ABOUT US

General Information - A Rich History

During the first half of the 20th century, East Market Street was the heart of East Greensboro — a cultural center alive with music and community spirit. Until integration and redevelopment efforts caused many businesses to close or move, the Corridor was a thriving business district that met all of the African American community’s needs. By the early '80's, much of the area had slipped into urban blight.

In 1994, The American Planning Association [APA] decided to take an aggressive role in reshaping distressed urban communities. Meanwhile, The City of Greensboro was in talks with NC A&T University and Bennett College regarding ways to revitalize the East Market Street Corridor. As a result, The City of Greensboro submitted a proposal for the East Market Street area and spent months obtaining feedback from NC A&T and Bennett College, public sector leadership, and neighborhood residents. In 1995, The APA designated Greensboro as the pilot project for their Community Planning Team [CPT]. In 1995, the CPT paid its first visit to Greensboro where several focus groups of business owners, students, neighborhood residents, and community leaders were conducted. The feedback from the focus groups showed the need to establish a lead agent to be responsible for the revitalization of the area. In June of 1996, voters approved the East Market Street $1 million-dollar bond item. By October 1997, East Market Street Development [EMSDC] was born.

Since 1997, the EMSDC has since been working to implement the redevelopment plan. Over the past few years, East Market Street has seen significant changes, including the replacement of the old Cumberland Shopping Center with the new Dudley-Lee Cultural Commerce Center, improved landscaping, and on-street parking. Several new businesses have moved into the corridor and others have been remodeled. To date, there has been nearly $175 million in new investment in the corridor and more positive developments are on the way.