowd is written all over this study but facts are facts and dealing with these facts are 50 years overdue. All of Greensboro should be talking about redeveloping East Greensboro not from a developer's point of view but from the point of view that as homeowners you want to see your own investments to remain protected and your children's lives better than your own.
East Greensboro doesn't need 85 or so new shopping centers to bring us up to parity with the 85 shopping centers located in west Greensboro but the 8 somewhat empty shopping centers we have isn't enough. Smart business leaders should be looking hard at East Greensboro locations for their own businesses be it through locating your businesses in the hundreds of empty shops that already exist (the preferred way) or building new locations. And remember: every time a property goes empty in the east, the tax burden increases for the entire city.
East Greensboro doesn't need an urban loop-- that's for folks from out of town who don't plan to shop in East Greensboro. Nor do we need development along the east and west county lines as the writers of the A Strategic Plan for East Greensboro would have us believe. The residents of East Greensboro are the least likely to own cars-- we need jobs in East Greensboro. The development crowd will use this study to support the very same kinds of activities they've done for the last 50 years-- the very activities that destroyed East Greensboro in the first place.
Recognize the development crowd will use this study to spend millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars to fatten their own wallets. Don't let them. Things like a downtown performing arts center as recommended by the study authors were put there to appease the development crowd but jobs Downtown and along the county lines will be of little benefit to my neighborhood here in East Greensboro or the rest of Greensboro. But understand that if the rest of Greensboro doesn't soon step up to help the community that built this entire city... Well, don't come crying to me when East Greensboro's problems come back to bite your Downtown and west Greensboro butts.
If you'd like to read the study for yourself: Parts 1 and 2.
Comments are welcome and will be published. E-mail your comments to uptowngsonews@gmail.com with the words, "Interesting Notes From The Tabb Study" in the subject line of your e-mail.
Monday, June 4, 2012
English Hit And Run
Charles Augusta Bailey was a victim of hit and run on English Street today. No word on his condition.
Tabb Study, Part 4
Links to previous parts of the Tabb Study can me found by clicking the link. In this post we concentrate on the consultants' recommendations.
"Recommendations
Our recommendations for improving parity in the study area are based upon the ability to address four major points:
1. The number of households in the study area
2. The household median incomes in the study area
3. Road access in the study area
4. Increased support for the public schools in the study area
Ultimately, the goal is to see household incomes in the area grow to the point that there begins to be an increase in the projected Consumer Expenditures. To accomplish this goal, we addressed the study area in four separate opportunity gateways.
University Gateway
The first, University Gateway, anchored by Bennett College, North Carolina A&T and the United House of Prayer, should introduce:
1. New traffic patterns on the Murrow Boulevard edge of E. Market and Friendly Streets culminating in a new signature architectural roundabout and greenspace at the current site of the Exxon gas station. This traffic corridor needs to be upgraded to improve traffic flow in and out of Downtown. The current configuration has two one way streets that converge between S. Dudley St. and Murrow Blvd. This bottleneck creates a difficult island of retail/office and accentuates the divide created by Murrow Blvd between Downtown and the universities. By modifying this traffic pattern and creating a signature gateway into Downtown, we hope to bring life to both Downtown and the universities."
Editor's note: The study is pointing to a portion of East Market and East Friendly where the cement used in the most recent redesign of the "gateway" has hardly had time to dry. Return to study:
"2. A new select service or boutique hotel on the current bus depot site and incorporated into the surrounding adaptive reuse projects located off of Murrow Blvd, along the Downtown side of E. Market Street. Our research with RLJ Lodging Trust indicated that Downtown is underserved by hotels, with the select service and boutique classes almost non-existent in the entire City. This planned redevelopment site is ideally located to take advantage of the Downtown CBD, the S. Elm Street retail and the proximity to the universities and proposed retail and performing arts venue."
Editor's note: I was under the impression this study was about East Greensboro but the study is discussing areas (the Depot) that are clearly a part of Downtown Greensboro. I think we may now know the sudden interest in a part of the city that has been systematicly destroyed for the last 50 years. Remember: East Greensboro used to have all these things even before it was a part of the city.
"3. A new mixed use retail and destination venue located on the site of the former post office, now controlled by the United House of Prayer would allow the area to receive much needed quality retail, while introducing a destination use that would be beneficial to the schools, the Church and the City. Today, only the Aycock Auditorium, Greensboro Coliseum Complex and Harrison Auditorium serve the assembly needs of the E. Market area. We recommend a joint study with the UHOP, the city, and the universities to identify an appropriate destination use that supports all of the major stakeholders."
Editor's note: Actually, there are several privately owned venues in East Greensboro that are capable of meeting assembly needs and currently exist to offer such services-- two are located on East Wendover Ave. There are also multiple empty commercial buildings in the immediate area that could be retrofitted to meet such needs.
"Gateway Gardens
The second, Gateway Gardens, anchored by the Gateway University Research Park and the Hayes Taylor YMCA, should introduce:
1. A new mixed use retail and residential project along the E. Lee Street corridor from I - 40/85 to E. Florida Avenue
2. Incorporate the new Hayes Taylor YMCA, Barber Park, Gateway Park and new athletic facilities,greenspace and trails into Greensboro’s finest recreational area
3. The continuation of E. Florida Street to McConnell Road.
Gillepsie Gateway
The third, Gillespie Gateway, anchored by Gillespie Golf Course and Gillespie Elementary, should introduce:
1. An updated golf course and tennis park that anchors a new charter elementary school at Gillespie Gateway Elementary. This may be able to join the Cottage Grove Initiative as an additional project that may be a candidate for support from the Purpose Built Communities.
2. The successful Dudley High School Early College Academy could have its Engineering track expanded to incorporate an agricultural component at the farm in highly relevant areas such as sustainable agriculture, urban farming, aquaponics, permaculture, biodynamics. This should be done in a manner that ties in North Carolina A&T State University.
3. The 236 homes at Ray Warren Homes on E. Lee Street should be redeveloped in a manner similar to Willow Oaks.
4. An extension of Lincoln Street past Dudley High School to connect to Tuscaloosa Street.
Summit Gateway
The fourth, Summit Gateway, anchored by North East Plaza (Compare Foods) and Summit Shopping Center (Maxway) retailers should include:
1. Facilitate an expansion of North East Plaza through the assemblage of adjacent property to add an additional anchor tenant.
2. Inquire as to the long term viability of Bob Dunn Hyundai, and a possible relocation West to the adjacent land between Bill Black Chevrolet.
3. Redevelop Bob Dunn Hyundai for a possible “Club” retailer such as Sams, BJ Wholesale, or Costco."
Editor's note: There are literally thousands of acres available in East Greensboro for big box retailers that would not require the relocation of East Greensboro's only new car dealerships, Bob Dunn Hyundai and Bill Black Cadillac-Chevrolet.
"Adaptive Reuse of Retail
“Adaptive Reuse or reclaiming of a structure is the process of creatively reusing a structure or building. The building structure does not necessarily have to change nearly as drastically as its image has to change in the image of the beholder.” (Julia Christensen - Big Box Reuse – The MIT Press)
The presence of significant “Big Box” vacancy in the E. Cone Boulevard should be addressed. A program on identifying adaptive reuse opportunities should be implemented with the following categories as the primary focus:
• City and County Government facilities
• Churches
• Early Childhood Development
• For profit educational facilities
• Library
• Medical Facility
• Interior Design Center
Retail
Target Retailers
Retailers which should be considered as top prospect for the East Greensboro Study area include:
Academy Sports & Outdoors
Old Time Potter
Beall’s Outlet
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet
Burlington Coat Factory
Rose’s
Buy Buy Baby
Ross Dress For Less
Food Lion
Sam’s Club
H Mart
Sports Authority
Harris Teeter
T.J. Maxx
HHGregg Appliances
Value Village
Marshalls Wal-Mart Grocery
Northern Tool & Equipment
Food Lion
The consultants contacted the Real Estate Manager for Food Lion to specifically discuss the store at 2316 E. Market Street. The store volumes are considered “good” although exact numbers were not available for public discussions. The intersection gives sub regional access to a large trade area due to good access North/ South on S. English avenue. If the store could be expanded at the current location there would be strong interest. A possible relocation to the East Market Street Gateway was dismissed as not possible in their opinion. It is the consultants’ opinion if a significant development project could be created, Food Lion would give due consideration.
Save-A-Lot
The consultants met with David Fabian, Senior Director Market Development. Save–A-Lot is planning an aggressive new expansion plan on a National basis but currently does not have any plans to open a new store in metro Greensboro, North Carolina. Save-A-Lot has interest in reviewing any possible new developments.
Wal-Mart Market Wise
Wal-Mart is testing a new grocery store format, but any consideration of the Greensboro, North Carolina market is several years in the future. These target retailers are considered “value oriented” towards the middle income demographics. They prefer second generation retail space and reduced rental rates. All should be candidates for the Summit Gateway redevelopment and any available adaptive reuse projects.
Dollar General Markets
Dollar General has test marketed a new grocery concept to compete with local independents and Save-A-Lot. The concept has fresh meat, produce and an expanded cooler assortment. They have announced a new expansion plan to add 40 new stores in 2012. Any discussion of new developments should include further contact with Dollar General.
Fast Casual and National Theme Restaurants
Fast Casual Restaurants are the most attractive possible additions to the Western side of the East Greensboro trade area. With such a large concentration of students and the lack choice in the market we would recommend a concerted effort be place on the following concepts:
Applebee's DineEquity, Inc.
Baja Fresh Mexican Grill Fresh Enterprises, Inc. bd's
Mongolian Barbeque Mongolian Operating Co, LLC
Beef O'Brady's Family Sports Concepts, Inc.
Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries Branded Concepts, Inc.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. International, LLC
Buck's Pizza Buck's Pizza Franchising
Buffalo's Southwestern Cafe Buffalo's Franchise Concept
Cantina Laredo Consolidated Restaurant Operations, Inc.
Caribou Coffee Caribou Coffee Company, Inc.
Cheeburger Cheeburger Cheeburger Cheeburger Restaurant, Inc.
Chepe's Mexican Grill Chepe's Mexican Grill, LLC
Chick-Fil-A Chick-Fil-A, Inc.
Chipotle Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
Chuy's Chuy's
Einstein Bros Bagels Einstein Noah Restaurant Group
Extreme Pita Extreme
Pita F2O Fresh 2 Order
Fatburger Fatburger Corporation Fatz Cafe Cafe Enterprises, Inc.
Figo Pasta Spiga, LLC
Firehouse Subs Firehouse Restaurant Group, Inc.
Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries Five Guys Enterprises, LLC Frontera Mex-Mex Grill Norsan Group, Inc.
Genghis Grill Genghis Grill The Mongolian Stir Fry
Healthy Way Cafe Healthy Way Cafe
HoneyBaked Ham Company and Cafe The Original HoneyBaked Ham Company
J. Christopher's J. Christopher's Inc.
Jason's Deli Deli Management Inc.
Jimmy John's Jimmy John's Franchise, LLC
Krispy Kreme Donuts Krispy Kreme Donuts
Lime Fresh Mexican Grill 50 Eggs Restaurant Group, Inc.
McAlister's Deli McAlister's Corporation
Mellow Mushroom Home Grown Industries of Georgia
Moe's Southwest Grill Focus Brands, Inc.
My Friend's Place Deli My Friend's Place Deli
Panda Express Panda Restaurant Group, Inc.
Panera Bread Panera, LLC
PJ's Coffee PJ's Coffee of New Orleans, LLC
Qdoba Mexican Grill Qdoba Restaurant Corporation
Quiznos Sub The Quiznos Master, LLC
Schlotzsky's Focus Brands, Inc.
Smashburger Icon Burger Development, LLC
Sonic Sonic Corporation
Starbucks Coffee Company Starbucks Corporation
Steak N Shake Steak N Shake Corporation
Tijuana Flats Tijuana Flats Burrito Company, Inc.
Urban Flats Flatbread Co. Urban Flats Flatbread Co.
Willy's Mexicana Grill Willy's Mexicana
Grill Zaxby's Zaxby's Franchising, Inc."
I'll end this update with a note that while I believe many of the consultants' recommendations to be true, their push for big box retailers and national chains will result in lots of local money being taken out of our community in the form of corporate profits. And while this might result in short term gains for East Greensboro communities such as Uptown Greensboro, I fear in the long term we might not want the sort of development the study recommends and would prefer development that keeps profits in Greensboro. Emphasis should always be centered towards locally owned businesses whenever possible.
"Recommendations
Our recommendations for improving parity in the study area are based upon the ability to address four major points:
1. The number of households in the study area
2. The household median incomes in the study area
3. Road access in the study area
4. Increased support for the public schools in the study area
Ultimately, the goal is to see household incomes in the area grow to the point that there begins to be an increase in the projected Consumer Expenditures. To accomplish this goal, we addressed the study area in four separate opportunity gateways.
University Gateway
The first, University Gateway, anchored by Bennett College, North Carolina A&T and the United House of Prayer, should introduce:
1. New traffic patterns on the Murrow Boulevard edge of E. Market and Friendly Streets culminating in a new signature architectural roundabout and greenspace at the current site of the Exxon gas station. This traffic corridor needs to be upgraded to improve traffic flow in and out of Downtown. The current configuration has two one way streets that converge between S. Dudley St. and Murrow Blvd. This bottleneck creates a difficult island of retail/office and accentuates the divide created by Murrow Blvd between Downtown and the universities. By modifying this traffic pattern and creating a signature gateway into Downtown, we hope to bring life to both Downtown and the universities."
Editor's note: The study is pointing to a portion of East Market and East Friendly where the cement used in the most recent redesign of the "gateway" has hardly had time to dry. Return to study:
"2. A new select service or boutique hotel on the current bus depot site and incorporated into the surrounding adaptive reuse projects located off of Murrow Blvd, along the Downtown side of E. Market Street. Our research with RLJ Lodging Trust indicated that Downtown is underserved by hotels, with the select service and boutique classes almost non-existent in the entire City. This planned redevelopment site is ideally located to take advantage of the Downtown CBD, the S. Elm Street retail and the proximity to the universities and proposed retail and performing arts venue."
Editor's note: I was under the impression this study was about East Greensboro but the study is discussing areas (the Depot) that are clearly a part of Downtown Greensboro. I think we may now know the sudden interest in a part of the city that has been systematicly destroyed for the last 50 years. Remember: East Greensboro used to have all these things even before it was a part of the city.
"3. A new mixed use retail and destination venue located on the site of the former post office, now controlled by the United House of Prayer would allow the area to receive much needed quality retail, while introducing a destination use that would be beneficial to the schools, the Church and the City. Today, only the Aycock Auditorium, Greensboro Coliseum Complex and Harrison Auditorium serve the assembly needs of the E. Market area. We recommend a joint study with the UHOP, the city, and the universities to identify an appropriate destination use that supports all of the major stakeholders."
Editor's note: Actually, there are several privately owned venues in East Greensboro that are capable of meeting assembly needs and currently exist to offer such services-- two are located on East Wendover Ave. There are also multiple empty commercial buildings in the immediate area that could be retrofitted to meet such needs.
"Gateway Gardens
The second, Gateway Gardens, anchored by the Gateway University Research Park and the Hayes Taylor YMCA, should introduce:
1. A new mixed use retail and residential project along the E. Lee Street corridor from I - 40/85 to E. Florida Avenue
2. Incorporate the new Hayes Taylor YMCA, Barber Park, Gateway Park and new athletic facilities,greenspace and trails into Greensboro’s finest recreational area
3. The continuation of E. Florida Street to McConnell Road.
Gillepsie Gateway
The third, Gillespie Gateway, anchored by Gillespie Golf Course and Gillespie Elementary, should introduce:
1. An updated golf course and tennis park that anchors a new charter elementary school at Gillespie Gateway Elementary. This may be able to join the Cottage Grove Initiative as an additional project that may be a candidate for support from the Purpose Built Communities.
2. The successful Dudley High School Early College Academy could have its Engineering track expanded to incorporate an agricultural component at the farm in highly relevant areas such as sustainable agriculture, urban farming, aquaponics, permaculture, biodynamics. This should be done in a manner that ties in North Carolina A&T State University.
3. The 236 homes at Ray Warren Homes on E. Lee Street should be redeveloped in a manner similar to Willow Oaks.
4. An extension of Lincoln Street past Dudley High School to connect to Tuscaloosa Street.
Summit Gateway
The fourth, Summit Gateway, anchored by North East Plaza (Compare Foods) and Summit Shopping Center (Maxway) retailers should include:
1. Facilitate an expansion of North East Plaza through the assemblage of adjacent property to add an additional anchor tenant.
2. Inquire as to the long term viability of Bob Dunn Hyundai, and a possible relocation West to the adjacent land between Bill Black Chevrolet.
3. Redevelop Bob Dunn Hyundai for a possible “Club” retailer such as Sams, BJ Wholesale, or Costco."
Editor's note: There are literally thousands of acres available in East Greensboro for big box retailers that would not require the relocation of East Greensboro's only new car dealerships, Bob Dunn Hyundai and Bill Black Cadillac-Chevrolet.
"Adaptive Reuse of Retail
“Adaptive Reuse or reclaiming of a structure is the process of creatively reusing a structure or building. The building structure does not necessarily have to change nearly as drastically as its image has to change in the image of the beholder.” (Julia Christensen - Big Box Reuse – The MIT Press)
The presence of significant “Big Box” vacancy in the E. Cone Boulevard should be addressed. A program on identifying adaptive reuse opportunities should be implemented with the following categories as the primary focus:
• City and County Government facilities
• Churches
• Early Childhood Development
• For profit educational facilities
• Library
• Medical Facility
• Interior Design Center
Retail
Target Retailers
Retailers which should be considered as top prospect for the East Greensboro Study area include:
Academy Sports & Outdoors
Old Time Potter
Beall’s Outlet
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet
Burlington Coat Factory
Rose’s
Buy Buy Baby
Ross Dress For Less
Food Lion
Sam’s Club
H Mart
Sports Authority
Harris Teeter
T.J. Maxx
HHGregg Appliances
Value Village
Marshalls Wal-Mart Grocery
Northern Tool & Equipment
Food Lion
The consultants contacted the Real Estate Manager for Food Lion to specifically discuss the store at 2316 E. Market Street. The store volumes are considered “good” although exact numbers were not available for public discussions. The intersection gives sub regional access to a large trade area due to good access North/ South on S. English avenue. If the store could be expanded at the current location there would be strong interest. A possible relocation to the East Market Street Gateway was dismissed as not possible in their opinion. It is the consultants’ opinion if a significant development project could be created, Food Lion would give due consideration.
Save-A-Lot
The consultants met with David Fabian, Senior Director Market Development. Save–A-Lot is planning an aggressive new expansion plan on a National basis but currently does not have any plans to open a new store in metro Greensboro, North Carolina. Save-A-Lot has interest in reviewing any possible new developments.
Wal-Mart Market Wise
Wal-Mart is testing a new grocery store format, but any consideration of the Greensboro, North Carolina market is several years in the future. These target retailers are considered “value oriented” towards the middle income demographics. They prefer second generation retail space and reduced rental rates. All should be candidates for the Summit Gateway redevelopment and any available adaptive reuse projects.
Dollar General Markets
Dollar General has test marketed a new grocery concept to compete with local independents and Save-A-Lot. The concept has fresh meat, produce and an expanded cooler assortment. They have announced a new expansion plan to add 40 new stores in 2012. Any discussion of new developments should include further contact with Dollar General.
Fast Casual and National Theme Restaurants
Fast Casual Restaurants are the most attractive possible additions to the Western side of the East Greensboro trade area. With such a large concentration of students and the lack choice in the market we would recommend a concerted effort be place on the following concepts:
Applebee's DineEquity, Inc.
Baja Fresh Mexican Grill Fresh Enterprises, Inc. bd's
Mongolian Barbeque Mongolian Operating Co, LLC
Beef O'Brady's Family Sports Concepts, Inc.
Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries Branded Concepts, Inc.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. International, LLC
Buck's Pizza Buck's Pizza Franchising
Buffalo's Southwestern Cafe Buffalo's Franchise Concept
Cantina Laredo Consolidated Restaurant Operations, Inc.
Caribou Coffee Caribou Coffee Company, Inc.
Cheeburger Cheeburger Cheeburger Cheeburger Restaurant, Inc.
Chepe's Mexican Grill Chepe's Mexican Grill, LLC
Chick-Fil-A Chick-Fil-A, Inc.
Chipotle Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
Chuy's Chuy's
Einstein Bros Bagels Einstein Noah Restaurant Group
Extreme Pita Extreme
Pita F2O Fresh 2 Order
Fatburger Fatburger Corporation Fatz Cafe Cafe Enterprises, Inc.
Figo Pasta Spiga, LLC
Firehouse Subs Firehouse Restaurant Group, Inc.
Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries Five Guys Enterprises, LLC Frontera Mex-Mex Grill Norsan Group, Inc.
Genghis Grill Genghis Grill The Mongolian Stir Fry
Healthy Way Cafe Healthy Way Cafe
HoneyBaked Ham Company and Cafe The Original HoneyBaked Ham Company
J. Christopher's J. Christopher's Inc.
Jason's Deli Deli Management Inc.
Jimmy John's Jimmy John's Franchise, LLC
Krispy Kreme Donuts Krispy Kreme Donuts
Lime Fresh Mexican Grill 50 Eggs Restaurant Group, Inc.
McAlister's Deli McAlister's Corporation
Mellow Mushroom Home Grown Industries of Georgia
Moe's Southwest Grill Focus Brands, Inc.
My Friend's Place Deli My Friend's Place Deli
Panda Express Panda Restaurant Group, Inc.
Panera Bread Panera, LLC
PJ's Coffee PJ's Coffee of New Orleans, LLC
Qdoba Mexican Grill Qdoba Restaurant Corporation
Quiznos Sub The Quiznos Master, LLC
Schlotzsky's Focus Brands, Inc.
Smashburger Icon Burger Development, LLC
Sonic Sonic Corporation
Starbucks Coffee Company Starbucks Corporation
Steak N Shake Steak N Shake Corporation
Tijuana Flats Tijuana Flats Burrito Company, Inc.
Urban Flats Flatbread Co. Urban Flats Flatbread Co.
Willy's Mexicana Grill Willy's Mexicana
Grill Zaxby's Zaxby's Franchising, Inc."
I'll end this update with a note that while I believe many of the consultants' recommendations to be true, their push for big box retailers and national chains will result in lots of local money being taken out of our community in the form of corporate profits. And while this might result in short term gains for East Greensboro communities such as Uptown Greensboro, I fear in the long term we might not want the sort of development the study recommends and would prefer development that keeps profits in Greensboro. Emphasis should always be centered towards locally owned businesses whenever possible.
Thief Leaves Strong Evidence At Scene Of Break-in
Irving Lamont Pace sold scrap metal to Salvage America, 3001 Holts Chapel Rd for the first time on May 25th and came up with a plan to make even more money selling scrap metal. Early this morning, Greensboro Police arrested Mr Pace for breaking and entering at Salvage America. Seems police found a cell phone Mr Pace lost while breaking into Salvage America at 1:07 this morning when a security guard spotted him and called police.
K-9 officers tracked down and caught Mr Pace just a few blocks from the scene of the break-in. Mr. Pace goes by the name, Big P.
K-9 officers tracked down and caught Mr Pace just a few blocks from the scene of the break-in. Mr. Pace goes by the name, Big P.
Trespassing Uptown
James Earl Johnson was cited for trespassing at 801 East Market Street near NCA&T University, just after 2:00 AM.
Tabb Study To Date
The Tabb Study, aka, A Strategic Plan for East Greensboro, was commissioned by the City of Greensboro at a cost of $90,000.oo and is being made available here at Uptown Greensboro News & Reviews.
Part 1: Executive Summary
Part 2: Market Overviews
Part 3: Discussion of Parity
Part 4: Consultants' Recommendations
More to come...
The entire report, titled A Strategic Plan for East Greensboro can be found by clicking the link. It's a huge file and loads very slowly.
Part 1: Executive Summary
Part 2: Market Overviews
Part 3: Discussion of Parity
Part 4: Consultants' Recommendations
More to come...
The entire report, titled A Strategic Plan for East Greensboro can be found by clicking the link. It's a huge file and loads very slowly.
We've Got Jobs
I wish I could say Uptown Greensboro News & Reviews is hiring but if you were to get hired there would be no money to pay you. That said, we have added a jobs section to our website that is free to job seekers and only costs $25.oo per month to employers who are looking to attract qualified applicants. Click here to check out our Jobs page today.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Summit Avenue Assault
John Timothy Facas reported to Greensboro Police today that he had been assaulted at 822 Summit Avenue at 11:16 this morning. No word on his condition.
The Tabb Study, Part 3
In Part 1, I gave readers the Executive Summary of the Tabb Report. Part 2 was Market Overviews. Today we continue with a Discussion of Parity:
The eastern half of the City of Greensboro has a total of 8 shopping centers. Overall, Greensboro has 93 shopping centers.
"V Discussion of Parity
The Economic Overview of the City highlighted the economic and educational deficiencies of East Greensboro.
• Lowest projected population growth (1.6%)
• Highest poverty rates
• Median HH Incomes of $21,617 versus $42,927
• Largest decrease in home ownership
• Lowest residential rental rates
• 11 of 16 public schools are in the process of working to improve their overall performance
These are conditions that cannot be ignored and in many ways set the foundation for the concerns regarding parity.
Three key metrics for increasing the presence of retail and other service amenities in a trade area are 1) household median income levels, 2) the number of households and 3) the level of daytime population. With the exception of daytime population levels, East Greensboro ranks low in the metrics when compared to the other trade areas. Daytime population for the overall East Greensboro study area (28,671) is greater than any trade area except Lawndale (42,545) and East Market Street, which is in the study area. The East Lee Street trade area’s daytime population (57,175) is the highest in the entire city. The number of households and household incomes are the greatest hindrance to East Greensboro’s attractiveness to retailers. The study area has the lowest number of households and the lowest median household income.
What drives these low household numbers is the key to identifying the solutions. In order to increase the presence of services and retail, the number of households must increase and the income levels within those households must increase. This means a focus on jobs, schools and the quality of housing stock. Household median income projections are a very important part in determining consumer expenditure projections.Essentially, researchers work off the idea that people spend a set percentage of their income on retail purchases; therefore, the higher your median income level, the higher the consumer demand is projected to be.
A review of the demand projections for Greensboro shows that only E. Lee and Burlington have lower projected consumer demands than E. Market, and all three are in the East Greensboro study area. On the other side of this issue is expenditures. Only Wendover, Lawndale and Green Valley have higher actual sales than East Greensboro. Lowest demand, yet highest sales? This is a contradiction that would often be explained by the presence of high levels of quality retailers that are the beneficiary of other area’s retail expenditures (the recipient of leakage). Clearly this is not the case in East Greensboro. So why does this contradiction exist?
Three reasons:
1. The residents of East Greensboro spend much more money in their community than researchers believe. They actually could spend a disproportionate portion of their income than their counterparts do in other trade areas. The reality is many expenditures are often fixed costs, and cannot be valued down due to a lack of income. Examples are gas, basic clothing and food.
2. The research is simply wrong. Lower income areas spend more than researchers believe. There are many more residents in the trade area than researchers account for. This can include undocumented renters and service related income generated, but not reported, such as tips, side work, child care, etc...
3. Transportation from the study area to other trade areas is very difficult, meaning more dollars stay in the trade area due to the resident’s inability to exit the trade area.
Transportation is a very interesting, yet well known issue for East Greensboro. While the area has good local road access, and should be the centerpiece of several attractive entrances into Greensboro, its connectivity through interstates and major roads is perhaps the worst in the City and effectively cuts off access to the entire eastern and northern part of the Greensboro. E. Cone’s ability to connect to E. Florida (through Nealtown and Ward) and I - 840’s ability to connect from the southeast are both needed to improve access from and to the east and make the east an attractive retail environment. Without adequate access, the east will never be considered a destination area."
As you can clearly see, things are very much out of balance. And while many claim crime and poverty are the major reason as to why East Greensboro lacks shopping, the study shows otherwise. Could it be that a lack of interest in East Greensboro has pushed crime rates higher?
In Part 4 I'll present the study recommendations.
The eastern half of the City of Greensboro has a total of 8 shopping centers. Overall, Greensboro has 93 shopping centers.
"V Discussion of Parity
The Economic Overview of the City highlighted the economic and educational deficiencies of East Greensboro.
• Lowest projected population growth (1.6%)
• Highest poverty rates
• Median HH Incomes of $21,617 versus $42,927
• Largest decrease in home ownership
• Lowest residential rental rates
• 11 of 16 public schools are in the process of working to improve their overall performance
These are conditions that cannot be ignored and in many ways set the foundation for the concerns regarding parity.
Three key metrics for increasing the presence of retail and other service amenities in a trade area are 1) household median income levels, 2) the number of households and 3) the level of daytime population. With the exception of daytime population levels, East Greensboro ranks low in the metrics when compared to the other trade areas. Daytime population for the overall East Greensboro study area (28,671) is greater than any trade area except Lawndale (42,545) and East Market Street, which is in the study area. The East Lee Street trade area’s daytime population (57,175) is the highest in the entire city. The number of households and household incomes are the greatest hindrance to East Greensboro’s attractiveness to retailers. The study area has the lowest number of households and the lowest median household income.
What drives these low household numbers is the key to identifying the solutions. In order to increase the presence of services and retail, the number of households must increase and the income levels within those households must increase. This means a focus on jobs, schools and the quality of housing stock. Household median income projections are a very important part in determining consumer expenditure projections.Essentially, researchers work off the idea that people spend a set percentage of their income on retail purchases; therefore, the higher your median income level, the higher the consumer demand is projected to be.
A review of the demand projections for Greensboro shows that only E. Lee and Burlington have lower projected consumer demands than E. Market, and all three are in the East Greensboro study area. On the other side of this issue is expenditures. Only Wendover, Lawndale and Green Valley have higher actual sales than East Greensboro. Lowest demand, yet highest sales? This is a contradiction that would often be explained by the presence of high levels of quality retailers that are the beneficiary of other area’s retail expenditures (the recipient of leakage). Clearly this is not the case in East Greensboro. So why does this contradiction exist?
Three reasons:
1. The residents of East Greensboro spend much more money in their community than researchers believe. They actually could spend a disproportionate portion of their income than their counterparts do in other trade areas. The reality is many expenditures are often fixed costs, and cannot be valued down due to a lack of income. Examples are gas, basic clothing and food.
2. The research is simply wrong. Lower income areas spend more than researchers believe. There are many more residents in the trade area than researchers account for. This can include undocumented renters and service related income generated, but not reported, such as tips, side work, child care, etc...
3. Transportation from the study area to other trade areas is very difficult, meaning more dollars stay in the trade area due to the resident’s inability to exit the trade area.
Transportation is a very interesting, yet well known issue for East Greensboro. While the area has good local road access, and should be the centerpiece of several attractive entrances into Greensboro, its connectivity through interstates and major roads is perhaps the worst in the City and effectively cuts off access to the entire eastern and northern part of the Greensboro. E. Cone’s ability to connect to E. Florida (through Nealtown and Ward) and I - 840’s ability to connect from the southeast are both needed to improve access from and to the east and make the east an attractive retail environment. Without adequate access, the east will never be considered a destination area."
As you can clearly see, things are very much out of balance. And while many claim crime and poverty are the major reason as to why East Greensboro lacks shopping, the study shows otherwise. Could it be that a lack of interest in East Greensboro has pushed crime rates higher?
In Part 4 I'll present the study recommendations.
Uptown Greensboro Among Lowest in Break-ins
A map of break-ins for the month of May indicates that Uptown Greensboro has had fewer break-ins than most of the City of Greensboro.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Tabb Study, Part 2
Previously I gave you the Executive Summary of the Tabb Report. We now move on to market overviews as presented by Mike Neal of Colliers International and Michael Tabb of Red Rock Global Real Estate Services Company.
I added emphasis in bold text to a few important lines in the study.
"Economic Market Overview
According to the 2011 State of the City report prepared for the Greensboro partnership in January 2011, “Greensboro appears to have weathered the fiscal storm more effectively than other North Carolina cities.” Although the City continues to lose manufacturing jobs as the City’s industrial base declines, research, education, transportation and health care remain strong employers with positive job growth and wage increase. Overall wages experienced a slight increase (2.4%) and the population grew for both the City (14.4%) and the East Greensboro study area (4.6%).
While most of the economic indicators point to Greensboro’s ability to manage through the Country’s economic crisis, three areas remain critical areas of focus: 1) the City’s increased poverty rate, 2) the decline in home values and the growing shift from home ownership to rental, and finally 3) the continued effort to improve the performance of the Greensboro’s public schools. Nowhere in the City are these three areas more important than in East Greensboro. East Greensboro has experienced a considerably sharper economic decline than any other part of the City.
• The highest population density
• Lowest projected population growth (1.6%)
• Highest poverty rates
• Median HH Incomes of $21,617 versus $42,927
• Largest decrease in home ownership
• Lowest residential rental rates
• 11 of 16 public schools are in the process of working to improve their overall performance
Real Estate Market Overview
As a general statement, Greensboro is over supplied across all sectors of the real estate market. Office, industrial, retail and residential are seeing limited new inventory being introduced while vacancies remain above their historic average high. Nevertheless, rents remain stable, and in the case of office, are increasing slightly.
Office Market Overview
The Guildford County office market has managed to keep a very consistent quoted office rate in the mid to low $14 range. Since 4th quarter 2010, rents have increased to levels approaching their 2008/2009 peak. Vacancy rates, however, have grown steadily each of the past 10 quarters and remain above 14.5%. Given the size of the office market, this high vacancy translates into approximately 500,000 square feet of unoccupied space in the market, or 35 buildings based upon the market’s average building size of 14,660 square feet. Although office rates appear to be improving, the high vacancy rates will continue to hold back new construction. The Study Area does not include a significant Class A office inventory. Most office space within the Study Area is Class B and C, and is supportive of small business or institutional users.
Industrial Market Overview
The Industrial market in Greensboro has experienced a steady and relatively large (10%) decrease in quoted rental rates since 2007. Vacancy rates have not been a major factor, in part due to a major drop in new and planned construction. In fact, through the first three quarters of 2011, the region is set to have over 1,039,438 square feet of positive net absorption.
The Study Area has a large amount of industrial space available on most major corridors to the south and east. As Greensboro grows and develops new communities off of I - 40/85 and NC - 70, some industrial areas inside the loop will be redeveloped and repositioned. For the purposes of this study, industrial corridors were viewed as positive employment centers and real estate opportunities areas.
Residential Market Overview
Avg Listing Price $236,776 Avg Sale Price $122,000
Average price per square foot for Greensboro NC was $82, a decrease of 2.4% compared to the same period last year. The median sales price for homes in Greensboro for Aug 11 to Oct 11 was $122,000 based on 209 home sales. Compared to the same period one year ago, the median home sales price decreased 1.6%, or $2,000, and the number of home sales decreased 69.6%. There are currently 2,228 resale and new homes in Greensboro on Trulia, including 9 open houses, as well as 653 homes in the pre-foreclosure, auction, or bank-owned stages of the foreclosure process. The average listing price for homes for sale in Greensboro was $236,776 for the week ending Nov 23, which represents an increase of 3.7%, or $8,424, compared to the prior week. Popular neighborhoods in Greensboro include Old Irving Park and Adams Farm, with average listing prices of $537,684 and $175,327.
Home prices in the Study Area varied greatly from below $50,000 to the mid/high $100’s. In general, East Greensboro’s homes are priced lower than other submarkets, and are older and smaller. The number of new home communities is generally limited to the outer edges of the Study Area and a few redeveloped housing projects such as Willow Oaks.
One of the most difficult challenges the area faces is the large inventory of low and extremely low income housing. These communities of older housing stock have below market rents and offer a mixture of quality levels ranging from the poorly-kept, unsafe renter housing to high quality, market leading Hope VI communities. In order to see new multi-family housing successfully developed by market rate developers, pricing must increase and housing quality levels must improve across the entire Study Area."
As you can see, the problems faced by Uptown Greensboro and the rest of East Greensboro are daunting.
I added emphasis in bold text to a few important lines in the study.
"Economic Market Overview
According to the 2011 State of the City report prepared for the Greensboro partnership in January 2011, “Greensboro appears to have weathered the fiscal storm more effectively than other North Carolina cities.” Although the City continues to lose manufacturing jobs as the City’s industrial base declines, research, education, transportation and health care remain strong employers with positive job growth and wage increase. Overall wages experienced a slight increase (2.4%) and the population grew for both the City (14.4%) and the East Greensboro study area (4.6%).
While most of the economic indicators point to Greensboro’s ability to manage through the Country’s economic crisis, three areas remain critical areas of focus: 1) the City’s increased poverty rate, 2) the decline in home values and the growing shift from home ownership to rental, and finally 3) the continued effort to improve the performance of the Greensboro’s public schools. Nowhere in the City are these three areas more important than in East Greensboro. East Greensboro has experienced a considerably sharper economic decline than any other part of the City.
• The highest population density
• Lowest projected population growth (1.6%)
• Highest poverty rates
• Median HH Incomes of $21,617 versus $42,927
• Largest decrease in home ownership
• Lowest residential rental rates
• 11 of 16 public schools are in the process of working to improve their overall performance
Real Estate Market Overview
As a general statement, Greensboro is over supplied across all sectors of the real estate market. Office, industrial, retail and residential are seeing limited new inventory being introduced while vacancies remain above their historic average high. Nevertheless, rents remain stable, and in the case of office, are increasing slightly.
Office Market Overview
The Guildford County office market has managed to keep a very consistent quoted office rate in the mid to low $14 range. Since 4th quarter 2010, rents have increased to levels approaching their 2008/2009 peak. Vacancy rates, however, have grown steadily each of the past 10 quarters and remain above 14.5%. Given the size of the office market, this high vacancy translates into approximately 500,000 square feet of unoccupied space in the market, or 35 buildings based upon the market’s average building size of 14,660 square feet. Although office rates appear to be improving, the high vacancy rates will continue to hold back new construction. The Study Area does not include a significant Class A office inventory. Most office space within the Study Area is Class B and C, and is supportive of small business or institutional users.
Industrial Market Overview
The Industrial market in Greensboro has experienced a steady and relatively large (10%) decrease in quoted rental rates since 2007. Vacancy rates have not been a major factor, in part due to a major drop in new and planned construction. In fact, through the first three quarters of 2011, the region is set to have over 1,039,438 square feet of positive net absorption.
The Study Area has a large amount of industrial space available on most major corridors to the south and east. As Greensboro grows and develops new communities off of I - 40/85 and NC - 70, some industrial areas inside the loop will be redeveloped and repositioned. For the purposes of this study, industrial corridors were viewed as positive employment centers and real estate opportunities areas.
Residential Market Overview
Avg Listing Price $236,776 Avg Sale Price $122,000
Average price per square foot for Greensboro NC was $82, a decrease of 2.4% compared to the same period last year. The median sales price for homes in Greensboro for Aug 11 to Oct 11 was $122,000 based on 209 home sales. Compared to the same period one year ago, the median home sales price decreased 1.6%, or $2,000, and the number of home sales decreased 69.6%. There are currently 2,228 resale and new homes in Greensboro on Trulia, including 9 open houses, as well as 653 homes in the pre-foreclosure, auction, or bank-owned stages of the foreclosure process. The average listing price for homes for sale in Greensboro was $236,776 for the week ending Nov 23, which represents an increase of 3.7%, or $8,424, compared to the prior week. Popular neighborhoods in Greensboro include Old Irving Park and Adams Farm, with average listing prices of $537,684 and $175,327.
Home prices in the Study Area varied greatly from below $50,000 to the mid/high $100’s. In general, East Greensboro’s homes are priced lower than other submarkets, and are older and smaller. The number of new home communities is generally limited to the outer edges of the Study Area and a few redeveloped housing projects such as Willow Oaks.
One of the most difficult challenges the area faces is the large inventory of low and extremely low income housing. These communities of older housing stock have below market rents and offer a mixture of quality levels ranging from the poorly-kept, unsafe renter housing to high quality, market leading Hope VI communities. In order to see new multi-family housing successfully developed by market rate developers, pricing must increase and housing quality levels must improve across the entire Study Area."
As you can see, the problems faced by Uptown Greensboro and the rest of East Greensboro are daunting.
Not Again?
Police arrested Eric Tyrone Johnson today for trespassing at 940 E Bessemer Avenue. Yesterday, Johnson was arrested twice for trespassing at 1000 Summit Avenue and 934 East Bessemer Avenue.
Tabb Study Provides Insight And Questions
Uptown residents and business owners have long wondered how the Uptown area became what it is today-- a vast block of empty business locations and older homes where many of Greensboro's poorest working class residents live. The Executive Summary of the Tabb Report:
"East Greensboro is a vibrant community with a strategic proximity to Downtown Greensboro and a major source of employment, education and African American history. While the community has managed to sustain itself over the past few years of economic decline, it has compiled a series of issues that will challenge the area over the next decade. The primary concern are high poverty rates, low median household income rates, declining home ownership levels and prices, and the below average performance of public schools.
These are conditions that cannot be ignored and have set the foundation for the area’s lack of retail and service amenities. E. Lee Street’s highest daytime population (57,175) is offset by the fact it also has the lowest number of households and household incomes. These two points greatly hinder East Greensboro’s attractiveness to retailers. Understanding what drives these low household numbers is the key to finding the solutions. In order to increase the presence of services and retail, the number of households must increase and the income levels within those households must increase. This means a focus on jobs, schools and the quality of housing stock. Household median income projections are a very important part in determining consumer expenditure projections. Researchers have determined that people spend a set percentage of their income on retail purchases; therefore, the higher your median income level, the higher the consumer demand is projected to be.
A review of the demand projections for Greensboro shows that only E. Lee St. and Burlington have lower projected consumer demands than E. Market, and all three are in the East Greensboro study area. On the other side of this issue is expenditures. Only Wendover, Lawndale and Green Valley have higher actual sales than East Greensboro. Lowest demand, yet highest sales? This is a contradiction that would often be explained by the presence of quality retailers that are the beneficiary of other areas retail expenditures (the recipient of leakage). Clearly this is not the case in East Greensboro. So why does this contradiction exist? Three reasons:
1. the residents of East Greensboro spend a disproportionate portion of their income.
2. the research is simply wrong. Lower income areas spend more than researchers believe and there are many more residents in the trade area than researchers account for.
3. Transportation from the study area to other trade areas is very difficult, meaning more dollars stay in the trade area.
Our recommendations for improving parity in the study area are based upon the ability to address four major points:
1. the number of households in the study area
2. the household median incomes in the study area
3. road access in the study area
4. increased support for the public schools in the study area
Ultimately, the goal is to see household incomes in the area grow to the point that there begins to be an increase in the projected Consumer Expenditures. To accomplish this goal, we addressed the study area in four separate opportunity gateways.
First, University Gateway, anchored by Bennett College, North Carolina A&T and the United House of Prayer, including a modified traffic pattern along E. Market and Friendly Blvd, and creating a signature gateway into the Downtown; a new select service or boutique hotel on the current bus depot site and incorporated into the surrounding adaptive reuse projects located off Murrow Blvd.; a new mixed use retail and destination venue located on the site of the former post office.
Second, Gateway Gardens, anchored by the Gateway University Research Park and the Hayes Taylor YMCA, including a new mixed use retail and residential project along the E. Lee Street corridor from I - 40/85 to E. Florida Avenue; incorporating the new Hayes Taylor YMCA, Barber Park, Gateway Park and new athletic facilities, greenspace and trails into Greensboro’s finest recreational area.
The third, Gillespie Gateway, anchored by Gillespie Golf Course and Gillespie Elementary, including an updated golf course and tennis park that anchors a new charter elementary school at Gillespie Gateway Elementary and the redevelopment of Ray Warren Homes on E. Lee Street in a manner similar to Willow Oaks.
The fourth, Summit Gateway, anchored North East Plaza (Compare Foods) and Summit Shopping Center (Maxway) retailers should including the expansion of North East Plaza through the assemblage of adjacent property to add an additional anchor tenant."
As you can see, the study takes in much more than Uptown Greensboro and resistance from Greensboro's more well off, western residents is already high. Downtown resistance is lower as Downtown residents and business owners fear a spill over effect of the problems that haunt East Greensboro. If and when the necessary changes take place are anyone's guess.
To be continued...
"East Greensboro is a vibrant community with a strategic proximity to Downtown Greensboro and a major source of employment, education and African American history. While the community has managed to sustain itself over the past few years of economic decline, it has compiled a series of issues that will challenge the area over the next decade. The primary concern are high poverty rates, low median household income rates, declining home ownership levels and prices, and the below average performance of public schools.
These are conditions that cannot be ignored and have set the foundation for the area’s lack of retail and service amenities. E. Lee Street’s highest daytime population (57,175) is offset by the fact it also has the lowest number of households and household incomes. These two points greatly hinder East Greensboro’s attractiveness to retailers. Understanding what drives these low household numbers is the key to finding the solutions. In order to increase the presence of services and retail, the number of households must increase and the income levels within those households must increase. This means a focus on jobs, schools and the quality of housing stock. Household median income projections are a very important part in determining consumer expenditure projections. Researchers have determined that people spend a set percentage of their income on retail purchases; therefore, the higher your median income level, the higher the consumer demand is projected to be.
A review of the demand projections for Greensboro shows that only E. Lee St. and Burlington have lower projected consumer demands than E. Market, and all three are in the East Greensboro study area. On the other side of this issue is expenditures. Only Wendover, Lawndale and Green Valley have higher actual sales than East Greensboro. Lowest demand, yet highest sales? This is a contradiction that would often be explained by the presence of quality retailers that are the beneficiary of other areas retail expenditures (the recipient of leakage). Clearly this is not the case in East Greensboro. So why does this contradiction exist? Three reasons:
1. the residents of East Greensboro spend a disproportionate portion of their income.
2. the research is simply wrong. Lower income areas spend more than researchers believe and there are many more residents in the trade area than researchers account for.
3. Transportation from the study area to other trade areas is very difficult, meaning more dollars stay in the trade area.
Our recommendations for improving parity in the study area are based upon the ability to address four major points:
1. the number of households in the study area
2. the household median incomes in the study area
3. road access in the study area
4. increased support for the public schools in the study area
Ultimately, the goal is to see household incomes in the area grow to the point that there begins to be an increase in the projected Consumer Expenditures. To accomplish this goal, we addressed the study area in four separate opportunity gateways.
First, University Gateway, anchored by Bennett College, North Carolina A&T and the United House of Prayer, including a modified traffic pattern along E. Market and Friendly Blvd, and creating a signature gateway into the Downtown; a new select service or boutique hotel on the current bus depot site and incorporated into the surrounding adaptive reuse projects located off Murrow Blvd.; a new mixed use retail and destination venue located on the site of the former post office.
Second, Gateway Gardens, anchored by the Gateway University Research Park and the Hayes Taylor YMCA, including a new mixed use retail and residential project along the E. Lee Street corridor from I - 40/85 to E. Florida Avenue; incorporating the new Hayes Taylor YMCA, Barber Park, Gateway Park and new athletic facilities, greenspace and trails into Greensboro’s finest recreational area.
The third, Gillespie Gateway, anchored by Gillespie Golf Course and Gillespie Elementary, including an updated golf course and tennis park that anchors a new charter elementary school at Gillespie Gateway Elementary and the redevelopment of Ray Warren Homes on E. Lee Street in a manner similar to Willow Oaks.
The fourth, Summit Gateway, anchored North East Plaza (Compare Foods) and Summit Shopping Center (Maxway) retailers should including the expansion of North East Plaza through the assemblage of adjacent property to add an additional anchor tenant."
As you can see, the study takes in much more than Uptown Greensboro and resistance from Greensboro's more well off, western residents is already high. Downtown resistance is lower as Downtown residents and business owners fear a spill over effect of the problems that haunt East Greensboro. If and when the necessary changes take place are anyone's guess.
To be continued...
Traffic Stop Yields Arrest
Dominique Marquis Talton was arrested last night at 798 E Wendover Avenue near Cypress Street on charges of Failure to Appear. No word on Talton's previous charges.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Eric Johnson Arrested Uptown
Eric Johnson was arrested at 1000 Summit Avenue today and charged with second degree trespassing. No, it wasn't the famous guitar player.
Mr Johnson was also arrested and charged with second degree trespassing at 934 East Bessemer Avenue.
Mr Johnson was also arrested and charged with second degree trespassing at 934 East Bessemer Avenue.
Lorillard Tobacco Company Reports Embezzlement
Lorillard Tobacco Company reported an embezzlement to Greensboro Police today. No word on how much.
The Tabb Study
The City of Greensboro recently hired outside consultants to study retail in Uptown and other parts of East Greensboro. The study can be found by clicking here. (Big document loads slowly) It pretty much says what I've known for years and in the coming days I will deal with it in depth.
The truth is out and the City spent $90,000.oo to prove what I've been telling them for years.
The truth is out and the City spent $90,000.oo to prove what I've been telling them for years.
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