UNCG students organizing around Glenwood expansion

Some students at UNCG are just now learning of their school’s plans to expand considerably into the Glenwood neighborhood, and they plan to do something about it.

Two months ago, Saralee Gallien of the Protect Glenwood campaign spoke to students involved in the International Socialist Organization about UNCG’s plans to build student housing, a police station, a parking deck and a gym on what is largely residential property. Now, after winter break, the ISO is ready to organize.

“We can’t really plan too much further without educating students more and winning them over,” said Trish Kahle, a graduate biology student at UNCG and ISO member.

Last week, the ISO branch held a meeting to kick off their work around the issue and started crafting a pamphlet to educate students. Kahle said most students they talked to were unaware of the proposed development, but once they knew more students were likely to oppose it.

The meeting was attended by students, ISO members, a staff member, a representative from the area chapter of Jobs with Justice, Protect Glenwood and a member of the Glenwood Neighborhood Association.

“As non-students it’s really hard to organize a campus,” Gallien said. “Students themselves have to get pissed off about this, about their tuition going up and their quality of education going down and their school turning into a real estate company.”

A number of Glenwood residents and their allies oppose UNCG’s plans. They cite potential negative impacts of traffic, police harassment, unsightly construction, the closing of local businesses and increased rent prices. Many object on the grounds that the school’s presence in the neighborhood would significantly shift the character of the historic neighborhood, which is considered one of Greensboro’s most diverse.

Other residents, many of them homeowners, support the plan, arguing that UNCG’s presence could bring businesses and jobs to the neighborhood, increase property values and, with parks and other features, make the neighborhood more attractive. The Glenwood Neighborhood Association seems generally supportive of the development plans.

The school hopes to increase revenue for operations while the UNC system faces statewide budget cuts by offering more housing. Spokesperson Mike Byers has said at a community meeting that there is a demand for on-campus housing, and UNCG hopes to significantly increase the percentage of students living on campus.

The ISO is a national organization with one chapter in Greensboro and others at Salem College and UNC-Charlotte. The Greensboro chapter consists of students, alumni and community members. They hope to build a large coalition on campus to rally around Glenwood.

“There is a lot of historical precedent for students and communities organizing together and that’s the only way we’re going to win,” Kahle said.