On Monday, May 5, a lot of people were celebrating because it was Cinco De Mayo; however, there was also a large contingent of celebrants gathered at the corner of Eugene Street and Bellemeade Street to revel for another reason: Carroll Companies was breaking ground on what will be a new hotel and mixed-use project at the site downtown near where Greensboro developer Roy Carroll built the Hyatt Place hotel.

Before the honorary shovels dug into the dirt, short speeches were provided by Downtown Greensboro Inc. President Zack Matheny, Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston and Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan.

Carroll, the former owner of the Rhino Times, spoke last.

“You know, we are very blessed,” he said. “This community has been good to me and my family over the years.”

He said he grew up in south Greensboro where his father was a meat-cutter and a grocery store owner.

 “I’m the most unlikely person to be sitting here with hundreds of millions of dollars of development under my belt – but I’ve got an awesome team of company folks, a lot of whom are standing around here today,” he said. “They make me look a lot smarter than I am, so thank you to all Carroll Companies employees.”

The new hotel will be built on the site next to the large parking deck on the corner that will be part of a new multi-use development, “Carroll at Parkside,” which will feature the coming nine-story AC Marriott hotel with 159 rooms. In addition to the hotel rooms, the project is planned to include retail space and event space.

“In this hotel, we’re going to raise the bar,” Carroll said. “One thing I’m really excited about is another restaurant in downtown Greensboro. This will be a rooftop restaurant. It’s going to be called The Bristol. That’s a little nod to my dog – his name is Bristol. It’s going to have a balcony overlooking downtown Greensboro.”

(Word has it that Carroll considered bringing Bristol the dog to the groundbreaking ceremony but, on second thought, he became concerned the dog might be a distraction.)

Carroll said the project had seen some bumps along the way and he added that a big project like this is “a team sport.”

The site of the coming hotel had once been a county-owned property used to provide mental health services.

“We spent a lot of time working with the county,” Carroll said just minutes before the groundbreaking. “The county relocated mental health services – and they didn’t have to do that. They could’ve stayed right here on the corner.”

Also, the City of Greensboro played a big role in the project because city leaders agreed to build a parking garage on the corner to help handle all the added parking needs.

“This was a tough negotiation,” Carroll said. “It didn’t go 30 days – this was over a year. And a lot of these folks were sitting in conference rooms at city hall and in the county commission chambers as we worked through all the nuances to put this together. But we did it. We persevered. And that’s how you build great projects – when a community comes together and supports something like this.”

The coming hotel is one in a long line of Roy Carroll projects, starting with the renovation of the Center Pointe building into apartments in 2006, next to Center City Park  That was followed by 300 luxury apartments overlooking the ballpark on Bellemeade, which was in turn followed by the Hyatt Place hotel, just a stone’s throw away from the Marriott ground breaking taking place that day.

Carroll said of the existing Hyatt Place hotel, “We were a little pessimistic. ‘Is that going to work?’ But it’s been a huge success. I know the Hyatt brand — they’re very pleased.”

Carroll added that it was now one of the top-performing Hyatt hotels in the country.

He said success like that drives him and the company on to the next project.

“So that’s why we’re standing here today – because we think it makes sense to have another nice hotel, a luxury brand, in downtown Greensboro. As long as we’re working on a project, we’re thinking of the next one.”

“Trust me – the wheels are spinning; there’s lots of room up here to dream,” he added of the city’s downtown that keeps growing.

“Downtown Greensboro’s best days are ahead of us,” he told the crowd.  “I’m excited about it and I’m putting my money where my mouth is.”

Carroll also encouraged other developers to notice, and take part in, downtown Greensboro’s development.

“I just hope that other developers and investors are looking at this awesome city – because it’s a great place,” he said. “There’s opportunity. There’s lots of great space still available to develop, or buildings that can be redeveloped.”

Carroll added that he would be happy to work with any other developers who want to come to Greensboro and discuss the nuances of bringing projects to downtown or other parts of the city.

Before Carroll spoke, Downtown Greensboro Inc. President Zack Matheny kicked things off by saying this project would enhance an already vibrant downtown.

Matheny said one key to a successful downtown was “heads in beds,” something the coming hotel will allow more of.

“The Carroll Companies and the Carroll family are invested in downtown,” he said, asking for a round of applause, which was provided by the 150 or so attendees at the groundbreaking event.

He said the significance of what Carroll Companies has done for the entire community is tremendous and went far beyond simply what was no doubt a very large property tax bill Carroll that pays every year.

Alston, who heads up the county’s Board of Commissioners, said he was thrilled.

He said Guilford County was proud to play a part in making this project happen.

“A few years ago, we made the right decision, and we’re here today,” Alston said.

Alston said Matheny had stolen some of his planned speech by listing the Carroll Company’s Greensboro projects over the past two decades.

“These investments don’t happen by accident,” Alston told the crowd as a few light raindrops fell on the parking lot. “They take partnership, collaboration, and belief in the potential of the city and county. And it takes bold moves — like what’s going to happen on this corner in a few years.”

Alston said the new Guilford County is a different one from the relatively stagnant Guilford County of several decades ago.

“It is growing deliberately, responsibly, and with our citizens in mind,” he said.

Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan spoke of the partnership the city entered into with Carroll Companies to build that parking deck.

“Some people questioned whether there really would be development on this site — but we knew there would be, because we know Mr. Carroll’s investment in the City of Greensboro,” she said.

The mayor praised Carroll for deciding to place the Marriott in Greensboro.

“He could build these things anywhere, but he has chosen to build here in his home city,” she said.

She added, “Let’s not forget that Mr. Carroll was involved in one of the biggest economic development projects we’ve had in a long time – Publix. Without his contribution to Publix, we would not have that wonderful warehouse, distribution and manufacturing center that we have right now. So, to see those continued investments — we know that Greensboro is on the right track.”

Vaughan pointed out that North Carolina has 100 counties and Guilford County is number five when it comes to tourism. She said that was pretty amazing since the county doesn’t have an ocean or mountains.

She noted that Greensboro does have a wonderful Science Center, which was just rated number one in the country, as well as the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, the Tanger Center and other attractions.

She said concerts in the city pull in people from outside of Guilford County, which means many of them need hotel beds.

“When you run the numbers and find out who is actually coming to see these events, they’re largely from out of town,” the mayor said. “When the Coliseum has a concert, roughly 60 percent or more of the attendees are from outside of Guilford County.”

Vaughan said one of the biggest issues the city faces is that visitors don’t have places to stay in Greensboro.

“And we want them to stay here — because we want that occupancy tax,” she added.

Vaughan said that not only is Carroll and the Carroll Companies helping Greensboro by enhancing property tax revenue — but also by upping the occupancy tax revenue.

“And that’s really what enables us to do other things around the city — to attract tourism and hospitality to our area,” she said.

“So, Roy Carroll and Carroll Companies: I just want to say thank you so much for making the commitment to this,” the mayor said.  “It’s not only property tax.  It’s employment tax.  It’s sales tax – and it’s what makes the city’s budget healthy, along with the county’s.”

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