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East Carolina has a plan for a Performing Arts Center downtown, where the Willis Building is now on First Street. I assume it wouldn't be designed for basketball use though.
At one time East Carolina had plans of putting the Performing Arts Center on 10th Street near the old Bostic-Sugg Furniture Store. Seems like a much better location especially with the 10th Street/ Farmville Boulevard/Stantonsburg Connector project, a major artery with easy access to 14th St., Evans & Charles Blvd. Putting it at the end of a one-way dual lane Reade Circle & soon to become 2 lane 1st street with no stop light seems like a horrible location. The site is not that deep and backs up to a ravine & traffic problems will be terrible at this site.
At one time East Carolina had plans of putting the Performing Arts Center on 10th Street near the old Bostic-Sugg Furniture Store. Seems like a much better location especially with the 10th Street/ Farmville Boulevard/Stantonsburg Connector project, a major artery with easy access to 14th St., Evans & Charles Blvd. Putting it at the end of a one-way dual lane Reade Circle & soon to become 2 lane 1st street with no stop light seems like a horrible location. The site is not that deep and backs up to a ravine & traffic problems will be terrible at this site.
ECU is planning to have a dedicated parking deck with PAC. There's not THAT much traffic on First St., plus I'm sure at events they'll most likely have a traffic control officer at their major events.
I wouldn't have minded if it would have been planned on the Georgetown location. I think a large glass structure would have looked awesome on top of the hill they just gutted. I get ECU wants it across from the river on land they already own, but a better location might be one of their parking lots on Reade, like the one between 3rd and 4th - right in the middle, facing downtown. Or the Reade/4th/Cotanche/3rd block, putting people within walking distance of restaurants. Or even at the corner of Evans and 10 (across from Scott's cleaners location) as the gateway to downtown. Or even where Marathon and the Thai restaurant on 8th/Evans/Reade.
Thinking about all that gave me the idea that perhaps ECU and the city go in together on a facility on the parking lot across from Sup Dogs on the corner of 5th and Reade that would serve as a Visitors Center for the city and also the school (in adjoining units of course). ECU could also house an expanded student store at this location. They could have the option of using the rest of the building for other purposes or rent out to retailers, restaurants, services, etc. Make it 5 or 6 (a little higher?) stories tall with lofts - not student housing - in the upper floors. It'd be a great sight, coming around Reade Circle in front of Chili's and seeing something like that!
The issue with the 10th St area is the Historic Warehouse District...which hopefully should see some investment after the 10th St connector is done. I would love to see ECU own the Ficklen Warehouse and buy up property around it and restore it...in my opinion it would be a great place for a new Art Building and the old Art building could be torn down and replaced with more on campus housing...it always has looked out of place anyway.
In terms of the performing arts center, the idea is to build it in conjunction with a hotel and parking deck and alumni center and develop Reade Street on both sides (to Cotanche). ECU would BE downtown, not just next to it...and it would bring foot traffic, entertainment, etc...and hopefully spur more development up to 1st Street.
Besides the projects in the works, the answer for the problems in downtown Greenville has always been for ECU to locate IN IT. It brings extra security, it makes it more likely for investment.
Oh and as for the Visitor's Center, the latest images from The Smith group showed the old Elbo as the location of the Visitor's Center...that they could possibly be the tenant for that renovated building. With the images of the parking deck, that seems to be a viable location.
A few more buildings are being razed, for the 10th Street connector project.
The Kangaroo/BP and Verizon store at Memorial & Stantonsburg are in process of getting the axe.
Also, East Carolina Gold & Pawn, and whatever that Blue Building is beside ECG&P are both coming down. Those are at the intersection of 10th & Dickinson.
The Verizon store will eventually "move" across the "street". I assume that means to the former Dunkin Doughnuts, across Farmville Blvd.
The city council approved the convention center expansion. From the DR:
The Greenville Convention Center is going to get a major overhaul thanks to a unanimous vote from the City Council to spend more than $4 million to expand and improve the facility.
The city’s contracted convention center management, Exhibit Hall Managers, reviewed the 11-year-old facility, compared it to other convention centers and gathered input from current and potential customers.
EHM said the center no longer is as competitive with newer facilities and said customers want to see aesthetic and facility upgrades like flexible lighting, electronic reader boards and signage, additional breakout rooms, separate meal and specific function rooms, and ballroom space.
Without upgrades and improvements, EHM said that Greenville is losing business to other communities with better facilities.
Architectural firm LS3P, architect for the new Wilmington Convention Center, was hired to review the Greenville facility and make recommendations for improvement. Those improvements include 10,780 additional square feet of new breakout and seminar rooms (10 total), additional bathrooms; new landscaped patio and general improved landscaping and exterior lighting; improved audio visual capabilities and acoustics; new furniture and fixtures, window coverings, textured ceiling and wall coverings; entry canopy and upgraded signage; upgraded lobby and pre-function space; improved concessions; and incorporating artistic and historic elements in design. EHM mentioned interest in an art piece as a “wow factor†inside the facility.
The exhibit hall in the convention center has 28,800 square feet of flexible single-level meeting space. With an additional 10,780 square feet, the convention center would have more than 51,580 total square feet of exhibit, breakout and pre-function space, making it competitive with medium-sized facilities like the Wilmington Convention Center, EMH officials said.
The new breakout meeting rooms will be built on the east side of the building between the Hilton Greenville and the existing convention center. This will require Greenville Prime Investors (Hilton) either to sell or donate the land to the city for construction. Details are being negotiated.
Cost of the upgrades and expansion is estimated at $4.14 million. No property tax money is needed to fund the project because the city will continue to use the three-cent hotel/motel occupancy tax — designated for capital improvements — that the convention center already receives.
The city would, however, be refinancing and extending existing debt of $4 million from 2021 to 2027, with an additional $4.14 million for a total of about $8.14 million. This refinancing and extension requires approval from the Pitt County Board of Commissioners and the Convention and Visitors Authority.
Now that the expansion has been approved by council, EHM can negotiate for land sale or donation, select architect and design, and begin bidding while completing project financing arrangements, officials said. Construction approval contracts will go before the council, Pitt County and the Convention and Visitors Authority in May. Construction would begin in June and the grand opening is scheduled for August 2015.
Mayor Pro Tem Rose Glover said “these plans have been in the making for a long time†and it is “something to be competitive with other convention centers around us.â€
The expansion is “expected to meet the expansion needs of the Greenville Convention Center for the next 10 to 15 years,†according to EHM.
“We’ll get a whole lot more back than we ever put in it,†Councilman Max Joyner Jr. said. “This is a must do.â€
The Hilton will undergo renovation at the same time as the convention center.
^ Let's hope if Verizon moves over there they actually build a new store instead of just moving in the DD old store. That would look extremely stupid.
I assume, strongly, they will raze that building and build something new. Wasn't their old building something like an old bank? It had the layout of one.
The Football team flew out of Greenville on the way to New Orleans on an A320.
I still think our airport could currently handle larger planes than the twin-turboprops and twin-jets USAir currently run. Some competition would definitely drive down passenger cost there.
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Originally Posted by MrBojangles
The Football team flew out of Greenville on the way to New Orleans on an A320.
I still think our airport could currently handle larger planes than the twin-turboprops and twin-jets USAir currently run. Some competition would definitely drive down passenger cost there.
I wonder what that baby cost to charter?
That is about as big a plane as can land at PGV. They'll get to the point where those are making regular appearances at PGV eventually.
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