Yes!! That is the one! Was it monochrome to start and then did they paint it a couple different colors? I loved it as a kid too, but its still kinda of goofy. I also recall it wasn’t loud. Fountains don’t have to roar, but in a mall a louder fountain is good, imho.
My grandmother and I used to go and look at the fountains at Hanes Mall (in Winston Salem) on Saturday mornings before the stores opened. I was very disappointed when the “new” part of the mall was built and didn’t have any fountains. Sadly, the last time I went to the mall (a few years ago), all of the fountains were gone. Maybe that explains why I love them so much. 
When I walked by, the Days Inn looked like was having rooms emptied out, which is in line with the renovation comment. That parcel, being surrounded by the primary arterial pair and one way street to nowhere, is a tough sell for anything beyond a cheap in-and-out.
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And “in and out” has several meanings for that dump. Still so disappointed it’s a renovation. Oh well.
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I first heard that used as British slang. Been part of my lexicon ever since. I also hate that place because there isn’t a sidewalk in front of it. I cut across Lane on foot a lot. It’s such a pain.
That whole area has so much potential but so much waste. Boarded up buildings, the motel, all of it. Hoping in a few years space will get tighter and someone will take an interest. Several cool old building’s that could be restored…
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There’s two I am primarily interested in. The Melrose Knotting Mill (where Babylon was) and that big grey brick box on Dawson was the Broom and Mattress factory for the original NC School for the Deaf and Blind. The State owns it, was going to sell it to a developer who wanted to restore it, but the Council of State objected to selling off part of the historic Caswell Square (originally of the four downtown Parks along with Nash and Moore). Now its about to fall down. I of course, already let myself in and took a bunch of pictures. It’s a 1950’s time capsule in there. Kind of freaky. Anyway the Days Inn is one of the things stifling further improvements around there for sure.
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I think Melrose Knitting is now Mulino Kitchen and much of the old Timbers are in place and exposed. I love that place.
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And event space upstairs…just for the owner and family/friends I think. I went to an Afghan wedding up there like a decade ago. It was awesome.
This is at the intersection of W Davie and S McDowell… and I was wondering / hoping if this was a beginning phase to the hotel construction that is proposed for this site?
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and if so, we can start a dedicated thread!
That lot is usually empty but I see in your photo a truck and other equipment. Thanks for posting, will keep an eye out.
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That spool makes me think it’s just fiber going in. Doesn’t look like a test bore rig.
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https://danella.com/ Utility construction company…so it could be just someone laying fiber or something or it could be moving the utilities for the start of the hotel. BTW that little area is going to be the hotel district with hotels on that site, the Firestone,Nash building and across the street at the Enterprise site. The Downtown Hotel district… DoHo if you will…
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Or, it could be the D’oh Ho district with Homer Simpson as the mascot. 
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I saw the same thing this weekend and it looks like it’s just for laying (either boring or poles) more fiber. Probably a contractor for AT&T or the like.
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I would love to have a small pod hotel/youth hostel in DTR. Anyone know if it’s against city or state policy to have a passport requirement?
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This could be nothing, but workers were covering up the prominent Firestone signs at Dawson and Davie this afternoon. This is the site that Winwood Hospitality Group bought in November with plans to construct a hotel there.
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Was this a sign FOR FireStone? Or a sign at the FireStone’s location???
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It was a neon Firestone sign.
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