Midtown’s Renaissance: Marty Kotis’ $52 Million Victory and Our Idlewood Life

Greensboro, North Carolina’s Midtown pulses with energy—Battleground Avenue’s eateries, theaters, and bold murals weave art into everyday life. For Eric and me, Midtown is home, rooted in the Idlewood neighborhood, tucked in the 27408 zip code near Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital. Here, we run Joy Watson Real Estate, a small, non-corporate firm managing eight short-term, mid-term, and 12-month rentals across Midtown, alongside Watsucker Urban Farm, where we grow herbs, flowers, and even a bit of produce. We admire the murals—over 300, crafted by developer Marty Kotis—that grace Red Cinemas and beyond, and we share his forward-thinking vision for Midtown. Yet, beneath the vibrancy lies a dramatic tale: Kotis’ decade-long, $52 million legal battle over the Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway, a Rails-to-Trails project that reshaped his plans and matters to us in Idlewood. This is the story of that fight, Idlewood’s roots, and why it resonates with us.

Idlewood: A Neighborhood by Cone Hospital

Idlewood, nestled in Greensboro’s 27408 zip code near Cone Hospital, is a serene enclave between Battleground Avenue and West Wendover Avenue. Emerging in the early 20th century, its name likely nods to the “idle” fields and wooded patches of its rural past, before homes took root. As Greensboro grew, Idlewood became a working-class hub of bungalows and cottages, attracting families tied to nearby industries and the Atlantic & Yadkin Railroad. Today, with a median home value of $206,000 and a balanced market, Idlewood appeals to professionals, families, and investors for its hospital access, Midtown’s amenities, and proximity to Wendover and Battleground Avenues.

Since 2019, in Idlewood, Eric and I have lived and managed our rentals, like Your Mom’s Place and Whole Hunsuckers, offering guests a taste of Midtown’s energy. Watsucker Urban Farm, in the front and backyards of our properties, produces herbs, flowers, and produce, connecting us to neighbors and friends through shared harvests. We support community efforts, like the April 26, 2025, yard sale and trash cleanups with Page High School students, to keep Idlewood welcoming. Kotis’ murals—Ken Jeong at Red Cinemas, Lumbee Indian portraits at Midtown Financial—enliven our daily bike rides or walks, and his Midtown plans fuel our optimism as local business owners.

Kotis: Midtown’s Architect

Marty Kotis, head of Kotis Properties and Kick Ass Concepts, shapes Midtown’s identity. His 45 acres and 1 million square feet of retail, home to 150 tenants like Pig Pounder Brewery and Red Cinemas, create a live-work-play hub. His murals, each costing up to $100,000, drape Greensboro in art, drawing visitors to our rentals. Kotis planned a $50 million mixed-use project: a nine-story, 300-unit apartment tower, 50,000 square feet of retail, and rooftop terraces along the Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway, aiming to echo urban trails like NYC’s Highline. For us, this could mean more guests for our rentals and a steady market for our farm’s herbs and produce.

But the greenway, built on the Atlantic & Yadkin Railroad under the 2014 Rails-to-Trails Act, disrupted those ambitions. The federal conversion imposed a public easement on Kotis’ land, a Fifth Amendment “taking” that curbed its development potential. A planned Publix grocery store, part of a three-level retail complex near Idlewood, was scrapped in 2025 when federal railbanking rules—requiring the land to remain available for potential rail revival—blocked construction.

A $52 Million Win

In 2015, Kotis sued the United States in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, arguing the greenway’s easement took his property rights without compensation. The case, Kotis v. United States, stretched nearly a decade, with appraisers valuing lost potential and lawyers navigating federal takings law. On April 29, 2025, Kotis won a $52 million award—covering reduced property value, interest, and legal fees—paid from the U.S. Treasury’s Judgment Fund. It was a major victory, but the greenway’s easement remains, preventing development on the trail corridor.

For Eric and me, this outcome is significant. The $52 million could spark Kotis’ Midtown projects, increasing demand for our rentals and real estate services. Greensboro’s zoning updates, like relaxed parking rules and short-term rental support in 2024–2025, align with our business and Kotis’ high-density vision, suiting Idlewood’s hospital-adjacent location. Still, the greenway’s permanence limits trail-side construction, recalling the Publix loss. Kotis’ perseverance aligns with our efforts to balance rentals, farming, and community in Idlewood.

Why Idlewood Matters

Kotis’ journey hits home because Midtown is our livelihood. His murals elevate our rentals, with guests photographing Ken Jeong’s portrait or vibrant designs at Westover Gallery. His vision for a thriving Midtown supports our goal to make Idlewood a hub through hospitality, buyer and seller real estate agency, herbs, flowers, produce and some sourdough treats. The greenway, despite its constraints, draws cyclists and walkers past our properties, aiding bookings. Upgrades like the Nat Greene Extension, opened November 2024, enhance its value, though we regret the Publix as a missed opportunity for our neighborhood. We love shopping at Deep Roots Co-op Market but would have loved having a Publix so close too!

The $52 million settlement opens doors. Kotis could revive the apartment tower or build trail-side cafes on unencumbered land, improving our Mid-Town home’s amenities and driving traffic to our rentals.. Yet, it highlights Rails-to-Trails’ costs. These trails enrich communities, but they challenge landowners, with taxpayers funding payouts like Kotis’. As Idlewood residents, we navigate similar balances—community benefits versus business goals—making Kotis’ story relevant to us. We faced our own battle with government over reach when we were forced to pay for a license to operate short term rentals in homes we owned and had been operating as short term rentals for years prior to the City of Greensboro’s new requirement. We also love the greenway in all of its sections and look forward to improvements to this trail.

Idlewood’s Place in Midtown’s Future

Near Cone Hospital, Idlewood flourishes in Midtown’s vibrancy. Kotis’ murals and developments make our neighborhood a destination. The settlement enables him to build on his 45 acres, creating jobs and amenities that raise Idlewood’s profile. Zoning changes support our rentals and his plans, while the greenway’s connectivity boosts our local non-corporate real estate firm’s reach. Idlewood’s history as a working-class enclave informs our community-focused life, and Kotis’ fight underscores the effort needed to thrive here.

We value Idlewood for its calm streets, hospital proximity, and Midtown’s dynamism. Kotis’ $52 million win is a catalyst for Midtown’s next chapter—perhaps a towering complex or a greenway cafe. For Eric and me, it’s an opportunity to expand our business’s positive impact, and community ties, rooting for the visionary who colors our world.

Explore Idlewood and Midtown at JoyWatsonRealEstate.com or visit Watsucker Urban Farm for Greensboro’s freshest herbs, flowers, and produce.