GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — New coffee shops, restaurants, retailers and a possible arena are all in the works for downtown Greensboro.
Elm Street has experienced an economic explosion in recent years, Awoo Coffe opened on Tuesday and new permanent patios for outdoor dining will be in place later in June.
Leaders with Downtown Greensboro Inc. have plans to build a new 3,000 to 5,000-seat arena in the center of it all.
“What can we do or build that would complement the coliseum?” President of Downtown Greensboro Inc. Zack Matheny said.
The new space could be home to a soccer team, e-sports or a number of other options. During this planning stage, the big question is where would it go?
“You have a finite amount of land, so we have to find something that fits,” Matheny said. “You want to build it in the center of the city as close as you can, so you activate everything around it. That is what we are looking at. It is tough, but we have got some exciting conversations.”
The project is part of Matheny’s 2030 strategic plan. He is hoping to get all the details in place by the end of this year.
“This is huge. We are not settling with what we got going on. We are continuing to push the envelope,” he said.
People from Greensboro that spoke with FOX8 are split on the decision if a new arena downtown is needed.
“Honestly, I think the arena we have currently in Greensboro is big enough,” Andrew Buschnoe Jr. said.
“That would be a good thing. The more the merrier,” Gevana Proposito said.
One thing most people agree on is there is a need for more food options downtown.
“It is going to look completely different. It’s going to be a nice place to be,” said Jeremiah Drakeford, a managing member at E. Market OZ, LLC.
He is planning to open a food hall at 400 East Market Street.
“We just want to create a more inviting atmosphere in downtown,” Drakeford said.
The building currently has some retail spaces in use.
“We do a lot to try to promote and get people down here as much as possible, but we are in a lowkey awkward spot, so with something new going on, with something exciting like that, especially food … it will be great for us.”,” said Brittany Everhart, the store manager at Something BARowed.
Currently, the back of the space is empty, but the developers hope to open up the new food hall in the next six to eight months.
