A few days ago the Greensboro News & Record printed a story telling us of a Coliseum funded Clemson University study that stated the Greensboro Coliseum Complex is an economic driver for Greensboro and while I have no evidence to the contrary I have been told that the big white elephant on High Point Road is driving some businesses out of business.
I never gave it much thought until yesterday when I heard that private catering companies, restaurants and locally owned venues are losing money because of the activities of Matt Brown and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. For example: Take a look at the October Schedule for the Greensboro Coliseum Complex and look at how many private conferences, seminars, luncheons and private meetings are being held there in just 1 month. By my count, 28 in October alone.
You see, each and every one of these events are an event that won't bring customers to locally owned venues, catering companies or restaurants because everything those locally owned businesses can provide is being provided by Matt Brown and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.
At a loss to taxpayers of $2.2 Million Dollars a year, that is.
So I have to ask, did the Clemson study take into account all the businesses Matt Brown and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex has run out of business?
Has anyone ever stopped to consider that the economic problems on High Point Road might be caused by the Coliseum?
And finally, with Matt Brown in charge of the soon to be built Steven Tanger Performing Arts Center will downtown business owners soon face the same fate?
You see, there's a reason government is not supposed to compete with private enterprise.
