Action Greensboro announced today that The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded the Downtown Greenway a grant of $100,000 as a part of its Mayor’s Institute on City Design 25th Anniversary Initiative (MICD 25). From more than 200 applicants across the country, the Greenway project was selected as one of 21 grants totaling $3 million.
A drop-in public meeting will be held on Thursday, July 29 from 12:00–2:00 pm and 5:00–7:00 pm at the old bingo hall (421 West Smith Street) to receive public comments on the functional design for Phase 3 of the Downtown Greenway.
Artist Juan Logan begins work on Grounded Here, the piece commissioned to commemorate the important history of Ashe Street and the Warnersville community.
Artist Brower Hatcher completes work on The Gateway of the Open Book Cornerstone. This piece includes Brower’s framework with embedded items created by local artist Frank Russell in collaboration with students from the Warnersville neighborhood, Jones Elementary School, and Smith High School. This piece will be stored in Rhode Island until the site is ready for installation, which is expected in Fall 2010.
An 8k Run, a 1-Mile Walk/Run, and an after party at Center City Park will be held on Saturday, September 11 to raise awareness of and support the Downtown Greenway. The route will begin and end at Center City Park, follow the Greenway detour route, and include the currently open section. Registration for the event will be open in mid-July, so stay tuned for more information!
The 2010 Greensboro city budget includes $1,482,196 allocated for the Downtown Greenway, which allows for the construction of Phase 1A and the Eugene Street Pedestrian Refuge Island, as well as continued design work on the remaining sections of the Greenway. This 2010 budget is a partial allocation of the $7 million in funds approved by voters for the Greenway in the 2008 Street Improvement Bonds.
"In the meantime, linear park enthusiasts in Greensboro can look to New York for a glimpse of what our urban pathway might someday feel like." Read the full Preservation Greensboro blog article here.
“Right around the perimeter of downtown, connecting these neighborhoods, there’s not really a good cycling route, and this will be a route that can be used by cyclists of all ages and of all abilities, including families with young children,” said John McLendon, Co-chair of the Greenway technical committee. Watch the News 14 Carolina television report.
Triumph, Endurance, Hope, Strength, and Faith again have a place in the Warnersville community. A group of Greensboro Parks and Recreation workers installed the much-discussed benches at their new home near the Freeman Mill Road exit to Lee Street early Tuesday morning. The benches are near their old location, but still within sight of the road. Read the full Greensboro News & Record story here.
Glenwood neighbors use the Downtown Greenway to travel to the opening of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum.