While Roy Carroll and Robbie Perkins continue to promote investing $Millions of Greensboro's tax dollars 10 miles outside the Greensboro City Limits, Action Greensboro seems to lament the fact that 40% of Greensboro's jobs are over 10 miles away.
And while Ed Wolverton of Downtown Greensboro Inc was recently proud to point out that downtown employs 21,000 workers, according to Action Greensboro that's a loss of 7,000 workers since 2010.
Now here's a funny one: Action Greensboro claims that "the City of Greensboro (and Guilford County?) has contributed far less funding for capital projects downtown than it has in suburban areas" but all their numbers are blank. That's right, blank.
Did you know there have been at least 11 plans and 100 projects produced for Downtown since 1995? How many have been completed? How many of these plans were just money thrown away? They talk a lot about promoting Greensboro's brand but didn't we just read several discussions in the local media where Action Greensboro and the rest are still trying to figure out what Greensboro's brand is?
Action Greensboro talks about attracting high paying jobs then they go pitching minimum wage jobs in restaurants and performing arts centers.
They talk about Greenways, corridors and connective sites but don't talk about easier ways for the rest of us to get to Downtown. And then they wonder why those of us in the burbs don't support Downtown shops. And no, I'm not talking about driving cars.
Action Greensboro claims the City and the Foundations should be providing more free parking and yet the proposed downtown performing arts center plan calls for raising the price of existing parking without making any more parking available.
Action Greensboro admits that the cost of repairing old buildings in Downtown Greensboro exceeds their retail rental values and yet Mayor Perkins is currently attempting to force downtown property owners to repair these same buildings. Can you say, Land Grab?
I could say a lot more but it's late and I'm tired so I'm just going to repeat something I said 30 years ago that remains true today: If you just let it die then when it's value finally hits rock bottom someone will come in and rebuild it with their own money. But as long as you continue to artificially inflate the market you will always be throwing money downtown a hole.
And for those who think me a liar, the 2010, Action Greensboro Moser, Mayer, Pheonix Associates, Greensboro Downtown Economic Development Strategy courtesy of George Hartzman.
And while Ed Wolverton of Downtown Greensboro Inc was recently proud to point out that downtown employs 21,000 workers, according to Action Greensboro that's a loss of 7,000 workers since 2010.
Now here's a funny one: Action Greensboro claims that "the City of Greensboro (and Guilford County?) has contributed far less funding for capital projects downtown than it has in suburban areas" but all their numbers are blank. That's right, blank.
Did you know there have been at least 11 plans and 100 projects produced for Downtown since 1995? How many have been completed? How many of these plans were just money thrown away? They talk a lot about promoting Greensboro's brand but didn't we just read several discussions in the local media where Action Greensboro and the rest are still trying to figure out what Greensboro's brand is?
Action Greensboro talks about attracting high paying jobs then they go pitching minimum wage jobs in restaurants and performing arts centers.
They talk about Greenways, corridors and connective sites but don't talk about easier ways for the rest of us to get to Downtown. And then they wonder why those of us in the burbs don't support Downtown shops. And no, I'm not talking about driving cars.
Action Greensboro claims the City and the Foundations should be providing more free parking and yet the proposed downtown performing arts center plan calls for raising the price of existing parking without making any more parking available.
Action Greensboro admits that the cost of repairing old buildings in Downtown Greensboro exceeds their retail rental values and yet Mayor Perkins is currently attempting to force downtown property owners to repair these same buildings. Can you say, Land Grab?
I could say a lot more but it's late and I'm tired so I'm just going to repeat something I said 30 years ago that remains true today: If you just let it die then when it's value finally hits rock bottom someone will come in and rebuild it with their own money. But as long as you continue to artificially inflate the market you will always be throwing money downtown a hole.
And for those who think me a liar, the 2010, Action Greensboro Moser, Mayer, Pheonix Associates, Greensboro Downtown Economic Development Strategy courtesy of George Hartzman.
