THE PENDULUM
NEWS
WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 9. 2009 // PAGE 7
Burlington turns to new
businesses for economic boom
BUSINESS from page 1
Double-digit distress
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the evening.
“I think all the shops close early
because when LabCorp leaves, it’s
like a ghost town,” said Angie Ball,
owner of Rare Breed Tattoo shop,
which recently relocated to the heart
of downtown.
LabCorp, one of the largest
institutions of downtown Burlington
and a Fortune-500 company, is a mcyor
player in the downtown business
scene because many of its employees
venture into the various restaurants
for lunch.
Pratt said many of the coffee shop’s
customers are LabCorp employees.
For now, her shop closes at 1 p.m.
everyday, because she says it’s not
worth staying open for the handful of
customers that come in after that.
Billy Konstantinidis opened The
Pizza Corner three weeks ago with his
wife, Koula, and said that they hope to
draw a night crowd. They are one of
the few businesses to stay open later
than LabCorp’s closing every evening.
“After five it’s dead,” he said,
referring to downtown. “In a pizza
business, you need the night crowd,
too.”
Another problem that faces the
downtown businesses right now
is a lack of available parking for
customers. Vines said all the parallel
parking spots in front of the stores get
taken up by LabCorp employees, even
though there are separate lots for
them to park, because they are closer
to the actual buildings.
“You have nowhere to park during
the day," said Ball. “I mean nowhere."
She continued to say that customers
drive through downtown but do not
stop because they can’t park. A free
city lot sits on off Front St., but it
remains mostly unused, said N ines.
Morris said that the city has plans
to address the issue. “In the short
term, management of the existing
supply of parking will provide
the greatest benefit to downtown
business owners for the lowest cost.
Longer term solutions will look at how
to increase the supply of parking as
demand increases," she said.
One plan that the BDC has been
talking to Elon University about is
the development of a new BioBus
route that would run into downtown
Burlington and ser\e as free public
transportation. Keith Dimont, the
supervisor of automotive services
at Elon, said that the plan has been
key for students doing community
service, and that the Kernodle
Center for Service Learning has been
instrumental in developing the plan.
“I think it’s going to be real
successful, because it's a lot of
volunteers that like having the free
public transportation," he said. “Plus,
it gives (the city) the opportunity to
expand the downtown Burlington
area.”
Though the bus route will have a
strong emphasis on service work, it
will be a chance for students to make
the trip to downtown Burlington,
where business owners said they
would welcome the business. “It
seems like a lot of younger people
don’t venture down here," said
Pratt, continuing to say that she and
Vines have been in talks with other
businesses to offer events that would
draw Elon students.
“1 don’t think Elon students
are really taking advantage of (the
businesses downtown)... if they go
to Burlington, it’s out of absolute
necessity," said Elon senior Lesley
Cowie. “I'm sure if students were to
go downtown more,-those businesses
would be booming."
Morris said that the BDC works
closely with the businesses to address
the issues they see, while attempting
to expand upon the groundwork
that's been laid in the last few months.
“There are some things percolating,
big and small... my hope is that this
is a trend,” she said. “In my view, you
can't have a great city without a great
downtown,” said Morris.
For now, the city remains in a
transition period, with nearly empty
streets at night and issues of parking
to address. The hope is to create a
stronger cultural base, though, which
is a theme that was reiterated by both
business owners and Morris. She said
that her hope is to see a downtown
that has a collection of shops and a
unique retailing environment, with a
nightlife that extends beyond when
LabCorp closes and creates
a distinct Burlington
culture.
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State economy may see relief soon
MORE IMAGES OF NEW BUSINESSES ONLINE
Alexa Milan
Managing Editor
The days of penny-
pinching because of poor
housing markets and high
unemployment rates may
soon be coming to an end
for many North Carolina
residents, according to a
new report.
In the North Carolina
Economic Outlook; Winter
2009, Mike Walden, North
Carolina Cooperative
Extension economist and
William Neal Reynolds,
professor at N.C. State
University, predicts the
state will slowly emerge
from the recession during
the next two years.
“I think it will likely
be spring before there is
widespread awareness
among citizens that the
economy is improving,
and most people will
judge that by how the job
market is performing,"
Walden said. "I think by
spring we’ll begin to see
consistent increases in
jobs in the state."
Walden examined data
from numerous economic
reports about North
Carolina job growth,
factory production,
trends in retail sales and
unemployment rates,
among other factors.
Based on trends from the
past six to nine months,
Walden predicted how
those trends could
progress.
Gregory Lilly, associate
professor of economics
at Elon University, said
he thinks Walden’s
predictions are valid.
“I think most
economists are now
predicting that the
recession is basically
over," Lilly said. “I don’t
think there’s any reason
to think that North
Carolina would be any
different than the country
as a whole.”
Lilly said North
Carolina is generally
one of the state leaders
in terms of recovering
from recessions, so the
state may see a stronger
recovery than most states.
According to Walden’s
report, factory output,
the housing market, retail
sales and the job market
have all increased since
the second quarter of this
year.
But Walden said
Burlington will not see an
improvement right away.
Metropolitan areas will
be the first to experience
some economic relief.
“It's actually the repeat
of a pattern that’s been
going on for decades that
particularly Charlotte
and the Triangle have
been the leaders of the
North Carolina economy,”
Walden said. “Wilmington
is a much smaller metro
market, but it’s grown
enormously."
According to the
report, areas like
Burlington and the Triad
may be lagging behind in
2010 because in the past,
those areas have focused
their economies on
manufacturing furniture,
textiles and tobacco.
“Alamance County is
kind of behind the times,"
Lilly said. “We still have
a lot of manufacturing.
We haven’t moved to a
service-based economy as
fast as some of the more
urban counties.”
Walden said though
economic growth occurs
at different rates in
different regions of North
Carolina, most regions
should ultimately see
advancement.
“(Burlington and
the Triad) will see
improvement in the
next two years, just not
to the degree that the
other three metro areas
will,” Walden said. “They
won’t be going backward.
They’re just going to be
going forward at a much
slower rate.”
But Walden said a few
factors could still get in
the way of a completely
recovered economy. The
housing market is still
weak across the state, and
the unemployment rate is
higher in Burlington than
in the Triangle.
While national
predictions said the
recession is done, Lilly
said it is important not to
get too hopeful too fast.
“This is such a strong
recession, so I don't
think you want to be
too optimistic that we're
going to recover quickly,"
Lilly said. “The economy
took a really strong punch
to the gut."
Greensboro aims to attract more business, industries
Pam Richter
Sports Editor
This is the second part of a
two-part series focusing on
the economy of the city of
Greensboro, North Carolina.
When President Barack Obama
unveiled his stimulus plan,
cities and towns across America
received federal funds to improve
various aspects of their economy
and to develop more jobs. This
applies for the development of
Greensboro, N.C.
The city has secured more than
$20 million in federal stimulus
money, former Greensboro
mayor Yvonne Johnson said. She
said the city is still anticipating
receiving more grants from the
government.
“I’ve appointed the first
sustainability council Greensboro
has ever had," Johnson said.
“Because we had that council
that put us in a good position
to receive over $2 million for
weatherization and retrofitting
of low wealth communities.”
In addition to federal stimulus
money, the city government is
also working on giving incentives
to businesses looking to move to
the city.
“If a company is looking to
relocate in Greensboro,~we give
them corporate incentives and
also entice them to come to the
city of Greensboro," said Melvin
“Skip” Alston, the chair of
Guilford County commissioners.
Johnson also said the city
is working with the county to
provide a tax incentive with small
companies that want to expand or
renovate their businesses.
“If we could give them a tax
incentive for X number of years, I
think that would send a message,”
Johnson said. “We really do
appreciate them and really care
and want to let them know that
they are the foundation of the
economy. The big business and
big industry are wonderful, but
it's all the small businesses that
hire most of the people."
Despite these initiatives,
Greensboro resident Rhonda
Johnson said she thinks the real
impact can be seen in five to 10
years after these initiatives take
hold.
Katie Darnley, a Greensboro
resident, has seen businesses
move out, specifically when
Lincoln Mutual closed. Darnley
runs her own small business, a
hot dog stand downtown, and
doesn't think in recent years the
city has been accommodating to
small businesses.
“I'm such a small business,
extremely small, Darnley said.
“I don’t think they are friendly
toward small businesses."
The Economic Development
Alliance is part of the Greensboro
Partnership and is responsible
for bringing new businesses into
the area.
Dan Lynch, president of
Greensboro Partnership, said the
group is responsible for attracting
new businesses and industries to
the area.
Some of the companies the city
secured in Greensboro include
Honda Jet, M ac Truck and PreCor.
PreCor is one of the nation's
biggest manufacturers of exercise
equipment.
“Though while we are in a
very challenging financial time,
we are also blessed," Johnson
said. “We're not in a situation
that many cities find themselves
in where they just are stagnant.
We’re certainly not where we want
to be, but we’re not in the tombs
either."
Alston said since Greensboro is
the third largest city in the state,
it has an impact on the overall
economy of North Carolina.
“The eyes are on Guilford
County," Alston said. “The county
seat is Greensboro. When people
talk about Guilford County, they
talk about the county seat, which is
Greensboro ... People look for you
for leadership opportunities.”
ATHLETIC EVENTS INCREASE
REVENUE IN GREENSBORO
With each slow and steady golf clap, millions of
dollars flowed into Greenstxjro. The city hosted a PGA
Tour event, the Wyndham Championship, Aug. 17 - 23.
“Millions and millions of dollars are coming (to
Greensboro) from things like the Wyndham,"former
Greensboro mayor Yvonne Johnson said.
Even though this is not a major PGA Tour event, it
still attracts fans from around the nation to the area,
which translated into revenue for the city. Johnson said
the city is looking into doing more PGA events in the
future.
This mid-level PGA tournament was just one
athletic event Greenst)oro has used to rrat only bring
entertainment to its citizens, but also to increase funds
for the city.
In 2011, Greenstxjro will continue to expand its
athletic presence when it hosts the National Figure
Skating Championships. The event will t>e held Jan. 22-
30, 2011. During this time, 12 national champions will
be crowned.
Johnson estimates $25 to 30 million will tie brought
into the city through this one event.
The Atlantic Coast Conference Hall of Champions
will also open in 2011. Currently, the city has an
established relationship with the ACC as it hosts the
ACC women's baskettjall tournament.
During fall 2008, Greensboro residents voted
for a bond, vrfiich would create a new competitive
swimming pool in the city. The competitive swimming
facility is estimated to cost $12 million, according to the
Greensboro News & Record.
This new facility will give the city ttie opportunity to
host major swim nneets.
With ttie combination of PGA events, figure skating,
an ACC Hall of Ctiampions and a new swimming facility,
athletic events and initiatives are going to be used in thie
future to help spur ttie Greensboro economy.
“We're beginning to be known as a tournament
town,” Johnson said.
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