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To be honest, I don't really like any of the proposals, maybe one.
Ask yourself what downtown Greenville needs more of?
The answer is 1) hotels, 2) another parking deck in this area, 3) offices.
Exactly, I agree. I was not wowed by a single one of those presentations. Nothing screams game changing. Just looks like a bunch of generic office & residential units.
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As far as the Chancellor's house. I am ok with it. From the article in the reflector the other day, renovations & additions at the current house would have cost an additional 3.5 million to complete.
Many other schools are spending that at least 1 million to renovate or purchase a new home. NC State bought a 3.5 million dollar home for their Chancellor in 2011. Yes, I'd like to have seen it closer to campus, but I think they could still make the current home the "Chancellor's office" and still allow him to mingle and be on campus during his working hours.
Exactly, I agree. I was not wowed by a single one of those presentations. Nothing screams game changing. Just looks like a bunch of generic office & residential units.
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As far as the Chancellor's house. I am ok with it. From the article in the reflector the other day, renovations & additions at the current house would have cost an additional 3.5 million to complete.
Many other schools are spending that at least 1 million to renovate or purchase a new home. NC State bought a 3.5 million dollar home for their Chancellor in 2011. Yes, I'd like to have seen it closer to campus, but I think they could still make the current home the "Chancellor's office" and still allow him to mingle and be on campus during his working hours.
Agreed, none of the proposals had a “wow” factor, unfortunately. Garages need to be built as opposed to having all that parking. While I doubt any of our discontent will translate to any meaningful improvements to the project, it’s just disheartening to see one of the great sites of downtown being turned into something, as you say, “generic.”
That said, after reading the article, I don’t see how the additional costs could’ve rallied up to $3.5 million. That’s insane. Yes, asbestos removal, adding an elevator, keeping things in compliance, and et will add up, but $3.5 m? I’m not buying it. Such a price tag for renovations would make it alone the most expensive house in Greenville market — by far.
Maybe the conspiracy fever from the current US administration has me increasingly skeptical about everything, but this purchase does seem weird. It’s not the cost of the residence, but the blatant conflict-of-interest and disregard for what the city had already done for ECU. And saying it would be $3.5 m to renovate that house? Come on.
Edit: I just remembered the White House had undergone extensive renovations this past year. The price tag? $3.4m; no way such renovations and additions to a University Chancellor/President residence should tally up to $3.5 m, or more than White House renovations.
That said, after reading the article, I don’t see how the additional costs could’ve rallied up to $3.5 million. That’s insane. Yes, asbestos removal, adding an elevator, keeping things in compliance, and et will add up, but $3.5 m? I’m not buying it. Such a price tag for renovations would make it alone the most expensive house in Greenville market — by far.
Maybe the conspiracy fever from the current US administration has me increasingly skeptical about everything, but this purchase does seem weird. It’s not the cost of the residence, but the blatant conflict-of-interest and disregard for what the city had already done for ECU. And saying it would be $3.5 m to renovate that house? Come on.
Edit: I just remembered the White House had undergone extensive renovations this past year. The price tag? $3.4m; no way such renovations and additions to a University Chancellor/President residence should tally up to $3.5 m, or more than White House renovations.
Regarding the Imperial site proposals, downtown needs more pedestrian traffic. All of the proposals attempt to some degree to bring more people downtown. More residential downtown means more people downtown all the time, especially at night. Jobs of any kind downtown also brings people downtown, but many of them only during daytime on weekdays. Retail, including restaurants, entertainment, and shopping brings pedestrian traffic to streets downtown, not just from downtown residents, but people from all over Greenville, surrounding counties, ECU alumni, and other visitors. Pedestrian traffic is the visible sign of revitalized urban areas. This is what attracts additional development, including hotels. Hotels do not lead the way to revitalization, it follows it.
I agree there is not much to be excited about in the proposals, but I assume a good bit of that is because the good stuff has been redacted. The DFI study conceptual graphics were used in the different proposals. I'd bet that when we get to see the actual renderings, people will be more excited about the transformation of the Imperial site. I would hope that the developers actually buy the remaining properties between Clark Street and Atlantic Avenue so the redeveloped area is more uniform. Normally, I prefer restoration of old buildings, like ones that have already been restored along Dickinson Avenue, but in this case, I think redeveloping the entire area makes more sense.
Regarding the Imperial site proposals, downtown needs more pedestrian traffic. All of the proposals attempt to some degree to bring more people downtown. More residential downtown means more people downtown all the time, especially at night. Jobs of any kind downtown also brings people downtown, but many of them only during daytime on weekdays. Retail, including restaurants, entertainment, and shopping brings pedestrian traffic to streets downtown, not just from downtown residents, but people from all over Greenville, surrounding counties, ECU alumni, and other visitors. Pedestrian traffic is the visible sign of revitalized urban areas. This is what attracts additional development, including hotels. Hotels do not lead the way to revitalization, it follows it.
I agree there is not much to be excited about in the proposals, but I assume a good bit of that is because the good stuff has been redacted. The DFI study conceptual graphics were used in the different proposals. I'd bet that when we get to see the actual renderings, people will be more excited about the transformation of the Imperial site. I would hope that the developers actually buy the remaining properties between Clark Street and Atlantic Avenue so the redeveloped area is more uniform. Normally, I prefer restoration of old buildings, like ones that have already been restored along Dickinson Avenue, but in this case, I think redeveloping the entire area makes more sense.
I agree with the aspects of this post regarding building up a residential presence, and especially a permanent resident presence (this is mainly why I am so frustrated with the city’s focus on approving more and more student housing). The problem I have with this proposal is the Dickinson Corridor is growing relatively exponentially and therefore I don’t see the need to accept just any proposal, we can afford to be more patient. I’m not versed on the legality of the project, but it would be much better if we could approve such a project in phases. Encourage mixed-use, and possibly additional height, for the building proposed on Dickinson and Atlantic for, in my perspective, such a site can command about 5-floors as opposed to 3 in the conceptual work.
I agree with the aspects of this post regarding building up a residential presence, and especially a permanent resident presence (this is mainly why I am so frustrated with the city’s focus on approving more and more student housing). The problem I have with this proposal is the Dickinson Corridor is growing relatively exponentially and therefore I don’t see the need to accept just any proposal, we can afford to be more patient. I’m not versed on the legality of the project, but it would be much better if we could approve such a project in phases. Encourage mixed-use, and possibly additional height, for the building proposed on Dickinson and Atlantic for, in my perspective, such a site can command about 5-floors as opposed to 3 in the conceptual work.
The only conceptual plan that shows a three-story office building is the Hallmark plan. The other two just use the DFI concept plan that shows a four-story building. However, concept plans are not final plans, so the number of stories for the office building could be different once the final renderings are released. Also, in development, you have to start somewhere. There needs to be a catalyst to bring additional development and possibly larger buildings. You have to start somewhere. Build some momentum. Hopefully, the development along the Dickinson corridor will bring additional development to downtown and the surrounding area. Maybe future development on First Street across from the Town Common will be bigger and better.
Last edited by GoingLocal; 01-21-2018 at 04:42 AM..
The fact that a hotel is not being looked at screams of potential favortism towards the Hilton Alumni hotel. This is an emerging area of residential/restaurants and that site can easily support a hotel/parking deck. One hotel downtown is not the goal.
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