Conversion of 100-Year-Old Textile Mill Into Upscale Commercial Space Nourishes Renaissance of Downtown Greensboro

Greensboro, NC, October 17, 2017 (Newswire.com) - ​Ten months ago, commercial property development company AZ Development began the demo phase on the Old Greensborough Gateway Center at South Elm Street and Gate City Boulevard in downtown Greensboro. Now dubbed The Gateway, the 106,000 square foot property’s rebirth as upscale office space feeds a continuing renaissance of the city’s downtown.

“There is a lot of talk about several deals that have closed and are in development right in this immediate area around The Gateway,” said AZ Development’s Andy Zimmerman. “Restaurant slash coffee shop concepts, for instance, which I love as they add even more vibrancy to the South End.”

"It's thrilling, really, to see the momentum taking place in downtown's South End."

Andy Zimmerman, President, AZ Development

The Union Square Campus, a collaborative enterprise between UNC-Greensboro, North Carolina A&T and Cone Health, operates less than a block away on Gate City Boulevard, bringing a daily influx of highly skilled workers, students and researchers. Because of the facility’s success, Zimmerman believes further expansion in the South End is a real possibility.

“It’s thrilling, really, to see the momentum taking place in downtown’s South End,” Zimmerman said. “It makes me all the more excited about where we are and what we’re doing with The Gateway.”

In spite of the uncertainty that attends rehabbing old properties, Zimmerman said the property has exceeded his expectations. “It is just simply fabulous space that is so rare to find anymore,” he said. “It was the right decision to preserve it.”

Built in 1919 and known as the Blue Bell factory, the building housed the Hudson Overall Company which flourished for many years. In 1943, the company acquired Wrangler Jeans and continued on a steady growth trajectory until it merged with VF corporation in 1986. The building was acquired by 620 Corporation and since the late 1980s operated as the Old Greensborough Gateway Center, leasing space to small businesses and individuals.

Zimmerman’s expectation is that tenants  will come from the entrepreneurial, tech and creative industries, as those categories tend to appreciate the upscale, post-industrial vibe The Gateway offers. Not to mention the funky, artsy, diverse personality that is developing in downtown’s South End. ‘We really are the place to be right now in downtown Greensboro,” he said.

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Contact:

Web: gatewaygreensboro.com
Andy Zimmerman: 336 255 4813
The Gateway is managed by Range Properties

Source: AZ Development

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