Marathons don't typically begin and end with a gavel. But they don't usually happen in the Greensboro City Council chambers either.
In a nearly seven-hour meeting Tuesday, the council voted to approve funding for two new downtown parking garages, despite pressure from residents to delay or scrap the project.
One major bone of contention was the cost of the projects. The council approved up to $30 million each for the parking decks – one on South Davie Street and another at Bellmeade and Eugene.
All told, the new decks would bring nearly 2,000 new parking spaces to downtown Greensboro.
More than a dozen residents spoke against the allocation, including Bob Foxworth, who didn't think public money needed to be involved at all.
“What I would like to see is to put it off. And then I think we'll be able to bring to light that it shouldn't be done,” Foxworth said.
“If they need parking, then let the developers pay for it.”
In this case, “the developers” include Roy Carroll and Randall Kaplan, who have committed to several private projects attached to the parking decks.
But the opposition lost that fight, as the council voted 6-2 to approve the money, which will come from a 30-year bond.
Despite the protests, Greensboro leaders see the decks – and the developments – as vital for the city's growth. Mayor Nancy Vaughan suggested, as she has in the past, that she doesn't want to be the leader of North Carolina's fifth largest city, referring to the increasing allure of cities like Winston-Salem and Durham.
The drama did not end with those votes, however.
Council also voted to claim an easement behind Cone Denim Entertainment Center through eminent domain, an issue that could throw a wrench in the proposed plans for the nearby garage.
In often pointed exchanges between Cone's lawyers and council, there were suggestions that the city would put the venue out of business because that easement allows tour buses easy access to load out equipment. Without the space, Cone Denim President Rocky Scarfone said artists simply wouldn't perform there.
After presentations from both sides, City Attorney Tom Carruthers was seen speaking with the Cone Denim team, and then called for a recess, hoping they could work something out behind closed doors.
That didn't happen, and the venue's owners and attorneys promised to sue if the council voted to take the property.
They ultimately voted 6-2 to condemn the easement and move the process forward, even though it could mean an injunction in the near future that freezes some construction.
Acknowledging the frustrations and the midnight hour, Carruthers said he would continue negotiations with the Cone team Wednesday morning. And while both sides believe a compromise is possible, construction deadlines mean time is short to find that common ground.