Friday, December 20, 2013

Low Cost Competition For Downtown Greensboro Hotels Without The Need For Incentives

George Hartzman points us to Airbnb a company that allows homeowners and apartment owners to compete with hotel chains world wide at lower cost providing all the comforts of home without all the hassles of checking into hotels or the downtown parking problems. George writes: 

"A new 3,000 seat performing arts center in Downtown Greensboro during what looks like to be a deep recession may spawn local vacant property listings to be utilized for consistent downtown patron accommodations within a $5 cab ride of downtown.

Feels like there will also be some bed and breakfast facilities opening up upon completion of the GPAC, that may have to compete with what may be local government subsidized hotels.

If so, our local elected leadership may indirectly stifle small business and entrepreneurship growth by rewarding their campaign contributors with some of everyone else's money, even as the business model for hotel rooms morphs into another realm.

If Greensboro builds the GPAC, which looks shaky if financial markets correct and some of the monies pledged don't/can't materialize, our community should support small business over entrenched elites trying to skim higher profits off their ownership of downtown properties at the expense of everyone else."

And this:

"If the newly installed city council doesn't take some kind of control, they will be found to be at fault, even though the process was begun by a previous administration.

If some businesses are propped up with taxpayer money at the expense of others in the process, the current city council should be held to account, for they will have violated the concept of free market capitalism in Greensboro."

I recommend you read the entire post while remembering we now have Evidence: Greensboro Can't Fill The GPAC.