High Point's SoSi District Design and Development Plan

TABLE
OF
CONTENTS

Introduc4on...................................................................................................................................................................pg.01

Workshop
Objec4ves
&
Schedule
................................................................................................................................pg.07

Neighborhood
Interests

GTCC-‐High
Point
Campus
Needs

Commercial
Opportuni@es

Design
Workshop
Process.............................................................................................................................................pg.10

Smart
Growth
and
Sustainable
Design

Key
Finding
Summary

Community
Input
and
Goals
Developed.......................................................................................................................pg.20

Develop
the
SoSi
site
as
a
Des@na@on

Fulﬁll
needs
of
both
GTCC
campus
and
neighborhood
residents

Seek
public/private
partnerships

Design
Team
Response
–
A
Vision
Emerges..................................................................................................................pg.26

Design
Plans
with
Detail
Sketches
and
Renderings

Next
Steps......................................................................................................................................................................pg.51

Design
Facilitators/
Sponsors........................................................................................................................................pg.52

Appendix........................................................................................................................................................................pg.53

Community
Design
Workshop,
City
of
High
Point,
NC

Introduc4on

On
March
19
and
20,
2013
over
one
hundred
ci@zens,
business
leaders,
and
city
government
officials
gathered
to
par@cipate
in
a

community
design
workshop
to
consider
op@ons
for
the
development
of
a
four
acre
vacant
tract
of
land
at
998
South
Main
Street

located
across
from
the
High
Point
campus
of
Guilford
Technical
Community
College
(GTCC).
The
property
is
bounded
by
South

Main
Street,
Vail
Avenue,
and
South
Elm
Street
in
High
Point,
NC.
The
workshop
included
residents
from
the
Southside
and

Macedonia
neighborhoods,
retailers
from
shops
along
South
Main
Street,
and
students/faculty
from
GTCC,
and
local
ci@zens.

The
workshop
was
facilitated
by
the
Center
for
Crea@ve
Economy
(CCE)
and
its
affiliate
Design
Link
and
sponsored
by
the
Piedmont

Authority
for
Regional
Transporta@on
(PART)
and
the
Piedmont
Together
sustainability
ini@a@ve.
Piedmont
Together
is
a
12-‐county

sustainability
and
smart
growth
planning
ini@a@ve
headed
by
PART
and
the
Piedmont
Triad
Regional
Council
(PTRC).

Development
op@ons
discussed
were
based
on
the
EPA
Office
of
Sustainable
Communi@es’
Smart
Growth
and
Sustainable
Design

Principles.
The
economic
influences
and
needs
for
the
site
from
adjacent
neighborhoods,
the
GTCC-‐High
Point
campus,
and
local

business
comprised
the
focus
of
community
input.
A
market
analysis,
“Key
Findings
SoSi
Southside
High
Point
Market

Opportuni@es,”
was
completed
in
advance
of
the
workshop,
which
help
base
the
process
in
market
reality.

Design
Link
team
member,
Robin
Spinks

explains
economic
reali@es
to
the
community

Zaki
Khalifa
suggests
ideas
for
commercial

retail
in
the
SoSi
district

A
designer’s
tools
are
always
close
at
hand.

1

Design
Link’s
focus
was
to
provide
a
s@mulus
for
the
ci@zens
to
share
their
desires
for
poten@al
uses
for
the
900
block
of
South

Main
Street
opposite
the
GTCC
campus.
The
team
led
ci@zen
mee@ngs
and
discussed
needs
for
poten@al
commercial
business

opportuni@es
and
neighborhood
ameni@es
that
could
be
developed.
The
Design
Link
team
craded
visual
op@ons
to
realize
the

ci@zens’
visions
for
the
future.

Community
Input
captured
for
GTCC-‐
High
Point
campus
interests
Par@cipant
Sybil
Newman,
staﬀ
at
GTCC,
speaks
up

about
campus
needs
for
retail
and
food
services

2

The
key
contacts
for
this
project
were
Wendy
Fuscoe,
Director
of
The
City
Project,
a
division
of
the
City
of
High
Point,
and
Janehe

McNeill,
Dean
GTCC-‐High
Point
campus,
and
member
of
The
City
Project
board.
The
Project’s
mission
is
the
revitaliza@on
of
the

urban
core
of
High
Point.

A
Core
City
Plan
was
adopted
in
2007
by
the
High
Point
City
Council
with
a
focus
on
eight
neighborhood

and
mixed
use
areas.
The
City
Project
board
voted
to
start
with
three
neighborhoods
of
which
the
Southside
is
one.

Southside
residents
provide
input
for
neighborhood
needs
Par@cipants
discuss
commercial
and
retail
possibili@es
for
the
site.

3

Aerial
view
of
workshop
site,
900
block
of
South
Main
St.

Base
map
of
SoSi
site
-‐primary
focus

for
workshop

The
Site

4

Southside
neighborhood
and
businesses
leaders
have
channeled
ini@al
efforts
on
the
South
Main
Street
business
corridor
and
have

given
it
a
name,
the
“SoSi
Arts
District”.
SoSi
is
short
for
“southside”
and
runs
along
High
Point’s
South
Main
Street.
There
is
a
desire

for
the
area
to
be
branded
as
an
interna@onal
village
with
business,
food,
and
the
arts.
GTCC
is
consolida@ng
their
arts
programs
at

the
High
Point
campus
including
Entertainment
Technology,
Drama,
Music,
and
Simula@on
and
Gaming.

The
SoSi
Arts
District
along
South
Main
Street
incorporates
a
growing
community
of
over
6000
GTCC

students,
faculty
and
staff
and
a
vibrant
interna@onal
business
environment
just
south
of
High

Point’s
downtown.
The
SoSi
goals
are
to
revitalize
the
commercial
areas
on
S.
Main
Street
to
include

a
plaza,
shopping,
and
mixed
use.
Currently
many
stores
near
the
site
are
La@no
restaurants
and

businesses.
The
SoSi
District
needs
a
signature
project
to
help
rebrand
the
neighborhood
and

change
the
nega@ve
percep@on
of
this
primarily
low-‐income
area.
There
is
considerable
pedestrian

traffic
between
the
GTCC
campus,
the
business
district,
and
the
neighborhoods,
and
significant

vehicular
traffic
along
South
Main
Street.

South
Main
Street-‐19,000
cars
drive
by
every
day.

GTCC
bus
stop
at
right-‐
workshop
site
across
the
street

5

South
Main
Street
is
currently
not
safe
for
pedestrians
to
cross
from
the
bus
stop
into
the
campus.
GTCC
leaders
have
been

successful
in
their
campaign
for
a
cross
walk,
and
are
currently
working
with
NCDOT
to
install
one
in
Summer
2013.
Many
students

commute
by
bus
so
pedestrian
crossing
is
essen@al.

The
work
completed
to
date
by
the
Southwest
Renewal
group
and
the
SoSi
Arts
District
stakeholders
prepared
the
community
to
be

recep@ve
to
the
Center
for
Crea@ve
Economy’s
Design
Link
(DL)
team
that
led
the
workshop
over
two
days.
The
team
engaged
the

par@cipants
in
discussions
that
generated
ideas
for
the
SoSi
District.
The
team
also
u@lized
a
“blue
sky”
approach
that
encouraged

par@cipants
to
not
hold
back
on
their
thoughts
and
concepts,
which
resulted
in
a
dynamic
ﬂow
of
ideas.

Map
of
High
Point’s
Southwest
quadrant;
Red
star
on
far
right
of
map
in
Southside
area
indicates

site
for
the
workshop.

Map
provided
by
“Southwest
Renewal”.

Workshop

Study
Site

Richland
Creek
runs
through
southwest
High
Point
and

oﬀers
a
unique
greenway
and
recrea@on
opportunity

6

Workshop
Objec4ves

•  Iden@fy
economic
and
design
opportuni@es
for
the
development
of
the
South
Main
Street
site
across
from
the
GTCC
campus.

Facilitate
the
informa@on
flow
of
these
opportuni@es
for
the
neighborhood,
GTCC,
local
business,
and
workshop
par@cipants.

•  Educate
par@cipants
on
the
value
of
sustainable
community
design,
smart
growth
principles,
and
long
term
planning.

•  Gather
input
from
a
broad
cross
sec@on
of
community
stakeholders;
Engage,
listen
and
record
response.

•  Produce
a
collec@on
of
crea@ve
design
and
development
op@ons;
Solicit
feedback
and
priori@za@on
on
these
ini@al
design

concepts.
Consider
“hybrid”
op@ons
that
may
be
presented
during
the
workshop.

•  Iden@fy
measures
to
collaborate
with
the
SoSi
ini@a@ve.
Show
that
CCE/Design
Link
and
SoSi
ini@a@ves
have
common
goals
and

will
benefit
each
other.

•  Review
and
consider
op@ons
from
the
community
surveys
that
were
completed
prior
to
the
workshop.

Background

PART/Piedmont
Together
selected
the
City
of
High
Point
as
the
third
Triad
recipient
of
a
Community
Design
Workshop.
The
Center

for
Crea@ve
Economy
and
its
affiliate
Design
Link
(DL)
were
engaged
to
facilitate
the
project.
Funding
was
provided
by
the
U.S.

Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
(HUD)
through
its
Sustainable
Communi@es
program.

Workshop
Site
bordering
south
end
of
South
Main
Street,
Vail
Avenue
and

South
Elm
Street

Arial
View
North
from
GTCC
campus

7

Schedule
January-‐
March
2013

January
22:
First
mee@ng
was
held
with
The
City
Project
Director,
Wendy
Fuscoe,
GTCC-‐Dean,
Janehe
McNeill,
Design
Link
team

members,
Bill
Moser
and
Margaret
Collins
,
and
Kyle
Laird
of
Piedmont
Together.

Week
of
Jan
28:
Together
staff
draded
an
invita@on
flyer
and
submihed
to
all
par@es
for
comments
and
approval.

This
process
took

several
weeks
to
finalize.

February
14:
A
press
release
was
draded
by
Wendy
Fuscoe,
and
edited
by
Kyle
Laird
and
Margaret
Collins.

The
release
was
finalized

and
sent
to
the
press
on
February
15th.

February
18:
Design
Link
members
Bill
Moser,
Robin
Spinks,
and
Margaret
Collins
held
a
conference
call
to
plan
the
community

survey
for
High
Point.

Week
of
February
25:
A
survey
was
designed
by
GTCC
staff
and
distributed
in
advance
of
the
workshop
for
the
SoSi
district
of
High

Point
to
seek
input
from
neighborhood
residents,
GTCC
students,
staff
and
faculty,
and
Southside
business
owners.

Ques@ons
were

asked
to
determine
what
types
of
commercial
retail,
business
and
recrea@onal
services
were
needed
on
the
site.

Also
the
public

was
asked
to
provide
insight
into
challenges
and
opportuni@es
that
will
affect
efforts
to
revitalize
the
area.
The
complete
survey

results
are
located
in
the
Appendix.

February
27:
A
conference
call
was
held
with
local
core
commihee
leaders
and
members
of
the
Design
Link
and
Piedmont
Together.

The
Team

Par@cipants
reviewed
the
objec@ves,
and
approved
the
schedule
and
themes
for
the
workshop.

The
High
Point
Core
commihee
included:

Janehe
McNeill-‐GTCC,
High
Point
campus

Michelle
McNair-‐City
of
High
Point,
Community
Development
and
Housing

Wendy
Fuscoe-‐The
City
Project

Dell
McCormick,
Macedonia
Resource
Center

Mark
Kirstner
of
Piedmont
Together
presents
the
regional
vision

Arial
view
of
site
from
GTCC
viewpoint

8

March
5:

A
site
visit
was
conducted
by
the
Design
Link
team
and
local
leaders.
Par@cipa@ng
from
the
High
Point
community
were

Wendy
Fuscoe,
Janehe
McNeill,
and
community
development
specialists,
Michelle
McNair,
Alisha
Doulen,
and
Cathy
Gray.

March
15:

The
Design
Link
team
held
a
conference
call
to
make
final
plans.

March
19-‐20
Workshop:
The
workshop
mee@ngs
were
held
on
the
GTCC-‐High
Point
Campus
at
901
South
Main
Street.
Over
one

hundred
people
ahended
the
session
over
two
days,
with
many
ahending
mul@ple
sessions.

The
morning
of
March
19th
began
with

breakfast.
An
image
gallery
of

pictures
portraying
sustainable
design
was
displayed
on
one
wall.

Par@cipants
viewed
examples
of

desirable
commercial
buildings,
mul@family
buildings,
public
spaces,
signage,
and
street
ameni@es.

Aaron
Clinard,
Chairman
of
The
City
Project
board
welcomed
the
community.

Mark
Kirstner
of
PART
provided
an
overview
of
the

regional
sustainability
project,
Piedmont
Together
which
funded
the
workshops.

The
Design
Link
team
provided
an
overview
of
the

EPA
Office
of
Sustainable
Communi@es’
Smart
Growth
and
Sustainable
Design
principles
as
goals
to
strive
for
in
site
planning.
A

separate
analysis
of
Key
Findings
for
the
SoSi
Southside
Marketplace
was
presented
as
well
to
help
set
the
stage
for
the
workshop.

May
7:

Team
members,
Bill
Moser
and
Margaret
Collins,
returned
to
present
the
workshop
results
to
the
High
Point
City
Council,

interested
ci@zens
and
business
owners.

A
forty
minute
presenta@on
summarized
key
findings
and
“Next
Steps”
were
suggested
for

the
project.

Design
Link
team
plans
workshop
strategy
during
site
visit
with
GTCC
and
High
Point
officials.

9

March
19
–
Design
Workshop
Process

Organizing
themes

Apply
principles
of
smart
growth
and
sustainable
design
to
the
SoSi
district
of
High
Point
by
considering:

•  Neighborhood
Interests

•  GTCC-‐High
Point
Campus
Needs

•  South
Main
Street
Commercial
Opportuni@es

Over
150
par@cipated
in
the
community
survey
that
was
conducted
prior
to
the
beginning
of
the
workshop.
Approximately
58%
of

the
survey
par@cipants
were
GTCC
faculty,
staﬀ
and
students;
17%
were
from
the
surrounding
neighborhoods,
Macedonia
and

Southside;
23%
were
High
Point
residents
outside
of
these
neighborhoods;
and
8%
were
neighborhood
business
owners
and
their

employees.
The
services
most
requested
by
the
community
are
outlined
in
this
report.
For
complete
survey
results
see
the

Appendix.

Ci@zens
hear
Smart
Growth
Sustainable
Design
Presenta@on
by
Design
Link

Ci@zens
hear
Smart
Growth
Sustainable
Design
Presenta@on
by
Design
Link

10

Presenta4ons:

Smart
Growth
and
Sustainable
Design

Smart
Growth
is
Concerned
with
Region
and
Neighborhood
and
Site

Region:

City
of
High
Point-‐
Connec@vity
of
Southside
to
the
en@re
city
is

important

Neighborhood:
South
Main
Street
Center
and
Adjacent
Neighborhoods
within

a
15
minute
walk.

15
minutes

10
minutes

5
minutes

11

The
GTCC
High
Point
campus
along
South
Main
Street

Neighborhood-‐Guilford
Technical
Community
College-‐
High
Point
Campus

12

Site:
900
block
of
South
Main
Street
and
Elm
Street
around
Vail
Avenue.
Develop
inﬁll
on
vacant
site,
provide
facili@es
to
serve
the
community
and
encourage

investment

Site

13

KEY
FINDINGS
–
Summary

(See
Appendix
for
complete
report)

SoSi
Southside
High
Point
Marketplace
Opportuni4es

Popula4on

The
popula@on
in
the
neighborhood
is
not
growing
–
now
6548

The
neighborhoods
are
young
–
younger
than
the
City,
NC

and
US
median
age

•  Macedonia

31.9

•  Southside

31.3

•  High
Point
City

35.8

•  High
Point
MSA

37.8

•  NC

37.4

•  US

37.2

Culture

The
neighborhoods
reﬂect
many
cultures

Hispanic
majority
is
Mexican,
Largest
Asian
group
is

Vietnamese

Income
Levels

Low
income
levels
limit
retail
op@ons
-‐
45.4%
of
residents

within
a
1-‐mile
ring
have
household
incomes
below
$15,000

15

Walkability

Walkable
products
and
services
are
important

No
vehicle
available

•  Southside
–
30.99%

•  Macedonia
–
5.60%

KEY
FINDINGS
-‐
summary

SoSi
Southside
High
Point
Marketplace
Opportuni4es

Housing

The
housing
stock
is
primarily
rental.
Over
20%
of
units
are
vacant.

Students

GTCC
High
Point
campus
students
are
as
numerous
as
the
local

popula@on
and
they
are
increasing.

Addi@onally
about
200
faculty

and
staff
are
employed
on
the
High
Point
Campus.

Traffic

Significant
drive
by
traffic
on
Main
Street

16,000
cars
per
day
1
block
north
of
the
site

19,000
cars
per
day
2
blocks
south
of
the
site

Retail
leakage
-‐
based
on
the
neighborhood
popula@on,

not
many
retail
sectors
are
at
a
deficit

However,
the
poten4al
market
including
students
and

drive
by
traffic
is
bigger
than
the
local
popula4on

16

Community
input
survey
results

Most
requested
–
coffee
shop,
fast
food

Other
ideas
for
development

Employment
office
Music
tech
store

Bookstore

Hotel

Entertainment

Children’s
ac@vi@es

Plaza

Sports
fields

Library

Day
care

Arts
center

Police
sta@on

Grocery

Specific
food
chains

Popeye’s

Church’s

McDonald’s

Golden
Corral

Any
cafeteria

Zaxby’s

Chick-‐fil-‐A

Subway

GTCC
student
survey
results
2011

Most
requested
–
coffee
shop,
affordable
food

Closely
behind

Park
benches

ATM

Internet
café

Ice
cream/doughnut
shop

Convenience
store

Bookstore

Student
ethnicity
and
incomes
similar
to
the
neighborhood.

Biggest
problem/challenge
that
a
new
development
must

address
is
crossing
South
Main
St

KEY
FINDINGS
-‐
summary

SoSi
Southside
High
Point
Marketplace
Opportuni4es

17

OTHER
IDEAS

Local
Dollars,
Local
Sense
–
Michael
Shuman

Three
rules
for
prosperous
communi@es

1.

Maximize
locally-‐owned
businesses

2.

Diverse
local
goods
and
services

3.  High
labor
and
environmental
standards

Crea8ve
Class
Economy
–
Richard
Florida

Key
ingredients

•  Civic
Culture
–
celebrate
what
is
local

•  Intellectual
bent
–
embrace
GTCC

•  Diversity
–
already
present

•  Sense
of
self

§  Stronger
iden@ty

§  Pride
of
accomplishment

Grand
Crossing
–
Southside
Chicago,

Near
the
University
of
Chicago

•  Local
ar@st
marries
talent
with
civic

responsibility

•  Empty
house
……
library,
slide
archive,
soul

food
kitchen
pavilion

•  Candy
store
……
exhibit
space,
reading

room

•  Brick
townhouse
…..
cinema
for
black
films

•  Historic
bank
……
archive
of
Johnson

Publishing

• 
Housing
authority
apartments
…..
Ar@st

residences,
mixed
rental

Hostel
Detroit

•  Non-‐profit
–
dona@ons,
volunteers

•  Safe,
affordable
accommoda@ons

•  Educates
patrons
about
the
City

•  3
blocks
north
of
Michigan
Ave

•  Single
and
bunkrooms,
kitchen,
common

area

•  Popular
tourist
des@na@on
for
backpackers,

students,
European
youth,
younger,
less

affluent,
more
adventuresome
travelers

Micro
apartments
–
NYC

•  City
sponsored
compe@@on
–adAPT
NY

•  250-‐370
square
feet,
55
units

•  To
combat
high
housing
costs

•  Had
to
change
zoning

•  Perfect
for
students

18

Music
Box
House
-‐
New
Orleans

Touch
my
building
-‐
Charlohe

Popuphood
–
Oakland

Temporary,
startup/incubator
retail
space

Social
enterprise
–
coopera@on
among

•  Property
owners

•  Community
partners

•  Businesses

•  City

•  Developers

Urbanscale

•  Sharing
City
data
where
people
need
it

•  Technology
meets
infrastructure

•  Networked
ci@es
and
ci@zens

•  Smart
wayﬁnding
signs

•  Kiosks
to
connect
to
services

•  GPS
transit
@ckets

Pulsing
Heart

-‐
NYC
Downtown
gaming
-‐
Cleveland

•  Upscale
video
games

•  NOT
a
casino,
NOT
a
sweepstakes

•  Recrea@on
for
children

•  Opportunity
to
introduce
GTCC

Entertainment
Technology,
and

Simula@on
and
Game
Development

•  Tourist
des@na@on

Interac4ve
Public
Art

19

March
19,
2013

Community
Input
and
Goals
Developed

Following
the
presenta@ons
on
Smart
Growth/
Sustainable
Design
and
Key
Findings
in
Southside
High
Point’s
Marketplace,

par@cipants
broke
into
three
groups
where
they
discussed
the
needs
and
interests
of
the
surrounding
neighborhoods,
the
GTCC-‐High

Point
Campus,
and
commercial
opportuni@es
on
the
site.
This
focus
on
the
specific
four
acre
site
opposite
GTCC
galvanized
the

ci@zens
in
both
the
morning
and
evening
sessions
of
March
19.

Discussions
led
to
the
emergence
of
three
goals
for
Site
Development:

1.  Develop
the
SoSi
Site
opposite
GTCC
as
a
des@na@on
place
that
is
crea@ve
and
sustainable
with
a
unified
plan.

2.  Fulfill
needs
of
both
the
GTCC
campus
and
residents
of
nearby
neighborhoods
with
retail
and
commercial
services

3.  Seek
public
/private
partnerships
to
create
a
dynamic
urban
experience.

Workshop
par@cipants
provide
a
summary
of
what
they
heard
in
the
sessions.

20

Goal
1:
Develop
SoSi
Site
as
a
Des4na4on
Place

Development
of
the
en@re
four
acres
as
a
unified
plan
will
provide
greater
opportunity
to
accommodate
phased
growth
with

consolidated
parking,
green
space,
and
site
access.
A
unified
design
could
beher
create
a
“des@na@on
place”
where
both
public

sector
and
private
sector
opportuni@es
might
co-‐exist.

As
iden@fied
in
the
Key
Findings,
there
are
considerably
more
people
that
u@lize
the
area
than
are
evident
by
the
neighborhood

popula@on
alone.

•  Between
the
GTCC
campus
and
the
immediate
neighborhood
popula@ons,
there
are
over
12,500
people
that
are
in
immediate

proximity
and
could
u@lize
services
from
commercial
en@@es
on
the
site.

•  In
addi@on,
19,000
cars
per
day
drive
by
the
site
on
South
Main
Street.

•  A
total
of
more
than
31,500
people
could
be
poten@al
customers
for
resident
business
ventures
on
the
site.

•  The
market
is
a
diverse
popula@on
with
an
interna@onal
heritage.

Design
Link
member,
Kevin
Marion,
sketches
ideas
expressed
by
residents
regarding
commercial
interests
on
the
site

21

Important
Considera4ons
emerged
from
the
public
input:

•  The
needs
for
facili@es
are
very
similar
between
the
GTCC
students,
staff,
and
faculty
and
the
SoSi
neighborhood

•  Neighborhood
must
be
cleaned
up
and
made
more
ahrac@ve
and
safe
for
residents,
students,
and
visitors

•  Improve
walkability
with
crosswalks,
repair
of
sidewalks,
pedestrian
medians,
traffic
calming,
and
streetscape

•  Site
ideal
for
Interna@onal
World
Bizarre
hos@ng
food,
ar@sans,
and
retail
stores
selling
crads,
accessories
and
gid
items

•  “Pop
Up”
or
new
start
up
businesses
should
be
encouraged
to
allow
diverse,
mul@faceted
retail
to
emerge

•  An
outdoor
plaza
and
public
space
is
desired
with
an
informal
performing
area
for
entertainment,
and
places
to
dine
and
relax

with
public
Wi-‐Fi

•  Development
should
be
mul@
story,
LEED,
and
mixed
use

•  Visual
aesthe@c
should
be
modern,
colorful,
upscale,
with
visual
@es
to
GTCC
campus
architectural
styles

•  Urban
garden
area
with
water
features
and
landscaping
could
be
developed
both
indoors
and
out

•  Develop
bicycle
lanes
and
walking
trails,
connect
to
greenways
and
exis@ng
trails

•  Signage
is
important
as
well
as
improved
ligh@ng
for
safety
and
way
finding

•  Develop
residen@al
apartments
on
upper
floor
units
designed
for
students
and
visitors.

•  Branding
important
-‐
“Design
Your
Life
in
High
Point”
or
similar
theme
focused
around
the
arts

Arial
view
of
developed
site
looking
northwest
up
South
Main
Street

Site
plan
1
showing
poten@al
commercial
development

drawn
during
the
morning
workshop,
generated
from
ideas

contributed
by
local
par@cipants.

22

Goal
2:

Fulfill
retail
and
entertainment
needs
of
GTCC-‐High
Point
campus
and
nearby
neighborhoods

Development
of
the
site
represents
an
excellent
opportunity
to
create
a
mul@-‐func@onal
community
center
that
would
serve
the

southern
part
of
High
Point’s
urban
core.
By
implemen@ng
Smart
Growth
and
Sustainable
Design
prac@ces,
the
site
could

accommodate
a
wide
variety
of
commercial/retail
development,
student
housing,
and
service
organiza@ons.

The
public
provided
numerous
sugges@ons
for
retail
consumer
needs
and
services
that
are
severely
lacking
in
the
SoSi
district.

•  Mixed
use
buildings
with
Wi-‐Fi,
retail,
food,
housing

•  Hotel-‐
similar
to
a
dormitory,
hostel,

inexpensive

op@ons;
to
serve
college
market,
i.e.
old
YMCA

•  Housing-‐
student
apartments,
ar@st
lods

•  More
diverse
retail,
small
bou@que
and
affordable

business
outlets,
gid
shop

•  Interna@onal
World
Bizarre-‐
for
selling
hand
made

crads
and
accessories;
world
class
store
to
ahract

buyers
from
all
over
US

•  Restaurants
with
variety
of
healthy
food
and

reasonable
prices

•  Ethnic
restaurants,
local,
diverse,
could
be
food

court;
colorful,
visual,
lively

•  Indoor/outdoor
dining

•  Different
types
of
food
markets-‐
fresh
food
from

different
countries

•  Internet
café

•  Pharmacy

•  Grocery
store-‐
Aldi,
Save
A
Lot,
Food
Lion,
need
now

(possibly
combine
grocery
and
drug
store)

•  Coop
and/
or
discount
grocers

•  Outdoor
Markets:

farmer’s
market,
bizarre,
place
for

music
and
art

•  Food
trucks
for
events
and
regular
days

•  Bank-‐
ATM
and
credit
union

•  Gym
and
fitness
Center

•  Indoor
Sports-‐
Soccer,
bawng
cages,

bowling
alley

•  Bicycle
rental,
storage,
and
bike
share

•  Dry
Cleaners,
shoe
shop,
etc.

•  Bookstore-‐regular
and
textbooks

•  Print
shop

•  Entertainment
area-‐
go
carts,
rides,
etc.

•  Family
Movies

•  Home
Furnishings

•  Clothing
store

•  Gas
and
Convenience
store
,
i.e.
Sheetz

•  Laundry

•  Car
Wash

Ci@zens
discuss
commercial
opportuni@es
for
development
of
the
900
block
of

South
Main
Street

23

Site
plan
2
showing
poten@al
commercial
development
drawn
during

the
morning
workshop,
generated
from
ideas
contributed
by
local

par@cipants.

Site
Plan

Site
plan
3
also
displays
poten@al
commercial
development
and
was
drawn

during
the
evening
workshop.

24

Goal
3:
Seek
public
private
partnerships
to
develop
these
plans

The
poten@al
to
develop
the
exis@ng
four
acres
of
property
is
significant
but
immediate
efforts
are
required
to
obtain
and
recombine

the
eight
(8)
separate
tracts,
which
make
up
the
four
acre
parcel.

This
effort
can
best
be
realized
by
a
crea@ve
partnership
between

the
public
and
private
sectors.
The
partners
could
explore
zoning
which
allows
private
developers
to
own
a
por@on
of
a
larger

property,
which
is
shared
with
the
public
sector.

The
first
priority
is
to
secure
the
land
to
allow
the
project
to
move
forward.

The
ci@zens
suggested
needs
to
be
provided
by
the
public
sector
that
would
co-‐exist
on
the
site
with
the
private
sector
uses

described
in
goal
two.

•  Enterprise
incubator
(PopUpHood)
small
start
up

spaces
with
incen@ves
to
help
business

•  Game
technology
incubator
(entertainment
for
kids)

•  Outdoor
recrea@on;
ball
fields,
soccer,
baseball,
golf

lessons,
community
groups.

•  Indoor
Recrea@on
Center-‐
pool,
basketball,
gym
(old

YMCA,
now
Floyd,
Floyd,
Floyd)

•  Day
care
Center
and
ader
school
programs
for

students
wishing
to
ahend
GTCC
and
staff

•  Police
Sub
Sta@on

•  Branch
Library

•  Performance
and
produc@on
space
for
music,
place

for
visual
art
that
is
GREEN

•  Community
Center-‐
Place
for
youth
(i.e.
clubs,
boy

scouts)

•  Interna@onal
Fes@val

•  Senior
ci@zen
center
or
village
with
housing
and

ac@vi@es

•  Community
watch
group
(i.e.
Southside
neighborhood

associa@on)

Dorothy
Darr
and
Dontay
Mitchell
join
Southside
neighborhood
residents

in
a
break
out
session

25

March
20,
2013

Design
Team
Response-‐A
Vision
Emerges

A
mixed
use
plaza
with
mul@ple
venues
for
retail,
community
services
restaurants,
grocery
store
and
housing
was
the
overwhelming

favorite
among
the
ci@zens
ahending
the
workshop.

Fortunately,
the
community
has
a
major
anchor
with
the
GTCC-‐High
Point
campus
across
the
street
that
provides
an
immediate

underserved
market.

Specifically,
GTCC
provides
a:

•  Cap@ve
audience
consis@ng
of
faculty,
staff
and
students

•  Growing
educa@onal
business
with
6,000
people
per
annum
ahending
classes
and
in
need
of
food,
shopping
and
services

•  Long-‐term
commitment
by
GTCC
to
con@nue
investment
in
the
community

The
following
series
of
four
site
plan
sketches
demonstrate
the
evolu@on
of

ideas
for
development
on
the
site
from
comments
received
by
par@cipants.

Various
op@ons
were
explored
with
a
preferred
op@on
displayed
last.

The
site

plan
drad
above
displays
the
ini@al
plaza
idea
within
the
core
of
the
site.

Another
idea
explored
breaking
up
the
plaza
development
in
small

phases.

This
trial
and
error
process
was
u@lized
to
help
gauge
the

community
ideas
one
step
at
a
@me.
The
small
units
above,
while
they

ahempted
to
respond
to
some
of
the
par@cipants
ideas,
proved
to
be
too

small
for
efficiency
and
not
cost
effec@ve.

26

The
image
above
displays
a
reﬁned
site
plan
drad
of
a
phased
plaza
with

midsize
buildings.

The
more
ﬁnal
site
plan
concept
for
this
series
of
site
inves@ga@ons

demonstrated
medium
size
buildings
and
some
plaza
features.

27

Site
Design
Possibili4es

Several
“visions”
for
a
mixed-‐use,
urban
scale
development
were
presented.

All
of
the
site
design
op@ons
incorporated
the
following

elements:

•  Safer
pedestrian
access
across
South
Main
Street
to
the
GTCC
campus

•  Proposed
buildings
located
at
the
perimeter
of
the
site
with
parking
and
urban
garden/plaza
ameni@es
placed
on
the
interior
of

the
site.

•  Opportuni@es
for
phased
development
based
upon
a
unified
master
plan.
A
Development
Agreement
with
specific
site
design

guidelines
should
be
implemented
to
encourage
private,
phased
development
within
a
unified
plan.

•  Opportuni@es
for
mul@-‐func@onal,
mixed-‐use
structures
which
incorporate
commercial
services
at
lower
levels
and
housing
on

upper
levels.

•  Sustainable
design
aspects

Concept
One

Site
Plan-‐
Unified
site
development
plan
with
buildings
at
perimeter.

Parking
is
concentrated
on
interior
of
site.

Ground
Level-‐
Occupancies
include
retail
venues.

28

Concept
One

Mezzanine
Level-‐
Occupancies
to
include
service
oriented
venues.

Examples
would
include
GTCC
and
neighborhood
out
reach
opportuni@es.

The
pedestrian
bridge
over
South
Main
Street
would
be
at
this
level
to
link

mixed
use
development
with
GTCC
campus.

Student
Housing
Level-‐
This
would
be
located
above
the
mezzanine

level.

Studio
apartments
would
face
both
North
and
South.

29

Aﬀordable
Student
Housing
Units

•  448
square
foot
“studio”
suite

•  Available
for
short
term
rental
during
furniture
markets

30

Proposed
pedestrian
bridge
over
South
Main
Street.

Massing
study
for
major
buildings
at
perimeter
of
site
with
pedestrian
bridge
over
South
Main
Street
at
right
of
image.

31

Concept
2

A
second
alterna@ve
for
the
site
was
created.
This
alterna@ve
included
a
more
formal
sewng
with
all
buildings
facing
an
interior

courtyard.

Design
Link
team
member,
Marcelo
Menza,

presen@ng
one
of
the
site
plan
concepts.

The
Coﬀee
Shop/Wi-‐Fi
idea
was
one
of
the

most
requested
by
the
college
community.
This

sketch
shows
a
ﬂexible
space
that
can
be

enclosed
or
open
depending
on
weather.

This
sketch
shows
a
basic
building
and
dormer

module
explora@on.
This
was
used
to
develop

the
en@re
site
plaza
idea
for
this
concept.

Early
stage
sketches

32

This
ini@al
eleva@on
shows
a
way
to
enclose
an
open
space,
while
maintaining
a
defined
street
front

with
open
access
to
the
interior
plaza.

It
captures
this
idea
of
permeability
on
the
street
level,
with

invi@ng
and
contemporary
building
materials
and
warm
colors.

The
sketch
above
is
a
more
detailed
eleva@on
showing
a
small
building
module;
demonstra@ng
the

concept
of
developing
in
phases.

Concept
taking
Shape

This
sketch
highlights
the
first
floor
plan
of
the
main

street
building,
showing
a
passage
way
aligned
with

the
pedestrian
crosswalk
and
an
open
concept
coffee

shop
space
allowing
the
college
community
to
walk

through
to
the
interior
plaza.

33

A
detailed
main
street
eleva@on
shows
a
larger
building
module
for
development
eﬃciency.

The
building
materials
are

contemporary
with
colors
and
forms
that
are
warm,
contribu@ng
to
the
deﬁni@on
of
the
plaza
space.

The
design

demonstrates
permeability
and
an
invi@ng
atmosphere.

This
sketch
further
illustrates
this
site
plan
concept.

Main
Street
Eleva4ons

34

This
aerial
view
shows
the
general
layout
of
the
plan.
The
property
across
South
Main
from
GTCC,
would
serve
as
an
urban
plaza
deﬁning
the
South
Main

Street
frontage
and
crea@ng
a
large
open
space
surrounded
by
four
buildings.
The
buildings
are
detached,
crea@ng
open
corners
with
diagonal
views
of

the
plaza
from
South
Main
and
the
residen@al
areas
on
the
west
side.
The
buildings
on
the
north
and
west
sides
of
the
property
oﬀer
the
most
protected

areas
making
these
ideal
for
community
service
spaces
as
suggested
earlier
in
the
report.

Aerial
Views

35

The
view
from
the
GTCC
pedestrian
crossing
into
the
plaza.
While
presen@ng
a
defining
boulevard
“front
mass”,
the
building
is
also
open
and
transparent
when

facing
the
crossing
and
passing
pedestrians.
It
has
a
significant
opening
allowing
a
clear
view
of
the
interior
plaza.
In
addi@on,
there
is
an
open
concept
internet

café
with
garage-‐like
windows
that
open
up
during
the
summer
allowing
for
a
more
“filtered”
flow
of
public
into
the
plaza.
The
doors
close
up
during
winter

maintaining
transparency
and
a
clear
view
to
and
from
the
inside
of
the
café.

36

This
view
shows
the
other
corner
of
the
plaza,
opposite
from
South
Main
Street.
The
ambience
on
this
side
is
more
residen@al.
Two
more
building
units
help
define

the
plaza
and
offer
a
flexible
first
floor
with
an
open
concept
that
can
be
used
to
house
a
seasonal
Farmer’s
Market,
an
annual
arts
&
crads
fair,
and
other
events.

37

The
view
of
the
plaza
driving
south
on
South
Main
Street.
The
building
facing
South
Main
is
situated
as
outlined
in
the
City’s
boulevard
front
plan,
helping
define

the
dense
main
street
concept.
The
open
corner
lets
the
driver
catch
a
glimpse
of

the
interior
plaza.
The
proposed
buildings
have
contemporary
shapes
yet
they

are
skinned
with
earthy,
warm
colored
materials.

Another
view
of
South
Main
displays
warm,
invi@ng
materials,
colors
and
shapes
to
pedestrians
promo@ng
outdoor
community
encounters
and
ac@vi@es.

The

buildings
can
be
4
to
5
stories
tall,
with
the
first
floor
as
a
flexible
retail
space
and
the
floors
above
with
affordable
small
rental
or
private
property.

38

Concept
Three

One
of
the
most
discussed
elements
was
a
highly
developed
plaza
with
opportuni@es
for
a
wide-‐range
of
ac@vi@es.
This
site
is

designed
with
a
plaza
facing
storefronts,
dining,
public
art,
water
features,
walking/bicycle
paths
and
a
small
performance
venue.
A

variety
of
building
sizes
and
scales
with
the
larger
structures
situated
on
Vail
Avenue,
help
deﬁne
the
interior
plaza.

Wide
Arial
View
of
Plaza
It
has
been
shown
that
mixed-‐use
development
in
urban
areas
is
more

sustainable
from
a
business
standpoint.
All
the
buildings
shown
are

drawn
with
mixed
use
in
mind.

39

Aerial
View
of
Plaza
looking
southeast.

The
preferred
aesthe@c
among
the
par@cipants
was
a
more
modern,
contemporary
styling,
but
there
was
men@on
of

historical
architecture
as
well.
This
design
leans
heavily
on
modern,
but
incorporates
historical
and
natural
materials
such
as
brick
veneer
and
stone
pavers
as
well

as
some
industrial
elements
like
single
panel
garage
doors
at
the
retail
outlets
that
would
double
as
canopies
when
opened.

Sustainability
was
of
great
interest
to
the
ci@zens
as
well
as
a
main
theme
for
the
workshop.
Included
in
this
concept
are
several

visible
green
building
elements
such
as
photovoltaic
roof
panels,
buildings
that
u@lize
maximum
daylight
and
dark
sky
approved

street
ligh@ng.

40

Ground
Level
View
of
Plaza
Looking
Southeast.

The
func@ons
in
the
buildings
are
not
speciﬁcally
indicated
as
the
discussions
turned
up
a
mul@tude
of

possibili@es.
The
sketches
are
more
to
show
a
possibility
for
the
forms
and
aesthe@cs
of
the
buildings
and
the
outdoor
spaces
they
deﬁne.

41

South
Main
Street
at
GTCC
Crosswalk
Looking
West.

The
plaza
should
be
easily
accessed
by
pedestrians
from

GTCC
and
the
surrounding
community.

This
contributes
to
the
sustainability
of
the
project.

42

South
Main
Street
Looking
North

43

South
Main
Street
Level
Looking
South

44

General
Building
Improvements
along
South
Main
Street

The
conceptual
rendering
of
Site
A
shows
modifica4ons
to
the
building
that
include:

•  The
addi@on
of
tower
features
at
either
end
of
the
structure,
with
the
larger
tower
located
at
the
entrance
to
the
larger
of
the

two
spaces
in
the
structure
help
to
clearly
iden@fy
it
as
the
entranceway
into
the
primary
tenant
space.

•  A
covered
walkway
connec@ng
the
tenant
spaces
that
extends
along
the
length
of
the
building
and
joins
the
covered
entrances

under
the
tower
features
at
either
end
of
the
building.

•  The
use
of
high
quality
exterior
cladding
materials
that
help
to
differen@ate
the
different
por@ons
of
the
building
façade.
The

materials
shown
are
complimentary
in
color,
with
a
focus
on
earth
tones
that
are
compa@ble
with
the
style
of
nearby
buildings.

The
building
is
divided
into
three
primary
ver@cal
components
along
the
front
façade:

•  a
“base”
clad
in
smooth
stone
that
is
defined
by
the
lower
por@on
of
the
columns
and
the
knee
wall
along
the
covered

walkway

•  a
“middle”
comprised
of
textured
stack
stone
columns
along
the
length
of
the
building

•  a
“top”
that
is
clad
in
stucco
and
highlighted
by
the
towers
at
either
end
of
the
structure.

•  Translucent
glass
panels
are
used
in
the
primary
tower
feature
to
“lighten”
the
visual
weight
of
the
tower,
which
is
contrasted

with
the
use
of
stucco
to
the
full
height
of
the
second
tower,
making
that
feature
“heavier”
in
appearance

•  Downward
facing
building
mounted
ligh@ng
is
shown
at
the
columns
to
help
define
these
prominent
building
features.

•  A
wall
mounted
channel
leher
sign
for
the
primary
tenant
in
the
building
is
shown
in
the
center
of
the
“top”
por@on
of
the

structure.
The
use
of
channel
lehers
and
a
contras@ng
color
for
the
sign
enhances
the
sign’s
visibility,
but
does
not
make
the
sign

the
most
prominent
feature
of
the
building
facade.

Site
improvements
shown
in
the
rendering

for
Site
A
include:

•  The
removal
of
the
exis@ng
overhead
u@li@es
along
the
street,
in
accordance
with
the
City’s
plans
to
relocate
the
u@li@es

underground
in
the
near
future.

•  The
installa@on
of
landscaping
along
the
street,
focusing
primarily
on
medium
height
trees
that
will
help
to
define
the
edge
of
the

right
of
way
and
soden
the
transi@on
to
the
parking
area
on
the
site.

•  The
installa@on
of
high
quality
street
lights
with
decora@ve
poles.
These
poles
can
also
be
used,
as
shown,
for
the
placement
of

banners,
or
other
types
of
signage
to
help
define
the
presence
and
ac@vi@es
of
the
SoSi
district.

45

General
Building
Improvements
along
South
Main
Street

The
design
alterna@ves
shown
in
the
following
renderings
of
“Site
A”
and
“Site
B”
are
intended
to
demonstrate
how
exis@ng

development
can
be
integrated
into
the
emerging
design
theme
of
the
900
block
of
South
Main
Street
in
SoSi.
For
each
site,
the

exis@ng
condi@ons
are
shown,
followed
by
a
conceptual
rendering
and
explana@on
of
poten@al
building
and
site
improvements.

SITE
A

Site
A
–
Exis@ng
condi@ons

Site
A
–
Conceptual
Rendering
of
Poten@al
Improvements

46

The
conceptual
rendering
of
Site
B
shows
modifica4ons
to
the
building
that
include:

•  The
addi@on
of
brick
columned
towers
at
either
end
of
the
building
to
help
iden@fy
the
entrances
into
the
primary
tenant

spaces.

•  The
use
of
sloped
standing
seam
metal
roofs
on
the
towers.

•  The
use
of
false
windows
on
the
upper
level
of
the
towers
to
differen@ate
the
“top”
por@on
of
the
towers
from
the

“base”
of
the
towers.

•  The
addi@on
of
a
brick
façade
and
glass
storefronts
for
individual
tenant
spaces
along
the
length
of
the
building.

•  The
use
of
neutral
colors
and
earth
tones
to
soden
the
appearance
of
the
building
and
integrate
the
structure
into
the

emerging
design
theme
of
this
block
of
South
Main
Street.

•  The
installa@on
of

awnings
along
the
length
of
the
front
façade
of
the
building
to
add
defini@on
and
help
define
each

tenant
space.

•  The
installa@on
of
channel
leher
style
signage,
which
is
rela@vely
uniform
in
size
and
style.

•  Downward
facing
building
mounted
ligh@ng
is
shown
at
the
columns
to
help
define
these
prominent
building
features.

Site
improvements
shown
in
the
rendering

for
Site
B
include:

•  The
removal
of
the
exis@ng
overhead
u@li@es
along
the
street,
in
accordance
with
the
City’s
plans
to
relocate
the
u@li@es

underground
in
the
near
future.

•  The
installa@on
of
landscaping
along
the
street,
focusing
primarily
on
medium
height
trees
that
will
help
to
define
the

edge
of
the
right
of
way
and
soden
the
transi@on
to
the
parking
area
on
the
site.

•  The
installa@on
of
high
quality
street
lights
with
decora@ve
poles.
These
poles
can
also
be
used,
as
shown,
for
the

placement
of
banners,
or
other
types
of
signage
to
help
define
the
presence
and
ac@vi@es
of
the
SoSi
district.

47

Site
B

Site
B
–
Exis@ng
Condi@ons

Site
B
–
Conceptual
Rendering
of
Poten@al
Improvements

48

Mid-‐Block
Crossing

Mid-‐Block
Crossing
Loca@on
–
Exis@ng
Condi@ons
Mid-‐Block
Crossing
Loca@on
–
Conceptual
Rendering
of
Poten@al
Improvements

The
rendering
of
the
proposed
crosswalk
between
GTCC’s
campus
on
the
east
side
of
Main
Street
and
the
commercial
area

on
the
west
side
of
the
street
is
intended
to
demonstrate
how
the
proposed
crosswalk
may
appear
when
the
installa@on
is

complete.

The
rendering
includes
the
following
elements:

•  The
installa@on
of
a
striped
and
textured
crosswalk.
In
this
example
a
“brick”
textured
pahern
is
shown.
These
paherns

can
be
achieved
by
stamping
asphalt
and
then
adding
paint
to
achieve
the
desired
look
if
the
use
of
the
actual
material
is

not
appropriate
for
the
street
type
or
there
are
cost
constraints.

•  The
installa@on
of
a
pedestrian
refuge
island
in
the
exis@ng
center
turn
lane
of
the
street.
The
refuge
island
provides
a

protected
loca@on
for
pedestrians
to
pause
in
the
middle
of
a
crossing
on
a
wide
street,
such
as
Main
Street.
The
refuge

area
is
located
between
two
concrete
curbed
plan@ng
islands.
The
islands
are
shown
planted
with
low
level
shrubs
and

ﬂowers.
The
use
of
small
scale
landscaping
materials
is
necessary
to
ensure
unobstructed
visibility
for
pedestrians
using

the
crossing,
as
well
as
for
motorists
to
ensure
that
pedestrians
are
not
obscured.

•  The
installa@on
of
pedestrian
warning
signs
with
sensor
ac@vated
lights
to
help
motorists
iden@fy
the
presence
of
the

crosswalk
and
alert
them
to
the
presence
of
a
pedestrian
in,
or
near,
the
crossing.

Proposed
Crosswalk
Improvements

49

The
conceptual
rendering
of
South
Main
Street
was
prepared
to
demonstrate
how
poten@al
improvements
to
the
street
would
look

when
completed.
The
design
concept
for
the
South
Main
Streetscape
includes
the
following
elements:

•  All
overhead
wire
u@li@es
are
relocated
underground
in
accordance
with
the
City’s
ongoing
u@lity
reloca@on
project.

•  Exis@ng
wooden
u@lity
poles
used
for
street
ligh@ng
are
replaced
with
decora@ve
black
metal
poles
with
shielded
cobra
head
style

light
ﬁxtures.

•  The
new
light
poles
are
shown
with
custom
SoSi
banners.

•  A
uniform
landscaping
plan
is
shown,
which
includes
the
installa@on
of
street
trees
at
regular
intervals
in
a
plan@ng
strip
and
the

installa@on
of
low
shrubberies
along
parking
areas
to
help
soden
the
transi@on
from
the
street
to
the
sidewalk
and
adjoining

proper@es.

•  The
center
turn
lane
is
replaced
with
a
concrete
curbed
grass
median
(poten@ally
also
planted
with
ﬂowers
or
low
shrubs
where

desired).
Led
turns
and
U-‐turns
are
accommodated
at
strategic
loca@ons
along
the
corridor
through
the
use
of
median
breaks

with
adequate
decelera@on
and
stacking
space.

•  Where
appropriate,
driveway
access
points
are
closed
and
addi@onal
cross
access
between
adjoining
proper@es
is
provided.

Streetscape
Improvements

South
Main
Streetscape

South
Main
Streetscape
–
Exis@ng
Condi@ons
South
Main
Streetscape
–
Conceptual
Rendering
of
Poten@al
Improvements

50

Next
Steps
for
the
SoSi
District
of
Southside
High
Point
to
Consider

1.  Secure
the
property
and
recombine
the
tracts
on
the
vacant
four
acre
lot
in
the
900
block
of
South
Main
Street
and
Elm
Street

at
the
intersec@on
of
Vail
Avenue
across
from
GTCC-‐High
Point
campus.

2.  Determine
the
“best”
loca@on
for
pedestrian
crosswalk
between
GTCC-‐High
Point
campus
and
the
vacant
property.

Construc@on
of
the
new
crosswalk
began
in
mid-‐July
2013.

3.  Perform
addi@onal
market
research
and
programming
to
further
define
the
site
and
development
guidelines.

4.  Involve
SoSi
and
the
GTCC
stakeholders
to
reinforce
the
vision
for
the
property
development.

5.  Determine
public
sector
vs.
private
sector
involvement
for
site
development.

6.  Seek
private
sector
par@cipa@on
through
“Development
Opportunity”
request
for
proposals
with
defined
guidelines
based
upon

detailed
public/private
objec@ves.

Design
Link
members
Jason
Epley,
led,
and
Kevin
Marion,
right,

summarize
team
findings
and
facilitate
community
discussion

51

Design
and
Planning

Bill
Moser,
AIA,
NCARB

Moser
Mayer
Phoenix
Associates,
PA

Jason
Epley,
AICP,
CPM

Vagn
Hansen,
AICP

Benchmark
CMR,
Inc.

Kevin
Marion,
AIA,
LEEDap

The
Art
and
Architecture
of
Kevin
S.
Marion

Marcelo
Menza,
AIA
Architectural
Diploma

CJMW
Architecture

Market
Analysis
&
Economic
Development

Robin
Spinks

Greenfield

Project
Management

Margaret
Collins

Center
for
Crea@ve
Economy

www.centerforcrea@veeconomy.com

Workshop
made
possible
by
funding
from

HUD
and
Piedmont
Together

Mark
Kirstner,
Paul
Kron,
Kyle
Laird,

Piedmont
Together

hhp://triadsustainability.org

www.piedmontvoice.org

Report
design
made
possible
by
Wildfire

Ideas,
LLC
www.wildfireideas.com

Workshop
for
City
of
High
Point
SoSi
District

Facilitated
by
Center
for
Crea4ve
Economy
/
Design
Link

52

Appendix

Invita@on
Flyer-‐
English
and
Spanish
versions

Press
Release

Survey
Summary

Agenda

Key
Findings
-‐
SoSi-‐Southside
High
Point
Marketplace
Opportuni@es

Par@cipants
ahending
workshop

53

SoSi HIGH POINTSoSi HIGH POINT
CommunityDesignWorkshopCommunityDesignWorkshop
GTCC-HighPointCampus901SouthMainStreetGTCC-HighPointCampus901SouthMainStreet
All Sessions Will Be Held in Building H4 Room 203. Parking On Hamilton Street.
This Design and Planning Workshop focuses on the design of a two block commercial area
across from the GTCC High Point Campus on South Main Street and Vail Avenue.
Morning Session
8:30-9:00am
Breakfast (Please RSVP)
9:00-10:00am
Presentation of South Side Market
Analysis and Introduction to
Sustainable Development
10:15-12:30pm
We invite you to join our design professionals
to help plan the North Corner of South Main
Street and Vail Avenue
March 19March 19thth
Evening Session
5:30-6:00pm
Light Dinner (Please RSVP)
6:00-8:00pm
We invite you to join our design professionals
to help plan the North Corner of South Main
Street and Vail Avenue
ToRSVPContact:
WendyFuscoe,ExecutiveDirector:TheCityProject,Inc.
Wendy.Fuscoe@HighPointNC.gov336.883.8547
Please Attend Either the Morning or Evening Session
March 20March 20thth
11:30-12:00pm
Sign in and lunch (Please RSVP)
12:00-1:30pm
Presentation of Findings and
Visuals
Discuss visual concepts and
prioritize ideas
Community Wrap-up Session
WendyFuscoe,Exe
Wendy.Fus
Piedmont
Together
SoSi HIGH POINT
TallersobreDiseñodelaComunidad
GTCC-HighPointCampus901SouthMainStreet
Todas las sesiones serán en el Edificio H4 Salón 203. Estacionamiento en Hamilton Street.
Este taller sobre diseño y planificación se enfocará en el diseño de dos cuadras en el área comercial
enfrente de GTCC-High Point en el calle South Main y Avenida Vail.
Sesión en la mañana
8:30-9:00am
Desayuno (favor de Confirmar Asistencia/RSVP)
9:00-10:00am
Presentación del Análisis del mercado en el lado
sur e Introducción al desarrollo sostenible
10:15-12:30pm
Los invitamos a reunirse con nuestros
diseñadores profesionales y para que ayuden a
planear la esquina del Norte de South Main
19 de Marzo19 de Marzo
Sesión en la tarde
5:30-6:00pm
Cena ligera (favor de Confirmar Asistencia/RSVP)
6:00-8:00pm
Los invitamos a reunirse con nuestros diseñadores
profesionales y para que ayuden a planear la esquina
del Norte de South Main Street y Vail Avenue
ParaConfirmarAsistencia/RSVPContactara:
Wendy.Fuscoe@HighPointNC.gov336.883.8547
Por favor asistan a una de las dos sesiones, en la mañana o en la tarde
20 de Marzo20 de Marzo
11:30-12:00pm
Registroyalmuerzo(favordeConfirmarAsistencia)
12:00-1:30pm
Presentación de los resultados y
visuales
Discusión sobre los conceptos
visuales y para priorizar las ideas
Sesión de recapitulación
Piedmont
Together
Street y Vail Avenue
WendyFuscoe,DirectoraEjecutiva:TheCityProject,Inc.

For
Immediate
Release:

FOR
MORE
INFORMATION
CONTACT:
Wendy
Fuscoe,
the
City
Project

January
23,
2013

336
883-‐8547

Design
and
Development
Workshop
coming
to
the
SoSi
District

High
Point,
NC:
The
City
Project
will
host
a
two-‐day
community
design
workshop
focused
on
a
specific
site
in
the
SoSi
District,
a
two
block
commercial
area

opposite
GTCC.
This
project
was
selected
by
Piedmont
Together
(a
joint
effort
of
the
Piedmont
Triad
Regional
Council,
the
Piedmont
Authority
for
Regional

Transporta@on
and
their
partners)
to
receive
this
focused
design
session.

The
event
will
be
facilitated
by
the
Center
for
Crea@ve
Economy
(CCE),
based
in

Winston-‐Salem,
NC,
through
its
affiliate,
Design
Link.

The
CCE
and
Design
Link
will
bring
their
North
Carolina
based
team
of
designers,
architects,
urban

planners,
and
economic
development
professionals
to
High
Point
March
19th-‐20th.

By
using
design
elements
and
local,
community
vision
as
the
primary
tools,

Design
Link
will
help
community
members’
create
a
visual
plan
of
possible
uses
for
the
SoSi
site.

The
workshop
will
take
place
on
the
GTCC-‐High
Point
campus,
901
S.
Main
St.,
Building
H4,
room
203.

The
day
will
begin
with
a
breakfast
on
March
19th
at
8:00

A.M.
and
is
open
to
the
public.

The
workshop’s
focus
is
discovery,
imagining
how
best
to
plan
for
and
design
poten@al
uses
for
the

vacant
land
opposite
the
GTCC-‐High
Point
campus.

All
ci@zens
interested
in
the
development
and
revitaliza@on
of
the
SoSi
Southside
District
are
welcome
to

ahend.

Workshop
par@cipants
will
provide
their
input
on
the
best
possible
uses
for
this
site
which
will
benefit
the
en@re
SoSi
District.

Ahen@on
will
be
paid
to

improving
streetscape,
green
infrastructure
and
other
aspects
of
sustainable
growth
as
part
of
this
process.

The
results
from
public
input
and
the
design
team

will
be
revealed
the
next
day,
March
20th
at
an
informal
luncheon
at
11:30.

Design
Link
will
also
prepare
a
formal
report
which
will
be
presented
to
the

community
following
the
workshop.

Steve
Ilderton,
Chairman
of
the
SoSi
Revitaliza@on
District,
said,
“We
are
excited
to
be
a
part
of
revitalizing
South
Main
Street
in
High
Point.

Our
inten@on
is
to

be
a
catalyst
in
strengthening
the
involvement
of
local
business
and
property
owners.”

The
SoSi
District
along
Southside
Main
Street
incorporates
a
growing
community
of
over
8000
GTCC
students
and
a
vibrant
interna@onal
business
environment

just
south
of
High
Point’s
downtown.

The
event
will
be
free
to
the
public,
and
all
members
of
the
community
are
invited.

To
find
out
more
or
to
RSVP
contact
Wendy
Fuscoe,
Director
The
City
Project,
at
wendy.fuscoe@highpointnc.gov
or
by
calling
336
883
8547.

About
Piedmont
Together
and
CCE:

Piedmont
Together
is
a
3
year,
collabora@ve
planning
project
funded
by
a
$1.6
million
HUD
grant.

Project
partners
include
ci@es
and
towns,
coun@es
and
not-‐
for-‐profits
in
the
12
county
Piedmont
Triad
regions.

The
intent
of
the
project
is
to
use
the
concepts
of
sustainable
development
to
build
on
the
strengths
and

assets
of
all
communi@es
in
the
region
in
support
of
our
economy,
social
opportunity
and
environment.

Issues
covered
in
this
planning
project
range
widely

from
small
town
vitality
to
transporta@on
choices.

Piedmont
Together
invites
you
to
become
involved—visit
www.triadsustainabil@y.org
and

www.piedmontvoice.org
to
learn
more.

Serving
the
12-‐county
Piedmont
Triad
region
since
2007,
the
Center
for
Crea@ve
Economy
is
a
catalyst
for
innova@on
and
an
advocate
for
crea@ve
industries

and
entrepreneurs,
promo@ng
connec@vity
and
job
growth.
The
center
brings
people,
ideas,
and
resources
together
to
benefit
a
burgeoning
crea@ve
sector
that

includes
design,
architecture,
sodware,
publishing,
adver@sing,
art,
crads,
fashion,
film,
performing
arts,
TV,
radio,
interac@ve
digital
media,
gaming,
and

technology,
among
others.

CCE’s
programs
and
events
include
Design
Link,
a
statewide
collabora@ve
of
designers,
urban
planners
and
economic
developers

who
work
with
city
agencies,
non-‐profits
and
private
companies
to
solve
problems
that
are
design-‐based
or
those
related
to
a
specific
plan
or
process
in
need
of

innova@on.

CCE
also
hosts
a
quarterly
networking
event
called
Crea@ni
where
successful
local
innovators
share
new
product
ideas,
crea@ve
resources,
and
@ps

for
success.
www.centerforcrea@veeconomy.com

Community Input Survey
1. Tell us about yourself. Please check all that apply.
Response
Percent
Response
Count
Resident of Macedonia
Neighborhood
7.1% 11
Resident of Highland Mills 0.0% 0
Resident of Southside
Neighborhood
9.6% 15
Resident of High Point (outside of
the neighborhoods listed above)
23.7% 37
GTCC student 23.7% 37
GTCC faculty or staff 34.0% 53
Employee of neighborhood
business
5.1% 8
Owner of neighborhood business 3.2% 5
Other (please specify)
13.5% 21
answered question 156
skipped question 1

2. Confirm your age group:
Response
Percent
Response
Count
18 to 34 35.9% 56
35 to 50 32.1% 50
51 to 64 24.4% 38
Above 65 7.7% 12
skipped question 1
3. We are considering options to develop the vacant property at 998 South Main Street,
located across from the High Point GTCC Campus. What are some of the problems or
challenges with developing this site?
Response
Count
129
skipped question 28

4. The site may accommodate some of the following options. Rank these in the order you
feel would be the most popular and attract the most use. (1 = the highest or most popular
and 8 = the lowest or least popular). Rank these in the order (1 - 8). NOTE: (1 = the highest
or most popular and 8 = the lowest or least popular).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Rating
Count
Retail student/faculty services
center including bookstore,
convenience store, grab-and-go
food service, ice cream shop,
coffee shop, etc.
44.5%
(57)
14.8%
(19)
14.8%
(19)
7.0%
(9)
3.1%
(4)
3.9%
(5)
5.5%
(7)
6.3%
(8)
128
Business Incubator spaces for new
start up companies
7.9%
(10)
12.6%
(16)
10.2%
(13)
12.6%
(16)
11.8%
(15)
17.3%
(22)
18.1%
(23)
9.4%
(12)
127
Wellness/Fitness Center
9.3%
(12)
9.3%
(12)
13.2%
(17)
14.0%
(18)
17.1%
(22)
13.2%
(17)
17.1%
(22)
7.0%
(9)
129
Urban park with inter-
generational/multi-cultural
amenities, green-space, fountains,
festival support
7.8%
(10)
10.1%
(13)
20.2%
(26)
14.0%
(18)
16.3%
(21)
16.3%
(21)
8.5%
(11)
7.0%
(9)
129
Mixed use with retail, restaurant,
services on ground level and high
density housing on upper levels
10.9%
(14)
25.6%
(33)
14.7%
(19)
12.4%
(16)
14.7%
(19)
14.0%
(18)
3.9%
(5)
3.9%
(5)
129
Neighborhood/civic center with
branch library, branch social
services center, branch health
3.9%
(5)
9.3%
(12)
10.9%
(14)
17.1%
(22)
20.2%
(26)
15.5%
(20)
17.8%
(23)
5.4%
(7)
129

3 of 4
Urban park with inter-
generational/multi-cultural
amenities, green-space, fountains,
festival support
7.8%
(10)
10.1%
(13)
20.2%
(26)
14.0%
(18)
16.3%
(21)
16.3%
(21)
8.5%
(11)
7.0%
(9)
129
Mixed use with retail, restaurant,
services on ground level and high
density housing on upper levels
10.9%
(14)
25.6%
(33)
14.7%
(19)
12.4%
(16)
14.7%
(19)
14.0%
(18)
3.9%
(5)
3.9%
(5)
129
Neighborhood/civic center with
branch library, branch social
services center, branch health
department services center, etc.
3.9%
(5)
9.3%
(12)
10.9%
(14)
17.1%
(22)
20.2%
(26)
15.5%
(20)
17.8%
(23)
5.4%
(7)
129
Co-op Grocery Store with organic
produce, deli, fair trade coffee, etc.
7.0%
(9)
10.9%
(14)
13.2%
(17)
18.6%
(24)
9.3%
(12)
14.7%
(19)
18.6%
(24)
7.8%
(10)
129
Internet café/Sweepstake
establishment
9.3%
(12)
7.8%
(10)
2.3%
(3)
3.9%
(5)
7.8%
(10)
5.4%
(7)
10.9%
(14)
52.7%
(68)
129
skipped question 28
5. Do you have other ideas for the area? If so, please let us know. Describe your idea(s)
below:
Response
Count
65
skipped question 92

COMMUNITY
DESIGN
WORKSHOP

CITY
OF
HIGH
POINT

“SOSI-‐SPIRIT
OF
SOUTHSIDE”

GTCC-‐High
Point
Campus

901
South
Main
Street

Tuesday,
March
19-‐
First
Design
Session

8:30
-‐
9:00am
Arrivals
and
breakfast
served

9:00am

Welcome-‐Aaron
Clinard,
Chairman,

The
City
Project

Board

Regional
Overview
-‐
Mark
Kirstner,
Piedmont
Together

Introduc@ons-‐
Margaret
Collins,
Center
for
Crea@ve

Economy

9:15am

Principles
of
Smart
Growth
and
Sustainable
Design

Bill
Moser

Key
Findings-‐
Southside
High
Point
Opportuni@es
-‐

Robin
Spinks

10:15am

Community
Discussion
and
Design
Sessions

Focus
on
SoSi-‐Southside
High
Point

•  Neighborhood
Interests

•  Commercial
Opportuni@es

•  GTCC-‐High
Point
Campus
Needs

12:30pm
Conclude
morning
sessions

Tuesday,
March
19
-‐
Second
Design
Session-‐

Workshop
repeated
for
addi@onal

community
input

5:30-‐6:00pm
Arrivals
and
light
dinner
served

6:00pm

Brief
Presenta@on
Overview
of
Smart
Growth

and
Key
Findings
in
Southside

6:15-‐8:00pm
Community
Discussion
and
Design
Sessions

Focus
on
SoSi-‐Southside
High
Point

Wednesday

11:30am-‐12:00pm
Arrivals
and
lunch
served

12:00-‐1:30pm

Community
Wrap
Up
Session

•  Summary
of
Design
Link
and

Community
Recommenda@ons
with

Visuals

•  Discussion
and
Priori@ze
with

community

Tuesday
May
7

4:00pm

Community
Update
and
Engagement

Presenta@on
to
High
Point
City
Council

Center
for
Crea@ve
Economy/Design
Link

KEY
FINDINGS

SoSi
Southside
High
Point
Marketplace
Opportuni@es

STATISTICS, TRENDS

The neighborhood is deﬁned as census tracts 142 (Macedonia) and 143 (Southside)

The population in the neighborhood is not growing
The
neighborhoods
have
lost
popula@on
while
the
City
and
State
have
gained
substan@ally

The
neighborhoods
have
6548
residents

The neighborhoods are young – younger than the City, NC and US
Median age
Macedonia 31.9
Southside 31.3
High Point City 35.8
High Point MSA 37.8
NC 37.4
US 37.2

Income levels limit retail options
The neighborhoods have much less spending power than the City, NC or US
45.4% of residents within a 1-mile ring have household incomes below $15,000
The neighborhoods reﬂect many cultures
Hispanic majority is Mexican 71% / 78%
No Asian majority - 73% / 67% “other”
Largest Asian group is Vietnamese – 20% / 25%

The housing stock is primarily rental
Over
20%
of
units
are
vacant

Walkable products and services are important
No vehicle available
Southside – 30.99%
Macedonia – 5.60%

Retail leakage analysis
1, 3 and 5 mile ring studies attached
Based on the neighborhood population, not many retail sectors are at a deficit

Significant drive by traffic on Main Street – DOT traffic counts
16,000 cars per day 1 block north of the site
19,000 cars per day 2 blocks south of the site

GTCC high Point campus students are as numerous as the local population
Curriculum students have tripled in the last 5 years
Basic skills students have also increased
Additionally about 200 faculty and staff are employed on
the High Point Campus.

ASSETS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The potential market is bigger than the local population
Neighborhood population 6,548
Drive-by trafﬁc 16,000 to 19,000
GTCC High Point students 5,956
Plus 200 staff

New developments in the neighborhood
Community garden
GTCC High Point campus expansion
New housing developments
New Family Dollar store
Greenway masterplan

Community input survey results

Most requested – coffee shop, fast food
Other ideas for development
•  Employment office
•  Music tech store
•  Bookstore
•  Hotel
•  Entertainment
•  Children’s activities
•  Plaza
•  Sports fields
•  Library
•  Day care
•  Arts center
•  Police station
•  Grocery
•  Specific food chains
•  Popeye’s
•  Church’s
•  McDonald’s
•  Golden Corral
•  Any cafeteria
•  Zaxby’s
•  Chick-fil-A
•  Subway

Problems, challenges that a new development must address
Crossing Main St – most mentioned
Fear of crime, vagrants
Underutilization of furniture showrooms
Lack of later bus schedule, business hours
Visually unappealing
Displacing existing business
None

GTCC student survey results 2011
Most requested – coffee shop, fast food
Closely behind – park benches, ATM
Ethnicity and incomes similar to the neighborhood

OTHER IDEAS

Local Dollars, Local Sense – Michael Shuman
Three rules for prosperous communities
1.  Maximize locally-owned businesses
2.  Diverse local goods and services
3.  High labor and environmental standards
Creative Class Economy – Richard Florida
Key ingredients
§  Civic Culture – celebrate what is local
§  Intellectual bent – embrace GTCC
§  Diversity – already present
§  Sense of self
§  Stronger identity
§  Pride of accomplishment

Grand Crossing – Southside Chicago
Local artist marries talent with civic responsibility
Empty house …… library, slide archive, soul food kitchen pavilion
Candy store …… exhibit space, reading room
Brick townhouse ….. cinema for black films
Historic bank …… archive of Johnson Publishing
Housing authority apartments ….. Artist residences, mixed rental
Near the University of Chicago

Hostel Detroit
Non-profit – donations, volunteers
Safe, affordable accommodations
Educates patrons about the City
3 blocks north of Michigan Ave
Single rooms, bunkrooms, kitchens, common area

Soul Mfg Co – Theaster Gates
Creative corporations
Local talent
New business structures
Crossover between art and infrastructure
Has become popular tourist destination for
Backpackers
Students
European youth
Younger, less affluent, more adventuresome

Popuphood – Oakland
Temporary, startup/incubator retail space
Social enterprise – cooperation among

Property owners

Community partners

Businesses

City

Developers

Micro apartments – NYC
City sponsored competition –adAPT NY
250-370 sf, 55 units
To combat high housing costs
Had to change zoning
Perfect for students

Urbanscale
Sharing City data where people need it
Technology meets infrastructure
Networked cities and citizens
Smart wayﬁnding signs
Kiosks to connect to services
GPS transit tickets

Interactive public art

Downtown gaming - Cleveland
Upscale video games
NOT a casino, NOT a sweepstakes
Recreation for children
Opportunity to introduce GTCC
Entertainment Technology
Simulation and Game Development
Tourist destination
Touch my building - Charlotte

Pulsing Heart - NYC
Music Box House
New Orleans

Leeann
Anderson

Maribel
Aviles

Glenda
Barnes

Don
Belton

Jim
Bonnert

Wanda
Bridges

Benjamin
Briggs

Jill
Bronneet

Helen
Bryson

Andrea
Bullock

Lee
Burnehe

Melody
Burnneh

Daniel
Caldwell

Tawanda
Carpenter

Paul
Clark

Ray
Collins

Sylvia
Collins

Stephany
Cousins

Shea
Cox

Andrea
Dalporto

Pat
Dare

Dorothy
Darr

Jim
Davis

Gillian
Dobbins

Alisha
Donlen

Sady
Dunbeck

Sandy
Dunbeck

Velina
Ebert

Tina
Essick

Mike
Fenley

Peter
Freeman

Barbara
Frye

Heidi
Galan@

Mason
Garner

Von
Gore

Cynthia
Graves

Cathy
Gray

Amy
Hedgecock

Jennifer
Heri

Raul
Hernandez

Jeron
Hollis

Bernice
Horne

Denise
Horne

Johnny
Horne

Kenneth
Horne

Steve
Ilderton

Tim
Ilderton

Revon
Johnson

Sonia
Johnson

Steven
Johnson

Dot
Kearns

John
Kenneh

Margarita
Kerkado

Zaki
Khalifa

Angela
Kimble

Margarila
Kokado

Jill
Lambert

Connie
Lawson

Edward
Lindsay

Josie
Lindsay

Phyllis
Lindsay

Shrell
Lindsay

Annie
Lihle

Lakisha
Lihle

Tom
Low

Debbie
Lumpkins

Tim
Mabe

Eddie
MacEldowney

Kenny
Mack

Heidi
Majors

Randy
McCaslin

Akeem
McDonald

Mark
McDonald

Angela
McGill

Chentha
Mcintyre

Michael
McNair

Michelle

McNaw

Kathleen
Melton

Judy
Mendenhall

Willie
Mae
Mille

Trenice
Miller

Robert
Mills

Jerry
Mingo

Dontay
Mitchell

LaMonica

Mitchell

Sybil
Newman

Mary
Newton

Pastor
Dale
Newton

Kathy

Norcoh

Pat
Pane

Janet
Porterﬁeld

Mary
Reese

Marlaen
Rose

Tracie
Sharpe

Isom
Shavers

Chu
Simm

Charles
Simmons

Cleo
Smith

Arthor
Spears

Judy
Stalden

Mit
Sunnassee

Louise
Thompson

Mara
Waldruﬀ

Ashley
Whitworth

David
Williams

Wayman
Williams

Kevin
Wright

High
Point-‐Community
Design
Workshop

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High Point's SoSi District Design and Development Plan

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