The Guilford County Board of Commissioners is preparing to give the site of the former Guilford County Animal Shelter on West Wendover Avenue to the City of Greensboro so that it can be used as a location for affordable housing.
Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston told the Rhino Times that Greensboro leaders had made the request of the county to use the property in that way.
The old shelter was demolished several years ago and the site has been in limbo since then. The commissioners have considered selling the land, which likely could have brought in a nice price since it’s near the highly commercialized high trafficked area near Bridford Road and I-40.
So, it’s a very nice gift to give to Greensboro.
Alston said the intense need for affordable housing in the city and the county is one reason the Board of Commissioners is going to gift the property to the city.
Alston said he didn’t know when the transfer would take place but he sounded as though it would be done in short order as soon as the commissioners could vote on the matter and the legal papers could be drawn up.
For years, county leaders had considered selling the parcel because of its prime location in a busy commercial corridor. The land sits on Wendover Avenue just south of I-40, where traffic counts are among the highest in the city.
That corridor is filled with big box stores, chain restaurants, shopping centers and a long line of car dealerships.
Because of that prime location, the property was regarded by many as a valuable commercial site. In fact, county officials said they had been approached “many, many times” by car dealers and others interested in buying the land over the years to expand their businesses — even though the county wasn’t openly trying to sell it.
Back in 2017, then Guilford County Property Manager David Grantham spoke about the repeated interest. “I’ve had people approach me about that site many, many times over the years,” Grantham said at that time. “Car dealers have asked me about it more than once, and there have been other buyers too. Even when it wasn’t for sale, they wanted to know if the county would part with it.”
The land also has a complicated ownership history: While Guilford County has always been the majority owner, the City of Greensboro owns three-eighths of the very back section and the City of High Point owns one-eighth.
That arrangement dates back decades to when the shelter was first built as a joint venture.
Over time, Guilford County assumed most of the costs of running the facility, but the city’s ownership interest remained in place. That unusual arrangement added some complexity to any proposal to sell the property.
The old shelter itself was a subject of controversy for decades. Located at 4525 West Wendover Avenue, the low-slung building was functional but outdated almost from the start. Over the years it became overcrowded, underfunded and the focus of repeated criticism from animal welfare advocates.
In the mid-2010s, the facility came under intense scrutiny after management scandals and charges of animal cruelty at the shelter made headlines. Ultimately, Guilford County decided to build a completely new shelter off Guilford College Road, which opened in 2018.
When the bulldozers finally took down the old structure, the site was left as a vacant lot in one of the most heavily trafficked areas of the county. Commissioners openly acknowledged the property could command a strong sales price.
Grantham said in 2017 that “It’s very attractive for business purposes.”
Still, the board never pulled the trigger on a sale.
Part of the hesitation stemmed from the fact that the Humane Society is still situated on the property’s frontage.
The looming gift of the land for affordable housing – rather than the sale of it – represents a shift in priorities. Alston said the decision comes in response to the countywide housing crunch.
He also said that in recent years there hadn’t been much interest from business buyers seeking the land.
In Greensboro and Guilford County, demand for affordable housing has outpaced supply dramatically, with waiting lists for subsidized units stretching for years. City leaders have pressed every possible angle to find developable sites close to transit and jobs, and the Wendover parcel offers both. It sits on a major commercial corridor, is near bus routes and is surrounded by employment centers.
Less than a decade ago, the discussion around the Wendover property centered almost entirely on how much money the county could get by selling it. Today, the talk is about how many families might find a place to live there instead.
Because Greensboro and High Point already hold minority ownership shares, transferring the majority interest will likely involve a formal interlocal agreement.
Alston said he did not have a firm timeline but suggested it would move quickly once attorneys prepared the necessary documents. County commissioners are expected to vote formally on the transfer in the coming weeks.
City and county officials often talk about the need to work together in addressing the homeless situation –and Alston has called for an all hands on deck community housing summit once a new Greensboro mayor is chosen in the upcoming election.
Developers have complained that Greensboro’s approval process is too drawn out and unpredictable, while county leaders have at times struggled to align their priorities with the city’s. Developers and builders are hoping that many of those barriers will be removed in short order so a housing boom can take place.
Why are you gifting away this property when skip should be selling it at market value. OR at least put it on the ballot. Skip spends money like a drunken sailor on leave. I don’t pay taxes to see it spent on skips stupid pet projects.
Affordable housing is just another name for buying your vote. Look at how many people who live in so-called affordable housing vote for Democrats. The rents paid, why shouldn’t they? I’ll bet you you’ll never see affordable housing go into the mayor’s neighborhood or skips neighborhood. It’s always someone else’s neighborhood.
Commissioner Alston has affordable housing less than a block away from his old home which he approved.
lol…….”his old home”…+/-3.80 acres right on the corner next to his new home…would make a great gesture, let’s get that one approved as well.
Nice article. One missing detail is the size of the property, which would seemingly be of significance to the questions of how many housing units, and of what type it could accommodate. You probably know but if so, the article does not indicate. Otherwise, very informative.
I believe it’s just over 2 acres.
Thank you, Scott!
A gift… from Skip Alston…
Uh huh.
Why are our property taxes so high when the sale of the property could be used to offset property taxes? Gifting the land that belongs to the citizens of Guilford County should be put to a vote. Do not believe Alston’s statement that there has not been much interest from business buyers seeking the land.
Another give away instead of selling to reduce taxes. Same old snafu of Skip buying votes. Another future crime dump in a few short years.
Good use may be housing for young people “aging out” of foster care. Many in care because their non-working parents kept producing children they couldn’t afford. Yet most of their parents are getting some taxpayer support.
That location would allow these young people a place to live, potential employment , opportunities for transportation to vocational schools for meaningful opportunities of employment. Their natural parents should accept this responsibility . Many of their parents are still collecting help from taxpayers while many of their 18 year-olds should be cared for those who created them. We should try to help those who are in desperate conditions they didn’t create, rather then supporting many adults who do not try to help themselves, much less those THEY have brought into this life.
There are several homeless encampments near that property. The county needs to do something about that. The homeless are all over the county. The new proposed housing near Highway 29 will not get close to being enough for the county’s homeless population.
Rumor has it the property on Hwy. 29N, formerly the Regency Inn, is on the Greensboro City Council “Consent Agenda” for Tuesday night in order to quietly pass the vote to sell the property to DHIC, a non-profit developer for $350,000. The city purchased this property for roughly $3.5 million and has invested an additional estimated $1.5 million since.
The “Consent Agenda” normally lists non-controversial items that do not require additional discussion by the council members which, in turn, allows for a quick acceptance.
In my opinion, no one on the Greensboro City Council should be re-elected nor be allowed to run for political office ever again as it’s obvious they do not honor their oath to serve the citizens of Greensboro.
More information regarding the former Regency Inn can be found on the “Yo! Greensboro” website.
Shouldnt these assets go for vote by the true owners of these assets. The residents. WTH is wrong with these tax & spend DemocRATs. The spend OUR MONEY like drunken sailors on leave.
Yes Mary, you can get an AMEN! It’s taken me over forty eight hours to digest this ridiculous act without being so angry I could blow a gasket.
Right in the heart of PRIME commercial space and we’re building “affordable housing “. We could have realized a handsome sum by selling this property to a private developer and then taken that money and doubled the amount of “affordable housing “ somewhere else in the City or County.
I’m sure WalMart is thrilled. They’re the only grocery store within miles of this property.
We need common sense leadership in our City and County government, just as we now have at the Federal level. I digress but, let me remind you VOTER APATHY will be the death of us all.
Y’all keep electing and re-electing Demopublican govcrims! What happened to the Hebrew School fiasco?! What about the Epstein cover up? Letting these people steal your Liberty , property, monies, let them rape and probably worse, your children! If you haven’t noticed, the state cares not for you! Wealth redistribution is theft!