Greensboro leaders walk downtown, hear concerns over parking changes and business climate

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro city leaders spent part of the day walking through downtown with business owners, listening to concerns about a new paid-parking program and the broader challenges facing the city’s core after several recent business closures.

The walking tour in Downtown marked the first of three planned “walk and talk” sessions designed to gather feedback directly from business owners, residents and patrons. City officials said the goal was not to announce policy changes, but to hear how the parking rollout and other issues are affecting people on the ground.

“This is a listening time for council to lean into some of the problems that have come up since we rolled out the new parking plan,” said City Council member April Parker.

The city recently began enforcing paid parking in several downtown surface lots, a change that has drawn mixed reactions. Some business owners say they understand the need for paid parking in a growing city, while others say confusion around signage and inconsistent rules have frustrated customers.

“I, for one, don’t really mind paid parking personally,” said Alexis Chandler, owner of Chandler’s in downtown Greensboro. “Of all the cities I’ve gone and visited, there’s never been a time where I haven’t had to pay for parking. Greensboro is growing. It may not be growing as quickly as everyone realizes, but it truly is, and I think with that is going to come paid parking in the city.”

Chandler said her biggest concern was clarity.

“I think one of the biggest issues was correct signage and that kind of thing,” she said.

That sentiment was echoed by representatives from Downtown Greensboro Inc., the organization focused on promoting economic development in the city center. Vice President Rob Overman said the organization has heard repeated concerns about confusing parking rules.

“There are some parking spots downtown that have three or four different signs, and you almost need a flow chart to figure out if you’re allowed to park there,” Overman said. “We want to simplify that.”

For longtime business owners, the issue often comes down to consistency.

“Right now we’re not, we don’t know if it’s we’re charging for parking or we’re not charging for parking,” said Chris Lester, owner of Natty Greene’s Brewing Company. “It’s like we charge for one hour, charge for two hours, and it’s free on the streets, and it’s just like we just need to get some sort of consistency.”

The walk comes after several downtown businesses closed in recent weeks, raising questions about the health of the city’s core. Business owners said those closures stem from a combination of factors, including rising costs, slower winter months and changing customer habits.

For Tanya Dickens, owner of Savor the Moment Dessert Bar, the walking tour was about whether those concerns would lead to action.

“Like actually you’re seeing them being implemented because now you know it’s not falling on deaf ears,” Dickens said. “So if we’re doing all of this and we’re still having a conversation next year, that’s problematic. So I want to see change.”

City leaders said the feedback gathered during the walks will be reviewed before recommendations are made to city staff.

“We will listen over the course of our three downtown walks,” Parker said. “Council will debrief, and then we will make our recommendations to city staff.”

Two additional walking tours are scheduled in the coming days. City officials said they hope the conversations will lead to clearer communication, improved parking guidance and renewed confidence in downtown Greensboro.