Those living in Greensboro have spent time in Friendly Center and, likely, remember Tex and Shirley's Restaurant. Tex and Shirley's was located at the corner of Northline Drive and Pembroke Road. For many, it was a great tradition to eat breakfast there, especially on all-you-can-eat pancake day. You may also remember the great exhibits of local photography displayed in the entrance hallway. Recently, the restaurant was torn down to make way to an O2 Fitness Facility.
The above photo features the shell of the 27,000 square ft.fitness club. O2 fitness began in 2002 in Raleigh and has grown to 29 locations. The location at Friendly Center will Greensboro's first and the only fitness center in Friendly Center. The "old" Friendly Center has seen a lot of change over the last few years and having a place for exercise, as opposed to retail, marks a real change for the center. The building will look very different when completed. For now, a mere shadow against the sunset, the O2 building is just a metal shell, a fence, and a D.H. Griffin sign. As construction progresses, more photos will be posted.
I imagine that'll take the better part of the summer to get done.
Posted by: William Kendall | Thursday, March 29, 2018 at 11:21 AM