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Greenville overtook Asheville in 2006, and it's not all about highways, it's about development and we got ECU so we are at around 95,000 residents.
Even though Buncombe county has 253K and Pitt county has 176K, Their development are more spread out than we are I guess.
Slay, I’d never compare Greenville and Asheville. Greenville is nice and all, but Asheville has already achieved national recognition long ago. It doesn’t matter if Greenville reaches 150k residents, and Asheville remains whatever their number is, Greenville isn’t going to be more recognized than Asheville. That isn’t to say Asheville is an entirely nice city to be outside of Downtown, but let’s just say, from my perspective, their a league ahead of us.
I would agree. Greenville still struggles to find a real draw to the city IMO. Other than ECU we have no history like New Bern, underdeveloped culture/arts as opposed to Asheville - heck, any festival we have centers around Pirates it seems. I've lived here 31 years and for the life of me can't tell an out-of-towner why they would want to visit Greenville. We've made a ton of progress uptown in recent years....but we're still missing that big drawing factor. And I have no idea what it would be.
I would agree. Greenville still struggles to find a real draw to the city IMO. Other than ECU we have no history like New Bern, underdeveloped culture/arts as opposed to Asheville - heck, any festival we have centers around Pirates it seems. I've lived here 31 years and for the life of me can't tell an out-of-towner why they would want to visit Greenville. We've made a ton of progress uptown in recent years....but we're still missing that big drawing factor. And I have no idea what it would be.
I would agree. Greenville still struggles to find a real draw to the city IMO. Other than ECU we have no history like New Bern, underdeveloped culture/arts as opposed to Asheville - heck, any festival we have centers around Pirates it seems. I've lived here 31 years and for the life of me can't tell an out-of-towner why they would want to visit Greenville. We've made a ton of progress uptown in recent years....but we're still missing that big drawing factor. And I have no idea what it would be.
This will be controversial I’m sure, but I am not a fan of everything being centered around the Pirates. ECU indeed is a driver of the community, but no one is willing to travel from Billings, MT let alone Cary to visit a Pirates Festival. I totally agree with your assessment of Uptown and it’s respective progress, but again, I feel I must be controversial again — we need to bring in other development than just student apartments. It’s truly great seeing the level of construction happening today, but on the opposing hand, it’s not like these apartments are to build a permanent resident presence in Uptown which is desperately needed.
For long, I’ve envisioned Greenville essentially “surrendering” Uptown to ECU, while rebuilding the Dickinson Corridor into the true downtown of the city — that doesn’t seem to be the case. ECU will take over the entire area, which is fine and all but not during the summer when the area is a ghostown.
I have to disagree with you guys. Greenville is a college town and always will be. That is it's defining feature.
What it can be is a GREAT college town (city). ALL of the current projects are making it better. The Dickinson corridor is going to be a major revitalization achievement. There is much still work to be done, because lots of former leaders sat on their hands in the 80's and 90's and were inactive. The Ficklen Warehouse is a huge potential catalyst. On top of the current construction projects you have these coming...
Renovation of the Theater into small performing arts venue
$90 million ECU Business Bldg on corner of Evans and 10th
A Hilton Hotel on corner of 4th and Reade
Renovation of old Attic for ECU offices
ECU Alumni Center on Reade
ECU Performing Arts Center at Reade and 1st
Dowdy Ficklen Southside Renovation/Addition
Imperial Warehouse project
EVERY project in Greenville is about ECU. And that should be embraced to make it a better College town. The fact that people are moving from surrounding counties making Greenville bigger in the last 20 years should never cloud that. ECU will continue to grow over 30K. It is causing redevelopment of its City Center, which was absolutely necessary. It has a history of creating significant Arts and cultural.
The problem is...many folks wont get out of the way. They wont approve road money to repave the streets (Dickinson/10th St is God awful, meanwhile Arlington got repaved). They wont elect those that have a vision to make it the best it can be. They question student housing infill projects, worrying more about what's going to happen to an old complex 5 miles from the City Center. They wont push for real solutions to its traffic issues and hire lobbyists to push its projects through in a more timely manner. They look at college students as a bad thing, even though the Town is built off them. They wont approve the necessary money for school reconstruction (Eppes). What is needed is a REAL Road Bond, a Re-development Plan, a School Bond, an active Pedestrian Plan and collaboration with ECU to lobby for REAL transportation improvements. And an active code enforcement that tears down boarded up homes in West Greenville, forces redevelopment of old Apt complexes as well as a Housing Authority that is looking to redevelopment its public housing to today's standards.
I'm not saying the intent isnt there in many of these, but its not really carried out. Its a lot of talk and plans. Greenville is a regional city with variety (retail, industrial, medical, etc..) but its not its IDENTITY. Its Identity is that it is a college town. Too many are just not seeing what it can and eventually will be and not embracing its culture...of a college town.
Yea, I guess HP. I think you can embrace the college town vibe and still want and try to be a "real" city. In some ways, I think Greenville has relied on ECU a little too much over the years to be the only source of growth for the city. That is changing and it's a good thing.
I would agree that there has been too much made about "all the student housing" from key members in Greenville. I think overall the apartment market should take care of itself. If developers build a "student" complex and it doesn't pan out, they can/should change their brand and try to lure non-students for a place to stay. Plenty of ECU/PCC students stay in non-student branded apartments across the city. At the same time, I don't want the Dickinson Ave area to be filled to the brim with student housing just because it's a "college town". I don't think it will be come that. I think there will be a good mix of housing types in that area.
Pirate Fest is a fine festival. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's grown pretty much every year and people do come from other areas to enjoy the festivities. It can't compare to the Azalea Fest or Mum Fest or the NC Seafood Festival because it's not nearly as old and established as those festivals. 20-30 years from now it could become as popular and as well attended as those festivals are right now. PirateFest is only 10 years old or so. It has plenty of room to grow. My main problem with it is they have decided to put it on the same weekend as the NC Azalea Festival the last few years, which could hurt growth. I also think they should try to get Pirate Fest named by the state as the official "state" pirate festival.
I also find myself in agreement with much of what is said in the above two post, with the exception being that Greenville is a “College Town.” I refuse to embrace such an image of Greenville, it’s too big to be considered a “College Town”, instead, I view Greenville as a small city with a large college. As I’ve said a post back, ECU is a driver of the community, not the driver of the community. In-fact, I think embracing Greenville as just a College Town won’t lure visitors in from outside the immediate area. We need to think bigger, people. If ECU were the flagship college of the UNC system, then I’d fully encourage us to embrace ECU as much as we can, but that isn’t the case. ECU should continue to be embraced while courting businesses to come to Greenville, but not embraced in such a way that, that is all we have to offer.
I do not subscribe to the notion that Greenville will only ever be a college town. If it is so be it, that isn't a bad thing. ECU is a huge piece of Greenville always will be but the viability of the city would be buoyed from non-ECU things. The irony in that is that ECU can be a catalyst for creating those non-ECU draws (see culinary discussion below)
I also disagree with the mere premise that Greenville will never be Asheville from earlier. Of course it wont they are entirely different cities/regions/cultures making the comparison is erroneous from the beginning. Greenville can absolutely be a vibrant, bustling small city with an identity and brand of its own.
Some of the answer will be organic and happen naturally some other things I believe that Greenville can develop to collectively be its "thing" are
Food - we already embrace BBQ, but be the culinary capital of the east and celebrator of food from the state and region. ECU should partner with should partner in culinary programs through the region (possible the state); Carterete, CofA, and Cape Fear. Design a program that combines culinary and hospitality management and make Greenville to epicenter of food culture in the east.
The River - we're already on to this one but there is serious room and need for growth. Featuring the river for SUP, kayak, fishing, and other non-motor/small-motor adventures. Being ourdoorsy isn't limited to mountains, just embrace what we have and celebrate it. I believe developing a section of the river front is essential. Either East or West of Uptown, whichever is most viable. Also developing neighborhood access along the river. there are plenty of neighborhoods but is there an ability to or culture of accessing and utilizing the river. Something like this
Put the GREEN in Greenville - I would love to see Greenville become a small city model for new/clean energy, conservation, transit, and environmentally friendly practice.
I do not subscribe to the notion that Greenville will only ever be a college town. If it is so be it, that isn't a bad thing. ECU is a huge piece of Greenville always will be but the viability of the city would be buoyed from non-ECU things. The irony in that is that ECU can be a catalyst for creating those non-ECU draws (see culinary discussion below)
I also disagree with the mere premise that Greenville will never be Asheville from earlier. Of course it wont they are entirely different cities/regions/cultures making the comparison is erroneous from the beginning. Greenville can absolutely be a vibrant, bustling small city with an identity and brand of its own.
Some of the answer will be organic and happen naturally some other things I believe that Greenville can develop to collectively be its "thing" are
Food - we already embrace BBQ, but be the culinary capital of the east and celebrator of food from the state and region. ECU should partner with should partner in culinary programs through the region (possible the state); Carterete, CofA, and Cape Fear. Design a program that combines culinary and hospitality management and make Greenville to epicenter of food culture in the east.
The River - we're already on to this one but there is serious room and need for growth. Featuring the river for SUP, kayak, fishing, and other non-motor/small-motor adventures. Being ourdoorsy isn't limited to mountains, just embrace what we have and celebrate it. I believe developing a section of the river front is essential. Either East or West of Uptown, whichever is most viable. Also developing neighborhood access along the river. there are plenty of neighborhoods but is there an ability to or culture of accessing and utilizing the river. Something like this
Put the GREEN in Greenville - I would love to see Greenville become a small city model for new/clean energy, conservation, transit, and environmentally friendly practice.
That's awesome!!!
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