GREENSBORO, N.C. — We are nearing the end of phase one of the $2 billion bond project for Guilford County Schools.
The 10 schools are beginning to take shape, and the economic impact is transforming the area.
Cecelia Thompson, the executive director of Action Greensboro, said Greensboro is growing. There are new businesses, new schools, and more interest in investing here.
"I'm talking to developers that are like, 'We're going to put an ice cream shop down here,' and that's not just because they want to put an ice cream shop down there, it is because they see that Greensboro is a great place to invest in," Thompson said.
Action Greensboro is a group that works with the community and local businesses to build relationships and grow Greensboro.
Thompson said the new schools being built are the catalyst of that interest.
"Greensboro is on this trajectory of growth, and so as new companies are coming to the area, as new talent is being drawn into the area, we have the schools that reflect our needs in the community and reflect how we feel about ourselves," said Thompson. "We are starting to see that wave. We're seeing the economic impact in just these first 10 schools."
Thompson said the bond project is already exceeding economic expectations, especially for jobs brought to Guilford County.
"Great schools attract great people to communities and we see that at Action Greensboro," said Thompson. "We anticipate around 20,000 new jobs over the next five or so years in Guilford County and that includes Boom Supersonic, Toyota, etc."
She said that these jobs create a ripple effect of bringing in skilled talent to the region, who see Greensboro as a family-friendly community, and where they can put their kids in really great schools.
"I met someone last week who moved here from San Francisco with his wife. He was able to quit his job, he has a great quality of life and put his three kids in the public schools here, and that's a reason why people are moving back to the city," she said.
The first phase of construction for the 10 schools will produce $810 million in economic output, according to a study done by Action Greensboro in October.
The majority of that money is spent specifically on school construction projects. This includes the materials and equipment needed for the builds.
More than $170 million will be spent in Guilford County at local businesses and service providers. This is to get things like food and other necessities.
The construction is a garden of economic growth allowing students to bloom and new people to plant their roots here.
People like Brian Oldiges, a project architect for SHP - the company that designed the new Peck Elementary School.
"When our office opened up a location here in Greensboro, it opened up a whole new set of opportunities for us and once we started exploring Greensboro, we started to fall in love with it," said Oldiges.
Oldiges said SHP identified Greensboro as a great place to expand the company after seeing its potential for organic growth within the company.
Oldiges and his wife moved here to help with future projects and are making Greensboro home.
"We don't have kids right now, but to get a future child of mine to go to other schools I have designed would be amazing," said Oldiges.
The schools will impact more than just the families.
"It's the benefit to my neighborhood, it's the benefit to our economy, it's the new cool things are going to come because of the growth of the economy," said Thompson.
It's leading Greensboro into a better future while bringing back those who lived here in the past.
"Many of them went to Guilford County Schools and they experienced, as young people, the leaky roofs, the water fountains that don't work, and the trailers on campus," said Thompson. "They're coming back and recognizing that those aren't the same schools that their kids are going to go to."
"It's really amazing to see the passion from Guilford County Schools and making sure that they get the best for their students," said Oldiges.
The goal is to cultivate a stronger community for everyone.
"We like to say people grew up and so did Greensboro," said Thompson. "People are coming back. Those schools can be the same pride as the Page Pirates or the Grimsley Whirlies, but really with new and improved programs and school facilities that their children deserve."
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