Greensboro Depot

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Downtown Greensboro gave a presentation earlier in the month and I found it on the web. Starting on slide 34 and going through slide 79 are the slides about the Depot. I would love to see some food options at the station. But I also have some serious concerns about some of the ideas as presented here. I'll leave those comments for a later date and let others speak up first. I also realize that these sorts of things are going to change a lot. Greensboro did receive a $500,000 grant and an other $800,000 grant to work on and around the Depot so I do think some changes are coming.

Slide 29 has a picture of the 1899 station for those interested. This is an artistic rendering after renovations are done. (I wish these would be more realistic as there is NO way there is this much room on the front of this building before one is in the street.)

https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/si...INAL_ff59fe54-2d7d-46bd-914e-b7f8604e5c48.pdf

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Arcadia Publishing has a book out since Oct 2023 about the construction of the Greensboro Depot. It has lots of pictures and some text, but mostly pictures. It is worth the cost if you like this sort of thing. One author is a member of the Greensboro NRHS I do believe. I am not a NHRS member but they meet in the same space as the model railroad club at the Depot.

https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/9781467109062

or from my favorite bookstore

https://www.powells.com/book/greensboro-depot-9781467109062

(I purchased a few copies to donate an extra copy to the Greensboro Public Library and to keep a copy with the station agents. I may have cleaned Powell's out of their stock. Hopefully it is restocked.) UNCG is purchasing a copy at my request. If you are local and don't have money for purchasing a copy there will be a few options in a few weeks.

 

[ancompton]

Downtown Greensboro gave a presentation earlier in the month and I found it on the web. Starting on slide 34 and going through slide 79 are the slides about the Depot. I would love to see some food options at the station. But I also have some serious concerns about some of the ideas as presented here. I'll leave those comments for a later date and let others speak up first. I also realize that these sorts of things are going to change a lot. Greensboro did receive a $500,000 grant and an other $800,000 grant to work on and around the Depot so I do think some changes are coming.

Slide 29 has a picture of the 1899 station for those interested. This is an artistic rendering after renovations are done. (I wish these would be more realistic as there is NO way there is this much room on the front of this building before one is in the street.)

https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/si...INAL_ff59fe54-2d7d-46bd-914e-b7f8604e5c48.pdf

1899 building looks similar to Hamlet, NC

 

[railiner]

Is it my imagination, or did I see some shots of the Crawford Hotel lobby in the Denver Union Station among those pictures?

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Is it my imagination, or did I see some shots of the Crawford Hotel lobby in the Denver Union Station among those pictures?

You did. The artist renderings are of Denver it seems. Denver seems to be the city Greensboro is modeling plans after.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

1899 building looks similar to Hamlet, NC

The current view without the top floor that needs rebuilding.

https://www.greensborodailyphoto.com/2023/11/1899-depot.html

 

[joelkfla]

The current view without the top floor that needs rebuilding.

https://www.greensborodailyphoto.com/2023/11/1899-depot.html

Looks unremarkable. What a difference overhangs and dormers can make!

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Looks unremarkable. What a difference overhangs and dormers can make!

There was a fire in the 1899 Depot after the new station we use now opened. They took out the top floor and had no reason to build it back as it was office space for the Southern RR at that point. I think I read dispatchers left in 2012 or something like that. I am not sure if a new 3rd floor will be just for looks or a real 3rd floor that can be used. I am not even sure what the plans are but a viewing platform would be nice and a coffee shop is low needs for plumbing and such. I have heard community space is a possibility. Since the news broke on this a few months ago and a good many news articles I have not heard anything. The 1899 Depot does have website. https://1899depot.com/

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I have need to write my city council about the Greensboro train station, which is owned by the city of Greensboro. I was looking at the map of the districts and the Depot is split between the district 2 which contains the Carolinian/Piedmont platform and the station building proper and the Crescent platform, which is District 4.

Interesting. Since many stations are downtown and I imagine many cities have districts drawn so most districts have a hand is the downtown area I imagine Greensboro is not unique in this arrangement. But it does seem odd to draw district lines down the middle of a property that has no permanent residents. May not be a bad thing however as more people have a claiming "ownership" if they want to move things in a positive direction.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

So the reason I had to fire off a missive to the Greensboro City Council. There is to be a pickleball tournament at the Depot and that is going to take over just about all the parking and make use of the front door drop off impossible to use based on the map. They are offering some free parking at nearby parking decks. Regardless this is not a good idea in my mind and had to tell the city council such. One of the city council members is also the CEO of Downtown Greensboro, Inc (DGI) so it will interesting to see his response. DGI is the same organization that has the proposal I posted (https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/greensboro-depot.87264/post-1038898) about a few days ago that was to transform the Depot to not even being much of a train station as one proposal was taking over the great hall/waiting area.

The pickleball tournament is only for a few days on 3-5 May, but given the other proposals discussed I am not fond of where this is headed.

 

[ancompton]

So the reason I had to fire off a missive to the Greensboro City Council. There is to be a pickleball tournament at the Depot and that is going to take over just about all the parking and make use of the front door drop off impossible to use based on the map. They are offering some free parking at nearby parking decks. Regardless this is not a good idea in my mind and had to tell the city council such. One of the city council members is also the CEO of Downtown Greensboro, Inc (DGI) so it will interesting to see his response. DGI is the same organization that has the proposal I posted (https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/greensboro-depot.87264/post-1038898) about a few days ago that was to transform the Depot to not even being much of a train station as one proposal was taking over the great hall/waiting area.

The pickleball tournament is only for a few days on 3-5 May, but given the other proposals discussed I am not fond of where this is headed.

Maybe it will rain and they'll have to move it indoors, preferably to a gym; I enjoy the sport, but thare are appropriate perspectives.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Maybe it will rain and they'll have to move it indoors, preferably to a gym; I enjoy the sport, but thare are appropriate perspectives.

And I am not opposed to having this downtown (I appreciate getting people downtown), but we have a bunch of parking decks that are flat on the top floor and our new performing arts center has a huge parking lot that, even if used for an evening performance could be used for pickleball during the daylight hours.

Maybe it will rain. 40% for Saturday.

 

[TheVig]

I’m headed to NYP on Saturday via the Carolinian. Thankful my starting point is in CLT. Hopefully people getting on at GRO won’t be to inconvenienced getting into the station.

Might be one bright spot with the pickleball tournament. Maybe some non train riders in attendance will get curious about rail travel.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I’m headed to NYP on Saturday via the Carolinian. Thankful my starting point is in CLT. Hopefully people getting on at GRO won’t be to inconvenienced getting into the station.

Might be one bright spot with the pickleball tournament. Maybe some non train riders in attendance will get curious about rail travel.

I am not sure if Greensboro is advertising this around the area. If could bring in some on the train. That is not a bad idea. And I don't mind it being downtown. Just not here.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Well the pickleball tournament was rained out. I am hearing it is to be rescheduled. So any Amtrak, PART, Greyhound passengers still had to walk from non on-site parking and likely during the rain.

 

[ancompton]

Well the pickleball tournament was rained out. I am hearing it is to be rescheduled. So any Amtrak, PART, Greyhound passengers still had to walk from non on-site parking and likely during the rain.

Typical; esp for outdoor events in the spring; it is amazing how local tourism officials have gone ga ga over anticipated $$ from the pickleball craze/events. A corner of an empty mall parking lot would be better. Best wishes on continued depot improvements, a nice appropriate building for Greensboro.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Typical; esp for outdoor events in the spring; it is amazing how local tourism officials have gone ga ga over anticipated $$ from the pickleball craze/events. A corner of an empty mall parking lot would be better. Best wishes on continued depot improvements, a nice appropriate building for Greensboro.

And I am not anti tourism and certainly don't mind getting people downtown. Block a street, we do it a few times a year. One more weekend is not going to kill business and it likely will bring in some more foot traffic. Just leave the parking alone at the Depot.