Emerald Loop Vision Plan

Greenville SmART Community EMERALD LOOP VISION PLAN

Greenville SmART Community EMERALD LOOP VISION PLAN

AUGUST 2020

Prepared by:

HADDAD | DRUGAN

Artists

Prepared for:

Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge

North Carolina Arts Council

City of Greenville

APPROVALS OF THE EMERALD LOOP VISION PLAN:

Pitt County Arts Council Board of Directors

July 23, 2020

Civic Arts Committee

August 5, 2020

Greenville SmART Resource Team

August 6, 2020

Greenville City Council

August 13, 2020

Emerald Loop Vision Team

HADDAD | DRUGAN:

Laura Haddad, Art Planner

Tom Drugan, Art Planner

Richard Desanto, Research Assistant

PITT COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL:

Holly Garriott, Executive Director

Myriah Shewchuk, President

NORTH CAROLINA ARTS COUNCIL:

Leigh Ann Wilder, North Carolina Arts Council, Creative Economies Director

Sydney Steen, Creative Economies Coordinator

Denise Dickens, SmART Communities Program Consultant

Greenville SmART Resource Team

Thomas Barnett, City of Greenville, Director of Planning & Development Services

Chris Buddo, ECU College of Fine Arts and Communication, Dean

Don Edwards, University Book Exchange and Uptown Properties, President

Scott Elliott, Pitt County, County Manager

Gary Fenton, Greenville Recreation and Parks, Director

Holly Garriott, Pitt County Arts Council, Executive Director

Dr. Virginia Hardy, ECU, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs

Meredith Hawke, Uptown Greenville, Interim Executive Director

Kathy Howard, Greenville Utilities Commission Representative

Tony Khoury, Transworld Business Advisors

Mike McCarty, Taft Development Group, Vice President of Development and Construction

Jermaine McNair, NC CIVIL, Executive Director

Andrew Schmidt, Greenville-Pitt County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, Executive Director

Myriah Shewchuk, Pitt County Arts Council, President and Landscape Architect for East Group

Kate Teel, Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce

Tandi Wilson, Uptown Greenville Board Representative and Business Owner

Wanda Yuhas, Pitt County Development Commission, former Executive Director, retired

Ann Wall, City of Greenville, City Manager

Steven Weathers, Greenville-ENC Alliance, President & CEO

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Greenville as a SmART Community What is the Emerald Loop?

Introduction to the SmART Program

In 2018, Greenville was the fifth community in North Carolina to be named to the SmART Communities program, a designation of the North Carolina Arts Council that comes with staff and financial support for arts-driven economic development and creative placemaking projects. Previously designated SmART Communities include Durham, Wilson, Burnsville and Kinston. Two other communities joined the program in 2018: Marshall and Morganton.

The SmART program demonstrates how the arts transform communities and fuel sustainable economic development while celebrating the unique character of North Carolina's communities. To facilitate the cross-pollination and consensus needed to achieve this goal, SmART Communities establish partnerships between local arts groups, government agencies, businesses, nonprofit organizations and the local economic development sector. Leaders among these stakeholders form SmART Resource Teams who collaborate on transformative arts projects to support community growth and public engagement.

Pitt County Arts Council is Greenville’s liaison with North Carolina Arts Council to administer the SmART program in Greenville.

Greenville’s Plans as a SmART Community

The topic of this document is the “Emerald Loop,” one of several projects envisioned by the Greenville SmART Resource Team. In addition to the Emerald Loop, the Resource Team has plans for other projects, such as designation of an Arts District in Greenville's Center City, establishment of a public art funding model for Greenville and Pitt County and creation of a Public Art Master Plan for the entire city of Greenville.

Site Overview

Greenville is the North Carolina’s 10th largest city and home to East Carolina University and Vidant Medical Center. These two institutions bring international attention to the small Southern city, creating the impetus to transform Center City Greenville into the primary regional destination for art and culture.

Greenville has a lively Center City full of history, energy and potential. The area has seen many manifestations; from the tobacco warehouse era to the moving of an entire neighborhood during a time of targeted urban renewal. These stories are written into all current developments and should be made legible to the people who visit the place.

The Emerald Loop encompasses several subdistricts which blend together to create the unique urban fabric that is Center City Greenville. The urban core is at the center, focused around the intersection of Evans Street and 5th Street. To the north are green spaces and government services. Along the southern end from east to west run the East Carolina University main campus, the Warehouse district and the Dickinson district. These areas have distinct characters, rhythms and needs but must also be viewed as integral components of a healthy Center City.

Outside of these districts lie primarily residential neighborhoods, home to the life force of Greenville. It is for these and all future residents that Greenville’s SmART Community vision must be made manifest. The areas around the university are mostly inhabited by people with connections to the school. On the opposite sideis West Greenville, a historically black neighborhood. Like the Center City districts, these neighborhoods have unique characteristics and are home to a diverse range of people.

A Serendipitous SmART Community

As Greenville progresses into the 2020s, its Center City is poised for a new era of SmART growth and cultural revolution as a result of recent and current efforts and achievements of the Emerald Loop’s community and stakeholders. With attention to many of the changes already underway and with future developments in mind, the Resource Team understands Center City Greenville is primed for change. It is the goal of the Emerald Loop Vision Plan (ELVP) to ensure that those efforts include art as a means of bolstering the cultural efficacy of these transformations.

Through conversations the Emerald Loop Vision Team had with stakeholders ranging from representatives of the City of Greenville, Pitt County, Emerge Board of Directors, East Carolina University faculty, staff and students, African American Cultural Trails, Greenville Theater Arts Center, NC CIVIL, Vidant and an assortment of civic-minded private developers, the same thing was revealed over and over again, with each individual meeting:

The Emerald Loop's stakeholders, each with their individual interests, are connected through their common larger goal of revitalizing Greenville's Center City through art, culture and other improvements to the public realm.

The Emerald Loop strives to initiate a community of diverse but like-minded people to come together around a powerful common vision of their city as a vibrant, expanding, inclusive and engaging place.

The Emerald Loop is a collection of art experiences and destinations in Greenville's Center City for residents and visitors to explore, connecting community and cultural assets with economic development.

The Emerald Loop is envisioned as a necklace connecting Center City Greenville’s urban treasures, some of which loosely define a series of loop-like circuits, others of which fall inside or outside “the loop” and are destinations and discoveries.

As a physical entity, the Emerald Loop includes an overlay of multi-modal circulation that connects neighborhoods. Inclusion of artful nodes within these circulation systems will both attract people to use them as well as inspire exploration and revelation about the unique identity of Greenville. The gems of the Emerald Loop include gateways, civic icons, gathering places, performance spaces, time-based cultural happenings and a unique transportation experience.

While it is rooted in the premise of creating a series of physical art interventions, the “Emerald Loop” is also a mental construct; it is the collective imagining of these interrelated destinations and experiences with a goal of realizing them. Through public art, the Emerald Loop unites a community of diverse but like-minded people around a powerful common vision of their city as the vibrant and engaging cultural hub of Eastern North Carolina. The Emerald Loop frames and feeds the heart of Greenville as a place of community connection, exchange, growth and renewal through participatory and aesthetic art experiences. The realization of community experiences and the resulting spirited culture of the city are the desired outcome of the vision.

Emerald Loop Priority Places

Emerald Loop Vision

Vision:

Greenville's Center City as a place of community, inclusivity, activation and innovation as a result of a vibrant and varied art overlay onto the built environment

Mission: Use art as a transformational placemaking catalyst for economic and cultural vitality

Goals:

• Create a necklace of gems connecting the City’s cultural assets

• Enhance walkability in Greenville's urban core

• Develop creative placemaking to attract and retain people of all ages in Greenville

• Create iconic visual forms, content and materials to incite curiosity and wonder

• Create immersive, interactive experiences and participatory events

• Create spaces for art experiences to happen spontaneously

• Synthesize the historic past, dynamic present and unknown future

• Honor Greenville’s cultural diversity

• Incite change over time through programming and lighting

• Increase the number of resident working artists

• Engage the community in artwork development and experience

• Make art a community conversation

Methods:

• Combine public and private investments in art

• Implement art projects over time, leveraging and enhancing parallel urban design efforts

• Incorporate artists onto design teams to integrate art with plaza, streetscape and architectural elements

Many opportunities for art experiences were identified during conception of the Vision Plan. This map represents a set of places and projects that are prioritized because of either their high placemaking capacity or their ability to unify and connect Greenville's Center City.

Emerald Loop Placemaking Art Elements

The Emerald Loop is a conceptual necklace connecting Greenville’s existing and envisioned cultural gems. This map represents all the varied places and art media – some permanent and some temporary – that have been identified in the visioning process. Some of these elements fall within key placemaking nodes while others are stand-alone opportunities.

Placemaking Artwork

Art as Collective Consciousness

Art is the expression and experience of human perception, ideas and inquiry. It stimulates thinking, reveals meaning and can uniquely resonate with our personal associations as well as our collective consciousness of the world. Art in the public realm has the potential to capture the imagination and engage with civic memories in a collective manner. Communal experiences can be pivotal in the formation of bonds between people and place.

Site Specific Art in the Public Realm

Site-specific art responds to conditions of the place where it is located. Art that taps into cultural, social, physical and natural systems, as well as stories and phenomenological qualities of place, can spark curiosity about a place. Public art and creative placemaking can visualize and crystallize a community’s identity. Interactive public art can activate spaces where people gather on important occasions as well as everyday. Iconic sculpture or architectural treatments often come to symbolize a city while also elevating its image as cosmopolitan and contemporary. The ELVP includes a menu of art opportunities for lighting, sculpture, facade surface treatments and temporary programming. In many cases, these elements are intended to be integrated with the architectural and functional programs of their sites.

Role of Public Art in Greenville's Center City

As the cultural heart of Greenville and home of the majority of the city’s art organizations and venues, the Center City is a place where public art should play both a civic role, representing the values and increasing diversity of the city’s evolving population; as well as a theatrical role, offering unexpected and magical experiences.

Public art should be included in the planning and development of Greenville as a discipline that is just as important as architecture, landscape architecture and transportation. Integration of thoughtful public art, taking inspiration from its context and community, can create both beauty and dialogue that enrich the lives of those who encounter it.

The integration of site-specific, permanent and temporary public art into Greenville's Center City will help to shape and define the character of its community gathering places. Public art is envisioned to be overlaid onto the design framework of the Center City's public realm, including its surfaces, furnishings, wayfinding and lighting, contributing to Greenville’s identity and sense of place.

Activating the Public Realm

Creative placemaking inspires people to re-imagine and reinforce connections between each other and the places they share. The Emerald Loop art opportunities are linked through their common purpose of activating the public realm – streets, plazas, parking lots, parks, trails, buildings, theaters and bridges. Some locations noted in the ELVP have the potential to host numerous art media and experiences, indicating their importance as cultural activators. Incorporating multiple layers of art experience will increase a place's potential to pique the interest of a wider audience.

Implementing the Plan Art as Economic Stimulus

Vital Culture, Vital Commerce

At the root of the SmART Community Initiative that enabled Greenville's Emerald Loop Vision Plan and the designation of Greenville's Center City as an Arts District is a profound recognition of a symbiotic relationship between a thriving creative environment and a robust economy. Active and dynamic urban areas draw in visitors and increase the health and vitality of both culture and commerce.

Direct and Indirect Art Economy

Artist productions are an important part of a healthy cultural ecosystem and contribute directly to the business environment through employment for artists, craftspeople and contractors. Art also has an indirect catalytic effect on the economy in urban areas, spurring development in many dimensions beyond the initial art investments. As more members of the community visit and participate in cultural activities in the Center City, they will be more likely to visit the shops, restaurants, hotels and bars there - allowing both the creative economies and the business economies to prosper.

Investing in Experiential Urban Amenities

A large majority of Americans believe that the arts improve the identity of their community. Art experiences cultivate a community identity by raising awareness that can stimulate dialogue and debate. By questioning and discussing, a community develops, reinforces and fine-tunes its shared values. A broader understanding and appreciation of the various cultural expressions that make up Greenville will enhance the richness of the urban core by building cultural and intellectual capital for a more vibrant and vital Center City.

An important long-term benefit of this investment will be the attracting and retaining of young professionals to the major businesses of Greenville. At a time when young professionals are seeking to spend their disposable income on unique experiences, Greenville must invest in the production of such experiences because without these amenities young people will choose instead to live in other places that do offer them.

Matching Artworks to Projects

The success of the Vision Plan hinges on City planners and managers, elected officials, private developers, long-standing property owners, businesses, institutions, artists and the broader community of Greenville cohering around a joint vision for the “Emerald Loop.” The key to making this possible is a vision that is both cohesive and open enough to allow for individual expression and integration with particular projects.

The ELVP includes art projects that have the potential to encompass the entire Center City, such as a lighting scheme for architectural facades and towers that can be implemented over time by a variety of stakeholders. With wide enough participation, the impact of the “whole” will be greater than the quantifiable sum of the individual parts. The plan also includes “one-offs” to highlight special places within the Emerald Loop area.

Some Art Elements and Placemaking Nodes

noted in the plan already exist and thus create a foundation on which to build, but most are proposed for future implementation. The variety of art approaches is intended to provide “something for everyone,” making it easier for public and private organizations and individuals to find an art opportunity that not only matches but also enhances the other goals of their projects.

Public and Private Investment

Investments in the arts by private developers will be just as important as City funding is to a vibrant Center City. It is recommended that the City implement a percent-for-art model that would create funding streams for the arts through both public and private development.

Public Art Project Management

Implementation of a public art policy in Greenville should be accompanied by the creation of a Public Art Coordinator position within either the City of Greenville or Emerge to assist the City and developers with selection and management of public artists and implementation of the artwork.

Design Team Collaborations

Ideally, public art should be conceived as integral with the design framework of a development’s surfaces, spaces and wayfinding. For most effective integration, the earlier an artist can join a design team to coordinate their work with that of other disciplines, the better. This will allow the best ideas to be integrated in the most cost-effective way.

Artist Rosters

Rosters of artists pre-qualified to execute integrated artworks, murals and programming events can be established to aid in the selection of artists by the City and private developers.

Fluidity of Vision

The ELVP is intended to be a fluid, living document, with the ultimate goal of Greenville's Center City being studded with many more gems than what is currently even envisioned. The diagrams in this document are snapshots taken at the time when the plan was completed. Because healthy and growing cities are constantly changing, there will be unforeseen future conditions leading to additions, deletions, crossovers and exchanges between art typologies and sites shown on the diagrams. For instance, circumstances may arise where it becomes more feasible to do a lighting artwork at a site designated for a signature sculpture; or a land owner may wish to fund or provide space for a facade treatment in a location not currently shown in the plan. Opportunities for temporary programming in particular will constantly evolve.

Developer Toolkit

For projects that exist or are in development, the Vision Plan includes suggestions for art elements that would contribute to the Emerald Loop vision. For projects unknown or not started at the time of this writing, it is hoped that the Vision Plan can serve as a resource and template for conceiving cultural experiences appropriate for a particular location or group. The Art Elements section of the ELVP can act as a kind of “Toolkit,” providing examples of art treatments within the media of Lighting, Sculpture, Surface Treatments and Programming; and describing how they can be applied at different sites.

GREENVILLE: PAST + PRESENT + FUTURE

Civic Identity Demographics

Greenville’s residents know their city to be a great place to live. As the home of Vidant Health and East Carolina University, it is the Hub of education and healthcare in Eastern North Carolina. Other key features of Greenville include its lively sports scene, places for fun, access to environmental amenities, commerce and its affordability.

With such renowned institutions established within the city, Greenville attracts academic experts and leaders from around the world who work to improve the community and inspire future generations. Vidant and ECU drive the economic development of the city through the high quality jobs, classes and careers offered. These institutions shape the population of the city dramatically and must be considered in future plans and developments.

Though the arts have been an ever-present part of Greenville’s part and present identities, the ELVP sees a future where art and city are inextricably linked - a future where the creative, expressive process in Greenville is tantamount to its high quality healthcare and educational excellence.

While Greenville is beginning to be seen as the entertainment and culture hub of the region, it was also noted across the findings of the “This is Our Story” study, conducted in October of 2019, that there is a lack of activity in these same areas. With the widespread programming listed on ECU and Emerge Gallery’s event calendars, this may be a misconception – but one that needs to be addressed. It is possible that what is missing are visible, iconic symbols of Greenville’s culture, to catalyze exploration of the city’s less visible, but still present, programming.

Pirates

ECU’s identity has blended deeply with the identity of Greenville, especially given its long history of growing with the city and direct adjacency to the Center City. Pirates, ECU’s team name, are an authentic part of North Carolina’s history, having made use of the shallow waters of the sounds and rivers along the fledgling state’s coast. Today ECU, along with their partner, the Queen Anne’s Revenge Project, are researching the historical wreckage of Blackbeard’s famed ship - located in the Beaufort Inlet, not far from Greenville.

Pirates and the school color of purple, have a blurred identity as both the city and school now make use of the bold icon to brand themselves. This character can be interpreted in many ways and should be leveraged with care to showcase some of Greenville’s celebrated characteristics. Research from the “This is Our Story” survey indicates that an affiliation with ECU dramatically shifts a viewer’s association with the pirate symbol, often emphasizing favorable interpretations. Unfortunately, the study also found the opposite can be true of people without connections to ECU.

Employing broad concepts like “Find the Hidden Gems” touches on the treasure-hunting heritage of the pirate, while emphasizing the value and wonder of the city.

The vibrancy of Greenville is found in the hearts, minds and hands of its capable residents. ECU’s student body allows for Greenville to have a robust young adult population, with people aged 18 to 24 making up 28.7% of the city’s population. Many of these students activate the urban core most evenings from late August to early May for the lively nightlife scene that keeps things hopping until last call. This group is followed closely in numbers by the age range of 25 to 44, comprising another 28.2% of the overall population in Greenville. Many of these people have young families and make use of the urban core’s wide array of activities that are designed to serve all age ranges.

Even with the plethora of amenities offered, the demographic group that Greenville is struggling to keep is a class of Millennial young professionals, according to the findings of the “This is Our Story” study. Older generations indicate feeling that they have a higher quality of life in Greenville than the younger generations. It is critical that all age ranges be considered when implementing the ELVP to foster greater happiness and intention to stay across the age spectrum.

As a Southern city, Greenville’s population is composed of a diverse range of ethnic peoples with 53.7% of the population being white, followed closely by 38.2% black/African American. The fraught history of these groups has made the nuances of true diversity illegible at times and in certain areas of the city. The Emerald Loop Vision Plan aims to bring greater cohesion between these two primary groups while addressing the range of other peoples present. Greenville’s population is also comprised of indigenous peoples (0.4%), people of Asian/Pacific Islander descent (2.6%), people with Hispanic or Latino heritage (5.2%) and people of two or more races (2.7%). The ELVP seeks to provide opportunities for all these groups to further enrich the urban fabric of Greenville with their stories, experiences and art.

Arts & Culture

Music Legacy

Contrary to the alleged lack of culture found in the “This is Our Story” study, Greenville has substantial cultural heritage that can be found across the visual and performance arts. The black residents of Greenville forged a strong connection to the jazz movement that lives on today. Dr. Billy Taylor, famed jazz pianist and educator, who was born in Greenville, continually served his community through his role as professor at ECU and jazz activist. Today, his legacy lives on in events and organizations like the African American Music Trails of Eastern NC and the Billy Taylor Jazz Festival put on by ECU’s music department.

Visual Arts

The visual arts too have a long history of helping shape Greenville’s cultural and physical spaces. Residents like Rachel Maxwell Moore saw the need to foster art spaces in Greenville. In 1935, she began working diligently with governing bodies, ranging from federal all the way down to city, to establish the Greenville Museum of Art, which still runs today. The museum has impressive permanent collections, including works by Kenneth Noland, of Black Mountain College and North Carolina pottery - emphasizing Jugtown pottery. It also hosts rotating exhibitions, drawing in works from around the world as well as showcases local works from established and emerging artists.

Projects like 1958’s “Lively Louie” – talking trash cans used to encourage residents to keep streets and sidewalks clean – highlight Greenville’s long-standing use of creative urban design. Similar projects treating urban elements like this have been implemented as recently as 2009.

This bond can be further traced through the emergence of R&B, funk and hip hop musicians that were born and raised and who work in Greenville. The creative spirit behind these movements can be seen throughout the city, as youths gather and perform with each other, honing their sound.

There remains a lively music scene across genres that serves the current residents of the city, as made apparent by the number of live venues, festivals and concerts series that run throughout the year. These valuable performance venues function as gathering spaces, fostering community around muscial expression and experimentation and should be celebrated for that.

Theater

Greenville is home to an array of theaters which host plays, comedy shows, films, concerts, parties and other events. These spaces have a long history of housing and nurturing creative expressions of voices sometimes not otherwise heard in Greenville. Today’s theaters are seeking to continue that honorable effort. One such theater is the Roxy, located just off Dickinson on Albemarle Avenue. The Roxy Theatre was opened in 1948 and was active as a cinema for the African American community until 1972. It changed hands in 1975 and was re-imagined as a center of the arts, neighborhood development and popular parties. In 1979, the theater changed hands again and until recently has served as a church. In early 2019, the Greenville Theater Arts Center (GTAC) has leased the Roxy and has begun renovations to restore the place so that they can offer a wide range of programs to everyone.

This entrepreneurial spirit lives on in organizations like Emerge Gallery, which hosts the Pitt County Arts Council and the prolific art practice of local artists, like Jonathan Bowling. Emerge plays an active role in today’s arts scene; among many other things, organizing and participating in the monthly Art Walk through the Center City’s galleries. This event keeps the community connected to the pulse of Greenville’s spirited art scene and activates the Center City on First Friday evenings.

East Carolina University's School of Art and Design is home to talented student artists working hard to hone their craft before entering the art world. Their Gray Gallery provides six to eight exhibitions each year, many of which showcase the works of their students. The SoAD is also home to a talented faculty who engage with the local scene in a variety of ways, from service and teaching to the creation and installation of public art works around the city. This department is an integral part of the larger scene and needs to be engaged moving forward with the ELVP.

Economy Historic

Greenville’s economic history is fundamentally connected to its landscape, which has helped to shape the city. The Tar River served as a critical lifeline that connected people to the goods and services necessary for their well-being. For those with the means beyond subsistence farming, the river held greater opportunities. In 1891, the first tobacco warehouse was built in Greenville, setting the city on the path to becoming the largest tobacco market in North Carolina. The economic boom brought by the tobacco trade led to the establishment of suburbs as the warehouses demanded more laborers. A few remaining tobacco structures in the Center City are slated to be redeveloped in ways that honor their histories.

Institutions

Greenville’s two largest employers are integral to its current economic well-being. Vidant Health and East Carolina University make use of a harmonious partnership to forge strong bonds between medical education and practice. The Emerald Loop Vision Plan aims to create features and programs that attract and support workers through comparably expansive opportunities in arts and culture. By further enlivening the urban core, Greenville can foster a strong Live/Work/Play ethos making the city that much more enticing as a place for these professionals to settle.

Vidant Medical Center

Greenville’s Vidant Medical Center began in the 1920s. Compelled by the belief that Pitt County needed a quality hospital, four local doctors worked together and pooled their resources to build Greenville’s first hospital. After a few expansions over the decades, 1977 saw the hospital form a new partnership with East Carolina University to become the teaching facility for the new School of Medicine. In 1981, ECU graduated the first class of physicians.

Growth continued as the young hospital became recognized as a regional leader in health care. A number of specialists were drawn to Greenville to pursue their research and practice, earning the medical center a number of designations not yet seen in the area. This creative and adventurous spirit lives on as Vidant continues to be a leader in a number of cutting edge procedures.

As the nation’s demand for tobacco products stabilized, shifts in the economic landscape of Greenville began to take place. Manufacturing increased to include sawmills, distilleries and bottling works, brickyards, flour mills, woodworking plants, carriage factories, bicycle shops, machine shops, ice houses and cotton mills with all shipping happening along the river or by train. In 1958 UNX Chemicals, then Unichem, established itself. The company pioneered new surfactant technology for the laundry industry and continues to do so today. Now headquartered just outside the Center City, their warehouse facility stands with grand potential on the edge of the Dickinson corridor.

Vidant’s expansive medical facilities employ a massive workforce of care givers. Many of the

medical staff at Vidant Medical Center are current students, teachers, or alumni of ECU’s degree programs. Conversations with Vidant indicate that one of the reasons talented people decide not to accept a position at Vidant is because of the perceived low quality of culture in Greenville.

ECU's Alumni Center will relocate its office to this new development and activate the area with people visiting for services. This will transform what is now parking lots into a series of urban amenities, increasing density and building greater connections between main campus and the urban core.

East Carolina University

Founded in 1907 as East Carolina Teachers Training School, East Carolina University has been through a series of manifestations as it has progressed to its current state. Looking forward, the University is highlighting STEAM education. Synthesizing natural sciences, technology and engineering with the arts ensures critical thinking and creative exploration across all aspects of the acronym. The spirit behind this push has led to interdisciplinary programs such as the Department of Coastal Studies and an Innovation Lab opening adjacent to Greenville’s urban core. These programs in turn support growing industries throughout the city and Pitt County. Tech, life and material sciences, pharmaceuticals and health care are all working to create business and educational connections with Greenville, expanding industry.

The proximity of campus to the urban core means there is a steady flow of students moving through the area; making use of the array of shops, bars, restaurants and venues. The campus owns a seven block stretch along Reade Street, making up the eastern edge of Greenville's City Center. ECU's comprehensive master plan envisions a more developed future for this area. To date, no construction has occurred; but near future plans include a hotel, new performing arts building, mixed used developments and parking structures.

Planned for the south end of Center City is a 22-acre section of ECU's Millennial Campus, a development designed to foster entrepreneurial ventures between business-oriented sources of capital and the researchers developing new products on campus. The expansion and activation of this area will feed into ECU’s innovation ecosystem, which brings together the campus’ economic, physical and networking assets and shares them with their enterprising student body. The Millennial Campus will restructure the current Warehouse District – further enlivening the area adjacent to the Dickinson District, south of 10th Street. The gems of ECU's development plans for the south end of downtown Greenville include adaptive reuse of the historic Haynie Warehouse and construction of a $90 million Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building.

All of ECU's plans for building amongst the urban fabric of Greenville will require alternate forms of transportation which, if partnered with City systems, can catalyze substantial change to public infrastructure that will serve the larger community and further integrate the Live/Work/Play energy that a thriving City Center requires.

Women working at Imperial Tobacco, in Greenville

Vidant Medical Center illuminated at night

ECU's Warehouse District redevelopment in the foreground and Biotechnology building in the background

East Carolina Teacher Training School

ECU's many and multi-faceted programs and departments bring their own critical perspectives and important research to the city, furthering the academic rigor that is woven into Greenville’s historic and cultural milieu. This atmosphere of thought should be leveraged in executing the ELVP as students and faculty across the University bring unique, future-oriented perspectives and vigor to the city as a whole.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is Greenville’s third largest industry, after health care and education (Forbes). Products made in town range from lift trucks to pharmaceuticals. This economic arena needs to be acknowledged and celebrated in the ELVP, given that a large percentage of the city participates in it . Their stories should be embedded within the Emerald Loop.

Retail

One of ECU’s renowned schools is the School of Art & Design, housed in the Leo W. Jenkins Fine Arts Center. This school within the university offers a multitude of programs across media to bachelors and masters students, helping to ensure a steady flow of art infusing with the urban landscape of Greenville.

There are several other arts-based institutions working to share arts education with the nonuniversity affiliated population of the city. The Magnolia Arts Center and Greenville Theater Arts Center foster development of future performers in tandem with hosting professionally produced and executed performances. The Pitt County Arts Council, founded by ECU graduates, works hard to offer a plethora of visual art classes for all ages in many media at Emerge Gallery and Art Center. This organization offers seminars and classes geared towards artists to help them navigate the management and business ends of their practices. The Pitt County Arts Council also works hard as a community event planner – guaranteeing the arts are present in many of Greenville’s annual celebrations.

One of the more notable contemporary manufacturing endeavors is housed in the Hatteras Hammocks’ facility, just outside of Greenville's Center City. Founded in the 1970s, Hatteras – now a part of the Hammock Source – started as the side-gig of a tobacco buyer with a dream. The company’s award-winning and Bob Barker approved, products embody the diligent and creative efforts of Greenville’s people and have become a point of pride for the city.

Located just down the road from the Hammock Source facility is the Grady-White boats factory. Founded just after the founding of UNX, in 1959, Grady-White is another homegrown Greenville powerhouse. The company is still building acclaimed fiberglass boats in town today while consistently winning awards in customer satisfaction in the marine world.

With attention to the benefits offered by the industrial manufacturing industries to a local economy, it is critical that the ELVP works with these entities to create artful intersections between their work and the art world so that these two endeavours can forge bonds towards the happiness of residents and workers around the city. These partnerships will leverage strengths across both spheres to further craft the Live/Work/Play energy Greenville needs to continue its substantial growth.

Center City has a strong range of existing shops, galleries, restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and marketplaces. These offerings are active spaces that are buzzing with social energy and ensure connections throughout the Greenville community. Due to some retail areas being overwhelmed by government buildings, there is an unfortunate perception that Greenville's Center City lacks cultural options. This is a large concern of the Emerald Loop Vision Plan and some of the art opportunities proposed will address the distance between perception and reality along these blocks. In addition, aesthetic treatments to the facades of government buildings that cannot house cultural enterprises will enliven dead streetscape areas to.

The ELVP includes programs and installations to both lure people into the area and provide them with reasons to linger. The founding of a “Chamber of Culture” to work aside the existing Chamber of Commerce can enable the Arts District and its retail establishments to form a symbiotic relationship, each supporting the other. Involving artists in creating storefront displays is one possibility, which can work to activate spaces that are vacant, in particular.

Leo W. Jenkins Fine Arts Center

Jonathan Bowling's studio storefront, activating Dickinson Avenue with art

Illuminated window display at Halo enlivening Dickinson Avenue day and night

Historic Time Line

English colonists went to war with the indigenous Tuscarora people over land rights after kidnapping innumerable natives who had been sold into slavery.

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1718

1861

The Civil War brought violence to Greenville in part due to its proximity to the Tar River. With the conclusion of the war four years later came Northerners who brought their politics to the county during Reconstruction.

1921

The Tuscarora peoples migrated south from the Great Lakes region and settled along rivers throughout what is now known as Eastern North Carolina.

1771

The Pitt County legislator received permission from the colony of North Carolina to divide his 100-acre plantation into a town. The new town was named "Martinsborough," for royal governor Josiah Martin.

1830s

Greenville, as the county seat, remained a small courthouse town until a bridge was built over the Tar River at present-day Greene Street. Steamboats lined the riverbanks near what would develop into the "Downtown" neighborhood of shipyard workers. These docks allowed for the establishment of factories nearby. The manufactured guns, carriages, cotton gins and silk brought prosperity to the town.

Billy Taylor, jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator, was born in Greenville. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University. As a jazz activist, he sat on the Honorary Founders Board of The Jazz Foundation of America, an organization he started in 1989 with a mission to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians, later including musicians who survived Hurricane Katrina.

12 _

1923

Pitt Community Hospital was founded by Dr. Laughinghouse and three other physicians. It was originally located in E. 5th street above a hardware store. Through connections with East Carolina Teachers' Training School, PCH eventually became what is now the flagship medical center for Vidant Health and the primary teaching hospital for East Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine.

1787

Two years after the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, Martinsborough was renamed "Greenesville" in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene. The name was later shortened to "Greenville."

1840s

Within a decade the town began to wane as prominent residents left to pursue the unknown during Westward Expansion.

09 _

A treaty was signed between the Tuscarora and Colonial officials, resettling the indigenous peoples to a reservation in Bertie County (though many returned north, to areas near present-day New York). 10

07 _

1891

With time the town was able to recover from the trauma of war and began to expand. In 1891, the first tobacco warehouse was built (called The Greenville Tobacco Warehouse), setting the town on its path to becoming the largest tobacco market in North Carolina.

13

1924

1860

Sycamore Hill Missionary Baptist Church of Greenville, North Carolina, was founded by a group of 22 individuals who shared a vision of a church where they could worship God in spirit and in truth.

1907

East Carolina Teachers Training School opened in town, making Greenville the educational and cultural center of Eastern North Carolina.

Billy Myles, R&B singer/songwriter was born in Greenville. Best known for his song "The Joker (That's What They Call Me)," Myles wrote numerous other hits that were recorded by other well-known acts of the time, like Jackie Wilson and Freddie King. Myles ran his music publishing company, Selbon Music Inc. ('Nobles' spelled backwards) in Greenville until his death in 2005. The music publishing company is now managed by his son.

1930

1947

The state legislature appropriated $1 million to purchase a collection of art for the people of North Carolina. The appropriation was in response to a thenanonymous challenge grant from noted philanthropist Samuel H. Kress of New York through the persuasive efforts of Dr. Robert Lee Humber, an international lawyer and native of Greenville (born 1898). The initial $1 million legislative appropriation was used to purchase 139 European and American paintings and sculptures which eventually formed the North Carolina Museum of Art, located in Raleigh.

1950s

1930s

With the onset of the Great Depression, Greenville's prosperity once again faltered. Businesses were forced to shut their doors and the town fell into a state of disrepair.

1935

The first Women's Club Arts Festival was held after Rachel Maxwell Moore contacted the Federal Art Project in Raleigh, an arm of the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA), which authorized the establishment of a Federal Art Project's Gallery in Greenville.

18

The Sheppard Memorial Library system was established when its first location (in the Urban Core) was opened to the public. The library was built with a $60,000 grant from Harper Donelson Sheppard, a Pitt County native and businessman. The main library was named in honor of Harper Donelson Sheppard's father William Henry Haywood Sheppard. 19

1936

Amelia Earhart, arriving by car, spoke in front of an audience of more 1,500 at the East Carolina Teachers College, telling humorous stories of all the celebrities she had been mistaken for and detailing her adventures in aviation. She stressed to the audience that air travel was the safest of all forms of travel.

1943

John W. Outterbridge, artist and community activist, was born in Greenville. His father made a living by recycling metal machine parts and equipment, giving Outterbridge an early exposure to and expertise in recycling materials as an art medium.

The federal government terminated the WPA and announced a plan for donating one of the numerous small traveling exhibits to local centers that met certain requirements. A local group was organized under Mrs. Moore's guidance and requested a collection for Greenville. This collection of graphics was granted as a long-term loan and was kept in the newly established Community Art Center, furnished by Sheppard Memorial Library, with an exhibition area on the second floor and facilities for art classes in the Library's basement.

23

1959

The conclusion of the Second World War allowed Greenville to begin building again. With renewal and modernity on their minds the city began growing and changing. 26

The East Carolina Art Society purchased the Flanagan Home, a classical revival home, on Evans Street. This still functions as the headquarters of the Greenville Museum of Art.

24

1960

The inaugural art exhibit, coordinated by Mrs. Moore and Dr. Humber, opened at the newly opened Greenville Museum of Art and was a gala affair. This landmark exhibit was comprised of Old Master paintings loaned from various New York galleries.

1965

Under Eminent Domain and promises of urban renewal, the City relocated the predominately African American "Downtown" riverfront neighborhood. The purchased businesses and homes were razed for Town Commons Park.

Shortly after, the Sycamore Hill Church was burnt in an unsolved act of arson. 22

1955

A new organization – the East Carolina Art Society – inspired by Dr. Robert Lee Humber and his work, was formed to establish extensive support for the arts in eastern North Carolina. The Society appointed a committee to locate a building to be used as the Greenville Art Center since the Library now needed all its facility for library purposes.

1960

The original Hardee's restaurant was opened by Wilber Hardee in Greenville.

1980s

Walter R. Perkins Jr. started Hatteras Hammocks (now The Hammock Source) in Greenville. Beginning as an amateur woodworker, he grew his hobby into the world's largest maker of premium hammock products.

33 1995

Phase I of Green Mill Run, the first of the three proposed greenway segments, was completed and opened to the public. 34 _ 1996

The East Carolina Teachers Training School, known at the time as East Carolina College, re-brands itself as East Carolina University. 35 _ 1999

The Imperial Tobacco Processing Plant closed when the company, established in the UK in 1901 and having been in Greenville since shortly thereafter, left the city. The structure remained vacant.

Disinvestment in the urban core as merchants were forced to close their doors in pursuit of the customers whose business now focused on newly built suburban malls. 37 2001

Caroline Shaw – violinist, singer and composer – was born in Greenville. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music at age thirty, in 2013, for her a cappella piece "Partita for 8 Voices." She is the youngest recipient of this esteemed award.

Jonathan Bowling moved to Greenville to pursue an MFA in sculpture at ECU (completed in 1999). He has been working out of his Greenville studio ever since. Bowling has showed extensively in the Eastern United States, which has resulted in a number of long-term loans and sales to municipalities and private collectors.

The Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge was founded as Emerge Gallery. The gallery was founded by Holly Garriott, Christina Miller and Leah Foushee, three ECU students who saw a need for a community-based arts organization in Greenville's Center City that could also serve as a learning lab for ECU students.

38

The Old Greene St. Bridge, built in 1927, was replaced and moved from its original location to the Baker Street entrance of Town Common Park. 39

The first Greenway Master Plan, authored by Greenways Inc., was adopted by the City. Three segments were proposed for implementation by the Greenville Greenways Committee (formed in 1985).

Greenville residents persevered through a 500-year flood, brought on by Hurricane Floyd. The Tar River crested at 29.7 feet in Greenville, 16.7 feet above flood stage.

Mr. Don Parrott, then Mayor of the City of Greenville, Dr. Bill Muse, then Chancellor of East Carolina University and Mr. Don Edwards, then President of Uptown Greenville, recognized the need to focus their attention on the city center and its connection to West Greenville. The three men decided to fund a redevelopment plan for these areas.

An updated Greenway Master Plan was completed to match the new growth and character of the city. 40

Emerge Gallery expanded into a full Community Art Center with classes for adults and children in pottery, metals, painting, textiles and photography.

The Center City - West Greenville Revitalization Plan, developed through a collaborative process of citizens, business owners, local commissions, city staff and elected officials, was adopted by City Council.

42 2008

Former President Obama visited Greenville on his campaign trail and held a rally at Minges Coliseum on ECU's campus.

43 2008

Following Obama's rally, a warehouse of the old Imperial Tobacco Company facility was gutted by fire set by a yet unidentified arsonist.

45 2009

Emerge Gallery became the Pitt County Arts Council, expanding its operations to work with countywide arts organizations, government entities and Pitt County Schools to support development of the arts throughout Pitt County.

46 _ 2010

44

2008

Ground was broken on the South Tar River Greenway, the second segment of the greenways project and the City's Community Development office took over overseeing greenway planning and operations, dissolving the GGC.

Town Common Master Plan was adopted by City officials to achieve its full potential as an integrated gathering place for Greenville's citizens, while preserving green space for future generations in the best tradition of park stewardship. 47 2011

Phase II of the Tar River Greenway was completed and funding for Phase III was secured (as of 2020 it has not been built).

48 _ 2016

Horizon 2026, Greenville's most to-date community plan, was adopted by City Council.

49 2017

Phase II of the Green Mill Run Greenway was completed. This stretch is a 1.3 mile path extension that runs from Evans St., near Clifton St., to Sulgrave Rd. off of Charles Blvd.

50 _ 2017

The City issued a request for proposals for a redevelopment project for the Imperial Tobacco site. The project contains several different development pads, each of which are zoned CD-Downtown Commercial. The City expressed interest in seeing the site contain a mix of uses including residential, retail and office.

51 _ 2017

East Carolina University's GlasStation, in nearby Farmville, NC, is the result of a grassroots effort by The Farmville Group, a volunteer economic development association interested in growing the local economy through the arts. The Allen and Stowe families of Farmville donated a former Gulf gas station to the DeVisconti Trust. ECU leases the GlasStation building from the Trust and has outfitted the GlasStation as a functioning hot glass studio.

52 2019

The ground-breaking ceremony was held for Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza, dedicated to African American history in Greenville. The plaza commemorates the original Sycamore Hill Baptist Church and the predominately African American "Downtown" neighborhood many previously called home. Planning for Greenville's African American Cultural Trail, of which Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza will be the first stop, also began at this time.

53 2019

The 10th Street Connector officially opened and was dedicated to two ECU professor emeriti who impacted the future of the city: Dr. Andrew Best and Dr. Leo Jenkins. While creating connections along 10th Street, it has had a collateral effect of bifurcating West Greenville from the Dickinson District.

54 2020

ECU is in talks to develop their Millennial Campus to facilitate partnerships with private companies that foster economic growth in the region and create jobs. ECU's Millennial Campus includes four designated areas.

55 _ 2020

Historic brick office building on Atlantic Street, the last remaining structure of the Imperial Tobacco site, burned in an act of arson.

SITE DESCRIPTION

Existing Site Context

The Emerald Loop is located in Greenville's Center City, a place served by multi-modal transit.

Circulation

Pedestrian Streets

The pedestrian experience is swiftly returning to the forefront of design and planning concerns in dense areas of Greenville's Center City, where car travel is less necessary and parking is in high demand. The ELVP proposes to expand upon the existing pedestrian and transportation infrastructure while augmenting those experiences with art interventions to keep people engaged and moving.

Greenways

Greenville’s network of linear parks, called greenways, is partially constructed with additional phases in development. The Emerald Loop Circulation Plan includes the concept of an “Urban Greenway” to connect the new Culvert Connector with the Millennial Connector Rail Trail, where it would terminate at ECU’s future innovation campus in the Warehouse District. A "Downtown Connector" could thread through the urban core on E. 5th Street, head south at Five Points, then southwest down Dickinson. These urban streets could be designated “green streets,” or “complete streets,” which give priority to pedestrian circulation over other transportation uses. Streetscape amenities may include sidewalk widening, street trees and other landscape treatments, traffic calming and other pedestrian-oriented features.

Bike Lanes

Center City has a limited set of bike lanes in place. The ELVP suggests expanding upon that along the Reade Circle portion of the Emerald Loop, creating greater connectivity to ECU and places beyond.

Transit

Greenville’s public transportation network currently connects outlying areas to the Center City. The ELVP suggests incorporating an art-focused trolley loop within the urban core to offer a unique way of experiencing the area while also serving people of all mobility abilities.

African American Cultural Trails

Planning for a self-guided tour of significant locations in the history of Greenville's African American community is underway, sponsored by Greenville-Pitt County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The sites will be marked with signs and additional information will be available through an accompanying phone app.

An orphaned blocklong street adjacent to Five Points has a unique potential to become a pedestrian-only street or woonerf, continuing the existing Merchants Alley south and expanding the pedestrian area of the future Five Points Plaza.

Greenville is an easy city to move through, with expanding greenways, pedestrian-oriented streets, public buses and bike lanes interfacing within the city center. The ELVP looks to accentuate particular intersections and streets that link these modes with a goal of creating an integrated art experience where circulation, culture, art and commerce come together.

Center City surface parking lots marked in red.

Parking

Abundance of Surface Parking Lots

There is a significant amount of parking spread throughout the Center City, most in surface lots which are not open to the general public. Much of the parking falls under the jurisdiction of four entities:

• Pitt County: Surface lots for employees and guests in the north end of the urban core in the blocks between 1st and 3rd Streets

• City of Greenville: Surface lots and a garage for employees and pay-parking for the public throughout the Center City; plus street parking

• ECU: Surface lots for University-affiliated people bordering the entire east edge of the urban core

• Smaller property owners: Surface lots and garages for adjoining businesses and residences

The existing sea of asphalt is deadening to certain portions of Greenville's Center City, in particular in the blocks between 1st and 3rd Streets, where government agencies and the university own many of these lots and at the Five Points junction, where massive parking lots separate the Urban Core and Dickinson districts.

The ELVP sees the abundant parking lots as relatively static places of utility being ripe for artistic activation.

Transition to Vertical Parking

Recent additions of several public and private parking garages allow for a greater concentration of cars, helping to free up prime Center City real estate for more interesting uses. Additional vertical parking (in addition to development of other modes of transportation to eventually displace automobiles in the Center City) is encouraged in order to create space for development that can enhance the streetscape experience and thereby make better pedestrian connections between the different Center City districts. When possible, parking garages should include retail and restaurant spaces on the ground floors and artistic treatments on the upper facades.

Daily Center City Rhythms

Families

Business People

Toddler Story Hour

@ The Children’s Library at Sheppard Memorial Library

Preschool Story Hour

@ The Children’s Library at Sheppard Memorial Library

Pop-In, Pop Art Workshops @ Emerge Gallery and Art Center

Faculty

Monday Night Pub Run @ MPourium

Tabletop Tuesday @ Pitt Street Brewing Tap Room

Fleet Feet Greenville @ Uptown Brewing Company

Pitt Street Brewing Company Run Club @ Pitt Street Brewing Company

First Friday Art Walk @ Uptown Greenville

Karaoke @ Pitt Street Brewing Tap Room

Beer and Bottle Painting @ Jack Brown’s Joint Comic Smash Talk @ Smashed Waffles

African American Music Series @ Emerge Gallery

Salsa Night @ Emerge Gallery

Students

NOTE:

• Solid shapes represent weekday patterns

• Dotted shapes represent weekend patterns

5-8 PM: Opportunity to engage largest range of people

Annual Community Events

01 Downeast Sculpture Exhibition

March - February

Downeast is an indoor and outdoor juried sculpture show, with prizes awarded. The indoor exhibition takes place at Emerge Gallery for a month and the outdoor part of the exhibit can be viewed all over Pitt County for just short of a year.

05 St. Patrick's Day Celebration

_

08 ECU Billy Taylor Jazz Festival

_

March 17th

St. Patrick's Day is a lively holiday in Greenville that brings together a parade, traditional Irish festivities and family-friendly activities. In recent years the event has been hosted alongside A Time For Science Expo, the science learning center and museum, elevating the entertainment with enriching knowledge.

Early April

What began as an opportunity for local high school and middle school jazz bands to visit ECU's campus to perform and listen to the Jazz Ensemble quickly outgrew its humble origins. In 2003, Dr. Billy Taylor lent his name to the festival and the Greenville Convention Center was retained as the venue for a gala event. The festival offers three public concerts, a free jam session, critiquing sessions for eight or more high school and middle school jazz bands and opportunities for jazz lovers to mingle and celebrate.

12 Umbrella Market _

May - August

The weekly farmers' market with fresh produce, meats, handmade arts, jewelry, antiques, homemade bath products, baked goods, wine, local craft brew, musicians, market events and more.

02 Jolly Skull Beer Festival

Early January

An annual beer and wine festival hosted by the Greenville Convention Center. The festival focuses on American craft microbreweries and wineries with over 125 beers and wines being offered. The Jolly Skull Beer and Wine Festival also features a DJ, live music, silent auction and other fun things to do.

03 ECU Thesis Exhibitions

March-May & November-December

Thesis capstone shows for both BFA and MFA degree programs held in the School of Art and Design galleries. MFA shows include talks sharing insights on theory, craft and practice that are open to public.

06 SpazzFest

Mid/Late March

SpazzFest is an annual music festival put on by an ECU alum that seeks to showcase the D.I.Y. music scene with homespun dedication to sharing sound, place and process.

09 Doggie Jams

Late April

A live music event in the parking lot of Sup Dogs that began as a humble concert has quickly become a mainstream music event with multiple acts from internationally recognized names.

10 PirateFest

Mid April

PirateFest is the region's signature community event, designed to celebrate Eastern North Carolina's rich pirate history. The festival draws an estimated 35,000 people and over 150 vendors for two days of live music, delicious and unique food, art sales, roaming pirates and more.

13 ECU's Grad Bash

Early May

An East Carolina University event that is hosted in Five Points Plaza prior to the Spring Commencement in celebration of the accomplishments of the students. There is live music, local food trucks, vendors, as well as beer and wine.

14 Batter Up'Town

Late May

A celebration of the success of ECU baseball held in Five Points Plaza and filled with Pirate Pride, food, children's activities, baseball treats and music.

04

Fine Arts Ball

March

Pitt County's premier black-tie art event of the year, hosted by Greenville Museum of Art. All money raised helps the Museum promote the fine arts across Eastern North Carolina

07

Dickinson Avenue After Dark

Mid/Late March

An all local and totally quirky beer festival that showcases breweries, cideries, & wineries east of I-95; plus food trucks, cupcakes and other tasty treats. Music and other performances keep the eclectic nature of the event going.

11 Concert On The Common _

April - July

Concert On The Common features Greenville's favorite musical acts. The Wednesday after-work events activate the Center City of Greenville with people and festivities.

15 Sunday in the Park

Sundays June - August

A Greenville tradition since 1973- the free, family-friendly concert series brings people outside, to the Town Common, to enjoy entertainment throughout the summer.

Mid June

A celebration in honor of African American Music Appreciation Month, this annual music festival draws a diverse crowd of music lovers of all ages to Town Common for entertainment, food and camaraderie.

17

Fourth of July Celebration

July 4th

A patriotic celebration that brings residents to Town Common for food, drinks, live music and a state-of-the-art fireworks display once the sun goes down. Previous years have included games, a car show and other activities.

18 Freeboot Fridays

ECU Football Home Game Fridays

A free event held in Five Points Plaza that offers live music and fun for the whole family with inflatables for children, arts and crafts, live music, food and adult beverages in celebration of every ECU football home game.

Late September

Hosted by the local legionnaires for their community, the County Fair features fun for the entire family, including children's activities, entertainment, music, carnival rides, agricultural exhibits, commercial vendors and a wide variety of food and attractions.

21 Halloween

October 31st

Late at night the Urban Core becomes a an open-air costume party, as large numbers of young people gather to celebrate the holiday.

20 Community Youth Arts Festival

Mid/Late October

The Youth Arts Festival takes place at the Greenville Town Common and is a free event open to the community to see visual arts demonstrations, to try out art activities, as well as to see performers, musicians and dancers. The Youth Arts Festival invites children to create their own masterpieces.

22 Festival of Trees

_

23 Greenville Gives

Early December

The annual Greenville Gives holiday celebration is held at Five Points Plaza. The event brings the community together to support local charities through donations, as well as to enjoy holiday story readings, family crafts, marshmallow roasting, horse drawn carriage rides, a tree-lighting ceremony and more.

Late November - Late December

Sponsored by local businesses, civic groups and individuals, the annual Festival of Trees presented by the Family Support Network of Eastern North Carolina features nearly 100 beautifully decorated trees on display at the Greenville Convention Center.

24

Greenville Jaycee's Christmas Parade

_

Late November - Late December

The Greenville Jaycees provide an exciting beginning to the holiday season in Greenville with the Greenville Christmas Parade, which marches through the Greenville's urban core, giving thousands of citizens their first celebration of the Christmas holiday.

19 Pitt County American Legion Agricultural Fair

16 Greenville Grooves

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Process Stakeholder Meetings

Goals

The Emerald Loop strives to initiate a community of diverse but like-minded people to come together around a powerful common vision of their city as a vibrant, expanding and engaging place.

The Emerald Loop Vision Plan is built on the input of key stakeholders and community members representing the diversity of ages and ethnicities, as well as a range of roles both public and private, in Greenville. By tapping into this wide composition of community and stakeholders, it is hoped that the art resulting from the ELVP will be expressive of the nuances of the community’s wide goals, interests, tactics and desires.

Process

Engagement of the Greenville community included a variety of outreach and engagement including meetings both formal and informal, surveys and an interactive art installation. Through stakeholder meetings, an immense amount of understanding was garnered about existing and near future goals for art-related programs as well as future improvements in the works and being planned by both public and private entities.

SmART Resource Team

The insight of the SmART Resource Team about how to leverage other parallel projects to expand the possibilities for art experiences in the Center City was invaluable to developing the Vision Plan. These conversations were critical to understanding the vision and details of past, present and future efforts to integrate art into the urban core and how the goals of the ELVP might work with larger initiatives and programs.

City of Greenville

Greenville’s City Manager, Director of Planning & Development Services, Staff and Council are key partners in the ELVP and provided information and tours to describe plans for improvements in the Center City and vicinity, some of which present fantastic opportunities for the integration of art. The City was generous with their time in reviewing draft versions of the ELVP and providing feedback about how it might best fuse with other civic projects.

East Carolina University

Another very important group of stakeholders is ECU's faculty, staff and students. Through discussions with ECU representatives, the University's interest in enhancing the Center City through art and other measures was made apparent.

Faculty and staff have an interest in providing amenities and attractions for students and faculty, as well as in fostering interconnections between the University’s art, music and performance programs and the broader community through the creation of Center City performance spaces.

Students expressed a wide range of desires for the Center City, including stores with curiosities and import items, international cuisine, music venues, all-ages cafes, geo-caching, food trucks, galleries for senior thesis exhibits, places to exhibit sculpture, art walks, safer streets, large plazas, interactive sculpture, free parking, "fun" places to go that do not include alcohol consumption, movie theaters, bowling alleys, arcades, seasonal decorations, outdoor skating, wayfinding and someplace "classy" you would take visitors to see.

With ECU's abundant talent pool in both its faculty and student body, the Emerald Loop's art projects and programs will be enhanced through strong partnerships with the school. Another noted benefit will be the growth of the art economy through retaining artists after graduation and drawing more established artists to a vibrant art and music scene. As ECU expands into the Center City with its new Millennial Campus, its interconnectivity with the city both physically and socially will have a mutually beneficial presence.

Vidant Health

Vidant, as a supporter of the arts and major employer in Greenville, will benefit from a Center City activated through art as well as potential partnerships with artists. Through discussions with administrators and human resource leaders at Vidant, we learned that a culturally vital Greenville as well as better connections with the Center City will attract and retain staff. In addition, stronger partnerships could develop interesting programs related to the wide reaching positive aspects of social practice artists who are exploring healthy communities. Art therapy programs can link artists and art-making with patients. Healthy environments where creative design of spaces can have therapeutic effects for patients, visiting family members and staff was also voiced as a desire. As Vidant expands and updates its facilities over time, coordination with the city and its arts organizations can be fruitful in providing these mutually beneficial partnerships for art integration.

Tour of Greenville's new trolley car with Kevin Mulligan

Meeting of the SmART Resource Team at City Hall

Developer Community

With the recent growth and transformational energy of residential, commercial and mixed-use developments in the Center City, outreach to private developers has been an important aspect in understanding the potential role these projects may have in creating an art-infused Center City and implementing the Emerald Loop. Critical to implementation of the ELVP will be partnerships with developers who can integrate art into their new and existing developments. Artists can be commissioned to work with the design team or, if the project is existing, they can enhance facades, storefront windows and empty spaces in numerous ways. Developers in general agreed that murals, light art, sculpture and programming incorporated into their projects and the surrounding public realm will enhance their projects and add value to the Center City, making it a win for all.

West Greenville Community

Essential to the development of the Emerald Loop is the reconnection of the Center City with the diverse surrounding neighborhoods and communities that currently are not as integrated as one would expect, given their close proximity.

Through meetings with a variety of stakeholders, including representatives from NC Civil, the Greenville Theater Arts Center and African American Music Trails, it became clear that enhancing and highlighting West Greenville’s cultural past, present and future, as well as providing places for that culture to thrive today, will be essential to building a stronger and more diverse community in the Center City art scene. Connections both physical, through infrastructure and social, through inclusive programming, will strengthen these bonds. Physical connections can be enhanced through design improvements to streets, sidewalks, paths and trails, as well as strategic land use and zoning. Social connections will grow with physical connections in the urban environment and also through a concerted effort to provide inviting spaces for art-making, performance and events.

Shared art experience, spaces, programs and resources are critical for creating community bonds over time. As one West Greenville community activist put it, if spaces are made available, culture will happen spontaneously. This currently happens to a small extent in some locations such as the Town Common bandstand with impromptu performances.

A visionary program has started with the Greenville Theater Arts Center at the historic Roxy Theater, providing both original theatrical productions and educational programs. These efforts should be supported and communicated to the broader Greenville community.

The important connections between the past, present and future have been emphasized with the work of African American Music Trails, highlighting

the musical legacy of Eastern North Carolina. Currently, the African American Cultural Trail Association is developing a self-guided tour to share the history of Greenville and Pitt County, with locations including Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza and other significant places. Through a mobile app, there will be accounts from individuals along with photographs and oral histories from people who lived in historic neighborhoods and their descendants. It is hoped that sharing this cultural legacy will help ameliorate historic divisions and connect communities.

Emerald Loop Vision Team meeting with representatives of GTAC and African American Cultural Trails at the Roxy Theater

The Emerald Loop Vision Team met with NC CIVIL's Jermaine McNair at the Gold Post Cafe (Jermaine shown above at the West Greenville Pop Up Market and Resource Fair, an earlier event also held at the Gold Post Cafe)

Reviewing Emerald Loop Vision Plan draft with Thomas Taft

Community Visioning & Survey

Outreach Activities

The Emerald Loop Vision Plan Team set up a booth at the Evans Street Courtyard during Greenville’s November 1st, 2019 Art Walk, which coincided with a Freeboot Friday event at Five Points. In addition to posting maps of the ELVP in progress and discussing the project with passersby, two visioning exercises were offered, both aimed at hearing from people about their perceptions of and desires for art experiences in Greenville's Center City.

One activity was a creative "vision cloud" exercise to gather wishes and desires for art in Greenville and use that insight to literally build a cloud. People selected a strip of patterned paper and wrote their visions on it. These strips were pinned to a suspended hammock, accumulating over the evening to form a sculptural cloud that was illuminated with color-changing light.

For those who wanted to provide more detail, a more straightforward survey with a variety of both quantitative and qualitative questions was provided.

From these activities as well as conversations with passersby, a wealth of ideas arose, all of which helped inform the Emerald Loop Vision Plan.

What is something special about Greenville?

Through the responses to this question it has become explicitly clear that the residents of Greenville recognize the value and proliferation of their homegrown talent and the potency of the city’s history. One respondent made a point that “downtown was built by people who held wealth and those who did not” and emphasized the importance of honoring and celebrating all ends of the socio-economic spectrum through the arts.

Another theme in the responses to this question that rose to the top was the value of Greenville’s connection to the Tar River. Though the ways in which the city relates to the river may have shifted over time, there is no doubt that the waters hold a special place in the hearts of the residents. Some residents celebrate the wildlife that shares in the attachment to the river while others bemoan the lack of easy access to the water. Using the ELVP to reinforce connections to the inherent natural beauty of the river will capitalize on one of Greenville’s best assets.

“Art celebrating our culturemade of (the) many background(s) in our community”

What are some of the most interesting, or memorable places in the Center City?

A vast majority of respondents placed great importance on the art spaces of Greenville –including studios, galleries and the art museum – as well as events that change a place through thematic activation. Closely following those responses and at times directly alongside them, were responses acknowledging the value of Greenville’s open spaces. The scales ranged from Town Common and the Greenway system to alleyways ready to become more formally realized parklets. There is a clear desire to engage with the city through the outdoors. Another aspect of Greenville’s Center City that respondents appreciate are places of commerce and social interaction. Breweries and restaurants show up with notable regularity.

What would you like to see change in the Center City?

In general, people are happy with what is already available. Instead of looking to remove anything, residents hope to augment the Center City experience through additions of a variety of things.

At the top of the list is art and color. People want to breathe life and energy into the Center City and feel that murals, especially bright ones, can help to do so. Others want to see art used to activate under utilized spaces, such as empty storefronts. Programs that bring artists into such a space and allow them to use the place as a studio can generate interest in the neighborhood, the property and the artist’s workbenefitting a wide gamut of stakeholders.

Others made a call for more diversity in culinary offerings. Integrating a larger variety of food options helps to cultivate a feeling of relevancy to a comparably large array of peoples and can foster unity through the sharing of cultural customs and traditions. The value of food should not be overlooked in the bringing together of people.

What is your favorite artwork or art event in Greenville, or other places?

There was no discernible pattern in this collection of answers, suggesting that there is a need for a broad range of future works and events to appeal to the varied tastes of Greenville. People love the existing sculptures and all of the events – from the Art Walk to Pirate Fest to smaller music events and the rotating mural on Starlight Cafe.

“Art everywhere how cool would that be”

“More music - street performers all the time - more sculpture”

What types of art works or experiences would you be most interested in seeing or attending in the Center City?

The preferred art experiences (in order) are: murals, eco art, interactive art & water features, open studios, outdoor films, performances and concerts, art lighting, sculpture walks, maker spaces, gateways, iconic sculpture and plazas.

A majority of respondents wish to see more murals adorning the walls of Greenville's Center City. Others see value in architectural artistic facade treatments and lighting, while some are interested in moving off the walls and wish to see paint liven up the parking lots and crosswalks around town.

These passive art activations are contrasted by interest in more active types of art and events including nature walks, interactive water features, open studios, outdoor films and musical performances and an arts and crafts marketplace.

A very general trend is that older respondents have more interest in temporary programming and events, whereas younger respondents would like to see more permanent art.

What time of day or night would you most likely be in Center City?

We received a full range of responses to this question, making it clear that the Center City is an active place throughout a 24-hour cycle. A majority of responses did indicate a preference for visiting in the early evening; therefore, experiences being available from 5-9 PM would ensure the largest number of participants. Of the daytime respondents, few gave any indication they were there for anything other than work. This indicates that the middle of the day is a prime time to target activation efforts through additional passive and active programming.

“Diversity of participation and impact”

“MORE green parkland LESS concrete parking”

“Let’s live up to our potential as the hub of eastern NC by embracing growth, community development, ART.”

Conceptual Framework: An Emerald City VISION FOR ART

Emerald Vision

Greenville, as the Pitt County seat and a destination for education, health care, business and culture, is the gem or “emerald” of Eastern North Carolina. Greenville and its surrounding landscape is verdant with agricultural heritage and natural beauty along the Tar River.

The color green evokes growth, renewal and health. It symbolizes good luck and fertility. Emeralds, the North Carolina state gemstone, are believed to have the power to improve both memory and intelligence and transform the negative to positive.

Green Heart

The Emerald Loop will represent and exhibit the “green heart” of Greenville. The emerald concept should be integral to the mind-set of an evolving Center City.

Inserting the concept of “emerald” into Greenville's Center City is a fortuitous vision of community growing and renewing in a fertile, innovative urban environment that generates cultural experience looking both forward and backward.

Imaginations

The Emerald Loop, like the “Emerald City” of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is in part an idealistic, utopian image of a real place. While the wizard passes out glasses with green lenses to help with the visualization, the message is, imagine it, will your way to it and it will become real. The community of Greenville, in engaging with the vision, will propel the growth and realization of their city.

Imagined cities become real cities.

“The Wizard of Oz shows that imagination can become reality, that there is no such place like home, or rather that the only home is the one we make for ourselves.” - Salman Rushdie

Emeralds mined in North Carolina Molecular structure of hexagonal emerald crystals, composed of tetrahedrons (4-sided equilateral triangles)

The Emerald Loop is a conceptual necklace connecting Greenville’s existing and envisioned cultural gems. The "Loop" includes an inner necklace, which defines a more pedestrian circuit; and an outer necklace, which defines a more vehicular circuit. Radiating out and connecting these loops are strands noting important streets. The Loops also delineate a geographic area within which a civicscale lighting project is proposed.

Loop Defining Necklaces

The essential framework of the Emerald Loop includes art projects that define a connective loop, or series of loops, that can be experienced episodically on foot or by bike, car or trolley.

The major loop defining artworks include:

• Gateways, a series of artworks integrated into key intersections along or adjacent to the inner and outer Emerald loops.

• Emerald Loop Trolley, a unique mode of transit including trolley car and trolley stop art elements

• Treasure Hunt, a series of small artworks or “hidden gems” along the loop to be discovered by art-treasure hunters of all ages

Emerald Lighting

• District-wide Lighting, a lighting plan to be applied to architectural towers and facades throughout Greenville's Center City (only Gateway lighting locations are shown on adjacent map)

Loop Defining Necklaces

Emerald Loop Trolley

Cultural Connector

The City of Greenville has recently received three historic trolley cars from the City of Raleigh. Given the popularity of Greenville’s Jolly Trolley, which can be hired for private events, it is proposed that one or more of the City’s new trolleys be converted into a regularly-scheduled “art trolley” that would both define the Emerald Loop and provide connection between various cultural gems, promoting visitation to and connection between venues.

Like all forms of public transportation, the trolley will be an equalizer; anyone is invited to ride it. With the application of art, the concept is to entice people of all backgrounds – families, students, faculty, professionals, artists and all – to hop on for a communal art experience in addition to the utility of getting from place to place.

The Emerald Loop Trolley will be not only a means of transportation connecting points in Greenville's Center City, but a destination in and of itself.

Trolley Car

With the application of art to both the exterior and the interior of the trolley car, people might get on just for the ride, enjoying an art ambiance and striking up conversations with others also riding. Lighting will play an important role in marking the trolley. LEDs will be incorporated into both the exterior and the interior of the car, creating a striking and theatrical presence on the road. The lights will be color-changing to enable a variety of appearances for different holidays and events, but to emphasize the “emerald” concept, the lights will be predominately in shades of green in sync with the color palette proposed for the citywide "Emerald Lighting" initiative. In addition, architectural surfaces and details of the interior and exterior will be painted or vinyl wraps applied. Seating treatments may be added. The Emerald Loop Trolley cars can incorporate music and tour guide "sound loops," with pre-recorded sound tracks played on the vehicle speakers as well as live performances. At least one of the City's three trolley cars must be reserved for use when the regularly-running cars are being maintained.

Trolley Route

The Trolley route will be determined by City transportation planners working with cultural planners. A shorter "Inner Emerald Loop," connecting cultural destinations in the Center City, will intersect with a longer "Outer Trolley Loop," connecting people from Vidant and the Convention Center to Greenville's urban core.

Many of the Center City’s streets are one-way, which suggests a one-way inner loop (counterclockwise in the current design). Preliminary stop locations, routes and schedules should be betatested and refined based on ridership patterns and user experiences and durations both waiting for and riding the Trolley.

Trolley Stops

The Trolley stops should be as interesting as the Trolley car itself, incorporating an interactive art experience. Elements of the stops are anticipated to include a light pole (tying aesthetically to light poles used at Emerald Loop Gateways), small seats, canopy, paving demarcation, photovoltaic cells to generate “green” energy, and small interactive features. The stops are envisioned as iconic and unique features that also identify the Emerald Loop.

To begin, Trolley stops may be marked with a simple graphic sign mounted on an illuminated pole. Later, placemaking elements can be introduced. An RFP for artist designed stops can be used; or a cohesive "kit of parts" can be designed – including a paving marker, seat, canopy and interactive element – and placed as appropriate at various stops. Depending on site conditions, some stops may have multiple seats, while others have just a small canopy attached to the light pole. Trolley stop elements can be implemented by the City, University or private property owners.

ELEMENTS

Trolley Car:

• Paint

• Reflective film

• Window decals

• Undercarriage lights

• LED lighting

• Ceiling mural

• Hub caps

THEMES & EXPERIENCES

• Collective experience

• Chance meetings

• The color green

• Emerald gem structure

• Photo op + interactive elements

SITE INTEGRATION

• Center City route connects cultural destinations

Trolley Stop Elements:

• Graphic reflective sign

• Illuminated pole

• Green solar panel

• Paving treatment

• Seat

• Canopy

• Interactive piece

• Outer City route connects Vidant and/or Convention Center to Center City

• Integrate Emerald Loop Trolley routes with bus routes, bike lanes and greenways

• Initially run Trolley on weekends and special events

• Expand schedule as ridership increases

• Collaborate with City and individual property owners to fund and select locations for trolley stops

• Priority Emerald Loop project

Emerald Loop Trolley stop marker concepts, with reflective stainless steel and green retro-reflective film surfaces, and hexagonal cut-outs with internal "lantern" lighting

“Big Blue Bus” stops in Santa Monica, CA; with solar-powered canopies, small seats and cohesive color to identify the line

Proposed Emerald Loop Trolley exterior with reflective film, painted trim, hexagonal window decals and hubcaps

Existing Trolley exterior

Proposed Emerald Loop Trolley's illuminated ceiling mural, featuring a hexagonal grid; with busker

Existing Trolley interior

Treasure Hunt

Treasure Hunt Experience

Playing off the pirate iconography of ECU, Pitt County’s Visitor Bureau is introducing the motto, “find the hidden gems.” The Emerald Loop can tie into this agenda by creating a hunt for cultural treasures in Greenville's urban core. This treasure hunt can consist of a series of small artworks incorporated into the streetscape, plazas, landscape and buildings along the Emerald Loop. The treasures will form an art walk experience in which the primary ostensible goal is to discover these small artworks, with ancillary goals of enticing people to walk between neighborhoods and visit establishments and places they encounter in the process of searching for the treasure. Other cities, agencies and artists have implemented similar concepts, both temporary and permanent, such as gnome hunts and pothole mosaics, which activate and draw people into the public realm.

Cultural Treasures

Greenville’s history is abounding with fascinating stories and inspiring characters. Individual artworks may be inspired by unique events or persons of interest linked to Greenville. The form of the artworks could include miniature bronze-cast sculptures, small glass mosaics, micro-murals or interactive game-like elements.

Thematically relevant "treasures"

can be installed in conjunction with implementation of the African American Cultural Trail.

Implementing the Treasure Hunt

The Treasure Hunt could be phased in over time, as funds become available. It is recommended that “treasures” be added in groups of at least three pieces at a time, to generate interest and buzz. Alternatively, many treasures could be implemented at the same time if a class at ECU were to take this on as a studio art project. The scale of the pieces makes it particularly well suited for a semester long sculpture or public art studio, in which the first portion of the class would be group work to identify sites and themes and the second half would be the creation and installation of individual pieces by individual students. With this approach, the treasure hunt might even incorporate a game of some kind.

THEMES

• Find the hidden gems

• African American cultural heroes

• Storytelling through experiential movement

• Connectivity

• Emerald Loop

ELEMENTS

• Small sculptures in durable materials

• Micro-mosaics

• Micro-murals

• Interactive game

EXPERIENCES

• Where’s Waldo

• Getting from one place to another

• Hide and Seek

• Geocache

SITE INTEGRATION

• Collaborate with City and individual property owners to select locations for artworks

• Commission individual artists to install small groups of treasures annually; OR work with an ECU art class to implement all at once

Aretha Pothole Mosaic by Jim Bachor

Ice Cream Sandwich Pothole Mosaic by Jim Bachor

Short Cut by Dan Webb; seven figures found along an exterior staircase in Seattle’s Pike Place Market

Life Underground by Tom Otternass; figures integrated into New York’s 14th Street – Eighth Avenue station

Tiny Doors is an Atlanta-based art project; the 7-inch doors are sculptures created by artist Karen Anderson Singer and located in neighborhoods throughout the city

Secret Squirrel Micro-Mural Trail, a project being implemented in Greenville by Emerge and Greenville Mural Project

Geocache containers or other interactive features may be integrated with treasures

Mark Arrivals and Exits

Art Gateways will demarcate key thresholds into the Center City's Arts District. These Gateways will announce the unique qualities and vibrancy of what lies ahead, or behind. Experienced by those in vehicles, on bicycles and on foot, they should be bold and memorable from various vantages and speeds. While they should not be identical, the Gateways should be loosely related to one another in order to express a cohesive identity that reflects the aspirational character of a vital and energized art-centric Center City. An important part of all the Gateways will be the use of light.

The Emerald Loop’s inner and outer rings loosely intersect with street intersections at entry and exit points of Greenville's Center City. Strategically placed artwork at these Gateway locations can announce the city center, cultural district and Greenville’s identity; while at the same time calming traffic and signifying a shift from a vehicular to pedestrian environment.

Outer Ring Gateways

G01, G03, G04, G08, G09, G17, G18, G19

The Outer Ring Gateways are the first indicators of arrival at the Center City. These all include elements at a large enough scale to be experienced by people in vehicles. Many also include important pedestrian experiences, in particular on the north end of the Loop, where Gateways intersect with passages into Town Common. Artworks proposed for Outer Ring Gateways include permanent iconic bridges and lighting, a sculptural archway, iconic planting and a mural.

Inner Ring Gateways

G02, G05, G06, G07, G10, G11, G12, G13, G14, G15, G16

The Inner Ring Gateways signal a transition into the Urban Core. Artworks at these intersections are geared primarily to pedestrians. They include street paving art, light poles, illuminated towers and small sculptures. People in vehicles, of course, will also experience these portals.

Gateways with Paving Art & Light Pole

LOCATIONS

First Priority:

Evans Street at Reade Circle

• Announce entry into and exit out of Urban Core

E. 5th Street at S. Pitt Street

• Announce entry into and exit out of Urban Core

E. 5th Street at Culvert Connector

• Connect ECU, Culvert Connector, Urban Core

• Crosswalk treatment (rather than treatment of paving between crosswalks, as with other Paving Gateways which are at intersections)

E. 5th Street at Evans Street

• Mark Center of the City

• Intersection can be closed during festivals

Second Priority:

E. 5th Street at Reade Street

• Connect ECU, Culvert Connector, Urban Core

E. 1st Street at Evans Street

• Connect River District & Urban Core

SITE INTEGRATION

• Coordinate schedule, funding and work with Culvert Replacement & BUILD Grant projects

• Prioritize pedestrian safety and traffic calming

• Consider City codes and design standards

• Commission one artist for all the paving artworks for a cohesive, identifiable effect

ELEMENTS

• Intersection paving treatments

• Light poles

Potential media and materials:

• Stamped asphalt with recessed thermoplastic infill

• Steel, acrylic, glass, LED and PV light poles

THEMES

• Vehicular and pedestrian welcome mats

• Connectivity

• Follow the yellow brick road

• Emerald City

Emerald Loop Paving Gateways

A series of intersection treatments at locations within the Inner Ring is a signature Emerald Loop project. Locations on the three major streets of Reade Circle, Evans Street and 5th Street have been identified as key pedestrian and vehicular gateways into the Urban Core. Each intersection will have a paving artwork in the central space between crosswalks (and one is directly at a crosswalk terminating the Culvert Connector). There should be design continuity between these gateways, such as a unifying asphalt stamp pattern. Site-specific variety can be provided through the color palette and design layout. A sculptural light pole, tying aesthetically with the Trolley Stop poles, may also be sited at these gateways.

G

Paving treatments at all Emerald Loop intersections are recommended to use a consistent palette of recessed hexagonal thermoplastic sheets in shades of green, with unique layouts and detail colors at each intersection

G 15 Evans Street and Reade Circle intersection, with proposed art concept: hexagonal pattern cut into radiating triangles that fade from light to dark green, positioned to form a large central hexagon; referencing the triangles and hexagons that form an emerald crystal

Stamped asphalt with recessed thermoplastic infill, standard hexagon pattern, by Ennis-Flint

Stamped asphalt with recessed thermoplastic infill, custom pattern

15 Evans Street and Reade Circle intersection, with proposed paving artwork

PowerSEED by UeBERSEE, solarpowered light

Thermoplastic crosswalk in Pan-African colors, Seattle, WA Street art by Roadsworth

Stamped asphalt with recessed thermoplastic infill, Castro Street, San Francisco

G 12 5th Street & Reade Street intersection (left) G 13 5th Street & Culvert Connector crosswalk (right)

Gateway

LOCATIONS

with Archway Gateways with Illuminated Structures

LOCATIONS

Pitt Street Bridge

• South side, adjacent to Greenway Trail

• Major vehicular entry point into Greenville's Center City along one-way Pitt Street

• Entry & exit pedestrian experience along Greenway Trail

ELEMENTS

• Sculptural arch extending over street

Potential media and materials:

• Metal

• Polycarbonate

• Light Fixtures

• Photovoltaics

THEMES

• City Gates

• Emerald City

• Green Edge

• River Phenomena

SITE INTEGRATION

• Integrate art implementation, including foundations and electrical connections, with other enhancement projects planned for the Greenway Trail, Tar River and bridge

• Explore attaching sculpture to bridge structure

• Combine arch with fence replacement at bridge abutment

• Artist-led project

The Pitt Street Bridge crossing over the Tar River is the most definitive gateway entry into Greenville's Center City. Currently, there is no engaging visual image to greet people after they cross the river. This location lends itself to an archway over the street to mark the transition and convey civic pride. A collateral benefit to placing a sculptural archway in this location is that it would be experienced by pedestrians and cyclists moving east-west on the adjacent Greenway trail as well as by people in vehicles moving north.

Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza (in construction)

• Iconic stained glass towers in a plaza

Tar River Pedestrian Bridge (future)

• Pedestrian connection between Town Common & North Greenville open space

• Vehicular views from Pitt Street Bridge

• Incorporate artist on design team

WWI Memorial Bridge (lighting in development)

• Pedestrian experiences on Greenway Trail

Gazebo on Culvert Connector (priority project)

• Entry and exit feature for vehicles moving eastwest on E 3rd Street; and pedestrians moving north-south on Culvert Connector

• Architectural design to include iconic illuminated tower

• Artist consult with design team for lighting

10th Street Underpass (priority project)

• Key pedestrian and vehicular link between Dickinson & Albemarle, West Greenville

• Lighting may be incorporated with ceiling, for visibility from both directions

• Lighting may be washed on walls for visibility from one direction only (two-sided artwork)

• Artist-led project

10th Street Pedestrian Bridge (future)

• Vehicular gateway for drivers on E 10th St.

• Pedestrian connection between Millennium Connector and Warehouse District

• Move existing sculpture closer to overpass

• Incorporate artist on design team

ECU Life Sciences Building (in construction)

• Vehicular gateway; illuminate SW corner

ELEMENTS

• LED Light Fixtures

• Photovoltaics

• Tie lighting colors to “Emerald Loop” scheme

THEMES

• City of Light

• Iconic Structures and Forms

See Lighting Section for more information and examples

G 07 Gazebo on Culvert Connection - iconic lit tower

G 17 10th Street Underpass - ceiling and wall lighting

G 04 WWI Memorial Bridge - proposed lighting

G 01 Pitt St. Bridge, arch location looking south to the Center City

G 01 Pitt St. Bridge, arch location looking north with Greenway crosswalk adjacent to arch

Cycle of Arches by Jonathan Kurtz, Cleveland, OH

G 18

G 19

Gateway with Illuminated Tree

LOCATIONS

W. 5th Street Traffic Island (in planning)

• Primary Gateway from West Greenville

• Primarily vehicular experience

• Traffic calming potential

• Connect W. 5th Street with Elizabeth Street and Albemarle Avenue

• 360-degree views

ELEMENTS

• Landmark heritage tree

• Annuals and other colorful understory plants with seasonal change

• LED lighting

• Potential for winter holiday tree lighting, if conifer

THEMES

• Ecological statement: the "green" in Greenville

• Theatrical landscape

SITE INTEGRATION

• Incorporate with BUILD grant 5th Street improvement project

• Coordinate tree placement with utilities (in particular overhead wires)

• Landscape architectural tree selection

• Artist consult with design team for lighting

Gateways with Rotating Sculpture LOCATIONS

W. 3rd Street and S. Pitt Street - Green Space (owned by Pitt County)

• Vehicular gateway from West Greenville

• Views traveling east or west on 3rd Street

• Views walking north on Pitt Street

E. 5th Street at Culvert Connector

• Connect ECU, Culvert Connector, Urban Core

• Pedestrian and vehicular experiences

Evans Street and Reade Circle Library Garden

• Garden environment allows for sculpture offering close-up experiences

• Consider incorporating seating in this space

Reade Circle and Cotanche Street - Traffic Island (existing)

• Gateway from ECU to Urban Core

ELEMENTS

• Permanent concrete foundations

• Permanent LED lighting

• Temporary medium-scale rotating sculptures

Potential media and materials:

• Metal

• Polycarbonate

• Lights

• Concrete

• Stone

• Wood

• Glass

THEMES

• City Greeter

• Pedestrian and vehicular experiences

• Human Scale

• Streetscape Furniture

• Outdoor Sculpture Walk

SITE INTEGRATION

• Coordinate sculpture footing placement with existing utility boxes and plants

• Incorporate LED lighting

• Add sites to Downeast Sculpture Exhibit

G 15 Rotating sculpture location at Sheppard Memorial Library garden would act as a gateway element

G 16 Existing rotating sculpture location at Reade Circle and Cotanche Traffic Island acts as a gateway

See Sculpture Section for additional information and examples

G 06 Rotating sculpture location at 3rd Street and S. Pitt Street would act as a gateway element

G 09 W. 5th Street Existing Traffic Island - entry view

G 09 W. 5th Street Existing Traffic Island - exit view

Illuminated Deciduous Tree as an Emerald City symbol Illuminated Conifer Tree as Holiday event

EMERALD LOOP LIGHTING

Many existing building facades, towers and bridge structures are suitable for architectural illumination. Future buildings can also be designed to incorporate illuminated features.

A similar lighting program can be repeated on buildings throughout Greenville's Center City, cultivating a sense of place and civic identity. Lights that change color over time can respond to special events and holidays.

Unified Civic Lighting Approach

The art of architectural illumination provides potent aesthetic effects by embracing the night as a canvas for new perspectives of familiar places. Light art can be affordable and achieved relatively quickly, while yielding a dramatic large-scale impact that transforms existing building facades, towers, columns, cupolas and other architectural features.

A unified approach for lighting significant structures throughout Greenville's Center City will have a large impact, turning the entire area into an immersive art installation. To emphasize the “green” in Greenville and create a strong identity for the Emerald Arts District, a base color scheme that changes monthly could move through a range of greens over the course of a year (blue-greens in the winter and yellow-greens in the summer), with special color schemes for holidays and civic events punctuating the schedule.

It is recommended to engage a lighting designer to create a set of Aesthetic Lighting Standards. This can be used to codify a light program and a range of color-changing fixtures and control systems that individual building owners could select from, to simplify maintenance and programming protocols and make a unified civic statement.

Lighting Equipment

Long lasting, powerful, color-changing LED fixtures are available in a variety of configurations, lumen output and lenses. DMX and ethernet controllers have the ability to create a myriad of effects with many types of triggers, providing a rich palette for placemaking. Color changes through fades, dissolves and sweeps across a surface can occur over any increment of time. Controllers can be pre-programmed to easily allow for automatic color changes, including special programs to highlight special days. With technological advances in triggering systems such as motion sensors and phone app controls, light art can also be interactive. Another possibility is the projection of images onto buildings using gobos, a lens with a colored or silhouetted image, pattern or words that can be customized and changed at anytime.

Annual Lighting Calendar

Tower Illumination

Lighting Greenville's architectural and industrial towers can create a striking "emerald city" effect. The inherent height of these structures gives them potential as beacons to provide way-finding assistance. Their unique structural qualities will take to lighting elegantly and their civic and utilitarian functions can be celebrated through light. The addition of lighting can be achieved with exterior wall washes and grazes, internal lighting and sculptural additions with integrated LED fixtures. A variety of approaches ensures distinct character for each installation, with varied costs and considerations.

Framed axial view, from Dickinson Avenue of the City Parking Deck Clock Tower and site of future building at Evans St. Courtyard; an illuminated sculptural tower added here has unmatched potential as an iconic beacon visible from many Center City locations and drawing people from Dickinson and other places to the Urban Core; fantastic possibilities for this piece to function also as a rooftop art experience

4 historic UNX tanks can be painted white or with mural and illuminated with wash fixtures mounted to roof; brick facades in various locations should also be illuminated

Cupola Building tower can be lit from within to create a lighthouse effect

Empire State Building, lit from within Baltimore City Hall, exterior LED wash from below

Illuminated smoke stack and water tower in Durham, NC Hopwood Clock Tower, Palmerston, New Zealand

Lighthouse, Marblehead, MA; lit from within Monarch, Cliff Garten; illuminated sculptural tower

Herne Bay Clock Tower, Kent, England

Illuminated arches at Seattle's Pacific Science Center

Pitt County Courthouse, clock tower and columns can be lit

View of Century Link radio tower from E. 5th St; creates gateway and is also highly visible from many other places; Night Song, Laura Garanzuay and Connie Arismendi

Facade Illumination

Facade illumination capitalizes on preexisting architectural details by providing novel ways of viewing them. Intentionally angled lights cast shadows to accentuate form and, with color, dramatically change the nighttime appearance of a building, transforming the architecture’s character into a more theatrical version. A variety of fixture configurations and lens angles allows for custom effects matched to architecture. Lighting can also be used on the inside of the building to activate window spaces, creating a sense of mystery and life within the otherwise vacant structure.

Sheppard Memorial Library and various other Center City Greenville buildings offer vertical columns that can be lit

10th Street Connector Underpass; ceiling and walls can be painted with a light color or mural and illuminated with wash fixtures; from the point of view of the automobile, angle of walls makes each side visible from one direction only, creating potential for two-sided, entry/exit installation

City Hall existing illumination could be enhanced with brighter color-changing fixtures

Fire Station garage door arcade could be accented with linear graze of colored light across top; possibly programmed to change color during an emergency event

State Theater, with iconic brick details

Illuminated columns and facade

Illuminated underpass by Herman Kuijer, in Zupthen, Netherlands

Interior and exterior LED lighting accentuates brick details of historic horse stables in Genk, Belgium

Combination of interior and exterior LED lighting creates magical effect

PLACEMAKING GEMS

Placemaking Gems

Placemaking Gems

Through the embrace and implementation of a critical mass of the place-based “Gems” envisioned in the Vision Plan, many of which are associated with capital projects in order to maximize investments, Greenville's Center City will benefit not only from the infrastructure these investments are bringing but also unique manifestations of the community’s culture and stories as relayed by artists. In addition, these public spaces will bring economic value by activating nearby retail and restaurants establishments.

Active and Passive Programming

The Placemaking Gems of Greenville offer active and passive programming through the integration of art and urban design elements. This section describes the themes, functions and elements envisioned for each Gem. The Art Elements section includes further description about the typological building blocks that are incorporated into the Gems.

Public and Private Places

The Placemaking Gems include a combination of public and private initiatives that each offer a unique experience to Greenville’s residents and visitors.

Placemaking Gems for implementation by the City of Greenville include:

• Sycamore Hills Gateway Plaza (in process)

• WWI Memorial Bridge (in process)

• Millennial Connector

• Five Points Plaza

• Clark Street Plaza

• Future Tar River Pedestrian Bridge

Placemaking Gems being implemented by private developers and institutions include:

• Roxy Theater (in process)

• UNX Redevelopment

• ECU Innovation Laboratory

• Event Space in Town Common

Placemaking Gems that include elements being implemented by a combination of public and private entities include:

• Uptown Junction

Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza

Remembering a Neighborhood Icon

Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza is in construction on the site where the prominent Sycamore Hill Baptist Church once stood. The memorial serves as the first stop on the African American Cultural Trail, a tour of Greenville's Black heritage sites aimed at sharing histories that are often under represented. The City plaza will commemorate the African American "Downtown" neighborhood that once inhabited the site now occupied by Town Common, which was razed in the 1960s under urban renewal. Descendants of the neighborhood describe it as thriving with a high quality of life. The Baptist Church was the center for the community’s spiritual, social, political and economic activities.

Plaza as Spiritual Touchstone

The City’s goal for the Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza is to reinstate the western edge of Town Common as a prominent civic entrance while commemorating the history and memory of the previous church and neighborhood. The half-acre plaza will be a dramatic focal point in Town Common as well as a prominent gateway for people entering Greenville's Center City on 1st Avenue and leaving on Greene Street. Stained glass walls and a prominent tower are in the footprint of the original church, with park benches recalling church pews located in the “sanctuary” space of that footprint. Plaques conveying community memories will be interwoven throughout.

THEMES

• African American history & culture

• Faith and spirituality

• Roots and remembrance

Rendering of Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza, including seating and interpretive text

Photographs of the Gateway Plaza in construction

Historic Sycamore Hill Baptist Church, burned in an unsolved act of arson in 1965

Tower element to commemorate Baptist Church tower

Roxy Theatre

community.

Art Overlay

THEMES

Historic Crown Jewel of a Community

The Roxy Theater, located on Albemarle Avenue, is a cultural touchstone of Greenville’s African American community and another stop on the Afircan American Cultural Trail. The theater originated in 1948 as a cinema in what was once the “main street” of the West Greenville community. It was the “crown jewel” of African American theaters operated by the Booker T. Theater chain. In the 1970s, the theater was converted into a more general arts center and party venue. Following that, for many decades the Roxy served as a church.

Reoccupation by Artists

In 2019, the Roxy Theater was re-occupied by a non-profit African American arts group called the Greenville Theater Arts Center (GTAC). The GTAC was founded in 1992 and for many years was a traveling theater company. Recently this band of artists has decided to settle into the roots of their community, in West Greenville. The Roxy Theater, with its history in the arts, is the ideal home for this motivated and motivating group. Under the leadership of executive director Davonya Terri Campbell-Payton, daughter of GTAC founder Annette Campbell and Greenville native David Payton, a well-known playwright who once toured the Chitlin Circuit, the GTAC is providing community programs in the five elements of fine art, which they outline as performing arts, creative arts, applied arts, visual arts and musical arts. Through this programming, the Roxy is already acting as a social art space, bringing art education to the broader

GTAC is slowly renovating the physical place of the Roxy Theater, as possible with permission from the building’s owner. As working artists, this group’s funding is limited and is being put to use on their programs first and renovations second. GTAC’s plans and initiatives would benefit from an infusion of grant money and overlay of Emerald Loop arts programming. Possible art interventions include a mural on the building’s front façade, possibly extending to other facades. In addition, pop-up events such as outdoor movies, harkening back to the building’s original use, would create a draw as well as a funding stream.

The Roxy and its overlay of art, has the potential to act as a conceptual “bridge” over the railroad tracks that currently separate Greenville's Center City and West Greenville. The Roxy is important not only as the home of its current resident artists, but also as a symbol of West Greenville’s historic town center and cultural gathering place. Along with Sycamore Hill Plaza, it is an important site of the African American Music Trails and needs to be both preserved and enhanced.

“GTAC is a Non-Profit Organization established to educate, elevate and expand the souls of inspiring artist and creative individuals through knowledge, experience and resources that we provide within the community. We believe that every individual has a unique gift and that gift can be used not to only make the community a better place, but can make the world a more peaceful, artistic environment.”

www.gracnc.org/about

• African American history & culture

• Social art practice

• Arts education

• Theater arts

• Gathering place

ELEMENTS

• Social art practice

• Mural

• Pop-up events such as outdoor movies

Community messages may be incorporated into marquee; facade may receive theatrical lighting

South facade and parking lot of Roxy Theater, where popup events can be held

Lobby of Roxy Theater

GTAC Executive Director, Davonya Terri Campbell-Payton

Front west facade of Roxy Theater could incorporate a mural inspired by the history of performing arts at the site

Five Points Plaza

Missing Link

Dickinson and the Urban Core are the Center City’s two retail and nightlife hubs. However, because they are separated, they are developing independently which is restraining the growth of the Center City as a whole. The two neighborhoods feel most connected during festival events in Five Points Plaza, when the City closes the parking lot and brings in performers, booths, games and other activities.

Plaza Vision

The most significant action Greenville can take to foster the growth of culture, economy and development in the Center City is to make Five Points an all-the-time urban plaza stretching as far southwest as possible to link the Urban Core and Dickinson.

Heart of the City

Greenville is lacking and very much needs an urban plaza that acts as the city’s communal living room and civic soul. This plaza should be the place the city gathers to celebrate, remember, protest and mourn, as well as where individuals can go to relax, eat lunch and recharge for a few minutes in the middle of the day. People must feel comfortable there but also curious about what they might find happening at any given moment. This plaza should be the place to expect the unexpected. The ideal place for this type of civic space is Five Points Plaza.

5 Points History

Five Points occupies the physical and metaphorical heart of Greenville. Historically, Dickinson Street, a plank road beginning in Raleigh, terminated at the intersection of Evans and 5th Street. In the 1970s, this section of the street was replaced with surface parking lots owned by the City and Jarvis Memorial United Methodist Church. This unfortunate urban design decision resulted in the severing of what is now known as the Dickinson District from Greenville's Urban Core. The city does occasionally hold festivals here but the site does not function like a true plaza during those events or at other nonevent times.

Five Points should be a plaza that has a life of its own, rather than only when planned by city staff.

The plaza should act like a magnet drawing and welcoming people of varied ages, genders and races from all directions, near and far. An active edge along Evans Street offering attractions and amenities, but with enough porosity to feel continuous with the sidewalk and street, is recommended. The pergola currently located on this edge creates a visual impediment and should be removed or relocated. With increased porosity at the edges, murals located on buildings surrounding the plaza will become a part of the larger experience. Shade trees and seasonal plantings can add color, vibrance, softness and seasonal change. Open space should be ample and flexible, allowing for both programmed and impromptu performances by and gatherings of all residents and visitors to Greenville.

Art Overlay

A significant integrated artwork with dynamic lighting placed near the corner of Evans Street and 5th Street can act as a conversation piece. It should embody Greenville’s current vibe of creativity and growth and offer interactive experiences. A major sculpture can create a draw while also providing a visual icon that people will associate with Greenville’s identity.

ELEMENTS

• Signature civic sculpture with lighting

• Functional artwork like paving and seating

• Trolley stop (on Evans Street)

• Intersection paving art (at 5th & Evans Streets)

• Murals (on buildings on Evans and 5th Streets)

• Pop-up installations, events and performances

THEMES

• Community Hub

• Collective Experience

• Energetic Atmosphere

• See and be Seen

SITE INTEGRATION

• Consider requiring implementation of plaza and associated artwork in conjunction with development of the south portion of site

• Iconic sculpture recommended for NE corner where it will be most visible from the intersection

• Remove or relocate existing pergola to south side of plaza to create more shade and open views and entry into plaza from streets

• Smaller artist-designed integrated functional elements to be collaboratively designed by artist and design team

• Consider retaining parking south of new plaza to be used as it is currently, for festival events

• Commission artist to collaborate with City and design team at initial planning phase of plaza for most holistic integration of art concepts

Five Points as a programmed festival site at Freeboot Friday

Five Points as a programmed festival site at Freeboot Friday; alley on right could become a woonerf

Five Points as a parking lot with a pergola and no seating

1946 Sanborn Map showing, in dark pink, current Five Points Plaza area prior to street vacation of Dickinson Avenue, when the stately, triangular brick National Bank Building occupied the corner and two movie theaters were directly across the street

Clark Street Plaza

Development Plans

ELEMENTS

• Signature functional sculpture

• Wall mural

The Site

The City of Greenville has plans to convert a vacant lot on Clark Street, in the Dickinson neighborhood, into a public plaza. The site is advantageous for this use because it is bound on two sides by buildings which frame it and give it the feel of an “outdoor room.” A pedestrian connection from the West edge of the plaza through the former site of the Imperial Tobacco Office building can strengthen ties to new developments on Atlantic Avenue and Albemarle Avenue. The Clark Street Plaza site is located on a low-volume traffic street and is thus quieter than other places in the Center City. For this reason, it would be a wonderful place for community picnics and dinners as well as performances and films.

Concept plans for Clark Street Plaza include a model similar to the current Five Points Plaza, in which the space functions as a parking lot most of the time but can be used as a "plaza" for special events. It is recommended to flip this model and make this a plaza most of the time but design it to occasionally accommodate parking. A city-owned public parking lot on Dickinson Avenue and additional surface parking planned for vacant lots north of the Clark Street Plaza site seem to provide ample parking potential. If there is no choice except to include parking, then the asphalt paving should incorporate a mural to provide visual interest (see p. 67).

Art Overlay

An iconic functional sculpture such as a band shell or community picnic table can support cultural and community-based programs as well as give the plaza a strong visual identity. A facade on the north edge of the site is an opportuity for an illuminated mural. A large magnolia tree at the west, back end of the site (in front of the former Imperial Tobacco Office Building) may be an opportunity for a lighting or seating feature.

• Facade illumination

• Paving treatments

• Pop-up installations, events, movies and performances

THEMES

• Neighborhood Gatherings

• Urban Oasis

SITE INTEGRATION

• Commission an artist to collaborate with the plaza design team to create a signature functional sculptural element that is integrated into the plaza design

• A mural on the building wall at the north end of the site can be implemented separately from plaza construction

• If the site is developed as a parking lot rather than a plaza, strongly consider including mural elements on the parking lot paving

The Great Picnic by Mark Reddington at Case Western Reserve is a modular functional sculpture that creates a place for family, friends and total strangers to come together to discuss, debate, laugh, cry, yell, whisper, support, critique and most importantly eat

Sidney and Ethal Lubert Plaza by Anthropogon Associates, Philadelphia, PA; open space with paving feature

Parklet bench by WMB Studios, London; if a full plaza is not possible, consider a sculptural seat at the sidewalk

Sculptural band shell made of recycled car hoods by CMG and Rebar, Panhandle, San Francisco, CA

Site of Future Clark Street Plaza, with former Imperial Office building and existing Magnolia tree in background, with mural wall opportunity to right

An existing magnolia tree on the adjacent property west of the plaza site can be a visual anchor and also provide shade in the late afternoon and evening

Millennial Connector

The Site

The site of the Millennial Connector is two abandoned rail line spurs in the Dickinson neighborhood to create public open space that will also act as an urban trail. One spur of the Connector will link the active Dickinson retail core to ECU’s future Warehouse District development on 10th Street. The other will lead to and terminate in a plaza that is part of the UNX building redevelopment, which will include a boutique hotel and food hall.

Retaining the existing train rails and creating an accessible, compacted decomposed granite pathway that softens and compliments the industrial rails, similar to actual railways.

The incorporation of artwork into the Millennial Connector is a wonderful opportunity to turn a pedestrian trail that facilitates passage between important cultural landmarks into a destination unto itself.

Art Overlay

The recommendation for including art in this exciting project is to paint murals on the building facades facing the rail corridor, as well as possibly some sculpture along the trail. The mural sites are mostly

be through grants and private donations. Owners of buildings with rail-facing mural walls must be contacted and permissions gained before walls can be painted with murals. Emerge’s existing Greenville Mural Project could manage site permissions, artist selections and production of artworks for the Millennial Connector.

ELEMENTS

• Painted murals

• LED lighting

• Sculpture

THEMES

• Open-air art gallery

• Connectivity

• Art in Motion

SITE INTEGRATION

• Artist consult with design team for paving materials and placement of light fixtures and sculpture pads

• Murals and sculpture can be implemented separately from plaza construction

Open Air Gallery Option: With the approach of commissioning a different artist for each wall, a Muralist Roster could be established and used to select artists as walls and funds became available. This roster could also be a resource for creating murals on other walls in Greenville. In Seattle, the SODO Track is a series of approximately 50 murals along an operational train corridor running through an industrial neighborhood. This project has transformed what was previously a “back of house” atmosphere into a destination. A muralist artist roster was created and a lead artist and has implemented the works over a period of three years. Phasing of the artwork allows for time to gain permission from building owners, while also generating an ongoing buzz about what is to come next.

Immersive Environment Option: With a singleartist approach,the artist could address the entire site cohesively, potentially working with the trail designers, but all of the funds and permissions would be required up front. In Philadelphia and San Francisco, Berlin-based artist Katharina Grosse implements a “psycholustro” approach where she paints not only walls but also entire landscapes to create a completely immersive environment. The wall paintings are permanent but the landscape painting is temporary, using biodegradable paint. An approach like this along the Millennial Connector would be a show stopper and civic event.

Abandoned rail corridor, with potential mural walls in the background

Abandoned rail corridor, with potential mural wall

Open Air Gallery: Lo privado en lo publico by Franco “Jaz” Fasoli; for SODO Track in Seattle, WA

Immersive Environment: psycholustro by Katharina Grosse; Philadelphia, PA

UNX Redevelopment

Art Overlay

The silos and architectural facades should be lit, with the silos in particular conforming to the Emerald Loop Light program. The southwest plaza will terminate the Millennial Connector and includes historic train rails. It is recommended that this plaza incorporate an iconic sculpture celebrating the site's industrial history, but with a contemporary twist that speaks to the adaptation of the building for a new use. Pop-up events could occur in the plaza as well as in the food hall on the north end of the complex. The scale of the vision to transform the iconic UNX complex, coupled with proximity to the Millennial Connector, warrants an Emerald Trolley stop at this location once the project begins operations.

ELEMENTS

• Illuminated silos and facades

• Trolley Stop (on Ficklen Street)

• Iconic plaza sculpture

• Pop-up events and installations

THEMES

• Historic and contemporary local industry

• Making

• Sharing

SITE INTEGRATION

• Paint silos white or with a mural and illuminate it with color-changing lights; refer to Emerald Loop Lighting Standards for illumination of silos and facades

• Incorporate sculpture foundation, working with artist to integrate site-specific art into plaza design

• Coordinate with City regarding placement of a Trolley step adjacent to the site

• Commission an artist to work with the design team to site a significant sculptural work in the SW plaza

The Vision

The UNX site comprises three separate buildings, for a total of 167,000 square feet of space. Local developers are in the process of implementing a visionary plan to transform the structure into an amenity for locals and visitors alike. The development will include a boutique hotel, luxury apartments, a courtyard plaza and a food hall modeled in part on Raleigh's Transfer Co., which will welcome visitors and the Greenville community alike. The hall will house local food producers, restaurateurs and makers to showcase their wares. It will also include a flex space that may be appropriate for pop-up art events and installations.

Ficklen building of UNX complex; this building will house a small hotel; permanent facade illumination can highlight architectural details while plaza-facing walls may be used for temporary projections during special events

North facade of UNX complex along 8th Street; this building will house a food hall and can host pop-up events

Future courtyard plaza site on southwest side of building, terminating the Millennial Connector rail trail and adjacent to a future boutique hotel in the historic Ficklen Warehouse; silos are visible from many locations and should be restored and illuminated; plaza is recommended to include iconic sculpture and pop-up events

Cottonwoods by Dwaine Carver and Zachary Hill at City Hall, Boise, ID

Pamplona by Dewitt Godfrey, New Haven, CT; corten steel cylinders conform to a courtyard space

Uptown Junction

Art Overlay

To mark this junction as an important transition, as well as a gathering place, art is suggested to be implemented in various locations and media:

• Gateway Intersection Paving: One of the four Emerald Loop Signature Gateways occurs at this location and is proposed to include a paving artwork and light pole, as described in the Gateways section of the ELVP.

The Site

The Uptown Junction is at the intersection of E. 5th Street and Reade Street. This location is where ECU, Truna, the Urban Core and the Culvert Connector Greenway meet. It is a place that many people will pass through, moving east-west as well as northsouth. Therefore, it will act as a gateway from various directions.

The Uptown Junction holds many opportunities for art integration, some public and others private. When possible, these elements should be considered in conjunction with one another for a cohesive result.

• Iconic Sculpture and/or Plaza at ECU Green: With the current storm water improvements in construction at ECU's property in the SE corner of the Uptown Junction, a former grassy open space, there is a fantastic opportunity to create an entry statement and gathering place linking ECU with the Urban Core. A plaza with a large-scale iconic (but not branded) sculpture that is identifiable with both ECU and Uptown Greenville is recommended here.

• Mural at SUP Dogs Parking Lot: Sup Dogs is a beloved venue in the Urban Core and a popular gathering place for students. The west edge of its parking lot has a long blank wall that is highly visible for people entering the Urban Core from the east. This wall is an ideal canvas for a prominent mural. Because this place is active at night, the mural should be illuminated with a continuous line of RGB LED strip lights mounted to the top of the wall. The combination of evenly cast color-changing light with particular paint colors can create dynamic and magical effects.

• Pop-up Events at SUP Dogs Parking Lot: Sup Dogs currently hosts frequent pop-up events and students use the parking lot for impromptu stands and surveys. Similar events could occur in the parking lot, with the new mural acting as a backdrop.

• Rotating Sculpture: The Downeast Sculpture exhibit, a rotating annual outdoor sculpture show, could include a new site in the green space at or near the NE corner of the intersection, creating a sculptural marker into the Urban Core from both the Culvert Connector and Truna.

• Find the Hidden Treasure: The Emerald Loop “Treasure Hunt” loop is proposed to move through this intersection. Small artworks can be incorporated into architectural nooks and the landscape around the Uptown Junction, bringing people who are following the “treasure trail” to this location.

ELEMENTS

• Gateway intersection paving treatment

• Gateway crosswalk with paving treatment

• Trolley stop

• Plaza with sculpture

• Wall mural

• Rotating sculpture

• Treasure hunt element(s)

• Pop-up installations, events, movies and performances

THEMES

• Crossroads

• Civic Gateway

• Gathering Place

SITE INTEGRATION

• This site includes a number of art opportunities to be implemented on various time lines by various clients

• When possible, coordinate selection of artworks or artists to allow for creative cohesion

• Gateway intersection and crosswalk paving treatments should be implemented in conjunction with 5th Street improvements funded by the City's BUILD grant

• ECU Green may be implemented with restorations necessary for current storm drain construction project

Uptown Junction site, looking west; ECU Green to left, SUP Dogs Mural wall in background, rotating sculpture location to right and, in foreground, gateway crosswalk connecting 5th Street and ECU to Culvert Connector

Previous lawn at ECU Green, at SW corner of intersection; this site is currently in construction as part of the Culvert Connector project; site restoration presents an opportunity to implement a plaza with interactive artwork

Mural wall in SUP Dogs parking lot with existing light fixtures that should be exchanged for RGB graze fixtures with a 30-degree beam angle and higher lumen output, configured in a continuous line for even lighting

Aerial photo of Uptown Junction area

Redevelopment of ECU's warehouse district will include the

ECU Innovation Laboratory Tar River Ped Bridge

ELEMENTS

• Tower and facade illumination

• Pop-up installations, events and performances

THEMES

• Historic and contemporary local industry

• Collaboration

• Innovative making

SITE INTEGRATION

• Refer to Emerald Lighting Standards for illumination of towers and facades

A Place to Invent and Innovate

East Carolina University has plans to develop a "Millennial Campus" – defined as an area where an institution has the opportunity to collaborate with private partners in education, industry and government in order to realize, invent, produce and deliver new ideas. Renovation and adaptive reuse of the historic Haynie Warehouse in the Warehouse Districe will result in a maker space, or Innovation Laboratory. Common amenities for students, the community and industries will be available for collaborative purposes, similar to ECU's GlasStation. The building exterior includes extensive facades and iconic towers for aesthetic lighting. Interior spaces can host art and culture pop-up events.

Historic Haynie tobacco warehouse in the Warehouse District which ECU plans to convert into a "maker space" as part of its Millennial Campus; iconic smoke stack and water tower as well as textured brick facades and windows offer exciting possibilities for lighting

Opportunity for Gateway and Gathering

Creating a sculptural pedestrian bridge over the Tar River will link Town Common with a vast open space on the north side of the river, expanding the open space resources connected to the Center City. In addition, it will create an iconic gateway and a place to gather and enjoy views of the river.

ELEMENTS

• Iconic bridge structure

• Integrated seating

• Dynamic lighting

THEMES

• River phenomena

• Floating over water

• Gateway

• Gathering place

SITE INTEGRATION

• Coordinate bridge touchdown locations with riverfront greenway trail and restored shoreline

• Commission an artist to collaborate with bridge engineer

Illuminated smoke stack and water tower in Durham, NC

ECU's GlasStation in Farmville, NC

Concept design for pedestrian bridge by unknown designer in Providence, RI

Cirkelbroen by Olafur Eliasson; Copenhagen

View of Tar River from Town Common and future pedestrian bridge

TEMPORARY PROGRAMMING

While sitespecific art provides aesthetic infrastructure, it is people connecting to each other through shared experiences of art that will bring the Emerald Loop to life. The emotional connection of a community generated through participation in a wide range of art events will nourish a shared civic culture of pride in the arts. Temporary programming can encourage people to come together through events that offer novel experiences often in unexpected places.

Activating Vacant Spaces

Exhibits, installations, performances and other pop-up events can bolster the creative economy by making use of physical spaces, both interior and exterior, that are currently under-utilized. Empty retail spaces can host a variety of art events and installations, both small and large. Storefront windows can be a great venue for art displays when retail spaces are empty between tenants. Artist support services, artist studio spaces, and temporary stages and galleries may be possible in units that will otherwise be empty for a longer term. These uses not only support artists by giving them venues to show their work but also enhance the aesthetic experience of the Center City and makes the space appear more appealing for prospective tenants.

Pop-up Events

Short-run, or even one-day (or night) events – like musical performances, DJ sets, dance parties, poetry slams, dinners, art sales, comic and zine fairs, and others – can bring vitality and spontaneity to Downtown Greenville. Surface parking lots in the Center City are often under-utilized on weekends and provide opportunities for larger pop-up art installations and events such as outdoor movies, markets, and festivals.

Chamber of Culture

Programming to support artists can be added to existing cultural infrastructure. This will lead to a larger creative class in Greenville. Programs such as a revolving studio, museum or gallery, as well as services providing artists with legal advice or information about insurance, housing and studio space can make an enormous difference for emerging artists. Services like this may benefit from partnerships with existing agencies, such as Uptown Greenville, Emerge Gallery or the GreenvillePitt County Chamber of Commerce. This type of programming can also support art-making by the community at large, helping to increase visitation to shops, restaurants and galleries.

Social Practice Spaces

Social practice is an intentionally broad term referring to art that engages people and communities in discourse, collaboration or social interaction. The participatory element of social practice is key, with the art "product" often being of equal or less importance to the collaborative act of its creation. Many socialpractice artists directly engage with placemaking strategies to create locations for their work to happen. Others well-versed in event planning leverage participant turnout to change the meaning of a place through community participation, without expending large resources on brick and mortar elements. Though fundamentally performative and temporal, socialpractice art adds value to a place by providing critical centers for conversation as well as often long-lasting memories. A community meal on the restored WWI bridge could kick-off Emerald Loop implementation and fundraising.

Miracle

short-term if the structure will be removed in the future

required

The Storefront Theater by Matthew Mazzotta, Lyons, NE; storefront "unfolds" to form theater seating for outdoor movies and performance

The Storefront Theater by Matthew Mazzotta, Lyons, NE

The Community Meal by Seitu Jones, St. Paul, MN

Baptist Church Mural by Alex Brewer in Washington, D.C.; artist painted vibrant mural on an empty church, incorporating stories of the community

Wa Na Wari, a black community art space in Seattle, WA

Incorporating artist live-work spaces into Greenville's Center City developments is a form of social practice art by its inherent function of supporting a culture of local artists

Miracle Deliverance Center; interior open space can be used for gallery, studio, museum, art-lending library or offices providing artist support services; renovations to stabilize and possibly move structure to a new location are

Deliverance Center; the exterior of this City-owned former African American church can be transformed by a community inspired or produced mural; this installation can be

Art Lending Library

Inspired by a program that was based in Seattle, the Art Lending Library concept can lend local, original artwork to the public for free or a small rental fee. The Seattle program’s mission was inspired by the idea of art equity: to support underserved artists and patrons by fostering relationships between the two. The goal is to make art available to more people and support local artists who are not served by the traditional art establishment. A program like this can foster art appreciation as well as build connections between the art community and the greater Greenville population. Housing this program at Sheppard Memorial Library will bring crossover audiences to help activate this space and its programs.

Outdoor Movies & Performances

Pop-up movies and performances can temporarily create novel experiences in places that may or may not have been designed for those activities. The scale of these events can range dramatically from individual street performances to movies in parking lots to temporary road closures for large festivals. Greenville has some highly used outdoor event spaces which can be built upon to generate a network of outdoor activation spaces running through the Emerald Loop. Performers from ECU and the larger community can be engaged to provide programming.

Paintings for sale on display at Greenville Art Center, 1963

Sheppard Memorial Library opportunity space; consider mounting artwork to historic exterior brick wall, now in the interior of the library, or on shelves

Parking lot movie theater in Tuscon, AZ

Art Lending Library (ALL) by Gina Coffman, Flynn Bickley, & Seth Damm, Seattle, WA

Treefort Music Fest in Boise, ID; streets as stages

Concert at Toyota Amphitheater at Town Common Magic Lantern Society of the U.S. and Canada

Greenville Grooves Music Festival at Five Points