WINSTON-SALEM | Development Guide

[deja vu]

Matthew -

Speaking as an outsider who's never even been near Winston-Salem, I want to reinforce what others here have expressed. Your updates here are very much appreciated. The thoroughness and detail of your updates inspire me to be more thorough on the threads that I frequently post updates in. More members should be aware of the quality of this thread. It is the reason I subscribed and regularly read your posts.

As for the lack of conversation, that is an unfortunate reality that plagues many of the smaller-to-mid-tier cities here on SSP (outside of Canada), including my hometown - Kalamazoo. Ultimately, we all have finite time, so you have to chose your battles and stick with your passions. Believe me - as a fellow father / husband / homeowner / creative worker, I can relate.

Just know that your updates here are meaningful, even if it feels like you're sending them into a vacuum.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

The Byrum, a planned 286-unit in a four- and five-story building, will wait for "market conditions to improve," according to Charlotte developer.

https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/ne...ton-salem.html

[Matthew]

I'm also guilty of going here in a hurry, often around Midnight, and opening maybe 20+ tabs on a variety of cities and topics and trying to read them as quickly as possible. I'm a big fan of Fort Wayne (Yes, I'm that Matt from the diagrams [click here] and do intend to create more) and Michigan cities and follow cities with innovation districts. I also follow most of the smaller cities. For Lansing, I have to visit the regional section. I remember seeing someone in St. Louis with their posts formatted like mine and that is one way I know who could be reading. I often intend to reply to some of these threads, but am in a hurry and put it off until the next day... then I forget. Maybe now I'll be logged-in and will post more?

I still have one massive monthly update to post, that should appear roughly a week from now. Then I can start to break-up future updates into several smaller posts, add some of the projects I usually leave-out here, and see what happens.

Someone was telling me they had renderings of a noteworthy project that could start next year. If you would like for me to share them, please sign-up for an account here. You can send them, and any additional details, to me anonymously here.

Wait until the new members here discover the first post in this thread. I'm sure many think it's construction projects from a decade ago, but the first post is actually a massive list of active projects I maintain each month. I found a project or two that I need to remove and some updates that need to be made, but it's a pleasant surprise for many discovering this update.

[winston's finest]

Question: Did the WSTB forum disappear?

[Matthew]

Sadly, it looks like it?

Why don't we break something (breaking news from me) here...

Loewy Building:
It appears as if The Loewy Building is now for sale. It's a "make your best offer" building. This cancels the previous apartments and retail project. However, it will likely become an apartment building through a different developer. That is just a guess from me, though. The office space in the building is badly out-dated PoMo interior design from the late-1980s. Adaptive-reuse apartments are very popular in Winston-Salem and this building is Art Deco in a nice location (500 West Fourth).

An interesting fun fact about the building. In old photographs, it appears as if the blank spandrels were blank in 1929? I'm guessing that is Great Depression-related? I know the building is connected to the famous Raymond Loewy ( https://www.google.com/search?q=Raym...=Raymond+Loewy ), but I would like to see Loewy's renovations removed and the building restored to its original Art Deco appearance. Becoming concerned about Simon buying it.

[Native Camel]

ProKidney, the clinical-stage biotechnology company developing regenerative treatments for chronic kidney disease and now operating in Winston-Salem, is seeking to invest nearly half a billion dollars to operate from a new site in Greensboro.

Guilford County has scheduled a public hearing for June 1 on an economic development incentive grant of up to $15.3 million for the company. A public notice of the hearing says ProKidney LLC projects an investment of $458 million and the creation of 330 jobs. It is also seeking state and other local incentives before making a location decision, according to the notice. Given the location in Greensboro, it is likely the company will similarly seek incentives from Greensboro.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Originally Posted by Matthew

Sadly, it looks like it?

Why don't we break something (breaking news from me) here...

Loewy Building:
It appears as if The Loewy Building is now for sale. It's a "make your best offer" building. This cancels the previous apartments and retail project. However, it will likely become an apartment building through a different developer. That is just a guess from me, though. The office space in the building is badly out-dated PoMo interior design from the late-1980s. Adaptive-reuse apartments are very popular in Winston-Salem and this building is Art Deco in a nice location (500 West Fourth).

An interesting fun fact about the building. In old photographs, it appears as if the blank spandrels were blank in 1929? I'm guessing that is Great Depression-related? I know the building is connected to the famous Raymond Loewy ( https://www.google.com/search?q=Raym...=Raymond+Loewy ), but I would like to see Loewy's renovations removed and the building restored to its original Art Deco appearance. Becoming concerned about Simon buying it.

Interesting development. I hope someone buys it with Capital and vision to do it Justice.

[LynnAikens]

Originally Posted by Native Camel

ProKidney, the clinical-stage biotechnology company developing regenerative treatments for chronic kidney disease and now operating in Winston-Salem, is seeking to invest nearly half a billion dollars to operate from a new site in Greensboro.

Guilford County has scheduled a public hearing for June 1 on an economic development incentive grant of up to $15.3 million for the company. A public notice of the hearing says ProKidney LLC projects an investment of $458 million and the creation of 330 jobs. It is also seeking state and other local incentives before making a location decision, according to the notice. Given the location in Greensboro, it is likely the company will similarly seek incentives from Greensboro.

Wow! This is one that Winston-Salem let get away. It would have been nice to have them locate in the IQ. I wonder why they are leaving W-S?

[smain]

Originally Posted by winston's finest

Question: Did the WSTB forum disappear?

Hey everybody! Nice to come across this forum. Really miss the WSTB forum and hope we can get it back in some form or fashion.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Originally Posted by LynnAikens

Wow! This is one that Winston-Salem let get away. It would have been nice to have them locate in the IQ. I wonder why they are leaving W-S?

Was the City even aware of this project?

[Matthew]

This is just a guess from me: The Loewy Building "may" get purchased by Cleveland's GBX Group and GBX Group's director of acquisitions, who is from S.C., and has worked on several projects in downtown Winston-Salem over the years? They usually like buildings like this. This is actually not a bad project for Mayfair, since the exterior was recently cleaned and restored. I'm also guessing the historic resources department would object to removing Raymond Loewy's renovations, so nothing is really required of the exterior. That is done. This is mostly an interior renovation to a new use. I'm just daydreaming of someone restoring the exterior to its original appearance, which likely won't happen since Raymond Loewy was the "father of Streamline Design" and is famous.

As for ProKidney, Mark Owens knew and was assisting their search for a space in Winston-Salem, but Winston-Salem is more of a research lab city and the airport area, in neighboring Guilford County, is more of a manufacturing area. The airport area was the closest location to Winston-Salem that worked for them. Most of total value you see is specialized equipment. I think this shows why A&T, HPU, and UNCG should take part in downtown Winston-Salem's IQ District. I've spoken on this before, over the years. Winston-Salem is perfect for the research and the surrounding counties, with flatter land, are better for the manufacturing, which usually has more jobs and this expensive equipment they can tax.

There is a life science manufacturing campus proposal, near the CDI, but it is a later phase of downtown Winston-Salem's IQ District. They likely won't start on it for a few more years? The focus is still on labs, offices, university classrooms, and startup spaces for the life science industry. Again, Winston-Salem is prepared for the science side of the life science industry, but not the manufacturing side.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Originally Posted by Matthew

This is just a guess from me: The Loewy Building "may" get purchased by Cleveland's GBX Group and GBX Group's director of acquisitions, who is from S.C., and has worked on several projects in downtown Winston-Salem over the years? They usually like buildings like this. This is actually not a bad project for Mayfair, since the exterior was recently cleaned and restored. I'm also guessing the historic resources department would object to removing Raymond Loewy's renovations, so nothing is really required of the exterior. That is done. This is mostly an interior renovation to a new use. I'm just daydreaming of someone restoring the exterior to its original appearance, which likely won't happen since Raymond Loewy was the "father of Streamline Design" and is famous.

As for ProKidney, Mark Owens knew and was assisting their search for a space in Winston-Salem, but Winston-Salem is more of a research lab city and the airport area, in neighboring Guilford County, is more of a manufacturing area. The airport area was the closest location to Winston-Salem that worked for them. Most of total value you see is specialized equipment. I think this shows why A&T, HPU, and UNCG should take part in downtown Winston-Salem's IQ District. I've spoken on this before, over the years. Winston-Salem is perfect for the research and the surrounding counties, with flatter land, are better for the manufacturing, which usually has more jobs and this expensive equipment they can tax.

There is a life science manufacturing campus proposal, near the CDI, but it is a later phase of downtown Winston-Salem's IQ District. They likely won't start on it for a few more years? The focus is still on labs, offices, university classrooms, and startup spaces for the life science industry. Again, Winston-Salem is prepared for the science side of the life science industry, but not the manufacturing side.

I don’t trust Mayfair with anything. They might mean well, but the execution is disappointing.

[Matthew]

I want to thank the photographers and local businesses, sharing updates on projects, who make this thread possible. Without you, these updates won't happen.

Lets "break-up" parts of that massive post planned for next Thursday. I know it will overwhelm this page of the thread when it's posted. It will also allow me to test posting it in pieces instead of all-at-once.

Kaleideum:

Cladding installation around May 6:

Credit: Artie Sparrow

May 12:

Credit: Linville Team Partners


Credit: Linville Team Partners


Credit: Linville Team Partners


Credit: Linville Team Partners


Credit: Linville Team Partners


Credit: STITCH Design Shop


Credit: STITCH Design Shop

Are they working on Liberty Park?

Credit: Fam Brownlee

A reflection in a neighboring 1957 building on Liberty Street:

Credit: ivandlaluz

Rooftop Playground:

Credit: Kara Stalnaker


Credit: Surf Hippie Phishing


Credit: Surf Hippie Phishing


Credit: Surf Hippie Phishing


Credit: Surf Hippie Phishing


Credit: Surf Hippie Phishing

Your City

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Great update, Matthew! I am so ready for Kaleideum Downtown to open! It will be a huge tourist attraction that will pump vital energy into the heart of center city.

[Native Camel]

Call me a wet blanket, but that area looks to be designed by the creator of lawn darts.
From the ropes to the concrete to the height of the play area (I assume they'll put up a tall fence), I foresee many a chipped tooth and broken bone.

[zalo]

Rooftop playground is shaping up nicely. Quite the view from there! It’s great to see some of the denizens of WSTB landing here. Still missing some of the regulars, YadkinV, Possum, and several more who I hope we can locate to come here.

So is the consensus that WSTB will be reconstituted on this site? I think it would be of great benefit to you Matthew just to juggle the one site. I just hope that it will be allowable to conduct the types of sometimes wide ranging discussions here that we held at WSTB. Perhaps a little less civic self flagellation here than was sometimes the case there.

[Super72]

Had an old account on here that I'd barely used, but if we're migrating the WSTB crew/convos over here, happy to jump back in. (CamCityFan on WSTB)

Someone reach out to Possum...we need his principled snark in play.

[smain]

Originally Posted by Super72

Had an old account on here that I'd barely used, but if we're migrating the WSTB crew/convos over here, happy to jump back in. (CamCityFan on WSTB)

Someone reach out to Possum...we need his principled snark in play.

Looks like the old WSTB link now directs to this page. I’m sure we’ll start seeing some familiar characters.

[SpikedCoffee]

Moving a little from WSTB, the new Atreaux apartment floorplans and prices are online now. From Zillow

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Originally Posted by Native Camel

Call me a wet blanket, but that area looks to be designed by the creator of lawn darts.
From the ropes to the concrete to the height of the play area (I assume they'll put up a tall fence), I foresee many a chipped tooth and broken bone.

I do have anxiety about kids falling off of the Kaleideum roof! I wouldn’t want a swing or slide anywhere like that.