Developer Will Present New Hobbs-Friendly Design

The developer of a proposed shopping center at the corner of Hobbs Road and Friendly Avenue will present his new design to the Greensboro Zoning Commission Monday evening.

Atlanta-based Halpern Enterprises wants to rezone 6.7 acres of the Hobbs Friendly area from residential to retail. This has created controversy with some people who want to maintain the residential character of their neighborhood.

But Halpern says it's been meeting with residents and has incorporated some of their requests into the new plan. Those include adding a buffer zone between homes and providing more landscaping and trees in the neighborhood. The project also includes building upscale townhomes and single family houses.

Halpern is among three different developers in recent years, who have asked for rezoning requests from the city to build a shopping center at the intersection of Hobbs and Friendly.  

The project would be its first development in Greensboro.

The Zoning Commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber of the Melvin Municipal Office Building.

Follow Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news