Remember when? (Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem: waterpark, insurance, condo)

[jjp4]

As a Greensboro native, I saw a thread like this in another forum and thought it would be interesting to share some memories of how things have changed in in the 'Boro. I remember shopping with my parents at the since demolished Cotton Mill Square and the comic book shop that was in the basement. Back when the Green Valley Business park was a golf course. The strip of Friendly Center where the Belk was had a Swensens, an old Harris Teeter, & a Woolworth's...and the part where the Barnes and Nobles is had Scott Seed and a Bank was a clock tower. And remembering when they put the McDonalds in Friendly, and my parents talking about what a goldmine it would be. Driving out to Bur-Mil park as a kid and once you crossed Westridge, there wasn't anything...and you could buy fruits and vegetables from stands where the road dipped after Horse Pen Creek. Being a kid and falling asleep in the car on trips I thought were long, such as my Grandpa driving us out to the new shopping center at Elm & Pisgah Church or the trip to the airport before Bryan Blvd. When the Red Lobster was on Cornwalis before it moved to Wendover. Anybody remember HQ, Pace, or when Forum VI was a mall? I'm sure I have more, but I should probably stop for now

[gsoboi]

remember when Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe was called Aqua Gardens?

remember when Cotton Mill Square was called Greensboro Outlet Mall?

remember when I-40 in Greensboro use to be 2 lanes in each direction and remember when I-40 between Wendover Ave and the airport had nothing but trees along the highway?

remember when the Greensboro Coliseum use to look like this?



Remember Billy Bob?

TOO FUNNY!!






other interesting facts.

remember when.........

- a 30-story glass skyscraper had been proposed for downtown Greensboro in the early 80s (site of the 21-story First/Union Tower). It was to be home of a major insurance corporate headquarters but right before the plans were put into works the company moved to South Carolina and the project was cancelled. Renderings of the sleek glass tower had already been created. If it had been built, it would have been Greensboro's tallest building even til this day. The building would have been 10 stories taller than the Lincoln Financial (Jefferson-Pilot) building.

- in the late 1960s the Busch beer company had proposed to build a brewery and Busch Gardens theme park where Grandover is today. Greensboro was the first choice but when the land deal went sour, the company ended up building it in Williamsburg, VA. Emerald Pointe waterpark is located not to far from this site so maybe the working name for the waterpark in the early 80s "Aqua Gardens" had something to do with Busch Gardens. Maybe the waterpark at Holden Rd was origionally planned around the time Busch Gardens was first being planned. That could explain why the name changed before the waterpark even opened.

- Greensboro could have been the home of Bank of America today. Long ago before all the aquisitions when the bank was known as NCNB, the bank held a joint headquarters in Greensboro in Charlotte. The board decided they needed to be in one city so they chose Charlotte....just think how different Greensboro would be today if they chose the Gate City.

- Greensboro almost built a loop freeway around downtown (like I-277 in Charlotte) Construction had actually started on it but neighbors fought the project. What we see now as Murrow Blvd was suppose to be part of that loop. If you look at google earth, you can see where land had been cleared many years ago south of Lee Street, where the southern leg of the loop was to be built. It connects perfectly to where the southern part of Murrow Blvd begins. Even today it looks like an incomplete interchange.

- in the 1960s there was a plan to build a NASCAR track and NFL stadium on the Guilford/ Forsyth County line. Renderings had even been drawn up. In recent history (1998) There was a plan for a major league baseball stadium on the county line and rumor has it, the project would have included a Six Flags themepark on the Guilford side. Today regional leaders want to see a major league soccer stadium built there as part of the "Heart of the Triad" plan. Maybe the third time is the charm!

renderings and plans for the 60,000 seat NFL stadium and NASCAR track between Greensboro and Winston-Salem in 1969.




a 60,000-seat football stadium;

• a 2.5-mile banked race track for stock car and Indy car racing;

• a 650-acre site that would include paved parking for 24,000 vehicles;

• a drag strip;

• a $17 million bond referendum to pay for the complex;

• and another $8.2 million in bonds on the ballot for a Triad park and zoo on the other side of I-40.

A scientific poll revealed solid support for the complex among residents in all three of the largest Triad cities, with 65.4 percent saying they would vote yes for a Triad stadium bond issue, even if it involved a tax increase.

(High Point respondents voiced the greatest enthusiasm, with 77.4 percent favoring a publicly financed stadium, followed by 63.5 percent in Winston-Salem and 61.5 percent in Greensboro.)

In 1969, the Forsyth County commissioners voted in support of taking the grand plan to the voters. Their Guilford counterparts said no.

"So we never got it approved," Ward says.

The $100,000 in seed money ran dry. Out of the plan, the only thing that eventually happened many years later was the development of Triad Park.



rendering of the major league baseball stadium in 1998 that was proposed to be built between Greensboro and Winston-Salem. (same location the NFL/NASCAR stadium had been planned) Nowadays major league sports facilities are being built in urban settings as oppose to suburban settings.

[jjp4]

Awesome...I remember when 40 was two lanes (I think that was when truckers kept voting it one of the worst stretches of interstate to drive through)! Thanks for all the interesting facts...I had no idea about Busch Gardens, the NFL, or the Downtown highway.

[yourhometriad]

I remember Billy Bob- that's my pal Dana Lowell and he lives round the corner from me. He currently works at Greensboro Day School and has a wife and kid. He's awesome. And on occasion, he will say "Too Funny!" and I will laugh.

I remember when Adams Farm was just that- a farm- and Wendover was two lanes past 40 into high point. Cause I used to work at Uwharrie Scout Camp on Akela Trail which is now a very expensive housing development.

I am old, apparently.

[gsoboi]

I remember when Carolina Circle Mall was here, The mall had just as many shoppers as Four Seasons. Dillards use to be called Ivey's and the city's official 4th of July firworks show and GYC carnival were held there. The ice rink was the big draw and when they removed that, the mall started going down hill. Eventually the crime on the mall property took its toll and shoppers were scared to go there. They remodeled the mall in the mid 80s to compete with Four Season after they remodeled and opened up a third level for retail back in 1986 but the mall still declined. Now we are seeing this crime pattern at Four Seasons, as shoppers are now flocking to Friendly Center.

[jjp4]

Originally Posted by gsoboi

I remember when Carolina Circle Mall was here, The mall had just as many shoppers as Four Seasons. Dillards use to be called Ivey's and the city's official 4th of July firworks show and GYC carnival were held there. The ice rink was the big draw and when they removed that, the mall started going down hill. Eventually the crime on the mall property took its toll and shoppers were scared to go there. They remodeled the mall in the mid 80s to compete with Four Season after they remodeled and opened up a third level for retail back in 1986 but the mall still declined. Now we are seeing this crime pattern at Four Seasons, as shoppers are now flocking to Friendly Center.

I remember Carolina Circle Mall. The downfall was when the ice rink was removed. My parents used to work at the Elmunds (sp?) that was near there

[Tart Green Apple]

Remember when Greensboro used to have an independent movie theatre that showed foreign films? And other films of the more naughty variety back in the 70's and 80's?
Janus Theatres

[gsoboi]

Originally Posted by d_Random

Remember when Greensboro used to have an independent movie theatre that showed foreign films? And other films of the more naughty variety back in the 70's and 80's?
Janus Theatres

I remember Janus before they demolished it. I remember seeing the movie Hamlet there when I was in 8th grade. That was around 1991. They demolished it for a condo project that was never built.

[gsoboi]

Originally Posted by jjp4

I remember Carolina Circle Mall. The downfall was when the ice rink was removed. My parents used to work at the Elmunds (sp?) that was near there

They replaced the ice rink with a food court and caroseul but that didnt help at all.