Taking Inventory: Greensboro Surveys Downtown Buildings

The City of Greensboro is embarking on a two-phase project. First, officials will gather details on all downtown buildings – construction dates, architectural features, and more. Eventually the findings will be available on the city's website in the form of an interactive map.

Senior City Planner Mike Cowhig says people will be able to "zoom in and click on a building footprint, and information would be displayed that came from the survey."

In the second phase of the project, an architectural historian will determine which properties quality for the National Register of Historic Places.

Rachel Hobbie with the city's Planning Department says part of the inventory will involve community members.

“We really want to know your stories, we really want to know what makes these places important to you," she says. "Memories that you've collected, things that you might have in your attic that correlate to these buildings. It's something that will kind of weave the public into city planning.”

If any buildings are chosen for the historic register, the owner could get federal and state tax credits. City planners say that's an important step for Greensboro's downtown, as owners are more likely to then renovate or restore the property.