Planning note [Number 55, October 1967]

              PLANNING
O
T
E
Department  of  Planning 1 "J Greensboro,   North  Carolina
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No.    55 October 1967
THE SEARCH FOR SPACE
This Planning Note traces the growth
of space uses of the Greensboro City-
Government and demonstrates its future
space needs. The history of this growth
is the history of the growth of the
metropolitan area of which Greensboro
is the center. The anticipated growth of
this area of the Triad determines future
space needs of the municipal government
and necessitates expansion of governmental facilities for the economic and
efficient provision of services to city
citizens.
In  1950
except the Fi
field  opera
Greensboro C
structed in
Hall, in  195
feet of  gro
employees,
within an are
day this gove
inefficiently
buildings  sc
tral Business
lacking  in
expansion.
all municipal services
re Department and certain
tions were housed in the
ity Hall which had been con-
the early 1920's. The City
0, contained 39,200 square
ss space, housed 612 City
and served 74,389 people
a of 18.3 square miles. To-
rnment is  inadequately  and
housed  in  a number  of
attered throughout  the Cen-
District and is desperately
space to house its necessary
Late in 1956, the City renovated the
"Record Building" (now the Municipal
Office Building) and moved many Administrative functions into its 24,200
square feet of gross space in anticipation of the 19 5 7 annexation. The
Redevelopment Commission was created in
1958. Their space requirements were met
by renting 700 square feet of gross space
in the First Citizens Bank Building. The
following year, the Commission was relocated in the Banner Building, although
occupying comparable space.
By 1960, the City had grown to
119,574 in population, residing within
an area of 50 square miles, and employed
1,157 full-time municipal employees.
The "Woodsdale Building", located
between the City Hall and the Municipal
Office Building, was purchased and
renovated  in  1963.   This  added 37,376
square feet of gross space to the
Municipal Office Complex, providing a
total of 100,776 square feet of gross
space in City office buildings in the 200
block of North Greene Street. Also,
construction was completed in 19 63 on a
Service Center located on Patton Avenue.
The Superintendents of the Sanitation and
Streets Divisions and the Police Assembly
Room were moved from the Complex to this
new facility, releasing 350 square feet
and 540 square feet of gross space
respectively for other office and police
uses. That same year the Redevelopment
Commission was moved from the Banner
Building to the Southeastern Building in
order to expand their space use to 1,190
square feet of gross space (an addition
of 490 square feet).
In 1964, the City, in order to
facilitate the construction of the new
Wachovia Bank Building, sold the front
half of the newly renovated "Woodsdale
Building". This resulted in the loss of
12,600 square feet of space from the
Municipal Office Complex, leaving 88,176
square feet of gross space in the Complex. This loss of space forced the City
to rent 2,669 square feet of space in the
new 338 North Elm Street Office Building
for the Parks and Recreation Department.
The remaining space in the "Woodsdale
Building" was reassigned. Much of the
flexibility and expansion potential that
existed prior to the sale was lost.
In 1965, the Human Relations
Commission was created, and inadequate
office space in the Complex forced it
also to locate at 338 North Elm Street.
Only 69 8 square feet of space was required for its operations. The Redevelopment Commission, in that same year,
relocated within the Southeastern
Building and expanded their usage by 310
square feet to 1,500 square feet of gross
space.
In 1966, the Parks Division of the
Parks and Recreation Department was moved
from 338 North Elm to the Curb Market in
order to provide space for their expanded
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