Greensboro’s Big Three: What Kotis, Zimmerman, and Carroll are building — and how it touches Midtown Idlewood

Greensboro keeps reinventing itself block by block. Here’s the quick, human version of what three familiar names are doing now — and why your Midtown Idlewood streets might feel a little busier, greener, and buzzier over the next few years.

1) Marty Kotis — Westover Gallery of Shops, Midtown

Address: Westover Gallery of Shops, 1410–1420 Westover Terrace, Greensboro, NC 27408

What’s happening

• The oft-teased Publix at Westover Terrace has been scrapped following a years-long legal saga unrelated to grocery operations. A federal court awarded just compensation to Kotis this spring, and the Midtown grocery plan was officially declared “off.” WFMY News 2+2WFMY News 2+2

• The Westover site still spans a high-visibility block where smaller, neighborhood-scale concepts could slide in (boutique retail, food, services). The center itself is documented across 1410–1420 Westover Terrace. LoopNetMapQuestWanderlog

What that means for Idlewood

• Fewer delivery trucks and grocery-rush turn-ins on Wendover for now.

• Real opportunity for right-sized, local-first tenants that match your eco-quirky, walkable vibe.

What to watch

• Any re-tenanting announcements Kotis makes for Westover’s empty bays.

• Smaller footprints with outdoor seating or artful storefronts would be a Midtown win.

2) Andy Zimmerman — South Elm & Gate City, Downtown/South End

Primary site: the gravel lot at the corner of South Elm Street & Gate City Boulevard, Greensboro, NC
Nearby anchors: AZ Development HQ, 620 S Elm St, Greensboro, NC 27406; Forge Greensboro makerspace, 219 W Lewis St, Greensboro, NC 27406

What’s happening

• Zimmerman (AZ Development) has proposed a mixed-use plan for the South Elm/Gate City corner: apartments, structured parking, and flexible maker/market/classroom space — essentially more places to live, build, and gather downtown. City boards have been reviewing options and timing. WFMY News 2

• His ecosystem around South End/Forge supports small manufacturers, artists, and startups — the kind of tenants that keep storefronts interesting. AZ DevDowntown GreensboroForge Greensboro - NC Makerspace

What that means for Idlewood

• Walkable perks: more nearby dining, studios, and services, without driving across town.

• Parking and construction will need careful staging, but long-term it nudges the area toward pedestrian-friendly, maker-centric energy.

What to watch

• Final site plan details (number of units, parking layout, any greenway-facing live/work).

• Coordination with the Bragg Street/Greenway edges to keep it bike- and foot-friendly. WFMY News 2Reddit

3) Roy Carroll — Carroll at Parkside, Ballpark District

Location: Eugene St & Bellemeade St, directly across from First National Bank Field (the Grasshoppers’ ballpark), Downtown Greensboro

What’s happening

• Ground has begun for a major mixed-use node: an AC Hotel (about 150–161 rooms) with a rooftop bar/restaurant and pool, 300-plus apartments, and significant retail/meeting space. This is a multi-year skyline-shaper. WXIIHotel OnlineThe Carroll CompaniesWXLV

What that means for Idlewood

• More reasons to walk to shows, dinners, and ballgames — and more visitors discovering nearby neighborhoods like yours.

• Expect some event-day traffic pulses; ask the city for safer crossings, wayfinding, and bike lanes that connect Midtown to the ballpark district.

What to watch

• Streetscape plans and pedestrian links between Bellemeade/Eugene and Wendover corridors.

• Retail mix (local food and services keep dollars close to home).

Practical next steps for Midtown Idlewood neighbors

• Speak up for human-scaled design: trees, shade, protected bike lanes, benches, and street lighting that feels safe on foot.

• Push for local-first leasing: coffee, bakeries, repair shops, studios, and services that residents actually use.

• Ask for green-buffered edges facing homes, plus stormwater-smart landscaping (native plants, low-mow meadows, permeable paths).

Handy “ask list” you can send to city staff or developers

• Safer mid-block crosswalks on approach streets to major projects

• Traffic calming near neighborhood entries (speed cushions, neck-downs, or raised intersections)

• Secure bike parking and scooter corrals at every new building

• Wayfinding that actually points people to Midtown’s small businesses

• A pocket-park or plaza per project phase, not just “someday”