In the News

Little Free Libraries installed on the Downtown Greenway

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Three Little Free Libraries have been installed on the Downtown Greenway. Porter Halyburton designed and fabricated three libraries and Darlene McClinton painted each. You can find the libraries at Woven Works Park (Lindsay & Murrow), Meeting Place at Tradition Cornerstone (Smith & Prescott) and on Bragg St. at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (see map). Stop by and take a book or give a book. Do you have books to donate?  Contact Laura Lorenz at llorenz@actiongreensboro.org About Porter: A few good things have come out of Covid-19, among them Porter Halyburton’s recently refined woodworking skills and the construction of three Little Free Libraries for the Downtown Greenway. Porter, father of Dabney Sanders, Downtown Greenway Project Coordinator, recently moved to Well-Spring Retirement Community and was anxious to try out the equipment in Well-Spring’s new state-of-the-art woodworking shop.   The Little Free Libraries were a perfect opportunity to hone his skills and do something to enhance the Greenway and nearby neighborhoods. Since constructing the Little Free Libraries, Porter has designed and made a number of lidded boxes and cutting boards out of exotic woods as gifts for family and friends.   Before his newly found passion for woodworking, Porter spent several days a week at Art Alliance pottery studio in the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center.   His pottery is available in the shop at GreenHill. About Darlene: Local artist Darlene McClinton was selected to create the design and re-paint the bridge supports at Morehead Park on the Downtown Greenway at 475 Spring Garden Street.  Darlene formed a team of local artists that helped her add new life to the bridge supports and named the project Bridging the Gap. The project was completed in December 2020.  Darlene graduated from Grimsley High School and attended NC A&T, studying visual arts and design.  She is a Visual Arts Professor at NCA&T University.  In 2014, she and two partners opened the Artist Bloc, an art supply and coffee shop that provided event space and educational opportunities. Today the business is focused on being an art venue, with a little encouragement from Launch Greensboro, by participating in the Triad Startup Lab. They want to turn it into a chain. This August will be the 3rd annual Bloc Awards present by the Artist Bloc. This event was created to honor, recognize and celebrate the outstanding Triad Artists in the arts entertainment, fashion, cosmetic, culinary industry and to highlight non-traditional artist. “The Artist Bloc is a home for artists. We see about 300 artists per week,” Darlene says. She’s also currently serving as Grants Manager for ArtGreensboro and serving on the Downtown Greenway’s Public Art committee. Later this year, one of her paintings – a self portrait called “I am” – will hang at the new Steven Tanger Center for Performing Arts. “I’m so happy about the direction Greensboro is growing,” she says. “My goal for Greensboro in terms of the arts is for it to continue to be more inclusive. We really need to be sharing the wealth at little bit more than it’s been being shared. It needs to continue to try to create equal opportunities for all cultures, even beyond African American.”

LoFi Park Renovations underway

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A renovation of LoFi Park located at the corner of Smith and Eugene Streets began in November.  The new design by David Mudd and Justin Vettel, Permaculture Gardeners, will include berms with boulders and new trees, a rain garden and an open lawn space.  The grass will be greener than it ever has been before.  Completion of renovations in the spring.  

Work continues on the West Woods site

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Works continues on the West Woods site along the railroad corridor on the Downtown Greenway! This monumental earthcasting is unlike anything else along the Downtown Greenway or in Greensboro.  Three “cairns” of stacked concrete “stones” that were dug from the earth nearby will serve as a beacon to this former industrial site that is adjacent to Greensboro College’s Theatre Arts Campus at 501 Guilford Avenue. Watch the video from work on the site.  Click here to read Dawn Kane's article in the News & Record.    

2020 NC BikeWalk Summit: Greensboro Greenways

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Dabney Sanders, Downtown Greenway Project Manager and Bob Powell, Neighborhood Consultant, talk about Greensboro Greenways at the 2020 NC BikeWalk Virtual Summit Click here to watch. The Downtown Greenway, a collaborative project of the City of Greensboro and Action Greensboro, is a partially completed four-mile walking and biking trail that is encouraging economic development, increasing the tax base for the city, and improving quality of life for its citizens. This urban loop around the center city of downtown Greensboro is a green space that promotes fitness, connectedness and well-being for residents and visitors. It is re-purposing a former railroad line and a partially built highway. The lovely public art along the Greenway tells stories and engages users of the trail in a unique and authentic way. With connections to existing and planned trails systems, this loop is the hub of the system, and connects residents from all parts of the community. This presentation outlines how this project was funded through a public private partnership, and shows the role that public art can play in telling community stories. You will see not only the stunning art but the work that was done to engage and include the historically black neighborhoods that the Downtown Greenway passes through in the planning process.

Spotlight on Businesses on the Downtown Greenway: MACHETE Restaurant

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Machete Restaurant opened earlier this year near Deep Roots Market next to Sage Mule in the space formerly Crafted — The Art of Street Food. Machete is the brick-and-mortar opening of a Greensboro-based supper club by the same name that has operated since 2018. Owner and Greensboro native, Tal Blevins said the restaurant is a reflection of what he and chefs Kevin Cottrell and Lydia Greene have been doing with the supper club dinners.  Machete features simple perfection and casual professionalism that are their objectives as they aim to delight and arouse the senses without being pretentious. Their team sources the best ingredients locally and from around the world to fulfill our vision of creating distinctive, delicious, beautiful comfort food and cocktails. Blevins explains how the name of the restaurant came about.  Cottrell, also a Greensboro native, liked to roam the woods near his home when he was a child. His sidekick was a machete. This is not a restaurant, this is our home; you are not our customer, you are our guest. Hours for the restaurant are 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and 4 to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Dinner service begins at 5 p.m. with the 4 o’clock hour reserved for cocktails and appetizers in the front of the restaurant where garage doors will be rolled up on warm days.  

Piedmont Legacy Trails Fall Conversation Series- Equity on Trails: Creating Inclusive Outdoor Spaces

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Piedmont Legacy Trails Fall Conversation Series presented Equity on Trails: Creating Inclusive Outdoor Spaces.  A Greensboro Downtown Greenway Panel of Partners will share two aspects of their inclusive planning process for the greenway: (1) engaging traditionally marginalized neighborhoods in the planning process; and (2) creating Woven Works, one of the Downtown Greenway’s four cornerstone art installations that includes interactive and accessible elements designed for people with disabilities. Speakers include: Dabney Sanders – Project Manager for the Greensboro Downtown Greenway. James Griffin – born and raised in Warnersville, founder of the Warnersville Historical and Beautification Society, and Director of Real Estate for NC Central University. Randy Walker – Minneapolis based artist who designed Woven Works Park on the Downtown Greenway. Phelps Sprinkle – VP Development and Donor Services for the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro and a parent of Roxie, a child with special needs. Phelps has worked and volunteered for disability providers and met lots of parents and kids across those years which has helped inform his perspective for more inclusive opportunities for all.  Click here to watch the conversation.

Spotlight on City Partners: Engineering & Inspections

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The Engineering and Inspections Department is an integral part of the public/private partnership with the Downtown Greenway and the City of Greensboro. We are grateful for our partnership with the Engineering and Inspections Department over the past ten years.  Eric Tart currently serves as the project manager for the Downtown Greenway at the City, and he has served on the Greenway Technical Team for 6 years. Eric has successfully managed the project and has been proactive in continuing to move the construction along even during COVID, under the leadership of Department head, Kenney McDowell.  John Fersner, Jason Geary and Melinda King have also played key roles in the Downtown Greenway’s construction. Eric shared: “It has been a wonderful opportunity to work on such a unique project and to see it come together over time.  It is definitely something I will look back on in the future with a great sense of accomplishment as likely the most signature project that I was intimately involved with during my time at the City.” The Engineering and Inspections Department is dedicated to working with other City departments in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of Greensboro residents by providing safe and reliable public infrastructure, homes, and workplaces, as well as creating healthy and attractive neighborhoods. They are committed to a customer-friendly, business-like environment while adhering to the core values established by the City of Greensboro. As we finally see the end of the project in the near future, we appreciate the Engineering and Inspections team and their dedication to the project.

Work is complete on Morehead Park Bridge Supports called ‘Bridging the Gap’

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Re-painting of the bridge supports at Morehead Park is complete! Local artist Darlene McClinton and team have added new life to the bridge supports and named it Bridging the Gap. Click here to read News & Record article by Dawn Kane. Watch the Live for 45 Session on December 9 at noon with Darlene and part of her creative team on their experience: Jennifer Meanley-UNCG Art Professor/MFA program, Neidy Perdomo- Local Graphic Designer, James Raleigh - Local Artist.    

Call to Artists issued for next 3 art projects on Downtown Greenway

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 A call to artists have been issued for the next three art projects on the Downtown Greenway. We are commissioning 9 benches to be created by North Carolina artists and recognizing neighborhood connections along the Downtown Greenway.  Each artist will be assigned a location and will work with the appropriate neighborhood to determine the character of that neighborhood and use that for inspiration in the design. CALL TO ARTISTS: A call to artist has been issued for the next 2 neighborhood benches on the Downtown Greenway.  Click here for the call to artist for the Dunleath Neighborhood Artists Bench.  Click here for the call to artist for the East Market Street Neighborhood Artists Bench. The deadline for both submissions is January 8, 2021.  There are several special features that have been commissioned to either mark an area of historical significance or to take advantage of a particular opportunity. CALL TO ARTISTS: A call to artist has been issued for the Summit Avenue Bridge Art Project. Click here for the call to artist.  The deadline for submission is January 11, 2021.