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High Point plan would corral showrooms

By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, February 25, 2007

High Point — An ambitious downtown development proposal endorsed by the High Point City Council would limit future market showroom growth to certain areas of downtown.

The High Point Core City Plan suggests those boundaries to balance future showroom growth with the creation of a more vibrant downtown.

A key premise of the new report, prepared by a consulting firm working for the city, is that showrooms are already too spread out, which increases transportation costs and makes the market difficult to work.

The report also suggests that downtown rents are geared for furniture showrooms, making the area unaffordable for businesses such as restaurants and retailers.

It identifies two distinct showroom districts where future showroom development could occur. One is along Hamilton and Wrenn streets on the north side of Kivett Drive. That area would extend east to Centennial Street between Richardson Avenue and Washington Drive.

Another, larger area is bounded on the north and west by Kivett Drive and runs south to Taylor Avenue. It is bound on the east side by Centennial and nearby streets. This includes the International Home Furnishings Center, Showplace and the main Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. buildings.

In other parts of downtown, existing showrooms would remain but new showrooms would not be permitted, according to the proposal. That includes an area between the showroom districts that is designated for mixed use development.

By limiting showroom development, officials believe that downtown could attract more businesses to serve both the market and year-round traffic.

"Real estate speculation at the fringes of the Furniture Market District precludes the future development of supporting districts that could serve as amenities for the High Point Market, such as an entertainment district, a shopping district or a residential district," the report states.

"Each time a furniture showroom outbids an alternative potential use, it represents a lost opportunity for High Point and the Core City. Meanwhile, should the High Point Market ever cease to exist, the result would be similar to numerous 'big box' retail stores closing simultaneously and leaving behind their empty shelves," the report adds.

Community leaders have discussed the issue for years. But this is perhaps the largest comprehensive report devoted to the subject of future downtown development.

The city hired Nashville, Tenn.-based Walker Collaborative in 2005 to prepare the plan. The firm submitted a revised report in December.

Along with setting boundaries for future showroom development, the plan also identifies and delineates plans for a medical district, an industrial district and districts for both High Point University and a nearby Guilford Technical Community College campus.

It also proposes residential and business redevelopment plans for residential areas surrounding downtown. The goal is to improve the image and economic viability of blighted areas and draw year-round traffic from there to support emerging restaurants and retailers that locate inside and outside the downtown market area.

"One of the most revealing traits of a genuine downtown is the rich mixture of different land uses that make it vibrant at all hours of the day," the report states. "That trait has been missing from High Point's downtown for many years."

Still, the plan doesn't downplay the importance of market. Along with supporting existing and future showroom development, it suggests that the city's Economic Development Corp. or a related agency recruit furniture industry associations, marketing and advertising agencies and event planners that would benefit from being near the market.

"Attracting these businesses will help solidify High Point's reputation as a furniture and home furnishings center beyond the fact that the world's largest furnishings trade show is held there. ... Furthermore, by attracting these specialty firms, the downtown area can be differentiated from the business parks and other peripheral areas that the city is already promoting for business," the report says.

To support such growth, the report suggests the efficient management of on-street parking.

It also discusses the appropriate design and placement of parking garages, but doesn't necessarily recommend building another. Instead, it suggests that additional parking should be provided by surface lots placed behind buildings. Parking also should be based on demand and work with multi-modal transportation routes, existing on-street parking and building uses in general, it says.

The plan comes at a time when the city faces a competitive threat from an emerging market in Las Vegas.

The city's Planning and Zoning Commission approved the plan Jan. 23. The High Point City Council approved the plan during a Feb. 5 public hearing.

Even with this approval, it could take years and millions of dollars in public and private investment for many of the improvements to take shape.

Aaron Clinard, a member of the project steering committee and chair of the High Point Downtown Improvement Committee, is optimistic about the plan's potential. He believes it can help balance the needs of the market while creating a viable and vibrant downtown.

"This will enhance and support the furniture market," he said. "It will provide more support services and more benefits for the people in town with (more) restaurants and retail operations. That will not only help this market, but also will help support future trade shows and conventions that we are able to attract. For citizens who are here 365 days a year, it will provide a more vibrant downtown."

Tom Lindh, president and CEO of the International Home Furnishings Center, believes that showroom development has been a positive for downtown, in both appearance and economic benefit. He said market forces will dictate the level of future business growth downtown.

"If there is some nice retail added to this, I would be delighted," said Lindh, who has lived in High Point since 1992. "But from a practical standpoint, I don't see that happening in my lifetime. We will have to make the best of what we have, and so far it seems to be working."

Brian Casey, president of the High Point Market Authority, said he believes it makes sense to confine future market development to certain areas of downtown, especially if there's a provision that existing showrooms in and outside the core showroom district will not be affected.

"I don't think it's overly confined," he said of the proposed showroom district. "We have such a large footprint here now and I do think there is some room to expand with what we have here."

Casey also supports the idea of further developing downtown for the benefit of the market and the community.

"I can see a lot of good things associated with this," he said. "If you bring additional business in that can be looked at as support services — entertainment, retail and restaurants — things in close proximity to the market can only enhance the marketgoers' experience."

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High Point plan would corral showrooms

Feb 27, 2007

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