Greensboro community leader Nettie Coad dies

Coad at a 2009 candidate forum at NC A&T University. (photo by Quentin L. Richardson)

UPDATE II: The viewing venue has changed. It will be Friday evening at St. Paul Baptist Church, 1309 Larkin St., from 6:30- 7:30p.m.

UPDATE: Coad's family will host a viewing at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Brown Funeral home. The funeral will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at Love and Faith Christian Fellowship Church.

ORIGINAL POST: Nettie Coad, a longtime community leader in the Greensboro neighborhood of Ole Asheboro, died this morning.

Coad had recently been diagnosed with cancer, according to Quentin L. Richardson, a friend and colleague.

An outspoken advocate for the revitalization of her neighborhood, Coad served as chair of the Greensboro Redevelopment Commission. She gave testimony to the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2005 and ran unsuccessfully for city council in 2009. At the time of her death, Coad served on the Guilford County Health Disparities Commission.

Back story: A 2009 candidate profile.

Hardy notches endorsements from Coad and Sellars

Candidate DJ Hardy strategized with community leader Nettie Coad and communications director Kristen Jeffers last week.

The DJ Hardy campaign is announcing that the candidate has received the endorsements of Daron Sellars and Nettie Coad.

Hardy is the sole candidate for the District 1 seat on Greensboro City Council. The current representative, Dianne Bellamy-Small, has filed to run for mayor. Hardy thanked Bellamy-Small for her service in District 1 in a prepared statement today.

Sellars unsuccessfully challenged Bellamy-Small for the District 1 seat two years ago. Coad, a longtime community leader in Ole Asheboro, ran unsuccessfully in District 2 in 2009. Coad joined Hardy and a group of volunteers at the candidate's house last week to develop a community outreach strategy to reach voters in the district.

UPDATE: Sellars, who is the president and CEO of the National Association of Young Black Elected Officials, says, "DJ is an extremely intelligent, bright guy. He has great leadership, great vision. I think he will bring a new leadership style to District 1. He is aggressive and ambitious. He's passionate about his district. How do you not like DJ, you know?"

Sellars said his duties with the National Association of Young Black Elected Officials, which include organizing round tables at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte and Republican National Convention in Tampa next year, will keep him too busy to run for city council this year.

"Everybody that supported me I would like for them to support DJ," he said.

Commission OK’s land sale despite concerns about hotel marketability

The Ole Asheboro Neighborhood Association has hired lawyer Henry Isaacson (right) to represent it in a land deal with developer Bridget Chisholm (left). Also pictured are neighborhood association president Barbara Akins (second from left), Guilford County School Board member Deena Hayes and lawyer Eric Pristell (obscured).

A split Greensboro Redevelopment Commission voted 3-2 along racial lines to sell 2.8 acres near the intersection of Elm and Lee streets to the Ole Asheboro Neighborhood Association for $1.1 million, marking the start of a process to develop a luxury hotel through a partnership with a Memphis developer.

The project as conceived by developer Bridget Chisholm has captured the imagination of many in southeast Greensboro with its promise of revitalization for a long economically depressed African-American neighborhood and community empowerment, but city staff members and some commissioners cautioned that the hotel might not be as marketable as promised.

The site lies at a busy intersection on Lee Street about midway between the exits where it collects traffic from Interstate 40 and at the southern frontier of the city’s cultural and commercial heart on Elm Street. When it opens in February, the International Civil Rights Center & Museum will join a clutch of nightclubs, the respected regional theater Triad Stage and a lively restaurant scene on Elm Street. The last several blocks before Elm Street reaches Lee Street have developed into a thriving arts and antiques and district. Adding to the potential of the hotel site, a segment of the new downtown greenway is in the final planning stages.

“It not only creates jobs, but it creates a dream,” said Barbara Akins, president of the Ole Asheboro Neighborhood Association. “We’re talking about a community where folks are always coming in to us and telling us what they have for us. When this conversation came up, it was almost as if we were bringing the idea to the table.”

Under an “anticipated ownership structure” for the proposed Ole Asheboro Hotel submitted to the city by Chisholm, the nonprofit Ole Asheboro Neighborhood Association would have a 15 percent stake in the project. Chisholm’s company, Urban Hotel Group, would hold a 25 percent stake, with the remaining 60 percent held by other private investors.

Akins said she moved to Ole Asheboro 17 years ago with the notion that downtown revitalization would improve the value of her property. What she had expected to take five years could be finally realized if the city supports the hotel project, she said.

Several prominent members of the local black political establishment expressed support for the project. Among them was commission chair Nettie Coad, who lost her bid for the District 2 city council seat earlier this year. Coad is a longtime resident of Ole Asheboro and the namesake of an apartment complex on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

“I sit here admiring your stamina and the work that you’ve done, just wishing that I could have been out there helping you,” she told members of the neighborhood association. NC Rep. Alma Adams, a former city council member, also spoke in favor of the sale.

When Commissioner Bob Mays questioned Akins on whether the neighborhood association had exercised due diligence in ensuring that it would receive revenue from the project, Deena Hayes spoke on her behalf. Hayes is a member of the Guilford County School Board.

“We’re looking at this as a long-term value, and we think it will generate something,” Hayes said. “We’re not looking at this huge number the first or second year. This is going to be an opportunity for this community association to have its teeth in something that is very meaningful in regards to creating revenue.”

Mays cautioned, “You do know this is a business; it’s a speculative business. There could be a situation where you wouldn’t see any revenue or distributed profit.”

Hayes also addressed a question about whether the project would create good paying jobs for residents.

“The commitment on behalf of these two groups is that they value what we value,” she said. “And that is raising — whether the city does or the state does — to decent-wage jobs.”

Interim Housing and Community Development Director Dan Curry told commissioners that a market study commissioned by the city drew a different conclusion than one financed by Chisholm’s group.

“The hotel is predicting, as Ms. Chisholm said, initial occupancy rates around the upper 60s — 68, 69, 70 percent occupancy rates, and roughly $200 a night,” he said. “That is in excess of what the current marketplace is for hotel rooms in the Greensboro market.”

John Shoffner, the city’s economic development program manager, said in a memo completed hours before the vote that “it appears that the average daily rate at which a prudent hotel operator could successfully market upscale hotel rooms ranges between $116 and $152 a night.”

The Shoffner memo concludes that “there is material risk that the new downtown hotel project would have difficulty meeting its debt service obligation with the current proposed capital structure” and recommends that the developers “initiate a full feasibility study at their expense to better determine the appropriate price point and demand at which a new downtown hotel could be a viable going concern for the long term.”

The city’s study based its occupancy and rate figures on nine existing Greensboro hotels, including the Marriott Greensboro Downtown, the O. Henry Hotel, the Proximity, the Doubletree Greensboro and the Hyatt Place Greensboro. Chisholm called the comparison “apples to oranges.”

“Let’s make the comparisons correct; then you can address head-on the material risk of doing a hotel,” she said. “I think if you look at the trends of four-star, luxury hotels in southeastern markets, the occupancy rates have been holding at 70-plus percent; the average daily rates have been holding at $200 per night. When you actually call and check the nightly point rates, four key hotels in this area that would be similar to our product — the Grandover, the Proximity, the O. Henry — they’re not charging $100 a night or $150 a night. They’re asking for $200-$250 a night.”

The land sale will have to be ratified by the Greensboro City Council at its Jan. 5 meeting. If a majority of the council does not approve of the decision, it could vote to remand the matter back to the redevelopment commission, Curry said.

Earlier this month, the city council voted to include the Ole Asheboro Hotel, along with two smaller projects, in a notice of intent filed with the state for recovery zone facility bonds. The developer is seeking $17 million in low-interest financing under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The council will have to take an additional vote to authorize the bonds, which would incur no liability on the city.

Mays and fellow commissioner Jerry Liemenstoll had argued that selling part of the tract assembled by the redevelopment commission to the hotel development group would short-circuit the master developer process, which includes issuing a Request For Proposals. They worry that the remaining parcels will be less attractive to potential developers with the hotel property plucked out. Advocates for the hotel project argued in response that the federal recovery bonds offer a small window of opportunity that demands immediate action.

“Would I be here if there wasn’t an American Recovery Act?” Chisholm asked. “Absolutely not. It’s very hard to make the numbers work with the current structure, understanding where the market is today. But it does work and it is viable.”

The seven-story luxury hotel with meeting space, a restaurant and bar, and a pool and fitness center is estimated to cost $47 million, including a parking garage. Chisholm’s group is requesting a public investment of $8 million, primarily for a parking garage, but also including a retail shell to be leased to other businesses, relocation of overhead power lines, stormwater retention, streetscaping, sidewalks and curb and gutter work.

The city has filed a notice of intent with the state for $4 million in economic development bonds to pay for the parking garage and associated infrastructure. Curry said he believes the county commission has filed notice for the equivalent amount to cover the rest of the public infrastructure costs.

“We believe that this deal will not turn into a pumpkin, but is in fact viable,” said Eric Pristell, a Durham lawyer who has been hired as counsel by Chisholm’s company. “We disagree with some of the conclusions of staff, and will work through those. But today the fundamental question is whether you will sell the land to the nonprofit, and I hope you will stay focused on that and not put on the hat of an underwriter from Wall Street.”

Campaign notes: Candidates at A&T

Candidates for Greensboro City Council appeared at Craig Hall on the campus of NC A&T University last night. The main event was comments from District 2 candidates Jim Kee and Nettie Coad, considering that the district is home to the university.

Turnout from A&T students could be a significant factor for Mayor Yvonne Johnson and three at-large candidates who traditionally enjoy support among voters in east Greensboro: Robbie Perkins, Sandra Anderson Groat and Marikay Abuzuaiter. The Student Government Association and Common Cause are hosting a march from A&T and Bennett College to the Old County Courthouse for students to cast their ballots in early voting at 3 p.m. today. (I’ll do my best to report the numbers later today.)

UPDATE: The Board of Elections says about 20 students showed up at the Old County Courthouseto participate in Early Voting.

Coad piggy-backed on an announcement last night about the student march to explain to students that they can register and vote at the same time through Saturday, but if they’re not registered yet they will not be able to vote on Nov. 3.

Her opponent chimed in: “A vote for Kee is a vote for A&T.”

Coad riposted, “I’m not going to be upstaged,” dropped her own name, and promised, “I’m going to get you that sidewalk.”

Johnson had a student volunteer handing out her election literature, including information about early voting at the door. Her opponent, Bill Knight, was not there. Five out of six at-large candidates showed, the exception being Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Anderson Groat. The at-large candidates in attendance were Nancy Vaughan, Robbie Perkins, Danny Thompson, Gary Nixon and Marikay Abuzuaiter.

Candidate attendance was spotty for the other four districts, with no one from districts 1 and 4, and George Hartzman and Art Boyett respectively representing districts 3 and 5.

Some snippets of the candidates’ statements follow.

Nettie Coad: “I’ve served in some capacity in community organizing and looking out [for] Greensboro. And this process allows us to work together in neighborhoods in disenfranchised areas, in blighted areas to bring about change; to build houses, to renovate houses. I’ve been working with people down through the 1980s, even in Mr. Kee’s neighborhood on Phillips Avenue and Summit Street [SIC] and Lombardy Street. And working to improve the neighborhood. This improves his opportunities for investment.”

Coad: “You’re going to get sidewalks on Lindsay Street. I saw the stimulus money, and I called your current representative, Goldie Wells. And you’re going to get those sidewalks. It’s not safe. You shouldn’t have to walk along the side of the road in the grass.”

Art Boyett: On 287(g): “I do not think we should involve people stopped for traffic stops trying to find out what their immigration status is.”

Jim Kee: On 287(g): “Random stopping, checkpoints, I would not be in favor of.”

George Hartzman: On 287(g): “It looks to seek people out who are illegal aliens. It seems unworkable. It doesn’t seem to be a very good idea.”

Yvonne Johnson: On why students should vote for her: “I have been and will continue to be vigilant about helping recruit business and industry to Greensboro so that you have a choice about staying here after you graduate, and so that you have an opportunity to have a job while you’re in school. Secondly, I have worked tirelessly to bring life back to the downtown Greensboro so you will have some choices about your entertainment, whether it’s a club, or the arts, or a cultural festival, or a park, or the aquatic center. All those things, I think about you as well as the other citizens of Greensboro. And also because I have been available to you for speeches, for class ventures, for sorority and fraternity events…. I’ve already worked with your chancellor and his staff on public safety, what can be done to secure the housing around A&T.”

Robbie Perkins: On Project Homestead: “I think one of the things that I recognized early on working with Yvonne [Johnson], serving with her on city council, was that we had to do the right thing for the whole community. And I became actively engaged in housing. I worked with Dr. Alton Thompson. Project Homestead really transformed the face of east Greensboro. We talk about the $17 million that the city put into Project Homestead. What we really ought to be talking about is the $150 million of outside money that came into the community, and it was changed as a result. I’m proud of that. Other things that I’ve been involved in is the East Market Street redevelopment, the Dudley-Lee, the Hope VI project to turn Morningside Homes into Willow Oaks. And I’m very proud of the work that I’ve done in east Greensboro.”

Nancy Vaughan: On housing: “Affordable housing makes a safer city. It makes Greensboro a nice place to raise a family. And that improves our tax base.”

Johnson: On environmental initiatives: “I am for converting Greensboro’s waste to energy. I don’t think it is silly. I don’t think it’s out of the question. I do think it will take some work, so therefore I am a green queen.”

Perkins: On the potential for a city of Greensboro internship program: “I think we have an ideal candidate to initiate a program. And I think Rashad Young is that person.”

Johnson, Thompson, Abuzuaiter and Vaughan indicated they would support the idea too.

Nettie Coad transcript

The following is a transcript of Greensboro City Council District 2 candidate Nettie Coad’s answers at a Guilford County Unity Effort forum on Sept. 22:

Introductory statement:
Good evening, everyone. I want to thank the Unity group and everybody here for coming out and braving the weather. I’m here because people matter, first of all, and because I have long years of service, both for the city and neighborhoods all across the city. I was telling someone today: I field questions from people all the time directing them to resources. I have experience in business. I worked for worked for a major retail company for 22 and a half years, where I managed one of the most effective departments. I have much experience in organizing, and also in training. I provide the Undoing Racism training here in Greensboro with my colleagues… at all levels, from the police to the clergy because we want people to be aware of how we’re all impacted by certain things in society and learn how to overcome. So I’m representing people, and I need you to allow me to do that through your vote.

How do you plan to promote economic development of east Greensboro?
I’ve been working with a housing group for the last 14 years – an affordable housing group out of Charlotte – and we’ve found ways – I’ve learned where resources are: the North Carolina housing financial agency, Fannie Mae, the federal housing financial agency. I’ve worked with the committee to bring FedEx here. So I want to continue the efforts that I’ve learned in the past, working with business, working with business leaders and working with the city. Because I don’t think we have enough people in the right places bringing resources into Greensboro. I serve on boards and committees outside of Greensboro. I know resources are out there that we’re not attracting here. We didn’t bring the brownfield funding here to clean up South Elm Street. Timely. I knew the funds were out there. I made people aware of that. I’m going to bring my experience, what I’ve learned to the issues that we face. But to the funds, where the money is, to bring that to Greensboro, to address the economic development issue. Because if you don’t know, if you don’t have people working for the resources, no matter how much you plan, you don’t have the money to get it done. So I believe, I have enough knowledge and can spur people along, including the council members, to be able to attract resources and leaders who can help us with moving forward with economic development.

Under what circumstances do you think it is appropriate for the city council to annex new land?
I pretty much agree my colleagues that annexation should be planned. Development should be planned; I’m a proponent of that for whatever area, whether it’s annexation or not. One of the things that we do is, often times we lose some valuable resources through annexation because I know that in some areas such as McLeansville we used to have good farmland and good farmers. What happens to people when we annex them in? What kind of livelihood do they have, and what do we provide in place of that? So I think we have to study the area to be sure that it’s time for it and to be sure that we can sustain it through provision of services and so forth. So I agree with them.

Describe your leadership style and how you would work with other council members.
I believe I possess a measure of integrity. I believe all peoples’ opinions count. I like to work in collaboration with others. And I like people to feel that I value what they say. And then I like to be in discussion with people and have an atmosphere of respect, respectability, that we can hear each other and we can work together. I plan on bringing that to the council. I brought that to my neighborhood by building leadership. And I have people that I’ve worked with over the years who are in leadership positions now. I brought that on the boards and commissions where I serve, on the redevelopment commission. We have a great working relationship. On the Community Foundation, on the Moses Cone Health Foundation. Being able to work with people from every persuasion, from every race and ethnicity. And I believe I can provide that on the council. I do believe in respect for people. And their feelings count. People matter.

A lot of city council people and candidates use youth in their campaigns and make a lot of promises. What will you do to include the youth in decision-making and moving Greensboro forward?
I’ve been working with youth for a long time as a very young mother working with the Cub Scouts and then with the Boy Scouts. Presently I’m doing training with youth. Throughout the summer we’ve been doing the training with youth so they will understand more about their culture, their race and more about historical perspectives that they don’t understand that have an impact on their lives. I also taught for four years in the justice and policy studies at Guilford College. And I have a lot of youth still that I work with We started an antiracism team there with the youth and faculty and staff that actually created a 20-year antiracism ongoing team at Guilford College. I want to continue to do that throughout Greensboro, bringing youth together. And that’s one of the things we’ve been working on this summer with youth. Also, working with the leaders in my neighborhood, where there’s some issues with youth that are hanging out on the street corners. We want to work with them to put them to work. We’re also looking at economic development in the neighborhood. We used some youth this summer in two major events that we had. Hired them for cleanup and to actually put on the event. We are looking at involving the youth, training them and also creating jobs within the community and wherever in order that they can become viable entities within our community, learn how to work and have good work ethics.

What will you do to advocate for the needs of older adults and people with disabilities?
Well, I’ve been doing that with the Democratic Party as chair of the Senior Dems. We made people aware of the homeowners 15 percent discount that they can get. Probably some of them are not aware. We did a lot of extensive work on that in the past two years. We also make sure that seniors that are in public housing, we’ve taken on a project of making sure that they have someone to look after them. The other thing is just advocating and letting seniors know their rights. Because with healthcare bills, with all the kinds of legislative things that are coming it’s been ver y hard on seniors, including me, with medication. So we make them aware of all kinds of projects and programs that are available to them. Also, housing for seniors. We are making sure that – even in my neighborhood, we have a seniors complex built. There are just so many things. I advocate for seniors and everybody else all the time. But seniors come to me with problems with their house payment, not knowing what’s going to happen, especially with this last 18 months of downturn in the economy. So I’ve been able to direct them to the resources, even with the city, or whether there’s other groups out here that are advocating for seniors with ownership problems. And those are just some of the things that I’ve done to try to help people like myself.

Closing statement
I know that I bring a lot of years of experience here, having worked out of many, many neighborhoods, having listened to people. I’m going to serve the people, because people matter. And not only do I bring the skills, but I understand how it works. I know where resources are, and how to advocate and bring them to this city for people. I’ve worked with students at all the colleges here in Greensboro, so I have a rapport. I know where the newcomers are. I know where the needs are. I also am very concerned about our citizens, and I didn’t elaborate on those who are disadvantaged. I’ve worked with the area mental health. I’ve worked with substance abuse. I’ve worked with just about any entity in Greensboro. So I know where the resources are. I know where the people are. I also know where the needs are. And I bring a spirit of collaboration, integrity, that I can work with the council, that we can work together as a team to address the concerns and the issues for the citizens of Greensboro. I promise to do that. That’s my pledge, if elected, and so I challenge you to make that happen.

Triad Elections ’09