GREENSBORO, N.C. — Downtown Greensboro, Inc. said it has 800 million dollars in development in the works.
WFMY News 2's Nixon Norman got a glimpse into the future and learned more about the vacant buildings you might see downtown.
According to DGI, 8.4 million people have visited Downtown Greensboro over the past year. The economic development group also said 23 new businesses have moved into the area as well.
The growth doesn't just benefit downtown.
Director of Strategic Initiatives with Downtown Greensboro, Inc., Rob Overman, said a thriving downtown is beneficial for the entire region. He also said the downtown area is growing in size.
"We're really starting to move off of Elm Street. So, you're starting to see other pockets of downtown east and west and south east and really starting to fill in. Again, so, that's encouraging to us that we're finally getting off that north-south access that is Elm Street," Overman said.
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Although over 20 businesses opened up in downtown in the last year. You might notice there are still several vacant storefronts.
Overman says having those vacant businesses is part of an ever-changing landscape downtown. He said they aim to get creative with solutions until those businesses are filled, like decorating them with temporary art.
"Murals on glass, things like that, cleaning up the facade, DGI does offer facade grants to help downtown property owners you know, repair their facades and return them to their historical value," Overman said.
As for that 800 million dollars soon to be funneled into the downtown area, Overman said they don't have permission from developers to say exactly what is coming to the city, but shares his excitement, as well as one of the businesses that is currently being built with that money.
"Some of them include the AC Hotel that's already under development, things like that, but then there's a lot of exciting things coming down that hopefully in the very near future we'll get the go ahead to share those," Overman said.
Overman also told WFMY News 2 more than 70% of those 8.4 million visitors came from 5 miles away or more, meaning people from other communities are coming downtown and spending their money here.