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Let's do our best to remain on topic guys, though I created this thread unfortunately I can't administer it though I'm sure a lovely admin probably would if this continues.
It's my fault for derailing the thread. I didn't know a simple post would cause a **** storm. It was never my intention. My apologies.
A $15 million hotel, which will include a new East Carolina University alumni center, is planned for downtown, according to a longtime university supporter and downtown businessman.
Rumors and speculation about a potential downtown hotel have circulated for years, but plans are beginning to take shape.
While no contracts have been signed and no ground has been broken, officials said a hotel is planned for the corner of Fourth and Reade streets, behind Sup Dogs and next to the William H. Long House, about a block away from the city’s new parking deck.....
Last edited by jpirate; 11-25-2015 at 09:48 AM..
Reason: r
Hotel, alumni center planned
By Abbie BennettThe Daily ReflectorTuesday, November 24, 20150 Comments | Leave a Comment
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A $15 million hotel, which will include a new East Carolina University alumni center, is planned for downtown, according to a longtime university supporter and downtown businessman.
Rumors and speculation about a potential downtown hotel have circulated for years, but plans are beginning to take shape.
While no contracts have been signed and no ground has been broken, officials said a hotel is planned for the corner of Fourth and Reade streets, behind Sup Dogs and next to the William H. Long House, about a block away from the city’s new parking deck.
Don Edwards, a businessman, property owner and downtown advocate, said he does not have an official role with the hotel’s development but has served as a liaison between the parties, as he has with several other area projects.
The site is made up of two parcels — one in the center of the block owned by ECU, home to the university’s environmental health and safety building, and the other owned by Classic Property Associates, according to Pitt County records.
Classic Property Associates is a limited liability company with John van Coutren as its registered agent and Tom Glennon as a managing member, according to N.C. Secretary of State corporate records. The parcel owned by Classic Property Associates is vacant.
The two properties together make up about half an acre. Edwards said van Coutren and Glennon implied the hotel likely will be in the Hilton hotel family, which includes Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn.
Edwards said the project likely will total $15 million.
Glennon and van Coutren also are founder and CEO, respectively, of Prime Investments, a limited liability company that owns the Hilton Greenville, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn and the Greenville Convention Center.
Heath Bowman, ECU associate vice chancellor for alumni relations, said the hotel and alumni center are in concept phases, and no contracts exist. The university and alumni association are collaborating with the development company, Bowman said. The groups hope to forge a formal partnership at the alumni association’s Dec. 4 board of trustees meeting.
The project will be privately funded, Bowman said, and plans do not call for use of public funds.
“We think it’s an attractive concept just because it would allow for the association to provide an enhanced alumni focal point to the university,” Bowman said. “We’re very excited to possibly be a part of that Uptown core.”
The redevelopment of an entire city block bounded by Fifth and Cotanche streets, which came to be known as the Superblock, was key in the planning of the hotel.
“It was so important,” Edwards said. “We had to close down some nightclubs that were crime-ridden and problematic. I think that’s very important to note. That had to happen before this hotel.”
The placement of the city’s parking deck just a block away also was a significant factor, Edwards said.
“This is about density, it’s about walkability, it’s about being able to connect with our greenway, arts, science, entertainment district,” Edwards said. “It’s just absolutely spectacular.”
Edwards said this is one more step toward the revitalization of Greenville’s downtown area.
“Possibly the biggest step,” Edwards said. “This is going to be so transformative. And this wouldn’t be possible without partnerships between our wonderful university and our private partners.”
I'd really love to see Greenville designate Pitt and Reade Cir/St as its "Uptown Loop" at some point. Similar to Durham's "Downtown Loop" of Morgan/Great Jones/Ramseur Streets. With all the stuff that's going to be built along this corridor (apartments on Reade/Dickinson, The Boundary, ECU Building at 5th/Reade, and now the Hotel/Alumni Center), I think it'd be a good fit and kind of set an actual commercial/residential corridor for Uptown Greenville.
Once upon a time there was a rumor that one lane of Reade near Evans in each direction would be closed to create diagonal head-in parking. It's not been talked about in a few years though.
Once upon a time there was a rumor that one lane of Reade near Evans in each direction would be closed to create diagonal head-in parking. It's not been talked about in a few years though.
Right now, the plan is Reade, in between Evans and Cotanche, will be become a one lane with parallel barking and a bike lane to accommodate to the new commercial development in the Boundary.
Lots of nice info and photos on the ECU student centers:Student Centers
The Fly-Through of the main campus really gives you a good idea of the size of this project & how it's going to change the face of campus & 10th street...especially when they build the new student complex across the street.
Last edited by jpirate; 11-30-2015 at 11:33 AM..
Reason: w
Pugh’s closes first location
Daily Reflector, The (Greenville, NC) - November 29, 2015
George Pugh lived his life according to a few simple convictions. One of the most important was his list of priorities: God, family and the customer.
The second was one he drilled into his family until the day of his passing: If you want to eat, you gotta work.
Both characterized his 89-year life and the more than 70-year life of his business, which still thrives today. The Pugh name is emblazoned throughout Greenville and eastern North Carolina and, for many, it is synonymous with family values and steadfast customer service.
But a part of that history closes and relocates today as the original Pugh’s station at the corner of Greene and Fifth streets moves all equipment, employees and services to the Pugh’s headquarters less than a mile away at 1205 Dickinson Ave. The first location stood as the flagship and founding location for more than seven decades.
New development
The property is being sold to be developed into more student housing downtown. California-based Rael Development Corp. already has received a special use permit from the city’s quasi-judicial Board of Adjustment to operate a student housing development on the site.
The location is where Sammy Pugh, 71, George’s son, grew up and worked all his life, beginning by washing cars when he was 9. He will continue to work there today as the family wraps up and completes its relocation to the Dickinson headquarters. Sammy is the president of the company and the third generation has taken the helm to steer the now six locations.
“I’m still the first one down,” Sammy said, laughing.
While the Greene Street service center is relocating, another Greenville location already is in the works.
“In business they say the first generation founds it, the second generation grows it and the third generation spends it,” said Frankie Pugh, 45, one of Sammy’s sons.
“We’ve proved that wrong, though,” said Stacey Pugh, 47, another of Sammy’s sons. “The third generation grew it by two stores.”
“Granddaddy said that he designed his whole master plan around each one of the grandkids,” Frankie said. Cousins such as Chris Stokes, 46, and other family members also are part of the business, and everyone has a role to play.
Stacey is the “bean counter.”
“My grandfather saw in him what he saw in himself as being the financial guy — the CFO,” Frankie said of Stacey.
Stephen Pugh, 33, Sammy’s youngest son, is the distribution coordinator at the Dickinson headquarters. Frankie also works out of the headquarters.
“We have a family member attached to every aspect,” Stacey said.
The fourth generation — Stacey’s son Colby — graduates from college in May.
Relocating the Greene Street operation and merging it with the Dickinson headquarters has been in the plans for years, Stacey said, and the family has had multiple offers for the property. And while the family is pleased with what the property will be used for, it’s still bittersweet.
“Our first goal was to have it never leave the family,” Stacey said. “So it was a big decision — one we didn’t take lightly. But it’s still going to be for the good of Greenville.”
“We’ve strategically placed ourselves now,” Frankie said. “We knew eventually the downtown property would merge. My grandfather told Stacey years ago, ‘I see the vision of Greenville; there’s not always going to be a Pugh’s on this block.’ He knew it.”
“I got a little mixed feelings,” Sammy said of the sale of the property. “I spent my whole life down there.”
“It will be hard for all of us to ride by that city block,” Stephen said.
During the past five years, the family has been moving customers from the Greene Street location to Dickinson with plans to merge the two sites For those used to the original location, the company will have a shuttle service.
And in the forefront of everyone’s mind today and every day is the man who started it all, “granddaddy” George — Mr. George to many of his friends and customers.
“Everything goes back to granddaddy,” Frankie said. “I think about him every day. I think a lot of people do.”
“I miss that old man,” Stephen said.
George was born in Washington in 1922, and he and his three siblings grew up without parents. At 15, he left on a bicycle with two nickels in his pocket, according to the story he told his grandchildren. He swept floors at a cotton mill in Greenville, earning $8 per week. His next job was as a taxi driver. Taxis often parked close to the bus stations in the city. Sitting in his cab one day, George noticed the service station near the bus station and decided that was his next move.
Through the next few years, George started by renting and later bought the property piece by piece. The whole process totaled 14 land transactions, including the property the bus station stands on. It became the George Pugh Shell Station, which began as just a gas station before adding tire sales.
George always said he wanted to “grow with Greenville,” according to the family’s history, so in 1955, the store became Pugh’s Tire and Service Center, the first of many.
Everyone has a product to sell, George used to tell his son and grandsons, but not everybody can provide good customer service.
“If you do not take care of the customer, someone else will,” George used to say.
“It sounds cliche, but the red carpet treatment is really what he lived by,” Frankie said. “He believed every customer deserved that. He drove it in us.”
George could not always afford to buy product but knew he had to keep his shelves stocked. Empty oil cans and soda pop often sufficed.
“He’d clean ’em up real good because we couldn’t afford the oil, so we just took empty cans,” Sammy said, laughing.
“He would get on me if he ever came in and saw an empty shelf,” Stacey said.
George’s wife, Margie, was a key part of the business, too, according to her grandsons. She was bookkeeper for the company until her passing in 2002.
“They sold it, she collected it,” the family history reads.
And when Margie told George he could not have any more warehouses, George found an amusing loophole. He put tires in his downtown rental properties, filling a fraternity house attic and second floor with tires.
“Every bedroom was full of tires,” Frankie said, laughing.
And business was not all George was known for in Greenville. He served two terms on the City Council, contributed to a number of outreach and philanthropic programs, and lent a helping hand during tough times for the city, including allowing one of his warehouses to be used as a resource center for relief supplies during natural disasters.
“He didn’t have much education and he didn’t have a good childhood,” Stacey said. “But he didn’t let any of that stop him.
“He loved this business, and he loved this community. He always taught us, we’re a community store, so we have to give back to the community. And we’re just trying to continue that.”
Its getting hard to keep track with all the Uptown apartment buildings going up. Between the Rael Corp one, the Sidewalk one, and the 10th St. one......... yeesh
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