Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro shares plans for former News & Record building site
By: Nate Polite
In a meeting with members of the Greensboro City Council, the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro shared its plans for a community hub at the site of the old News & Record building.
The plans include housing, hotels, restaurants and storefronts, all in a walkable setting.
CFGG President Walker Sanders feels like this is something long overdue.
“It’s been in limbo for a long time,” Sanders said. “That’s one of the reasons we put together a local group. We wanted to see some action on the site. We knew we needed to engage the community discussion about what’s the right type of development on that site.”
The CFGG went straight to the community for input on what to build.
“We did a lot of research on market analysis and what’s the right type of development for Greensboro to be the right size for our community,” Sanders said. “We also wanted to match that with what the community said it wanted to see on the site.”
Sanders is expecting the hub to see more than 350 days of activity every year, which is exactly what the community wants.
“What we heard from the community is that they wanted to see it be 24/7,” Sanders said. “They want it to be a destination. They wanted to have amenities that they’re proud of that they could go to.”
Sanders is hoping that creating a destination in east Greensboro lays the groundwork for more projects in that direction.
“What goes here, we believe, will catalyze other opportunities up and down Church Street and up and down East Market Street, connecting into NC A&T,” Sanders said.
The CFGG will invite potential developers to the site on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17. Sanders is looking for a group that shares his foundation’s vision for a community-focused build.