The Greensboro HIVE

by Melde Rutledge | Carolina Peacemaker

A key component in revitalizing the Glenwood Neighborhood centers around a two-block corridor on Grove Street, members of the Greater Glenwood Neighborhood Association (GGNA) told Greensboro City Council on Nov. 27.

“Grove Street was a little eye sore that we felt like was a part that we needed to start and get some activity going there, and kind of turn the neighborhood around,” said Cheryl Small, co-chairwoman of the Grove Street Revitalization Task Force.

Grove Street is located within the Glenwood Neighborhood. The road stretches from Coliseum Boulevard and ends eastward at Lexington Avenue.

The task force is a subcommittee of the GGNA, which in 2006 began creating a vision for Grove Street with technical assistance from the Institute of Cultural Affairs.

Their vision process incorporated several meetings and workshops–culminating in Spring 2007 with the presentation of the “Groove on Grove” concept that was presented to the neighborhood. City Council members had the opportunity to view the presentation Tuesday morning during their Nov. 27 briefing.

The main goals for the “Groove on Grove” concept is to thwart crime, refurbish its image and “invite new exciting businesses” to Grove Street, according to the current draft of the Glenwood Neighborhood Plan.

“It is a gateway to downtown,” said Early Scarbrough, who also co-chairs the Grove Street task force.

Scarbrough said that the biggest concern for Grove Street was promoting safety in the area. She noted that more lighting could be used in the vicinity. A police substation in the locale was also put on the table.

The Glenwood Neighborhood has approximately twice the per capita crime rate compared to the entire city’s crime rate average.

“We desperately, desperately need something in that area,” Small said. “We have business owners or people that own the buildings that are willing to donate the space for a substation.”

Scarbrough suggested that police officers could come and park their patrol vehicles in the area while doing their paperwork to increase police visibility.

This past October, residents walked a peaceful march down Grove and McCormick Streets in response to a shooting on Oct. 11 that resulted in the death of a man who was leaving the Andy’s Pantry Food Mart at 1301 Grove St.

Small said that the GGNA sees the convenience store as a serious dilemma in the community.

“As a neighborhood association, we don’t want to point fingers and say this person needs to go or this person doesn’t need to go,” she said, “but I just want to say they have enough nuisances and abatement on that property to close them down.

“I mean, its been going on for 15 years. We desperately need help closing that place down.”

So far, improvements to sidewalks have been made, and a section of road on Grove Street has been changed from a one-way street to two-way traffic.

The Hive community center and Square One musical venue has opened, and a new martial arts studio and print shop are scheduled to open.

In addition, students from UNC Greensboro have been involved in drawing murals on area buildings, and every other Saturday the GGNA holds a people’s market on Grove Street where they sell their own goods.

“I want to encourage you to keep this going,” said City Council member Goldie Wells. Wells was the only City Council member present during the presentation who will be on the new City Council that will be sworn in on Dec. 4.

“This will improve our city,” she added about the work being done in the Glenwood Neighborhood. “We’re trying to do the same thing in Northeast Greensboro, in our community.”