Funding for the Downtown Greenway is once again on the Greensboro City Council agenda for the Tuesday, Sept. 19 meeting.
The Downtown Greenway, referred to by some as the project that would never end, is a 4-mile long, 12-foot-wide sidewalk around the downtown area. The Downtown Greenway project began in 2001, and in the past 22 years, about 3 miles of the 4 mile sidewalk have been completed and the estimated completion date is either 2024 or 2025, depending on the source.
On the agenda for City Council approval is a $14.95 million contract with Yates Construction Company Inc. to complete 5,200 feet, or about 1 mile, of the Downtown Greenway from Spring Garden Street to Hill Street. A contract for nearly $15 million to build one mile of a wider-than-usual sidewalk might seem high, but the total cost of the 4-mile Downtown Greenway is reportedly over $43 million – so it is in keeping with the cost of the project.
According to the Greensboro Downtown Greenway website, the Greenway is scheduled to be completed in 2024. However, the completion date on the contract with Yates Construction is June 2025, which is an indication that the Greenway may not be completed in 2024, but also a good indication that the Downtown Greenway may be completed before its quadranscentennial, or silver jubilee.
However, is it worth noting that every prospective completion date for the Downtown Greenway in the past has proven to be overly optimistic. In 2020, it was reported that the construction on the final mile would begin in 2021 and be completed by 2023.
When that completion date does come, it would seem appropriate to have all the mayors present who have guided this project to completion. The Downtown Greenway project began under Mayor Keith Holliday and continued under mayors Yvonne Johnson, Bill Knight and Robbie Perkins, and it may be completed by Mayor Nancy Vaughan, whose current term expires in 2025.
Fifteen mil seems a whole lot of money wasted on a feel-good worthless project. People can run (and bike) on all these spurious sidewalks all over the city.
But then again, it ain’t their money.
Maybe they should repave the existing A&Y Greenway first? It is one of the few nice things in this town, and the pavement is in terrible condition.
Now the tents of the homeless will be gathered along the entire loop. It is well known that many of our homeless pitch a tent along the loop. The City goes in and kicks them out periodically. I won’t be on that loop alone.
My ole my. Yates is not a minority contractor how in the world did this get by Hightower
Skip would never let this happen
Mebbe someone has a greasy palm?