Your downtown [Vol. 1. No. 7, October - November 1967]

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Vol.   I       No.   7
Greensboro,   N.
GREENSBORO PUBLIC LIBRARY
YOUR DOWNTOWN
October - November, 1967
MAYOR'S COMMITTEE BACKS PROJECT "A"
At an October 25 meeting
of the Mayor's Committee,
renewal project areas within the downtown area were
reviewed. The group decided
to support Project "A" for
urban renewal in the heart
of the downtown area. The
Committee also voted to
support the construction of
Municipal Parking Garage #
2, which falls within area "A". C°CKERHAM
Councilman Walter Cockerham,Chairman of the
Mayor's Committee on Downtown, announced that
the Committee proposed to contact all owners
of property within the boundaries of Project
"A". The purpose of this contact is to inform
owners of the possibilities for renewal within
the area and to determine their intentions concerning improvements or additions to their property.
Mr. Cockerham pointed out that a prime objective of the Mayor's Committee is to promote
the participation of private enterprise to the
fullest extent possible in carrying out a creative and flexible program of renewal for downtown .
He said that too many people view urban renewal as a "bulldozer" approach to renewal and
pointed out that in Project "A" sound structures will not be removed. Property owners
will be given e\/ery encouragement, opportunity
and assistance in improving their property. Urban renewal will permit a coordination of private and public activities not possible under
ordinary conditions.
Mr. Cockerham said that the Mayor's Committee includes some prominent individuals who
are distinguished by their executive abilities.
The following are participants: F. P. Boden-
heimer, James Sparger, Charles Weil, Jerry Ar-
ledge, Alfred C. Davis, and P. Hutson Moody.
The Mayor's Committee was formed to act as
liaison between all other downtown committees
and City Council. It is concerned with keeping
these committees "pointed in the right direction."
City Manager George Aull, City Planning Director Allen Johnston, and Redevelopment Commission Director Robert Barkley all participated at the October 25 meeting, serving as ex-
officio members of the Mayor's Committee.
DOWNTOWN RENEWAL PROJECTS SUGGESTED
Eric Hill Associates of Atlanta and City
Planning and Architectural Associates of Chapel Hill have suggested four areas of Downtown
Greensboro as possible urban renewal projects
(see back of page). As with other renewal projects, Greensboro would share the cost with
the federal government. Although the projected cost figures range from about $3.5 million
to a possible $20 million for the largest project, the actual cash cost to Greensboro would
be only a small fraction of the net cost.
Municipal Parking Garage #1 is virtually
completed, and its $1.3 million cost would apply to Greensboro's share of the cost of a
project that includes it. Another city garage is planned for the vicinity of Greene and
West Washington Streets. Its cost would also
apply to a project that it falls within. 25%
of the cost of the proposed City Hall would
apply toward the cost of a project whose boundary touches or includes it. The implementation of the thoroughfare plan would provide a
large amount of credit too, since street improvements located within a project area are
100% eligible as non-cash credit and boundary
street improvements are 50% eligible as noncash credit.
Since the cost of all improvements has not
been determined, the city's cash cost cannot
be precisely computed for the proposed project
areas. However, it is estimated that Project
"A", under ideal conditions,would cost Greensboro less than 1/2 million dollars cash for an
approximately 18 million dollar undertaking.