Triad Mayors dream big about their downtowns

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Triad Mayors dream big about their downtowns

Mayor Keith Holiday of Greensboro

Mayor Allen Joines of Winston-Salem

Mayor Becky Smothers of High Point

Downtown dreamers

1-1-04

By Jeri Rowe, Staff Writer

News & Record

Ask anyone about a particular city, and they always look to downtown. It

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[cityboi]

One thing about Greensboro and Winston-Salem is that they are starting out in different directions for their downtowns but will ultimately accomplish the same things.

Winston-Salem's first focus for downtown is research & technology. Greensboro's first focus for downtown is entertainment/cultural attractions and to create a "college town" with focus on education in the center-city. For Greensboro its about making an environment that is attractive enough for the trained college students to stay in Greensboro instead heading off to other cities. Eventually Greensboro will get to the research and technology phase for downtown but I think the goal is to set up the infrastructure first with the educational and cultural/entertainment attractions. There have to be incentives for companies to move to downtown Greensboro because the city is not blessed with a downtown freeway like Winston-Salem.

Likewise Winston-Salem will eventually get around to more entertainment and cultural attractions like a downtown ballpark, soccer stadium and much more. The biggest focus right now seem to be developing Piedmont Triad Research Park but there are some entertainment and cultural developments underway like Unity Place. Both Greensboro and W-S are currently adding more residential downtown and thats a good thing.

High Point isn't in any rush to become like Greensboro and Winston-Salem but the city does want to improve it's downtown so that its vibrant even when the furniture market is not in town. I think High Point has great opportunities ahead. While High Point doesn't have a large skyline or a population like Greensboro and Winston-Salem, the downtown atmoshpere does have an urban and almost world class feel. maybe its because of those big international style showrooms that brings the world to High Point.