Re-purpose : Re-use

Some of the previous reuse of industrial buildings:


One use for the industrial buildings at the edge of the College Hill neighborhood is to convert them into some type of entertainment area. My friends and I often have trouble figuring out what we want to do in the evenings and on the weekends, and there is really not that much close by. Maybe we just don’t know about the happening spots in Greensboro yet, but it seems almost deserted on the weekends. I think that something close to campus that provides entertainment for college students would be nice. I think that maybe a small movie theater or a pool.

Another option for the buildings would be to put some sort of grocery store in there. It would make a good profit because it would be close to the college students who don’t live on campus and probably don’t have a meal plan; therefore they cook their own meals. Even the students who live on campus would enjoy a grocery store close by, because who doesn’t need snacks every once in awhile? I’m not sure if the existing buildings could be converted into a grocery store with all of the building and safety codes in place now, but it would be a good use of what is already there if that were possible.


A third option would be to simply knock them down and build a parking lot. I know that this isn’t a very original idea, or something that would make the neighborhood look better, but parking is a serious problem in this neighborhood. For a more aesthetically pleasing idea, they could put stores in some of the buildings and convert the rest to parking.

I think that any of these 3 ideas would add to the neighborhood, because it all includes something that would be new to the area. I know that there are stores around the College Hill neighborhood, but they could add things that seem to be needed in the area, like a grocery store, or a movie store, or a post office. There are so many different stores that could go in here that would add to the neighborhood. We are all about wanting things to be accessible to us, and driving far away to get something we need is not a popular decision. It would also be to everyone’s benefit to do SOMETHING with these buildings because they are in walking distance of campus and the surrounding residences. Doing anything with these buildings would make the neighborhood better because they are a little creepy right now. Even in the daylight, I would not want to walk past them by myself because they are huge buildings with the doors open and a few people inside. They also pose a big safety concern for children. Children are naturally curious, and no instructions not to go there would stop them. They could be seriously injured or even killed if the doors are left open on these buildings and they wander in there. I also think that making the industrial buildings into stores would improve the area because in walking past them and under the bridge, I saw several broken bottles and other potentially hazardous things just lying around. If this area got more traffic, it would be a cleaner and safer area.
Potentially hazardous places around the industrial area.