The old News & Record site could be a gem in the heart of downtown Greensboro.
The 6.5 acre site on East Market between Davie and Church streets was the home of the News & Record from 1976 to 2020.
However, according Downtown Greensboro Inc. (DGI) President and City Councilmember Zack Matheny, the site of the old News & Record facility is now “a known drug house and a nuisance to the entire city.”
Matheny, as president of DGI, wrote that in a letter to Berkshire Hathaway, the owner of the property, and also noted that there was recently a murder on the site.
Matheny states, “The ‘smaller’ building where Tiffany was murdered, pictured below, is covered in graffiti and continues to be a haven for the unsheltered performing various illegal acts.”
Matheny adds, “The blight your firm has placed on our city is detrimental to people’s health, and to the businesses trying to survive around this nuisance of a property.”
Matheny ends his letter stating, “Our hope is Berkshire Hathaway will step up, clear the building ASAP, and take care of their property as they do in Omaha. This has gone on for too long. I also ask that city folks that are included in this email to gather the last few years of Public Safety call records, including fire. I also think that code compliance needs to enter the building for public safety purposes.”
In June 2023, it was announced that the Ryan Companies, along with TH3 Partners, had a purchase agreement for the old News & Record site. The property had been listed for sale for $11 million in 2021. The estimated cost of developing the site with 500,000 square feet of office space and 400 multifamily units was $300 million to $400 million, but today the vacant buildings continue to deteriorate and the weeds continue to grow.
And, as Matheny states in his letter, the site that has such potential is currently a “nuisance” property.
John who are the primaries in TH3 partners
Surprised east greensboro city council hasn’t purchased for Kennedy and the homeless. You citizens give plenty of tax dollars.
The city should purchase this location and build a new city hall and then abandon the one on Washington St. The Washington St location is outdated, ugly and on prime real estate in the center of downtown. Council cambers looks like a 1970’s gentleman’s club with all the dated wood decor. The building has a ton of wasted space inside with a green house looking thing inside. It should be tore down and sold off to build something else. .
Chair Nancy would never think of sending a letter like that. . . .wouldn’t want to hurt any feelings. We need Matheny for Mayor!!!
Agreed. My daddy worked in that building as well as what is now the Cultural Arts Center building. The vacant building likely has a ton of asbestos and other issues that were typical for construction during the time it was built. Any investment in that property is going to involve a TON of environmental clean up.
Filled with asbestos or not, the owners had to know what they were buying when they bought it. Something needs to be done to clean this up.
I’m sure the City’s Economic Development group didn’t disclose any of the issues. Had a group interested in it and had it inspected. Too much money for cleanup and the City was “shocked.” They got out of the deal.
This building is an eye sore and a drug den. An intelligent person on the council (if there’s one) would Eminent Domain the property and bulldoze it. Let’s make it a premium park that all can use.
The City already owns it.
A letter from a walking conflict of interest is interesting. I’m sure he would know where “known drug houses” are. Not everyone has a nice SUV to stay warm and do drugs in. City has failed for years to provide anything near the level of resources to help alleviate our homeless issue …..but plenty of cash for their Performance Arts Palace and empty parking decks.
Before long ALL downtown building is going to look the same way. THIS is downtown GREENSBOBO.
Amen. Council expects it to just blow away or purchase hotels away from downtown and build temporary pallet homes away from downtown hoping the homeless will follow. The homeless will always be downtown. The IRC is there, Urban Ministry is there and plenty of empty building to stay in are there. Forget the Regency. Forget the pallet homes in Pomona. Go where the homeless are and will stay….downtown. But if course, never near the Performing Arts Center…. They are picked up and dropped off elsewhere. Council simply does not get it. And neither does the former Councilwoman, now head of Neighborhood Development. Look at other cities our size. Good Lord get some brains. Just because a building on the east or west side of town is vacant doesn’t mean it’s appropriate housing for the homeless.
Berkshire-Hathaway is not responsible for this mess. It is the drug-addict street people who are creating the problem. Berkshire-Hathaway pays the City & County property taxes on this property, and pays (a lot) for policing the property.
The city needs to the job they are paid to do; protect the citizens and their property. Prosecute criminal offenders. The problem is drugs, not homelessness. Rehab or jail.
Just make me King of Greensboro. I’ll run all these grifters off.