Greensboro, NC-- Recently there's been a lot of talk about how to move the city of Greensboro forward. From a performing arts center to neighborhood development, the new mayor had a vision. News 2 looked at what that vision means for the taxpayer and what obstacles may be standing in the way.
The city of Greensboro is looking to do some spring cleaning. That includes sprucing up downtown with new neighborhoods and projects.
"We've got to create jobs for our citizens. A 10.1% unemployment rate is unacceptable", said Mayor Robbie Perkins of the city's biggest issue.
Perkins has some huge plans for Greensboro but knows that businesses will look at how a community functions and gets along before they invest in the city. The mayor believes that for Greensboro to grow jobs, it must heal some wounds.
"The racial issues in Greensboro...I think everyone would say yes, we had some issues with race and a divided community. We're going to solve that by involving the entire community, listening to the community, and working together for common solutions," said Perkins.
Working together is the first step. Then, things like a neighborhood at South Elm and Lee streets and a new performing arts center can follow, bringing in jobs and development.
As a taxpayer, you wonder where the money comes from. Mayor Perkins says every project has a different plan. Most funds include private donations, revenue from a hotel/motel tax, and federal loans.
The mayor used the aquatic center as an example of when the city got it right. That's bringing in some $40-million worth of economic impact. Again, the key ingredient won't be money, it will be unity and working together.
The mayor also told us the city has a strategy with these projects. They're trying to introduce plans that will show results within four to five years.
WFMY News 2