The Greensboro City Council will consider approving the next step in the development of the Union Square Campus at the intersection of South Elm Street and Gate City Boulevard at the Tuesday, March 16 meeting.
The plan calls for the South Elm Development Group to build a mixed-use development and a seven-level parking deck on what is currently the parking lot for the Union Square building.
The plan calls for approximately 248 dwelling units with at least 20 percent of those affordable housing units.
There would also be approximately 2,000 square feet of commercial space and 500 parking spaces built on the 2.4 acre site.
The current site plan, which is subject to change, proposes that the northwest corner of the site, the portion that is closest to the intersection, have ground level commercial and amenity space with three levels of apartments above them.
The Development Plan states, “Due to elevation difference, the plan for the southwest section of the site is to have five levels of apartments. The conceptual plan has a seven-level parking deck on the southeast section of the site, with five levels of apartments wrapping the south side of the parking deck.”
The parking deck will have access to both Arlington Street and an alley that will be built on the southern portion of the property connecting Arlington with South Elm. According to the site plan the parking deck would only be visible from Arlington Street.
The development plan also states, “The development team understands the importance of this site as the southern gateway to the downtown core of Greensboro and is committed to delivering a project that benefits the community not only through an inspiring building that will add to the vitality of the South Elm area, but also through affordable options for residents earning below the area median income, support of the M/WBE goals of the City of Greensboro, the creation of new public space, and the addition of commercial amenities.”
The City Council’s part in this is to authorize the sale by the Redevelopment Commission of the property at 100 East Gate City Blvd., 725 and 727 South Elm St. and 508 and 518 Arlington St. to the South Elm Development Group.
Seven level parking deck two blocks away from city financed parking lot that serves as a boondoggle example along with the failed Workz restaurant (possible because of city’s largesse) and about 5 blocks away from another city funded lot at the cloded Morehead Foundry(also funded with city money loaned to an accused rascist) and about 10 bucks from the Manning/Kaplan/Scarfone dedicated parking deck boondoggie that is way more expemsive than other similar decks in neighboring cities?
Redevelopment? Hardly. Downtown area is quickly moving back to the bad old days when folks were terrified and downtown had tumbleweed in the early 90s. Allowing rampant crime with a understaffed police department and having a city with extremely high child hunger rates and out of control rioting throughout the summer should be our leaders priority but instead is divvying up tax dollars for developers, lawyers, and contracters. If this is needed a private entity will do it not our tax dollars building things in a lipstick on a pig downtown filled with empty retail and shuttered office space.
“The parking deck will have access to both Arlington Street and an alley that will be built on the southern portion of the property connecting Arlington with South Elm.”
Considering the climate of the areas immediately adjacent to that block on the south and east sides, it sounds like a great new place for muggings and stabbings! Especially with the high, and still-rising, violent crime rate.
Way to go guys. You should be proud.
Don’t tell the clowns on the City Council, rather than squash this mess, they will increase funding for the other black hole they call Cure The Violence. It’s working out really well, wink-wink.
You guys are a real joke! This must be an early April Fools .