The Guilford County Historic Preservation Commission has called a meeting for Tuesday, Sept 17 to hold an evidentiary hearing to help decide whether or not to recommend a “Landmark Designation” status for the Groom-Shevel Building at 532-536 S. Elm St. in downtown Greensboro.
The building is owned by an LLC, with Greensboro developer David Zimmerman as one member. Zimmerman and other backers of the move have been seeking the historic designation for the South Elm Street building that houses, among others, Downtown Greensboro Inc. – an organization that’s dedicated to improving and beautifying the city’s downtown.
Any citizen who wants to speak for or against awarding the designation for the building will be allowed to speak at the Sept. 17 meeting.
Earlier this summer, the Historic Preservation Commission held a special on-site meeting to tour the structure, ask questions and collect information regarding the request.
Applications that have been filed regarding the designation are now available for public view before the meeting: They can be seen in the Guilford County Planning Department at 400 W. Market St. in Greensboro.
If anyone has questions on the process or needs more information on the upcoming hearing, they’re encouraged to call Guilford County planning staff at 336-641-3591.
If the county’s commission approves recommending the historic designation for the structure, the decision will move to the City of Greensboro which will have final say on the matter.
With a Landmark Designation, the building would get special tax status but would also be subject to some restrictions as to what type of renovations could be made.
Earlier this summer, Matt Talbott, the commissions’ staff secretary with the Guilford County Planning Department, said that, if that status is granted, future structural changes would need special approval to make sure the integrity of that historic status is preserved.
