Greensboro City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba started work on Feb. 1 so the Tuesday, Feb. 15 meeting was his first Greensboro City Council business meeting.
Before coming to Greensboro Jaiyeoba was an assistant city manager and director of the planning and development department for the City of Charlotte, so it seems fitting that the first real issue that Jaiyeoba presented to City Council involved planning.
Before the city staff gave the presentation on the proposal to sell 3 acres at the corner of South Elm Street and Gate City Boulevard to Lidl for a grocery store, Jaiyeoba said that he wanted to focus on a few points.
First he said that this was about building a grocery store in a food desert but that the terms of the agreement was not 15 years, but five years from closing with two possible one year renewals for a total of seven years.
He also said that prior to closing which would be in April 2023, “The purchaser will define details of what the arrangement will be for parking and there will be a formal agreement that the city will accept. So we have enough time to really discuss that.”
Jaiyeoba said, “I will acknowledge and be the first to acknowledge that a surface parking lot is not the highest and best use of land especially in the city’s downtown, but it is not just this lot, we need to look around us.”
Jaiyeoba said that at an upcoming work session parking in this area and in the entire downtown would be discussed, so that the city could move forward in collaborative way with developers, property owners, Downtown Greensboro Inc. and other stakeholders toward a solution.
He said, “I do understand the concern of Lidl having that parking lot of 100 to 150 spaces tonight, but that is not the end of the discussion regarding parking.”
Jaiyeoba said that the proposed 2.5 acre mixed use development on the Union Square campus across South Elm Street with affordable and market rate housing had to be considered and that the Lidl could be a “catalyst” for the area.
The City Council approved the land sale to Lidl by a 9-0 vote.
If govt will get out of the regulation and impediment business, businesses could actually accomplish something to most benefit their customers.
Oh, by the way, yet another Wallgreen’s in SF has closed. If the city won’t prosecute shoplifters, why would you want a retail business in SF?
My mom grew up in SF and I was born there. We lived in the Bay Area for much of my childhood and SF is my soul. Although I’ve now been here for 44 years I still consider CA home.
What the government of CA has done to my home is criminal. I remember mom taking us window shopping in Union Square during Christmas where the shops had decorated the windows with incredible scenes and there would be carolers on the streets, with the stores decorated inside the way Biltmore does here to celebrate for the season. I’ve always loved walking through Fisherman’s Wharf with the smells of fresh crab, fish, sourdough bread, and the sounds of seals and street entertainers. Walking the Bridge during the summer when the fog rolls in and its freezing cold air means you need a coat and mittens with the fog horn makes its long low sound. Everywhere you look your eyes are filled with scenes more beautiful than you can imagine. As a kid looking out my grandma’s bedroom window I’d see thousands of sparkling lights and pretend I was a princess looking at my jewels, and I could see the dark night ocean beyond.
Now The City is destroyed. It’s a scary place where people are mad, suspicious, violent. The places are filthy, stores are shut, everything is horribly expensive (just accessing the city costs $8.60 which is paid by a bill sent to you in the mail based on a photo of your license tag, when it used to be a dime you gave to a friendly toll booth person). There are vagrants laying everywhere which means drug needles and feces all over the streets (but clean up your dog’s poop!) I’m angry at the people who encouraged, allowed, insisted that this happen. The voters, the politicians, the criminals, the money funneled from the state and the federal government all allow this and they are evil.
We must be careful because NC and our area follow what happens in CA. We have a chance to change that, but we must begin now.
WTF does your Walgreens screed have to do with Lidl and Greensboro? The ARTICLE demonstrates the need of a growing urban area without a lot of mass transit options to integrate growth by addressing multiple public needs simultaneously. I’m sure many readers enjoy shopping in large mixed use developments where retail, townhouses, apartments are complimented by a multi_storied parking garage, providing living, retail and transport opportunities in a dense, highly efficient space. You have to plan for the city your grandchildren will inhabit, not just throw up buildings whenever a developer wants them. Imagine Gboro with 500,000 residents, which WILL happen someday. If you don’t want gridlock and parking frustration in 2035, you need to start intelligent growth TODAY.
If you don’t like the way Gso. is growing by any means please leave. Take chris with you. Damn carpetbagger
Oh you mean like New York, Chicago, SanFrancisco, LA Calif. no thanks. I’d prefer things just as they are
Don’t think we are growing THAT big yet.
I don’t know why there is such an uproar over a surface parking lot. There is already a giant surface lot on the southeast corner of that intersection for the nursing school and a smaller one on the northwest. New Zion Church, which backs up to that same area also has a big surface lot. Why start whining about parking lots now? Either allow them or don’t allow them.
Now Don’s a parking lot expert. Who knows what’s next. The suspense is killing us.
Glad to see that you hang on my every word, even though I’m just posting facts and few ideas, bruh. I don’t see you doing much beyond tagging along behind me, trying to get a laugh out of somebody, anybody. Sadly, I don’t see anyone piling on with you in the comments section, despite your copious efforts. You could always post a bunch of comments under different names to make yourself feel better. All your comments targeting me are really flattering though. I really must have gotten under your skin.
Anyway, if you have an actual thought on the article or any substantive input, please feel free. But no, I don’t think we’ll see much of anything brilliant, let alone useful, coming from you anytime soon.
Now now Don don’t get your tighty whiteys in a knot you put your opinion on parking lots on here. With all the info you included it just sounded like you were an expert on parking lots. Sorry if I offended you.
Thanks for proving my point.
Nor you Don nor you