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The great thing about it is that while aerospace will cluster around the airport they also have a tendency to spread far beyond the airport when it comes to manufacturing, innovation and design. This means High Point and Winston-Salem will directly reap benefits as well and Winston-Salem has an opportunity with Smith Reynolds Airport. In fact Winston-Salem has an opportunity to dedicate part of its innovation quarter to aerospace innovation if they can think beyond biotech. This is something Greensboro should consider as well with its own planned downtown Innovation District. There is a wide variety of sectors in the aerospace industry that go beyond maintenance and building planes which includes commercial/military drones, hitech manufacturing of airplane/jet components, computer technology associated with aerospace, white collar research and design and the Triad really needs to take full advantage of this. If the Triad is going to "arrive', this is how its going to happen. We'll never become a banking hub and RTP is too far ahead of us to make waves in the biotech industry. Aerospace can be just as lucrative and right now the Triad has the strongest position in the state in this sector thanks to having a less busy passenger airport. Its also symbolic being that North Carolina was first in flight.. I think about the Global Transpark in eastern NC and when you really see what happening, PTI is really what the failed Global Transpark was supposed to be. They made the mistake of taking a great idea and not building it near a population center with universities and an interstate highway network.
Weren't you whining last week that our economic engine should be downtown and not at the airport? And about the lack of vision on the part of city and county decision makers? And how long ago was it that I reminded you of the wisdom and foresight of leveraging our airport for industry? These are not stupid men running things at PTI. They got the place ready to do business just like in Randolph County. This is what grows a local economy and propels a area forward. Jobs, my friend. In the words of the late, great Vince Lombardi: they're not everything, they're the only thing.
Weren't you whining last week that our economic engine should be downtown and not at the airport? And about the lack of vision on the part of city and county decision makers? And how long ago was it that I reminded you of the wisdom and foresight of leveraging our airport for industry? These are not stupid men running things at PTI. They got the place ready to do business just like in Randolph County. This is what grows a local economy and propels a area forward. Jobs, my friend. In the words of the late, great Vince Lombardi: they're not everything, they're the only thing.
The point I was making is that yes downtown should be the focus. Downtown jobs in some ways can be associated with the aerospace industry. Look at Raleigh Durham. Clearly RTP which is suburban is the economic engine for that region but when you look at what is happening in Durham and Raleigh, they are focusing on their downtowns. I still believe downtown should be the center of commerce/business for our city. However PTI will serve the entire region.
The point I was making is that yes downtown should be the focus. Downtown jobs in some ways can be associated with the aerospace industry. Look at Raleigh Durham. Clearly RTP which is suburban is the economic engine for that region but when you look at what is happening in Durham and Raleigh, they are focusing on their downtowns. I still believe downtown should be the center of commerce/business for our city. However PTI will serve the entire region.
There's always room for disagreement. Personally, I'd make the focus downtown on leisure and entertainment. This in turn, draws folks to support local merchants. An economy based on manufacturing and transportation/logistics, and make no mistake that this isn't our future trump card to play, will deploy to suit the needs of the employer and not likely anywhere near downtown. Greensboro is nominally a city, but it more closely resembles a sprawling suburb. I just don't attach the economic importance to a downtown that you do. Start with the basics and clean it up. Broom out the vagrants and beggars, shut down the loud muffler a**holes. Put out some more beat cops and go broken window. It's gotta crawl before it can walk.
Trouble is, that we got ourselves a mayor who told the police chief not to make any arrests during the last "demonstrations". A downtown that ain't family friendly is spinning its wheels.
I agree our downtown at the moment is not Family Friendly after say 7pm, with the homeless issue . We do however need corporate jobs to come downtown or else our downtown would be full of just bars and not much else. We need more stores also that are something besides "Vintage antique" type stores.. we need actually stores that sell things beside handmade products .
I agree our downtown at the moment is not Family Friendly after say 7pm, with the homeless issue . We do however need corporate jobs to come downtown or else our downtown would be full of just bars and not much else. We need more stores also that are something besides "Vintage antique" type stores.. we need actually stores that sell things beside handmade products .
Looks like the city has done something about the homeless people sleeping in front of the Elm Street Center / Westin Hotel which doesn't surprise me. But they are still sleeping and begging throughout downtown which can indeed scare families away. To solve this issue the city needs to do something about the homeless problem. Police can tell them to go away but they'll just come back.
There's always room for disagreement. Personally, I'd make the focus downtown on leisure and entertainment. This in turn, draws folks to support local merchants. An economy based on manufacturing and transportation/logistics, and make no mistake that this isn't our future trump card to play, will deploy to suit the needs of the employer and not likely anywhere near downtown. Greensboro is nominally a city, but it more closely resembles a sprawling suburb. I just don't attach the economic importance to a downtown that you do. Start with the basics and clean it up. Broom out the vagrants and beggars, shut down the loud muffler a**holes. Put out some more beat cops and go broken window. It's gotta crawl before it can walk.
All NC cities (with the possible exception of Charlotte) are essentially sprawling suburbs surrounding a very small CBD. Its also true of most mid-sized sunbelt cities who largely developed post WW2. How does that make them "nominal"?
A healthy downtown can't simply be an entertainment district, nor can it be all corporate offices. It takes a mixture.
I agree. All big cities in NC are suburban in nature by comparison to northeastern cities. Even Charlotte. Some of the much larger cities around the country still don't see Charlotte as a big city but I guess its all relative.
All NC cities (with the possible exception of Charlotte) are essentially sprawling suburbs surrounding a very small CBD. Its also true of most mid-sized sunbelt cities who largely developed post WW2. How does that make them "nominal"?
A healthy downtown can't simply be an entertainment district, nor can it be all corporate offices. It takes a mixture.
Nominal. In this context, more in name than substance. More resembling a vast sprawling suburb with a tiny core. Why does a downtown need corporate headquarters to be "healthy". Seeing a concert in the park, getting a bite to eat, taking in a ball game. This seems healthy to me. Corporate ain't beating down our doors. Have you noticed?
All NC cities (with the possible exception of Charlotte) are essentially sprawling suburbs surrounding a very small CBD. Its also true of most mid-sized sunbelt cities who largely developed post WW2. How does that make them "nominal"?
A healthy downtown can't simply be an entertainment district, nor can it be all corporate offices. It takes a mixture.
Hey, what's the name of the site that you use for crime data? I wanna look something up.
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