Because, believe it or not, not everyone in Greensboro reads Ed Cone's blog:
By Downtown Greensboro investor, property owner and DGI hostage, Eric Robert
"Downtown Greensboro belongs to more than just us property owners; we must therefore value the participants’ cultural contributions as much as the financial ones. We need to embrace urban diversity and accept that it takes all kinds; Young and old, rich and poor, black, brown and white. We must embrace the notion of public citizenship rooted in safety with respectful, responsible and accountable neighbors and patrons.
Downtown Greensboro is good, but it can be better if properly stewarded as Downtown Greensboro… and not as a Greenville wannabe.
Downtown Greensboro is neither a strip mall nor a suburban condo. Downtown Greensboro is made up of urban neighborhoods reflective of our local and regional heritage, current community aspirations and overall economic health.
Downtown Greensboro is a “three shift” public destination made up of hosts and guests, businesses and patrons, employers and employees, landlords and tenants, residents and visitors.
Downtown Greensboro belongs to more than just us property owners; we must therefore value the participants’ cultural contributions as much as the financial ones. We need to embrace urban diversity and accept that it takes all kinds; Young and old, rich and poor, black, brown and white. We must embrace the notion of public citizenship rooted in safety with respectful, responsible and accountable neighbors and patrons.
Greensboro’s diversity must be reflected in Downtown’s leadership, ethnically, socially and aspirationally.
Downtown is struggling as our ongoing urban evolution is being mismanaged and legislated by foundations, and dedicated non profits, who, on our behalf, intersect with our local government uncomfortably …sometimes indecently.
Some within these groups promote an exclusive, white washed, politically correct environment devoid of any real point of view or distinct flavor. They promote a deceptive legal façade while blurring the ethical boundaries.
Technicalities, half truths and nuances too often veil real intentions. As a downtown property owner, I am a reluctant contributor to our current center city administrators, Downtown Greensboro Improvement Corporation dba Downtown Greensboro Inc, aka, Downtown Greensboro Foundation: a 501C3, a 501C4 and a 501C6; Three distinct entities with common officers and membership, specifically engineered to circumvent typical non profit limitations and public scrutiny. For example, a 501 C4 is not allowed to carry on propaganda or influence legislations…well, DGI sure is carrying on about the GPAC and certainly has influenced many legislations and ordinances… the upcoming “good repair “ ordinance was originally redacted by DGI …what DGIC is not permitted to do as a 501 C4 can be legally accomplished as a 501 C6, or a 501 C3. It is legal but is it ethical?
Somewhere along the way, creativity became corporate, aspirations banal, and cool became a bad word. Cool is charismatic and elegant, cool means that friends like you for you not because you control all of the funds, cool means you do not have to have forced membership to actually have members…cool means that you don’t have to pay people to like you. Cool, is actual economic development because cool sells itself.
DGI is simply incapable of being creative except when it comes to acquiring additional management fees from funds destined to support downtown initiatives. DGI’s Ed Wolverton’s op-ed piece a while back would have been better placed in the fiction section, and reflects the irresponsible behavior often demonstrated by DGI where numbers are intentionally misinterpreted to mask the organization’s mediocre civic contribution. For example, DGI reported, and took credit for, $60,000,000 new investment in downtown for 2011. While the number may be accurate, the report failed to identify that the $60,000,000 “new” investment included the refinancing of the Wells Fargo tower accounting for $47,000,000. All tent permits were also included.
2011 was difficult for many, and Downtown Greensboro suffered along with the rest of the city, county and country.
During that year, DGI did receive all of its management fees but failed to spend all of the funds it was entrusted to manage, all while many downtown businesses struggled and eventually vanished. A candid reporting would have sufficed and would have been helpful in determining how to improve available programs so that the intended recipients could actually participate.
Curfews, noise ordinance, buskers, food trucks and “good repair”, all exemplify DGI repeated failures in fulfilling its contractual obligations to our city. It not only failed to represent some of us in dispute arising between downtown entities, in some case it created the conflicts on behalf of a few, all while pocketing $284,000 in management fees including a very stealth $27,000 management fee acquired from tax payers’ pass through funds allocated to the maintenance Center City Park.
A pass through fund is just what its name implies; money goes from one account and passes through another on its way to the final recipient.
In this case money went from the city to Action Greensboro/Center city park LLC to DGI who then took a management fee right before paying itself for the actual park maintenance; maintenance for a park that actually belongs to Action Greensboro/Center city park LLC.
DGI is currently engaged in governmental taxpayer funded contracts by default, it manages three separate contracts in addition to the Business Improvement District fund…with no competition, no term limits, little oversight, no visible accountability or consequences. DGI is no longer credible as the sole representative of downtown Greensboro and the city’s elected officials must address this malaise once and for all.
I question DGI’s legitimacy in matters of downtown aesthetics,creativity, economic development and overall civic contributions. Somehow, the terms “visionary approach” and “working collaboratively” seem highly inappropriate when describing DGI ‘s current methods and competence.
The recent press release submitted by DGI is illustrative of how disconnected they really are. They should not have been surprised if they were actually in touch with the overall downtown community. Council did the right thing by our Center City. Downtown Greensboro will be better for it. We simply deserve better!"
By Downtown Greensboro investor, property owner and DGI hostage, Eric Robert
"Downtown Greensboro belongs to more than just us property owners; we must therefore value the participants’ cultural contributions as much as the financial ones. We need to embrace urban diversity and accept that it takes all kinds; Young and old, rich and poor, black, brown and white. We must embrace the notion of public citizenship rooted in safety with respectful, responsible and accountable neighbors and patrons.
Downtown Greensboro is good, but it can be better if properly stewarded as Downtown Greensboro… and not as a Greenville wannabe.
Downtown Greensboro is neither a strip mall nor a suburban condo. Downtown Greensboro is made up of urban neighborhoods reflective of our local and regional heritage, current community aspirations and overall economic health.
Downtown Greensboro is a “three shift” public destination made up of hosts and guests, businesses and patrons, employers and employees, landlords and tenants, residents and visitors.
Downtown Greensboro belongs to more than just us property owners; we must therefore value the participants’ cultural contributions as much as the financial ones. We need to embrace urban diversity and accept that it takes all kinds; Young and old, rich and poor, black, brown and white. We must embrace the notion of public citizenship rooted in safety with respectful, responsible and accountable neighbors and patrons.
Greensboro’s diversity must be reflected in Downtown’s leadership, ethnically, socially and aspirationally.
Downtown is struggling as our ongoing urban evolution is being mismanaged and legislated by foundations, and dedicated non profits, who, on our behalf, intersect with our local government uncomfortably …sometimes indecently.
Some within these groups promote an exclusive, white washed, politically correct environment devoid of any real point of view or distinct flavor. They promote a deceptive legal façade while blurring the ethical boundaries.
Technicalities, half truths and nuances too often veil real intentions. As a downtown property owner, I am a reluctant contributor to our current center city administrators, Downtown Greensboro Improvement Corporation dba Downtown Greensboro Inc, aka, Downtown Greensboro Foundation: a 501C3, a 501C4 and a 501C6; Three distinct entities with common officers and membership, specifically engineered to circumvent typical non profit limitations and public scrutiny. For example, a 501 C4 is not allowed to carry on propaganda or influence legislations…well, DGI sure is carrying on about the GPAC and certainly has influenced many legislations and ordinances… the upcoming “good repair “ ordinance was originally redacted by DGI …what DGIC is not permitted to do as a 501 C4 can be legally accomplished as a 501 C6, or a 501 C3. It is legal but is it ethical?
Somewhere along the way, creativity became corporate, aspirations banal, and cool became a bad word. Cool is charismatic and elegant, cool means that friends like you for you not because you control all of the funds, cool means you do not have to have forced membership to actually have members…cool means that you don’t have to pay people to like you. Cool, is actual economic development because cool sells itself.
DGI is simply incapable of being creative except when it comes to acquiring additional management fees from funds destined to support downtown initiatives. DGI’s Ed Wolverton’s op-ed piece a while back would have been better placed in the fiction section, and reflects the irresponsible behavior often demonstrated by DGI where numbers are intentionally misinterpreted to mask the organization’s mediocre civic contribution. For example, DGI reported, and took credit for, $60,000,000 new investment in downtown for 2011. While the number may be accurate, the report failed to identify that the $60,000,000 “new” investment included the refinancing of the Wells Fargo tower accounting for $47,000,000. All tent permits were also included.
2011 was difficult for many, and Downtown Greensboro suffered along with the rest of the city, county and country.
During that year, DGI did receive all of its management fees but failed to spend all of the funds it was entrusted to manage, all while many downtown businesses struggled and eventually vanished. A candid reporting would have sufficed and would have been helpful in determining how to improve available programs so that the intended recipients could actually participate.
Curfews, noise ordinance, buskers, food trucks and “good repair”, all exemplify DGI repeated failures in fulfilling its contractual obligations to our city. It not only failed to represent some of us in dispute arising between downtown entities, in some case it created the conflicts on behalf of a few, all while pocketing $284,000 in management fees including a very stealth $27,000 management fee acquired from tax payers’ pass through funds allocated to the maintenance Center City Park.
A pass through fund is just what its name implies; money goes from one account and passes through another on its way to the final recipient.
In this case money went from the city to Action Greensboro/Center city park LLC to DGI who then took a management fee right before paying itself for the actual park maintenance; maintenance for a park that actually belongs to Action Greensboro/Center city park LLC.
DGI is currently engaged in governmental taxpayer funded contracts by default, it manages three separate contracts in addition to the Business Improvement District fund…with no competition, no term limits, little oversight, no visible accountability or consequences. DGI is no longer credible as the sole representative of downtown Greensboro and the city’s elected officials must address this malaise once and for all.
I question DGI’s legitimacy in matters of downtown aesthetics,creativity, economic development and overall civic contributions. Somehow, the terms “visionary approach” and “working collaboratively” seem highly inappropriate when describing DGI ‘s current methods and competence.
The recent press release submitted by DGI is illustrative of how disconnected they really are. They should not have been surprised if they were actually in touch with the overall downtown community. Council did the right thing by our Center City. Downtown Greensboro will be better for it. We simply deserve better!"
