Recognizing the long term value and economic impact of venues like Ziggy's and the District Roof Top Bar & Grille, the City of Winston-Salem voted 7-1 on Monday night to establish that city's first downtown entertainment district.
For you dumbass newcomers to Greensboro who bought condos in downtown Greensboro without researching the existing clubs there and might not know, Ziggy's is roughly 30 years old and over the years has brought $Millions in economic development to downtown Winston-Salem. Yes, I know the Ziggy's FAQ states, "Ziggy’s is a newly constructed music venue and tavern located on the corner of 9th and Trade St...." but that is not the original location.
Greensboro, on the other hand, has a 30 plus year history of forcing the closure of successful music venues. But don't take my word for it, ask anyone over the age of 50 who grew up in Greensboro. Why? Because the developers and realtors who pull the strings in Greensboro government cannot earn commissions on properties that do not change hands.
You see, the Winston-Salem Board of Aldermen are smart enough to understand the long term positive economic impact of businesses that are allowed to remain in business. In Greensboro, it's all about flipping properties so that Robbie Perkins, Zack Matheny, Nancy Hoffmann, Jim Kee and their developer cronies can keep getting richer as the local economic situation tanks.
And what will Robbie, Zack, Nancy H, Jim and their developer cronies do when it all finally hits bottom? The same thing their kind has been doing in Greensboro for the last 50 plus years: buy it up cheap and sell it to another bunch of dumbass newcomers to Greensboro while funding the whole thing at taxpayers' expense.
It is, after all, the only way they know to make money.
Has Greensboro blown the chance? For now I'd say yes but don't worry, a chance will come back around when the mortgages are paid off on those Downtown condos in 20-30 years or when the faux rich, lilly white owners of those condos get tired of being under water in a majority poor, African American neighborhood with Greensboro's highest crime rate and walk away from their mortgages. Whichever comes first.
