Morgan says he failed to alert council on project
GREENSBORO — Greensboro Coliseum director Matt Brown said Thursday he used the proper channels for planning an outdoor amphitheater, and a deputy city manager took the blame for poor communication about the project.
Those explanations came two days after the City Council learned of $95,000 in site work for an eventual amphitheater project — and reacted with surprise.
“Not to my knowledge was council given any more details on the project,” Deputy City Manager Bob Morgan said Thursday .
An impromptu update from Brown during a January council meeting was “the only reference that I can find,” Morgan said, “and it is a vague reference.”
Brown said Thursday that he had told the city manager’s office and elected officials more than once since November 2008 that he planned to create an outdoor venue next to the site of the old Canada Dry building.
To support that claim, he referred to a January video in which he spoke to council members about the venue and a November 2008 e-mail to then-City Manager Mitchell Johnson, saying that “large outdoor grounds could also be utilized to accommodate festival events.”
There was a request for bids on the grading work, and Brown filed a contract in June for Morgan’s review. As interim city manager, Morgan approved the spending plan and filed for state permits to fix groundwater issues on the site.
Morgan took the blame for the lack of communication with the council on the project, but Brown said the city knew he was building a venue, even as plans evolved to eventually include capacity for 6,000 people, with 1,300 of that in removable seats.
“Certainly I agree, and apologize, that there was not enough clarification in the communication,” Brown said. “And that’s not to say that it wasn’t clear to the city manager or staff.”
There has been little commotion about the project, which could accommodate thousands for concerts, fairs and artist expositions. Plans call for an area with sidewalks, concession stands and a concrete pad where a portable stage could be set up . Future work, according to Brown, would be done in a piecemeal fashion.
The coliseum already is making agreements for work, such as trading four seats at the coliseum’s upscale entertainment and sports venue for grass seeding and straw on the site. Brown said sponsorships and naming rights also would help pay for the project.
Brown said he also has spoken with arts leaders and officials at the Eastern Music Festival about booking acts.
But somehow the City Council missed the plan, even though Brown said he’s always had this project in mind for the area over his years as the coliseum director.
Now the council wants to know more about plans for the semicircle-shaped, earthen mound of red soil at the coliseum.
“We’ve stopped work out there,” said Morgan, who returned to his deputy city manager position with the arrival of new City Manager Rashad Young . “We won’t proceed without council’s blessing on this.”
Morgan approved the site work, worth $95,000, for the project in June . According to city code, the manager can approve construction projects up to $300,000 without consent from the City Council. The money, Brown said, came from previous budgets and sponsorships from companies such as Pepsi and Siemens.
“What ideally would have happened, when we saw that contract,” Morgan said, “is pulled it aside and said, 'Council needs to be briefed. We need to look at this and we need to vet it.”
Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com
Accompanying Photos
Photo Caption: Construction is underway for an amphitheater on the former Canada Dry site.
Related Links
News & Record Network Sites
Triad Weather
- Current Condition: PARTLY CLOUDY
- Current Temperature: 59°
- UV Idx: 3
- Forecast High/Low: H: 60° L: 36°
User Tools
Search News-Record.com
closeSearch News & Record Article Archives
Not all of the newspaper's content appears online.
*There is a fee for downloading some older articles.
