The City of Greensboro has put on hold a plan to close large portions of South Elm Street to vehicle traffic beginning this week after downtown business owners, property owners and residents said they hadn’t been given enough opportunity to help shape the program.

The South Elm Street Pedestrian Plaza Pilot Program was scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 3, with the first weekend street closings beginning Friday, Aug. 7. Instead, South Elm Street will remain open to vehicle traffic for now while the city conducts another round of public input and attempts to revise that plan.

Greensboro City Manager Trey Davis directed city staff to delay the program after weeks of meetings, direct outreach and discussions with Downtown Greensboro Inc.

According to the city, opinions about the proposed pedestrian plaza varied, but one consistent message was that those who live, work and own property along the corridor wanted more time and a more direct role in deciding how the program would operate.

Davis said this week: “A pilot is meant to test our assumptions before we commit to something permanent. What we learned before launch is that our engagement was not finished.”

He also added, “I would rather take the time now to get this right with downtown businesses and residents than spend three months proving it the hard way. Delaying is not walking away. This is a program worth doing well.”

The decision comes at a particularly difficult time for downtown Greensboro. Downtown has been dealing with problems related to homelessness, concerns about public safety, longtime businesses closing – and a major shortage of convenient parking caused by construction, street closings and parking deck issues.

The city’s decision to remove even more parking spaces and restrict traffic along South Elm Street therefore was met with resistance from some downtown business and property owners, who feared the experiment could make it even harder for customers to reach struggling businesses.

The original plan called for South Elm Street between Market Street and Bain Street to be closed to traffic from 5 p.m. Friday until 5 p.m. Sunday every weekend.

The 200 block of South Elm Street, between February One Place and Washington Street, was scheduled to remain continuously closed during the roughly three-month experiment.

Cross streets would have remained open, and the city planned to establish food delivery zones on each block.

The closed portions of the street were to be converted into what the city described as a traffic-free pedestrian plaza featuring music, art, food and activities for all ages.

City officials also planned to offer free weekend parking in city lots and the Greene Street and February One parking decks during the first month of the program. The Hopper Trolley route was to be adjusted to provide access to the cross streets that remained open.

However, offering free parking in decks doesn’t necessarily address complaints from customers who want to park near a particular restaurant, store or business they’re visiting.

Parking has become a growing sore point downtown as construction projects and other disruptions have eliminated or complicated access to spaces. The city’s own Downtown Parking Plan recognizes the need to replace parking displaced near the southern end of Elm Street.

Some business owners had already publicly pushed back against the proposed closing before the pilot was delayed – arguing that the city was moving too quickly and saying city officials hadn’t adequately considered how blocking the street would affect deliveries, customer access and day-to-day business operations.

City leaders said the problems the program was intended to address haven’t gone away. Those include loud vehicles, cruising, pedestrian safety and the need to attract more foot traffic to downtown businesses.

They also said the City of Greensboro remains committed to creating a more walkable downtown.

City officials emphasized that delaying the program doesn’t mean it’s been canceled permanently. For now, however, all portions of the pilot plan are on hold, including the planned weekend closures.

The city is contacting vendors, addressing signage and updating the program website at MeetMeOnElm.com.

City staff members are also expected to meet directly with South Elm Street business owners, property owners and residents over the coming weeks.

The city plans to work with Downtown Greensboro Inc., the Greensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce to develop a revised public engagement schedule.

That schedule is expected to be announced in early September, with a new implementation timeline to follow.

City officials said the work already performed by employees from nearly a dozen city departments won’t be discarded but instead will be used to develop a revised version of the program.

The delay leaves open the larger question of whether closing one of downtown Greensboro’s primary streets will bring more people downtown or simply make visiting businesses there less convenient.

The city still envisions a lively pedestrian district filled with people walking, dining, listening to music and participating in activities. Business owners, however, must deal with the immediate realities of attracting customers at a time when downtown is already facing serious challenges.

So for now, restaurants, stores and entertainment venues along South Elm Street will operate under their normal schedules, and existing vehicle and parking access will remain unchanged.

Business owners, property owners, residents and others may submit comments through MeetMeOnElm.com or by emailing publicrelations@greensboro-nc.gov.

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