Let's Do It Again

Via Cone, a review of Greensboro's Southside neighborhood:

Before redevelopment in 1995, Southside produced $400,000 in tax revenues. Now that redevelopment is complete, the total tax revenue generated from the neighborhood is estimated at over $10 million.

Though the planning process was collaborative, the design itself had some initial detractors. During the course of design and implementation, when Tom Low and Bowman Development Group first proposed different approaches that went against convention, the project was greeted with skepticism and, according to DPZ director of town planning Tom Low, "in some cases laughed at, ignored, or considered counterproductive."

"We knew Southside was going to be a successful project," he continues, "and due to those who kept moving the implementation forward—the city staff, builders, and local officials—Southside has greatly exceeded its potential. Southside sold out in 2004. Now with a growing number of additional redevelopment initiatives expanding into adjacent neighborhoods and downtown housing and mixed-use projects underway, the design ideals pioneered in Southside can be heard and seen echoing across Greensboro."

The $5 million bond that was approved in 1990 for Southside turned out to be a great investment for the city. There are more neighborhoods in Greensboro ripe for this kind of redevelopment. Let's do it again.

Question for city council candidates at some future candidate forum: Will you support and promote more redevelopment projects like Southside?