At the end of most Greensboro City Council meetings, councilmembers are given a few minutes to speak about whatever they want.
Since The Tanger Center for the Performing Arts opened on Sept. 2, about 18 months after the grand opening scheduled for March 2020 was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions, The Tanger Center has figured prominently in these comments.
However, at the Oct. 19 City Council meeting, Councilmember Nancy Hoffmann used her time to go talk about some quick calculations on the economic impact The Tanger Center is having on downtown Greensboro.
Hoffmann said that when she talked to the group of eight in front of her at the performance of Wicked on Thursday night, she found out that three couples were from Burlington and one was from Roanoke. She said they told her that had dinner downtown before the show and then walked over to The Tanger Center.
Hoffmann said, “It just struck me so strongly again that much of our thinking in terms of our planning since 2012 was that it was very important from an economic development point of view that that performing arts center be downtown and this was a perfect example.”
Hoffmann added, “I just did a quick calculation and over the two-and-a-half or nearly three week run of these Broadway productions, let’s say you have 20 or 21 performances and those are all sold out, so you’ve got 3,000 people there for the matinees and each of the night performances. So you’re talking about 60,000 people pouring into downtown Greensboro for all those shows.”
Hoffmann said, “It really shows the economic development impact that the center is having and will continue to have for the City of Greensboro.”
She said, “Our thinking and rationale for what we did was right on.”
And she added, “Now we need more restaurants downtown.”
Nancy Hoffman – Doubtful that The Tanger Center has had capacity crowds. Before doing your calculations, why not call and get the exact numbers? Theoretical is just that.
More restaurants downtown? Where are you going to find the people to staff them? Maybe Crazy Uncle Joe can send a plane load of the illegals that are being distributed around the U.S.
You must be a blast at birthday parties. I went Tanger for the Friday show and it WAS a sellout. By the way, love the idea of allowing more immigrants in to help fill entry level jobs. Low cost labor keeps prices low.
What jaw dropping naivete.
‘So…let’s all say that every single seat is sold out for every single performance, then eight million people will flood into downtown Greensboro! Aren’t I just a wonderful business genius!’
This woman has clearly never run a business, and I would not be surprised if she spent her whole career in the Public Sector – which ought to properly be called The Parasitic Sector. Anytime the government drains off resources from the Productive Sector in order to spend on their pet projects, they are saying that they know better than the market how to allocate resources. The funny thing is, these white elephants always lose money by the fistful, don’t they. But I’m sure the Tanger Center will operate in the black…. Yeah, right.
But hey, You Go Nancy!
In your brilliant perspicacity you have determined that there is a market shortage of restaurants in downtown Greensboro. I suggest you open up a new one without delay! “Let’s say every single seat is filled from lunch through dinner….”
Good luck, dear. But I won’t be one of your investors.
Not a fan of the arts?
I used to live downtown back when the only businesses were second hand stores and a dive bar that had a knifing most weekends. Investments in things like the ballpark, parking decks, etc… have made Greensboro downtown a best in class downtown revival that many other mid sized cities envy. The Tanger Arts center will further help bring investments to downtown. It may not hit the financial success of the DPAC center in Durham but it will add great value to our city and help make us more than just a gateway to our bigger neighbors, Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte.
Hope you take the time and find a show there to enjoy. It is an amazing facility with great potential. All it needs is community support.
Immaterial drivel.
A pat on the back for a 100 million dollar monument to largesse while our basic infrastructure like a revamped water system or anything that might stem the high murder and rampant gang killings in our community. Before our city leaders allowed our former War Memorial auditorium to fall into disrepair it hosted all the same types of plays, comedians,and musical acts…….but not next to property owned by councilmember Hofman……Also if downtown couldn’t support city council funded joints like the disasters at the former Bin 33, Four Flocks, Revolution burger, and the Word why would any restauranteur invest in the worst downtown in any major town on NC.
The Worx. Not the Word…
Went and saw Wicked there with my wife and two kids. Was really impressed with the new center. The amount of people it brings to the city will be a great win!
What no race card again chris my you are slipping
Yeah-if you want more restaurants downtown-learn how to protect the restaurateur’s investment from rioters.I don’t see how anyone would invest a Nickle down there after what was allowed to happen-apparently with no consequences to the hoodlums.
One thing that impacted me during my experience with “Wicked” was that I had to leave the performance due to the sound level. It was inhuman. No doubt that it enhanced the degeneration of people’s hearing. Especially seniors like me whose hearing is already impaired.
No Tanger for me.
I’m looking forward to a decrease in our taxes based on the success of the Tanger Center. Obviously the attendees she spoke with from out of town are not aware of the high crime rate (homicides) in our city nor the lack of infrastructure funding which has resulted in streets that are filled with potholes. Most of the residents that live in
Greensboro cannot afford to attend performances at the Tanger Center and even if they could they are reluctant to due to the crime rate. My wife has attended several performances at DPAC and is impressed with what they’ve achieved there – she enjoys the variety of restaurants and feels very safe walking around before and after a show. (We live down the street in Fisher Park)
I’m amazed to see Nancy H. Open her mouth at a meeting. How about worrying about D4. Oh that’s right, she owns property downtown.
Not so fast. Not so fast! This was the first event for the Tanger Center. How about waiting until the place has been open a year or two before patting yourselves on the back at the success of its economic impact on downtown. It’s exciting and new, appealing to lots of people now and drawing crowds. But what about a year or two down the road when the shine has worn off. We can’t forget that the Coliseum and War Memorial run in the red so taxpayers have to subsidize them each year. We have to consider that there will be parking issues for all those dining establishments, and a shortage of staffing as well as goods and materials in the next year.
The truth about the success of this venture will have to wait for a few years. The Wicked Witch isn’t giving us a clear look into her crystal ball yet.
Hoffman does indeed look like an evil witch in that photo!
Yeah, I grew up when the Greensboro Coliseum was the only large event venue around…..EVERY big event/concert/spectacle/sporting event/trade show came to Greensboro. Looked like a big win then and I guess it was….. for a good while.
But, like all good ideas that are a success, soon it will be copied and copied and copied again. The competition will grow and profits will shrink…..then it will be another expense. But that appears to be how cities work.
Deborah – Excellent commentary! My thoughts exactly.
I was downtown in the park when a show let out. It appeared to me as if most if not all of the attendees walked straight to the parking garages and proceeded to leave downtown. Hey, at least the crowds gave the homeless population some distraction for a half hour or so from the monotonous lives they live on the streets of our wealthy city.
Most go to dinner before the show given it let out after 11pm.
No mention of the city subsidized food service in the Performance Art boondoggle. They are not up and running but will soon be vacuuming up all that out of town money dangled in front of restaurants downtown.