[hauntedheadnc]

Back when Matthew and I were regularly contributing to an Asheville news thread, nobody ever read it, but there's just been too much going on here lately that's at least mildly interesting. For instance, one of the area's largest employers just celebrated its 75th birthday. Biltmore House opened its doors to the public in March of 1930. Here's an article about just how Biltmore affects the Asheville area.

---

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (03/20/05)

In many ways, Biltmore House is the face Asheville presents to the world; happy 75th anniversary

No private home means more to, or is as deeply connected to, its community.

Of course, no private home in America is as big.

Welcome to the Biltmore House, which just marked its 75th anniversary.

It’s hard to understate just how awash in history the Biltmore House is. George Vanderbilt decided to build the home in 1888, and wound up purchasing 125,000 acres of land here. The designer of Central Park in New York City, Frederick Law Olmsted, was tapped for the landscaping at the house, and construction of the 250-room home began in 1889. Vanderbilt narrowly dodged the historic disaster of the Titanic in 1912 (he canceled his booking at the last minute; his valet died in the tragedy) only to die two years later following an appendectomy. The following year Mrs. Vanderbilt sold nearly 90,000 acres of land that would later form the heart of Pisgah National Forest. In 1930 the home was opened to the public; it was closed during World War II, but played a vital role in housing some of the nation’s art treasures.

It reopened in 1945, but was somewhat of a money pit. When William Cecil returned to Asheville in 1945, the house was losing a quarter of a million dollars a year. In 1963, it was named a National Historic Landmark. Five years later Biltmore House recorded its first profit, a total of $16.24.

Needless to say, things have changed.

The Biltmore House has been refurbished, with more rooms opening over the years. The Biltmore Co. now employs 1,500 people, includes the most-visited winery in America and pays more than $11 million in taxes. Its annual payroll (not including benefits) tops $30 million. It hosts more than 850,000 visitors a year, including around two-thirds of the first-time visitors to Asheville. All told, the Biltmore House likely pumps $1 billion into the local economy when things like the meals, gas and hotel rooms visitors pay for are factored in.

It is an economic colossus for Western North Carolina, rivaled in importance only by the beautiful mountains that are its setting. It’s a far cry from what it was.

But in many important ways, it’s the same. Most families with deep roots here have their stories to tell about working on the estate or growing up on milk from the Biltmore Dairy. The Biltmore House is still a good neighbor to the community. It continues, through fame gained by being the set for many a movie and for its well-groomed gardens, to be the face Asheville presents to the world, and an impressive face it is.

Beyond that, it is sort of the dream industry. Think if you were an industrial recruiter here, and were told to bring in a business that:

* Would employ 1,500 people;

* Would not require tax incentives but actually pay taxes;

* Is environmentally friendly;

* Would help support another important industry (tourism);

* And would serve as a public relations ambassador for the area.

If you were given that assignment as an industrial recruiter, you’d probably resign (after you finished laughing your head off).

Fortunately, such a business already exists.

It’s called “America’s castle,” and we wish it a happy 75th anniversary as an important cog in the area’s economic engine.

[Matthew]

Biltmore is both good and bad. Some visit Biltmore and nothing else. I encourage visiting Downtown, but Biltmore is designed as a multi-day vacation with on site hotel, winery, multiple house and grounds tours, horseback riding and other adventures. It leaves little time to explore the rest of the city. When I tell people I'm from Asheville, they say "yeah, that's where Biltmore House is! I've been there." If someone isn't sure where Asheville is, I just tell them "it's where Biltmore House is" and they know. You can have lots of fun here and never set foot on the Biltmore grounds. Just ask one of us for ideas before you visit. This house is extremely expensive to visit. I will also say that those of us who live here, including myself, often over-look this great asset and it's effect on our local economy.

When my Grandmother and Cody visited us in Arden about a year ago, I took them to Biltmore Estate. I shared the adventure on the thread (America's Largest House) in January 2004. They were both impressed. We (my Mom, Sister and I) have tried to talk my Grandmother into moving up here for over 10 years. She lives in Alabama. Nothing seems to work, but every time she visits, we try to find something we think she might like. :D Here are some of the photos from the thread "America's Largest House."

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161running.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/728/161biltmorehouse1.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161olmsted.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161stables2.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161stables1.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161stables.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161carvings1.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161biltmorehouse9.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161biltmorehouse8.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161biltmorehouse18.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161biltmorehouse6.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161biltmorehouse17.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161biltmorehouse2.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161biltmoreinn.jpg
The Inn at Biltmore (new hotel building)

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/3228/161biltmorehouse12.jpg

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (03/21/05)

Land a pad downtown without forking out too much cash

By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — Dianne Tinman doesn’t get too excited these days when she sees signs that someone is renovating or building residential space downtown.

“Usually, I kind of look at it and go, ‘Oh, great, another one of those,’” said Tinman, who works in a retail shop on Lexington Avenue downtown.

That’s “one of those” as in one of those fancy condominium buildings with units costing hundreds of thousands of dollars that dot the central business district — and are way beyond the means of many people who work in their shadows.

“A lot of people who work downtown can’t afford to live downtown anymore. It’s kind of ironic,” Tinman said.

A local nonprofit expects to break ground next month on a 50-unit downtown apartment building that is specifically intended not to be “one of those” and will offer rents low enough to be affordable to downtown’s many service workers.

The Griffin will be located on what’s now a gravel lot on Grove Street, not far from the N.C. Employment Security commission offices, on the western end of downtown.

The $5.3 million project is being developed by Mountain Housing Opportunities, a local nonprofit working to increase the Asheville area’s supply of affordable housing.

Rents will range from $286 a month for an efficiency to $498 for a two-bedroom apartment, said MHO’s James Dennis.

Units will go only to those with annual household incomes less than about $13,000 to roughly $25,000, depending on household size, Dennis said.

“These are the folks that work downtown at the coffee shops, the bookstores, the retail shops,” he said. “We want to try to make housing available close to where people are working.”

MHO owns five rental units on Broadway that see very little turnover because affordable housing downtown is so scarce, Dennis said.

Much of the affordable housing available downtown now is either public housing or subsidized housing for the elderly.

Fifteen of the units will be reserved for people transitioning from homelessness.

Hospitality House, a local nonprofit that works with the homeless, will provide counseling or other services to people in those units.

For more information, call Mountain Housing Opportunities at 254-4030.

Contact Barrett at 232-5833 or mbarrett@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (03/21/05)

Asheville Savings Bank gets a retro look
Community welcome to see restored headquarters

After completing a $2.8 million renovation of their headquarters at 11 Church St. in downtown Asheville last month, Asheville Savings Bank executives and staff are inviting people to come take tours of the building and enjoy some refreshments there this Wednesday and Thursday.

The renovation was approved by the Historic Resources Commission of Asheville/Buncombe County and follows the 1922 design of architect Ronald Greene, whose works include Longchamps Apartments, the Jackson Building and Claxton Elementary School.

The architectural firm of Fisher Architects P.A. at 351 Merrimon Ave. oversaw the renovation of the 100-year-old structure, which has been restored to reflect the 1920s neoclassical style in vogue when it was first remodeled as the National Bank of Commerce.

Pink metal panels that were part of a 1965 makeover have been replaced with two-story Tuscan columns that frame the entrance. The parking lot also was refurbished with new plantings and an ATM with a columned facade that mirrors the main building's design.

Photographic images of the Asheville area by Ben Porter, Tim Barnwell, Rob Amberg and Asheville Savings Bank President and CEO John B. Dickson grace the walls inside the building.

"We are the oldest locally managed, independent financial institution in Asheville," Dickson said. "We're an important part of the history of this town. Rather than building a new headquarters building outside of the city, we chose instead to honor and preserve our past."

In addition to the Church Street headquarters, Asheville Savings Bank has 12 branch locations and on Dec. 31, reported assets in excess of $545 million. Visit www.asheville savingsbank.com or call 254-7411.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (03/21/05)

Buncombe had better get serious about reining in runaway growth

Last year, Buncombe County issued 176 permits for single-family homes in Swannanoa, 158 in Lower Hominy, 132 in Limestone, 131 in Avery Creek, 130 in Fairview and 127 in Leicester.

In other words, the county is busting out all over with growth. If anything, the trend will be upward. A Charlotte company has bought 406 acres on U.S. 74A in Fairview and plans hundreds of homes, some of them high on the ridge at the back end of the property.

At least one Fairview resident is concerned. “That would be really sad if there were houses up there,” said Pat Stone. “It’s just unfair to everybody. One family gets the ridgeline view and everybody else gets their view spoiled.”

But there’s nothing he, or anyone else, can do about it. Buncombe County remains the most populous county in North Carolina with no zoning. There are more than 210,000 residents today and thousands more on the way,

Buncombe has absolutely no way of controlling the intensity or location of development.

Suburban sprawl does more than ruin views, though that in itself is an important argument for controls in an area as dependent on tourism as is Western North Carolina.

Sprawl drives up the price of housing, increases the cost of government, gobbles up farmland and increases runoff and water pollution.

Asheville does its part to fight sprawl by encouraging high-density development in areas that already have utilities, streets and sidewalks.

The city and the county have a joint planning area designed to control development close to the city. Beyond that, however, the sky — or, rather, the ridgeline — is the limit.

Buncombe does have an ordinance regarding development on steep slopes, said Jim Coman, a county planner.

But, he added, “What it allows when you are on public water and sewer is relatively liberal.” He does not expect the regulations would affect development of the Fairview tract.

As Coman indicated, the only real restraint on development is the availability of utilities. Asheville City Council members have made this an issue in their dispute with the county over the regional water authority. One reason they cite for wanting to regain control over the water system is to have more say-so over growth outside their limits, so that growth does not harm the city.

Another Fairview resident, John Agar, fears the extension of sewage service to the new development will set off urbanization of the generally rural community. It will be “the beginning of the end of Fairview as we know it,” he said, resulting in more “urban density.”

Stan Boyd, director of engineering for the Metropolitan Sewerage District, says that is not necessarily so. A short developer-funded line to serve the property is not tantamount to a line serving other parts of Fairview, he said. Maybe not, but it’s a step in that direction.

The situation in Swannanoa, the most active Buncombe township in terms of homes authorized last year, is somewhat better. Swannanoa is close in and remains one of Buncombe’s most affordable areas.

“People say, ‘We look around and this is all we can find (that is affordable),’” said Carolyn Knight, listing agent for the 17.5-acre Cherry Blossom Cove development, which eventually is to have 85 single-family homes and 30 town homes.

But that is the result of circumstance, not planning. The way things stand, the more typical development will be a high-end large-lot project rambling across the landscape. These projects provide attractive housing for affluent retirees but do little for the people now living and working in Buncombe.

And those people need all the help they can get. A 2004 survey by the Center for Housing Policy shows Buncombe as one of the most difficult counties for elementary school teachers, police officers, licensed practical nurses, retail salespersons and janitors to find affordable housing.

The average sale price for single-family homes in 2004 was $226,995, according to David West, chief executive officer of the Asheville Board of Realtors. That’s more than $100,000 above the $120,000 a family of four with moderate income, defined as $39,700 a year, can afford, according to the Asheville Department of Housing and Community Development.

In 1999, county residents rejected zoning in a nonbinding referendum. But that was then. The margin was slim, the turnout was low and a lot of things have changed in the last six years. For one, there are 15,000 more people here now and many of them moved from areas that have zoning and are comfortable with it.

Perhaps the best answer is city-county consolidation. That would eliminate a lot of duplication in services and apply some uniform standards countywide. Charlotte has gone a long way toward consolidation with Mecklenburg County through merger of services and annexation of suburbs, with good results. Full consolidation has worked well in such cities as Nashville, Tenn., and Jacksonville, Fla.

This would be a good time to consider consolidation, while Asheville continues to dominate the county. It will be too late once it is ringed with municipalities that drain off its tax base.

Buncombe may not be ready for consolidation, but it had better be ready for something. The county is headed for a real mess unless it gets some system of managing growth.

[zigzag]

Great information.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (03/23/05)

Delta to offer nonstop Asheville-Orlando flights

By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — Delta Air Lines said Tuesday it will begin offering daily nonstop service between Orlando, Fla., and Asheville Regional Airport on June 1.

The flights, one a day each way, will be timed to allow a full day in the sun in Florida, although passengers will have to get up before the sun to go south. Flights will leave Asheville at 6:05 a.m. and arrive in Orlando at 7:45 a.m. The return flight will depart Orlando at 8:50 p.m. and reach Asheville at 10:30 p.m.

Flights will be offered by Delta commuter affiliate Chautauqua Airlines using 50-seat regional jets. They will lop 90 minutes or more off the time needed to fly between Asheville and Orlando today, said Asheville Regional spokeswoman Susan Phillips, plus will not involve changing planes in either Atlanta or Charlotte.

“Anything anybody can do to avoid Atlanta and Charlotte, they’re thrilled,” said Mike Hooker, senior director of operations at Wilcox World Travel and Tours.

Delta announced in September that it would offer Asheville-Orlando nonstop service starting in December but then pulled the plug in October.

Phillips said the odds are much better this time the flights will materialize, noting that passenger traffic at Asheville Regional is rising significantly. Delta’s financial problems, the coming of the slow winter season and other factors doomed the first attempt to start service, she said.

“It just wasn’t meant to be last year. There were too many factors working against us,” she said.

The service will attract people visiting the many tourist attractions in the Orlando area, people moving between a Florida home and one in the mountains and travelers who will make a connection in Orlando to visit another Florida city, Phillips said.

The Delta Web site, www.delta.com, on Tuesday was offering round trips on the new flight for $217 for several dates in June and July that include a Saturday stay.

Contact Barrett at 232-5833 or mbarrett@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (03/23/05)

Council OKs overhaul to apartment complex

By Rebeccah Cantley-Falk
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE - Kenilworth residents fought against a proposed mixed-use development in their neighborhood Tuesday by presenting a valid protest petition, but City Council voted unanimously for the project, which will transform the Biltmore Garden Apartments.

Residents rallied to get the petition signed by property owners around the 6.6-acre site between Mission Hospitals and Biltmore Village. A valid protest petition must be signed by 20 percent of property owners around the project. That triggers a requirement that six of seven council members must approve of the development, instead of the normally required four votes, Asheville public information officer Lauren Bradley said.

After a two-hour discussion and adding several conditions to the development plan, all council members got behind the project, unanimously granting it a conditional use permit and a change in zoning that will allow short-term leases.

Resident Mary Evers said she was disappointed because City Council did not eliminate access to the project from Kenilwood Road, a site change residents had requested.

"We live there, and I really feel there will be a lot of cut-through traffic because Biltmore Avenue backs up regularly," Evers said. "It is already a narrow street."

Asheville developer W.W. "Gil" Gilman and partners in Power Development plan to turn the 114 units at the Biltmore Garden Apartments into condominiums available for sale and lease. The developers plan to target medical workers who are new to the area or who have transient jobs for short-term leases.

The development also includes the addition of four buildings with a total of 15,060 square feet for offices, shops and restaurants around a village-style plaza.

The condos will sell for $139,900 to $399,000, said Chuck Tessier, whose Tessier Associates real estate management and consulting firm is involved in the project. He said developers worked to address residents' concerns and would be willing to pay for a traffic light at the intersection of Biltmore and Caledonia avenues if a traffic study and the Department of Transportation decided one was warranted, he said.

Contact Falk at 232-2938 or rfalk@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

[hauntedheadnc]

And now for some random observations.

Biltmore House -- It's an irreplaceable treasure, and Asheville is lucky beyond comparison to have it. However, it seems to me that the current incarnation of the Cecil family is too interested in cutting and running. They're squandering the very things they were entrusted to protect. They're not strangers to developing their land, but in the past we got Biltmore Village from them, and now we get Biltmore Park. Biltmore Park, of course, is one of those developments that likes to prostitute itself as just the smartest thing to mince down the pike since the town square, but is actually only slightly improved over blatantly stupid growth.

Cheap downtown apartments -- I've seen a rendering of the building and it's horrible, but strangely the architects behind this project are also responsible for the Merritt Park Condominiums, one of downtowns smartest projects in years. Also, their other developments are impressive in that while they may not be the most beautiful things out there, they're pleasing to the eye, with respect for Asheville's existing architecture, and they're at least interesting to look at. The rendering for the Griffin Apartments, however, do not impress me. What are you going to do though? Ask them to make it prettier? In a housing climate like this, they're as likely to give up on the project altogether, so for now, this is a case where you've just got to let the developer do as they please -- as much as it pains me to say that.

Renovated bank -- It looks great! I've had to go into downtown Asheville twice over the past week, and both times I've stopped to look at this building. It looks a thousand times better restored to its original appearance than it did blanketed in ill-thought-out 60's-era renovations. What the hell happened to America back then, anyway? Did we all just suddenly turn stupid or something?

Runaway growth -- I agree with the editor of the Citizen-Times, and I'm proud the paper has the balls to say what it did, when few other area publications would.

Asheville to Orlando direct flights -- Another feather in our cap, and it means our airport just got a little more convenient. It's nice being able to travel without having to connect in a huge, maze-like airport somewhere.

Apartment renovations -- There's a little scrap of greenspace there now, and I'm sad it will be removed, as I imagine the residents of the Biltmore Garden Apartments are. If the developers truly intend to replace with a little "village square" it might even out in the end, though. It sure must suck to be living there now and learn you're being evicted, plus learn you'll have to pay out the nose to get another apartment in the same place you've already been living for years. I feel sorry for the residents there.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (03/23/05)

Griffin apartments downtown a move in right direction toward affordable housing

More of the people who work downtown will be able to live downtown when Mountain Housing Opportunities completes its 50-unit Griffin apartment building on Grove Street.

MHO, a local nonprofit dedicated to affordable housing, will put the $5.3 million structure on what now is a gravel lot between Patton and Hilliard avenues. Rents will range from $286 a month for an efficiency to $498 a month for a two-bedroom apartment. Renters must have annual incomes of less than $25,000.

Fifteen of the units will be reserved for people transitioning from homelessness. Those renters will receive counseling and other services from Hospitality House, a local nonprofit that works with the homeless.

For people such as Dianne Tinman, who works in a Lexington Avenue shop, Griffin is good news. “A lot of people who work downtown can’t afford to live downtown any more,” she said. “It’s kind of ironic.”

MHO is well aware of the problem. The agency owns five rental units on Broadway and there is very little turnover due to the scarcity of affordable housing downtown, according to MHO’s James Dennis. Much of downtown’s affordable housing is either public housing or subsidized housing for the elderly.

The average price of an existing home sold in the Asheville area in 2003 was five percent above the state average, while the average wage per job was more than 10 percent below the state average. The situation is even worse in downtown, where the trend has been toward high-end condominium units, first in restored buildings and now in some new projects. That doesn’t leave much hope for the average worker.

“These are the folks (who) work downtown at the coffee shops, the bookstores, the retail shops,” Dennis said.

“We want to try to make housing available close to where people are working.”

A worthy goal indeed.

[Matthew]

Is that the old late 60's looking apartment complex? I'm not a huge fan of it and welcome this new project. The residential market in Asheville right now could support highrises. I really wish we could get something around 20-25 floors (A new tallest). Something like what they are building in Miami or Charlotte. Those are really nice!

I see you finally agree with me on Biltmore Park. Have you visited it? I'm not impressed and I don't see what the big deal is.

Thanks for sharing this! I'm away at college (Athens, GA) right now and want to keep up with what's going on back home.

[hauntedheadnc]

Yeah, the Biltmore Garden Apartments are those down past the hospital, just as you get to Biltmore Village. From what I understand, their outward appearance isn't going to change a great deal. The buildings are up on a hill and the hillside and a little lawn at the bottom of the hill are a de facto park for the residents there. That's going to be removed, sadly.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (03/26/05)

New mixed-use project proposed

By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE - A proposed residential and commercial project promises to transform yet another little used property on the south slope of downtown.

A Blowing Rock developer has asked for city approval of plans to put about 62 residential condominiums and 25,600 square feet of office and retail space on 1.7 acres on South Lexington Avenue. Work on the development, to be called Lexington Station, would begin in late April and be completed by the end of 2006. The property is the former Union Transfer building now owned by Buncombe County, which had proposed putting a satellite jail then ambulances and an emergency dispatch center there in recent years.

Those proposals were unpopular among those pushing for redevelopment of the area roughly bounded by Biltmore and Asheland avenues spilling down the hill on downtown's south side. The county is now looking elsewhere for locations for ambulances and emergency workers.

Architect Donny Luke, whose office is less than a block away from the Union Transfer building, said Lexington Station would accelerate what has been a slow transformation in the neighborhood.

The area "is on the upswing," Luke said. "To be able to tear down that building would be a vast improvement."

Workers will demolish the existing cinder block building that was once home to a moving company and construct three, three-story buildings, said Scott Carter, a local real estate agent working on the project with developer Steve Moberg.

The first floor of each building will be for office space and retail, including a coffee shop and a restaurant, Carter said. Space will be for sale, not for lease.

One- and two-bedroom condominiums will be located on the upper floors. There will be underground parking under each building and plans show space for additional on-street parking.

Carter said the buildings will have lap siding with some Arts and Crafts touches to create a look that Moberg calls "Old Asheville."

Residential condominiums are listed for $159,9000 to $257,000. That's less than many of the fanciest units in restored buildings downtowns have sold for, and Carter said he has already seen a strong demand. Deposits on 44 residential condominiums came in during the first five days after the units were listed for sale, he said.

The location is a little quieter than some in downtown but the main attraction is "the convenience," Carter said, "being able to walk fairly quickly to the Fine Arts Theatre, being able to get to the co-op for food, the baseball field."

Development has moved down Biltmore and Coxe avenues relatively quickly in recent years, but there has been less activity in between. The neighborhood has a mix of light industrial, service, office and residential uses. Carter and others said Lexington Station will accelerate change in the area.

"Whenever you spend some money, that's what everybody else is waiting on too," Carter said. "Then you'll see the rest follow."

"This is a logical extension of growth for the city," said Kim MacQueen, who until recently was president of Asheville Downtown Association. "It's time to get some of these properties on the tax rolls and to start using some of these properties in terms of high-density growth."

It is also good to see units priced at levels where more local residents can afford them, MacQueen said. Many downtown condominiums are owned by people who use them as second homes.

"What we could really use ... are some residences that are kind of aimed at people who live here," she said.

That creates more foot traffic and a safer feeling downtown, she said: "Any time you have activity above the first floor ... then the whole area becomes safer."

LEXINGTON STATION

Three buildings to contain about 62 residential condominiums and 25,600 square feet of commercial space.

Located on the south side of Hilliard Avenue between South Lexington Avenue and Church Street.

The project will be considered by the city Planning and Zoning Commission April 6 then must be approved by City Council. The commission meeting starts at 5 p.m. in the city public works building at 161 S. Charlotte St. No rezoning is required, but council approval is required because of the size of the project.

Construction would start in late April and be completed by the end of 2006.

Contact Scott Carter at 771-2737 for more information.

[x.man]

We need pictures! Remember the 1000 words adage...

Its interesting to read of the concern for affordable housing in downtown. Greensboro has little interest in affordable housing downtown, rather, it just wants housing. The new building 411 West, to start in April by the Boulevard Company of Charlotte, will have some affordable housing units in it because Preservation Greensboro sold the land to be developed at their cost in order to discourage expensive units. To my knowledge, that is the only example I've heard of a deliberate attempt to provide affordable housing in downtown Greensboro. Those units will range from $90,000 to $130,000...not exactly cheap either.

[hauntedheadnc]

I don't believe any renderings have been released showing the proposed Lexington Station, but here's one from the paper showing the planned Griffin Apartments. I think it looks poopish, but I like the name. Griffin Apartments -- nice and simple and kind of old school. None of this Barfwood Place, or Pukehaven Villas or any of the other bullshit cutesy little monikers developers like to give their buildings.

http://cmsimg.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=B0&Date=20050321&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=50321005&Ref=AR&Profile=1009&maxW=600&maxH=440&title=1

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (03/28/05)

Montford’s Walking Tour rich in history
Asheville’s original elite neighborhood evolves

By Robert Wyatt
STAFF WRITER

MONTFORD — There is no Asheville neighborhood with a richer or more diverse history than that of Montford. Walking through the streets of Montford is like stepping from page to page in a history book. The names of the designers, builders and home owners from the Montford of yesterday can be read not only in the history books but all around Asheville: Pack, Ashe, Pritchard and Patton; Coleman, Rankin, Gudger and McCormick. This Who’s Who of Asheville’s elite began in what was once the area’s most elegant community.

The public now has an opportunity to relive this history through Montford’s Walking Tours offered by the Montford Arts Center. Your guide will explain, in detail, the finer points of Montford’s architecture, history and even geology as you stroll at a leisurely pace through the streets.

Walkers will see a myriad of architectural styles such as Neo-Classical Revival, Victorian, Queen Anne Style, Colonial Revival, Arts and Crafts and Georgian. The work of well-known designers like Richard Sharp Smith (Biltmore Estate), Charles Parker (Grove Arcade), and William Lord is on display around every turn. Lord’s son Tony also lived in Montford and designed the Asheville Citizen-Times’ Building and UNC Asheville’s Ramsey Library, among others.

The Art Center’s Sharon Fahrer, founder of the Walking Tours, said some of the architectural techniques are very exclusive to the individual designer.

“Richard Sharp Smith developed the ‘pebbledash’ home exterior that you will see a lot here in Montford,” she said. “This technique is prevalent in Biltmore Village buildings that he also designed. It gives the buildings that English village appearance.”

One of the business owners, Lynn Carlson of the Inn on Montford Bed and Breakfast, got to see the technique up-close-and-personal when she and her husband built their Carriage House.

“Being in a registered historic district, we had to be meticulous in our attention to detail,” Carlson said. “We were actually able to see the ‘pebbledash’ applied. It’s chicken wire, concrete, and three-quarter inch rolled river rock. It is applied by hand. It was fascinating. … It’s stood the test for 100 years so we thought it was a good option.”

There are houses as old as 1848 in the area, but Montford officially began as the dream of the Asheville Loan, Construction and Improvement Company in 1889.

It began to flourish when George Willis Pack (Pack Square) got involved. He donated the land that became Montford Park and stirred the interest in Montford nearing the turn of the 20th Century.

“When Montford was originally created it was the prominent neighborhood,” Fahrer said. “Business, doctors, lawyers and other professional people flocked here; but the workers also lived here, giving it some of the diversity it carries on to this day. There was just a great sense of community here.”

If you choose the Riverside Cemetery Walking Tour you’ll view the final resting places of many an Asheville notable. Authors Thomas Wolfe and O. Henry are buried there as well as Zebulon Vance (Civil War governor, state senator, and Confederate Army officer), Dr. Lewis McCormick (McCormick Field namesake) as well as many more prominent Asheville family members. The Riverside Cemetery Walking Tours can also be booked through the Montford Art Center.

Contact Wyatt at 232-5892 or rywatt@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

[ejohnson]

The Biltmore house reminds of the mansion "Rose Red"

[hauntedheadnc]

The Biltmore house reminds of the mansion "Rose Red"

Rose Grey, perhaps. I wonder what it would look like done in brick.

"...and after that, Biltmore House grew... by itself!"

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Mountain X-Press (03/30/05)

Gimme shelter
Council scrutinizes new condo, apartment plans
by Brian Postelle

...Won't get fooled again

The proposed renovation and expansion of an apartment complex in Kenilworth, near Biltmore Village, seems poised to gain approval, but the memory of a recent stink over tree-cutting in conjunction with another project had some Council members on their guard.

Power Development LLC bought the Biltmore Gardens complex at the southern end of Biltmore Avenue in January. But the proposed $18 million-plus project, which would include adding office and retail space and a restaurant, has neighbors up in arms. And city staff, in their recommendation to Council, had already outlined a 10-point list of proposed conditions to be placed on the permit, including restrictions on outdoor lighting and building design.

"This project is literally at our front door," said Mary Evers. She and others expressed fears about increased traffic on Kenilwood Place and the loss of trees on the property, begging Council members to place significant conditions on the development before approving it.

The neighbors had raised many of the same concerns in a prior meeting with Charles Tessier, representing the developers. He told Council members how the plans had been retooled to address these issues.

At the Council meeting, Tessier and landscape engineer Matt Sprouse displayed sketches of altered designs showing buildings moved to avoid stands of trees and a new entrance to the property created on a side street. The developers also agreed to pay for a traffic light at the intersection of Biltmore Avenue and Caledonia Road (if the Department of Transportation determines that one is necessary) and to provide a shelter for a nearby city bus stop.

The plan, he explained, is to convert the apartments to condos, with prices ranging from $139,900 to $399,000.

But neighborhood residents also voiced concern that short-term rental of the condos could lower the value of adjacent property. Tessier confirmed that the developers do plan to market the condos to the medical community affiliated with Mission Hospitals, which sometimes brings in personnel for short stays.

City Attorney Bob Oast assured Council members that they could require the condos to be owner-occupied (as Council did when it approved a 168-unit condo complex in Shiloh in 2002). And Council member Terry Bellamy suggested allowing no more than 25 percent of the units to be used for short-term rental.

But others on Council resisted that move, preferring not to stand in the way of a market-driven complex. "We're on slippery ground when we start talking about percentages," argued Council member Joe Dunn.

Vice Mayor Carl Mumpower agreed, wondering, "Do we really have the ability to say you can't rent your property?"

Tessier, meanwhile, assured Council that, like other such developments, these condos would be managed by a homeowners' association that would look after its own best interests. "The [restrictions] people think up are so far beyond what Council can think up," he said.

Council member Brownie Newman said that since the property is currently rental units, he doesn't see the short-term rentals as a significant threat. But Newman had other fish to fry – particularly the question of how many trees would be cut down to make room for the new construction (a point about which the plans displayed by Tessier remained vague).

Still stinging from the brouhaha surrounding the Campus Crest apartments in Montford, where developers felled a stand of trees after promising to preserve them (see "Nothing But the Truth," Jan. 19 Xpress), Newman wanted some way to hold the Biltmore Gardens developers to a firm commitment. Tessier did present Council with a survey showing which trees would be cut and which ones would stay, but it hadn't been adjusted to reflect the changes in the plans. And their assurances that they would cut as few trees as possible did little to appease Newman.

"We pretty much have to nail this as much as we can," he insisted. To that end, staff is drafting new language designed to hold developers to their word when it comes to tree removal. Council will consider that language at a future meeting (perhaps as soon as the April 12 formal session, said Shuford). In the meantime, however, the conditional-use permit – containing the restrictions recommended by staff plus a few added by Council – was unanimously approved. If Council members do approve language concerning tree preservation, it will be added to the permit.

Council members also unanimously approved a zoning change to allow for the nonresidential aspects of the project and for short-term rental of the renovated residential units.

Stacking the deck

Newman proved less successful in promoting another project, however.

A 650-space, five-level downtown parking deck to be built adjacent to the Civic Center and the Basilica of St. Lawrence has already been in the works for more than five years. During that time, the projected cost has jumped from $15.2 million to just over $20 million, making some Council members uneasy.

But seeing a deck in Greenville that had apartments built into one side gave Newman the idea of using the Asheville deck to add affordable housing downtown. From the start, however, he faced an uphill battle – and almost didn't get to discuss the matter at all.

Carl Mumpower objected to revisiting the issue, reminding Council members that they'd already voted to go ahead with the deck. "It is backtracking on a vote," he said. "I don't think I would have voted for a $20 million plan without a plan."

"We didn't lock them into a particular design, nor did we instruct them to change it," countered Newman.

And Mayor Charles Worley wielded his authority, declaring, "I have made that ruling: It is on the agenda." After some squabbling among council members, Worley took off the gloves, challenging Council to overrule him with a vote.

Joe Dunn took the mayor at his word, making a motion to kill the discussion. It was seconded by Mumpower but failed on a 2-5 vote.

City Engineer Cathy Ball said that while staff wouldn't rule out the idea of residences attached to the structure, neither would they recommend it. Making room for the apartments, she explained, would eliminate 109 parking spaces. Another 19 spaces would have to be allocated for the residents' use. And Ball reminded Council members that 150 spaces had already been lopped off the original design.

Ball also cited other considerations, such as $250,000 in redesign costs, an additional four- to six-month construction delay, and a $150,000 reduction in annual revenues due to the lost parking spaces.

Newman, however, defended his proposal, arguing that although it would be a "financial wash," the city's continual need for more affordable housing downtown outweighs the losses.

But Mumpower expressed doubt that such apartments would qualify as "affordable." And Shuford said the only way it could work would be if the city subsidized the units.

In the end, Newman's proposal to change the design went down on a 2-5 vote, with only Jones joining Newman in support of it. But on a 6-1 vote (with Mumpower opposed), Council members did agree to commission a $25,000 market study to assess the feasibility of including affordable housing in a second, privately owned building on the site that is earmarked for a mix of residential, retail and office space.

[ExpatBaman]

Glad to see the downtown residential and mixed-use projects in the works. The affordable housing is impressive, most of our other cities can't seem to get that part together.

[hauntedheadnc]

My only beef with these downtown residential developments is that one, they're too short, and two, they don't fit into the surrounding urban fabric.

Basically I figure that in a town this crushed for space, with as many people wanting to live downtown as we've got, it's a waste of space to build some piddly little 50-unit project here, and another piddly 50-unit project there. We need some major projects in buildings bigger than the squat little 7-stories we're getting.

That, and the buildings we're getting do not fit in with anything anywhere nearby. They do not in any way respect the city they're being built in. Most of these buildings would look more at home in Charlotte or some other more contemporary place. They're just eyesores here though.

All in all, I'm glad some of what we're getting is targetted toward the people already living here instead of rich out-of-towners who want to live here. One of the articles above said it nicely -- housing prices are higher than elsewhere in the state and wages are lower. Living and working here, you start out at a 15% disadvantage between the two of them. We need more affordable housing, but we need it in tall buildings with an eye toward what's already here.

[Matthew]

Are you talking about 12 South Lexington? Here is a rendering from the architects of the 7-storey 12 South Lexington (Camille-Alberice). It's ok, but it could be much better. This could be one of those buildings where the completed structure looks better than the renderings?

http://www.camille-alberice.com/images/12SLex.jpg

I totally agree that we need to build up! These are an example of bad land-use, since the demand is so high. Then again, like I've said before, we have an unofficial NIMBY height limit of 7-stories. I think a lot of developers are afriad to cross that height? Since those buildings are the same size as the existing structures around them, they seem more out-of-place. I think a taller structure in a more contemporary style would fit better than these low-rises. Still, I welcome any new buildings with 6+ floors! I think Asheville could get a new tallest (25 stories), all condos and ground floor retail. I think something Post-Modern, with a nice crown would look great as a signature tower.

[hauntedheadnc]

Wss I referring to 12 South Lexington when I posted about Lexington Station? No, that's a new project going up a little farther south. According to the article, it will consist of three, 3-story mixed-use buildings.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (04/02/05)

Little remains of Asheville's Civil War legacy
By Rob Neufeld

From elementary school onward, students learn to pay heed to history. Yet, civic commemorations sometimes run up against a barricade of latter-day sensibilities.

The 140th anniversary of the Battle of Asheville, a small but remarkably representative episode, has found little ground to stand on as it stages its re-enactments and salutes today.

Charles Frazier's "Cold Mountain" has shown that the Civil War in the Southern mountains resonates with people. Nonetheless, standard books on Civil War sites in the South don't come any closer to Asheville than Chickamauga and Fort Bragg. This is despite the fact that many leaders considered Western North Carolina the last stand.

What's left of Civil War Asheville? Very little.

Camps Jeter and Patton are gone without a trace, as are the Enfield Rifle factory, the fife and drum factory and Battery Hill. Confederate rifle pits used in the Battle of Asheville west of Broadway lie on a private lot; the Union earthworks are within UNC Asheville's Botanical Gardens on the east side.

Hence, the commemoration committee gained the approval of the university to use its property to honor Confederate and Union ancestors with "living history," including, it was hoped, musket fire and cannon shots. As it turns out, the event will be significant, in part, for its lack of gunfire and for the precedence of city regulations and pastoralism.

Gardens and guns, in the historical mind, are not unrelated. Wartime and peacetime tragically feed each other, and soldiers yearn for the simple life.

Jim Coman, a N.C. 25th Infantry re- enactor, recalls, as a boy, watching one relative save a great-greatgrandfather's Civil War letters from the burn pile. "I hope this letter finds you well and feeling well," William Franklin Hall's letter from a hospital had begun. He recovered to die fighting in the Battle of Chickamauga.

Another ancestor, William Marion Wright, volunteered for the N.C. 25th and was one of very few of that fearsome regiment to survive uninjured. Coman's mother knew him well, for at an advanced age he regularly hiked from Big Cove to visit her.

Peter Lorenz, living-history expert and military coordinator for the event, reveres history for the way it provides insights that shatter prejudices. "My focus," he says, "has been on the people who had made history, individuals like ourselves with hopes and wishes. We put that into the context of a certain time and place, and it takes on a life."

A favorite family photo shows 10-year-old Lorenz dressed in a Sears-bought Confederate uniform re-enacting an unlikely battle with his brother, protected by a World War II helmet. Today, Lorenz is as wide-ranging in his temporal preferences but meticulous about keeping them distinct.

Lorenz's great-great-great-uncle, Wylie West, was captured along with Lorenz's thrice-great grandfather at the Battle of Fort Fisher in 1865. He was a nonslave-owning farmer when he was drafted. He was 42. Asked to list his profession, he had jotted "student."

---

I say... well, this is a bummer. We're no Charleston or Savannah, but we're still one of the best preserved cities in the country, and to learn that we've wiped out most of our Civil War heritage? Upsetting.

[Matthew]

When you made these statements:

they're too short, and two, they don't fit into the surrounding urban fabric.

it's a waste of space to build some piddly little 50-unit project here, and another piddly 50-unit project there. We need some major projects in buildings bigger than the squat little 7-stories we're getting.

That, and the buildings we're getting do not fit in with anything anywhere nearby. They do not in any way respect the city they're being built in. Most of these buildings would look more at home in Charlotte or some other more contemporary place. They're just eyesores here though.

I thought you were talking about 12 South Lexington. I was home over Easter, but didn't go into the city. The rendering does bother me. It looks like it will use concrete blocks? I want to be wrong on this. Any form of exposed concrete on this building is a bad idea. This also looks like some of the low-rise condos going-up in Charlotte.

Very little is actually said about Asheville's Civil War history. Even in school, (Henderson County Schools) they don't say much. The local sites they focus on are in Gaston County and Upstate South Carolina.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (04/09/05)

What brand for Asheville?
By Dale Neal
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE - Doug Schuster has lived in Asheville for the past 11 years, but for his latest project, he spent eight days trying to see Asheville through a visitor's eyes.

Schuster is president of Parallax International, a marketing strategy firm hired by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority to help brand Asheville and Buncombe County as a destination for visitors and even people and businesses wanting to relocate here.

On Friday, Schuster briefed some members of the TDA board and other tourism officials on his findings. Schuster explained he wasn't trying to come up with the city's next tourism campaign slogan but was trying to point the board toward broader definitions of Asheville as place to visit.

Asheville is many things to many visitors, from the Biltmore Estate to mountain biking, from traditional crafts to modern art, fine restaurants and hotels, scenic beauty and much more, Schuster discovered in his personal research and other market studies.

"We need to quit trying to describe the place and try to describe the experiential and emotional benefit," Schuster said.

Asheville may have one of the oldest tourism slogans around with "Land of Sky" dating from 1876, but that name no longer adequately describes the vibrancy of downtown Asheville and the increased attention on arts and culture.

Asheville may be able to position itself as a place for personal enrichment and not just for scenic beauty, Schuster suggested.

Some tourism leaders at the meeting liked the idea. John Winkenwerder, managing general partner of the Hampton Inns of Asheville, said it was reminiscent of the 1980s slogan "Asheville Will Lift Your Spirit," which may have been ahead of its time.

Kelly Miller, executive director of the Asheville Visitors and Convention Bureau of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, said, "research shows that in the 1980s and 1990s, people collected things. Now they're more likely to collect memories and experiences. They're asking 'Where can I go to enrich my life?'"

Schuster will continue his branding research and report back to the TDA board at the end of the month.

The TDA will spend about $75,000 on developing a branding strategy before actually developing any new ad campaigns to attract tourists, said Marla Tambellini, director of marketing for the visitors and convention bureau.

[hauntedheadnc]

Fromt he Asheville Citizen-Times (04/10/05)

On the Horizon: Projects slated for WNC
By John Boyle
SENIOR WRITER

Too often communities simply respond to economic trends, trying to jump on a ship that’s already sailed. But now a group of movers and shakers have committed themselves to getting away from this “reactive economic development” pitfall.

Dan Keith Ray, president and senior fellow at the Institute at Biltmore, which is facilitating the new effort, says too often those interested in economic development look at the individual pieces of the puzzle rather than the overall picture it creates. The economic paradigm that sustained the region for years — cheap land, plentiful low-wage labor and lots of manufacturing — has changed, and that means it’s time to take another look at big projects in the works.

“We’re going to have to compete on the assets we have in place,” Ray said.

With that in mind, the institute has gathered together a list of all ongoing major projects in the area, with an eye toward looking at ways the different companies proposing them could work together, reduce costs or create clusters of development.

The institute will concentrate on three primary industries where the Asheville area already has built-in advantages:

• Technology and tech-driven businesses: With an extensive broadband system already in place and a push to upgrade it under way, the area is poised for growth. The location of the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville is a natural base to build on.

• Rejuvenation: This includes health, fitness, spa and vacation businesses and has been a draw since the 1800s. It makes sense to take advantage of this reputation.

• Design: The idea is to capitalize on Asheville’s well-known reputation as an arts and crafts mecca.

Eagle/Market Streets
Vision

Revitalization of Asheville’s historic African-American business district. Redevelopment plans proposed along Eagle and Market Streets include rehabilitation and demolition of buildings, adding parking spaces, new businesses, restaurants and entertainment areas, as well as new residential housing.

Resources

$3.8 million, mostly in private investment

Downtown Asheville
Vision

City development concentrates on urban mixed-use districts such as downtown Asheville and the Haywood Road corridor to assist revitalization activities through planning, facilitation of infrastructure, design review and other services. Major current projects: Haywood Street parking garage; Gateway Corridor Study; streetscape planning.

Resources

$21 million in taxpayers’ money for Haywood Street parking garage

Asheville Planning Department
Vision

Projects include:

Pack Square Renaissance – a $12.5 million private sector revitalization of the public space. Construction expected to begin mid-2005

Grove Park Inn Phase II – Mixed use development for large-scale redevelopment of publicly-owned land adjacent to Pack Square. May begin as early as fall 2005. Estimated cost is $225 million.

Brevard Road Zoning Study – Brevard Road from I-40 south to the N.C. Arboretum is set to change significantly. City Council has authorized a zoning study of the corridor. Staff will present some ideas to property owners in spring 2005.

Greenway planning – Major focus of City Council’s Strategic Operating Plan. New development is creating opportunities: Riverbend MarketPlace; WECAN area; Broadway corridor, Biltmore Park.

Shiloh Neighborhood Plan – The Shiloh neighborhood has partnered with Neighborhood Housing Services and the city to develop a plan that will include opportunities to locate new residential development accommodating a range of incomes in Shiloh.

Gerber Urban Village – This former industrial site and potential Wal-Mart Supercenter site is being redeveloped as an urban village. Phases will include major residential component.

Riverbend MarketPlace – First phase of this redevelopment of the former Sayles Bleacheries site on Swannanoa River Road is nearly complete. Phase two is an urban village.

Biltmore Park Town Centre – Another south Asheville urban village project in the Biltmore Park development. First phase is finished and second phase has gotten preliminary approval from City Council.

Annexation program – The City of Asheville continues to annex properties on its edges.

I-26 Connector – A $200 million project linking Interstate 26 segments north and south of Asheville. Completion estimated 2012.

Haywood Road Corridor – The road has been undergoing tremendous transformation over the last four years, undertaken by the private sector and new, young business owners. The city has worked with business owners on banners, tree planting and other beautification efforts. It has also submitted a plan for restriping Haywood Road, adding pedestrian islands, on street parking. The city is waiting for state DOT approval.

River District
Vision

City Council has adopted the Wilma Dykeman Riverway Urban Waterfront Master Plan that provides for economic, environmental and recreational revitalization on the river area. New development and recent flood damage has opened the door for redevelopment. Staff will begin the public process of plan implementation this spring. The city has obtained $600,000 for the study.

West End/Clingman
Vision

The Citizens Master Plan represents a conceptual vision for the West End/Clingman community. Supporting a variety of simultaneous projects of large and small scales, based on harmonious architectural vision, sustainability of landscape, reverence for tradition, history and authenticity, the WECAN master plan was developed to serve as a guide for city staff, elected officials, residents.

Broadway Corridor
Vision

Revitalization of the Broadway Corridor will join downtown with UNC Asheville and reconnect two historic neighborhoods through mixed-use, transit and pedestrian-friendly infill buildings. Key features include transit-oriented development, greenway connected natural feature preservation, brownfield development, alternative stormwater system and recycled building materials.

Complementary Healthcare Center
Vision

To create a destination village of health incorporating holistic treatment, training, research, retail, hotel and recreation opportunities serving the health-conscious consumer.

Resources

$1.5 million for business plan

The Dogwood Project
Vision

Mission Hospitals’ expansion plan to add new operating rooms, new critical care units and monitored beds

Resources

$80 million

North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement at UNC Asheville
Vision

The long-range goal is to encourage the development of an age-integrated society. The center serves as a laboratory for exploring creative and productive roles for a new generation of retirement-aged people, many of whom blend education with post-retirement careers.

Mountain Area Health Education Center – N.C. Center for Health and Aging

A collaborative commitment to improve health.

Resources

$63 million: the N.C. General Assembly has appropriated $10 million in a collaboration among MAHEC, Western Carolina University, UNC Asheville, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and other regional health-related organizations.

The Health Adventure
Vision

The Health Adventure has acquired property that will enable the construction of a new facility (9 acres in historic Highland Park Community). A world-class interactive science museum and discovery park incorporating regional culture where all ages gather to explore life, health and the environment.

Resources

$12 million in private funding and $11 million in government funding.

Asheville Area Center for Performing Arts
Vision

To enhance the arts as part of the everyday lives of people in the greater Asheville area; to provide Asheville with a performance space commensurate with its artistic reputation; and to increase economic development by creating a facility that will attract residents, visitors and tourists.

Resources

$50 million to $80 million from public, private and non-profit sources

YMI Cultural Center
Vision

The center is a community-based non-profit that seeks to enhance the cultural and economic lives of residents of WNC, particularly minority and low-income residents, focusing on cultural arts, economic development and community education.

Asheville Civic Center
Vision

A 2002 report to Asheville City Council covered a range of issues, from renovations to new uses for the building. Key issues include finding funding sources and a lack of consensus about the various components of the center.

Resources

$90 million

The Grove Arcade

The mission of the Grove Arcade Public Market Foundation is to provide and manage a vibrant public market destination for WNC and its visitors in an historic setting. An initiative to create the Grove Arcade ArtSpace was recently announced and is planned to open in mid 2005.

Asheville Art Museum
Vision

To mount a major expansion while remaining in downtown Asheville, to best serve the needs of residents and tourists and local and region constituents with a signature building while preserving the historic Pack Library building, to be the centerpiece of cultural activity.

Resources

$12 million to $18 million from public, private and non-profit sectors.

RiverLink
Vision

RiverLink is a regional non-profit spearheading the economic development and revitalization of the French Broad River and its tributaries as a place to work, live and play and addressing water quality concerns to expand public opportunities for access and recreation.

Asheville Area Arts Council
Vision

Develop a membership drive, increase advocacy efforts, create more collaborative partnerships, become a community arts resource center, offer more gallery programming, provide space for community events, serve as a clearing house for arts activities and information

[hauntedheadnc]

Read that last article and tell me it's not exciting! The article came from a special section in the paper about economic development efforts here, and there are lots more fascinating things to read about there. Follow this link (http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/SPECIAL/50329019&theme=WNCAGENDA&template=theme) to read more! It's good stuff!

[zigzag]

^looks like lots going on. :tup:

[hauntedheadnc]

Definitely! I know a little more about a couple of the listed projects.

The Health Adventure -- This is Asheville's children's science museum, and when it moves to its new plot near the university, it will become considerably larger. At least two, and maybe three times the size it is now. A friend of mind has applied to run the nature center that will be connected to the new facility, which will feature a planetarium, among other things. The nature center to be located here will be, for all effects nad purposes, a zoo. I've seen what are supposed to be top secret renderings of the new building, and the look they're going for is that of an Eastern market bazaar.

The Asheville Art Museum -- Currently the art museum, Health Adventure, and Colburn Museum of Earth Sciences all share space at the Pack Place museum complex in downtown on Pack Square. The YMI Center is also technically a part of it, but it has its own building on Eagle Street. None of the museums in Pack Place have enough space to display more than a tiny fraction of their collections. The art museum, if it could put its entire collection out, would immediately be large enough to be considered a major art museum. Currently, less than 10% can be put on display at any one time. The situation is the same at the Colburn. My friend, during his interviews, was allowed access to the collections in storage, and came away dazzled at the treasures sitting in a warehouse for lack of space. I'm looking forward to the art museum and the Colburn getting the space they deserve and for Asheville, in turn, to get two museums it deserves.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (04/11/05)

Jubilee! plans ‘green’ building renovations
Church seeks more ‘Earth friendly’ gathering place

By Julie Ball
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — A downtown church will gut its building to make way for renovations that should make the structure more energy efficient and generally “greener.”

“Earth is a sacred place, and it’s our job to treat it as such,” said Howard Hanger, founder of Jubilee! Community. “We’ve decided it’s time to put our building where our mouth is, to make our building Earth friendly.”

The renovations at the Jubilee! building on Wall Street will cost an estimated $675,000 and will likely begin in late May or early June. The steps the church is taking are part of a growing trend in commercial and public buildings.

“I think there’s a lot of excitement,” said Ron Katz, a church member.

The church held a meeting last year to talk about the design.

“That’s where a lot of these ideas came from,” said member Paul Muller.

When complete, the space will incorporate more natural light and feature a heating and air conditioning system designed to run more efficiently.

George Stowe, the architect on the project, says the church is looking at an air-conditioning system with carbon dioxide sensors that help measure how many people are inside the building. The system then adjusts based on how many people are in the building.

Another feature of the renovation will be low-water fixtures in the bathrooms, and the church is looking to use materials “that both use less energy to manufacture and are not a problem for indoor air quality,” Stowe said.

“Our focus was to make it healthy, safe and environmentally friendly,” Muller said.

The changes should also help the church save money on utility costs.

While green building techniques and technology are still more common in residential buildings, they are starting to be used more in commercial and public buildings, according to Matt Siegel, green building coordinator for the Western North Carolina Green Building Council.

“It’s growing pretty quickly in this area,” Siegel said.

The U.S. Green Building Council has developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system with standards for creating sustainable buildings.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians plans to use those standards in the design of three new schools, according to Doyce Cannon, director of education for Cherokee Central Schools.

“Down the road, it will be a savings to the school and to the tribe,” Cannon said.

Another Asheville church, the First Congregational United Church of Christ, is also set to begin construction on a new church designed to be “as green a building as we can build for the price we’re trying to build it,” according to Michael Hester, co-chair of the church building committee.

The new building will include geothermal heating and solar-powered lighting in the parking lot.

Contact Ball at 232-5851 or jball@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

On the Net: www.Jubileecommunity.org, www.wncgbc.org, www.usgbc.org

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Mountain X-Press (04/13/05)

A step back in time
Bank renovation recaptures the Roaring 20s

by Lisa Watters

What in the world were they thinking?

When Asheville Federal Savings and Loan Association (now Asheville Savings Bank) bought its current headquarters at 11 Church St. from First Union National Bank of North Carolina back in 1962, the new owners decided to give the building a whole new look.

The neoclassical structure Asheville Federal acquired was designed in 1922 by well-known architect Ronald Greene for the National Bank of Commerce. Greene's handiwork was actually a renovation and reconfiguration of two turn-of-the-century buildings that shared a common masonry wall. Both had brick façades fronting on Church Street, which Greene covered with a facing of artificial stone. (In the late 1940s, a third building was joined to the bank, creating an even larger space.)

But after waiting a few years for First Union to complete its new premises and actually move out, Asheville Federal commissioned a complete overhaul of the Church Street structure. As described by the Asheville Citizen at the time, the plans called for covering the existing façade with pink panels of porcelainized steel, covering up some of the windows, and replacing the rest with "direction glass [blocks] and thermopane." Interior changes included accenting the main floor with "a lay-in ceiling of fiberglass and aluminum framework with an interspersed arrangement of flush fluorescent lights" and replacing the original flooring with "a vinyl covering in a travertine Italian marble pattern," according to a Feb. 7, 1965, article titled "Asheville Federal Plans New Location."

To many people today, these alterations may seem little short of sacrilegious. But this was the '60s – a time when experimentation with new materials was rampant, and the more futuristic a building looked, the better. And for whatever reasons, the 1920s didn't seem quite as exotic as they do today. Indeed, "It all sparkles like new money," the Citizen proclaimed about the face-lift in another story later that same year.

Flash forward 37 years. By 2002, Asheville Savings Bank had outgrown the Church Street facility and had long since moved many of its administrative and support staff to other locations. But the building remained crowded and "chopped up in terms of access," Executive Vice President Steve Young explains, and something had to change.

Bank leaders considered razing the aging structure and building a new one in its place, or selling the property and moving to a new facility out of town. In the end, however, they decided to restore the current building to its 1920s glory and keep the main branch operations, the business-banking division and the executive offices downtown. Renovation of the downtown structure began in November of 2003 and was completed this February (the administrative and support staff were moved to Enka-Candler in 2003).

As bank President/CEO John B. Dickson puts it: "We are the oldest locally managed, independent financial institution in Asheville and an important part of the history of this town. ... Our roots are here, in this building and in the downtown area. It's where we belong."

The renovation was an expensive undertaking – costing approximately $3 million – but with the assistance of private consultant Sybil A. Bowers, the bank was able to secure the approval of the Historic Resources Commission of Asheville and Buncombe County, making the project eligible for historic-preservation tax credits.

And though old photographs showed "a nice neoclassical exterior," it wasn't until the 1960s panels were actually removed "that we knew that it was restorable – that there was enough of the old material there to really work with," lead architect John Murrell-Kisner of Fisher Architects explains. That "old material" included artificial stone blocks (originally provided by the Curry Concrete Manufacturing Company of Biltmore) at the front of the building and scored stucco toward the back (both stemming from the 1922 renovation) as well as the turn-of-the-century brick from the additional building that was integrated into the bank façade in the '40s.

But that doesn't mean it was all smooth sailing. "The job was challenging because of the variety of materials that needed to be restored," notes Ken Fussell of McCarroll Construction, the general contractor for the project. He gives particular credit to Carolina Waterproofing and Restoration (which redid the brick, the concrete façade and the cornice work) and to J.L. Wallen Inc. (which restored the exterior stucco). Liberty Wood Products custom-made the exterior framework at the main entrance.

The cornice work proved particularly problematic, because the original cornice had been knocked off to accommodate the 1960s panels, Murrell-Kisner explains. But the renovation team did have resources to guide them: historic photos as well as a reference book that was popular in the 1920s and '30s, The American Vignola: A Guide to the Making of Classical Architecture by William R. Ware. And though the new cornice had to be made of a lightweight composite material rather than the original concrete in order to satisfy the modern building code, it "is exactly what the original cornice would have looked like," says the architect.

During the restoration process, Murrell-Kisner found that Greene had used a blend of Doric and Tuscan (two of the five orders of classical architecture) in the 1922 project. The Tuscan order can be seen in the very solid walls and columns, while the more ornate entablature at the top of the building is Doric. "It's very unusual to see orders mixed like this," notes Murrell-Kisner. "But Ronald Greene was really one of the most sophisticated architects working around here, and to mix orders like that is something that not many architects would have attempted."

Greene also designed a number of other Asheville landmarks during the '20s, including Claxton Elementary School (which is similar in style to the Church Street structure), the Westall Building, the Jackson Building (Western North Carolina's first skyscraper), the Municipal Building and the Longchamps Apartments.

New windows were also fabricated to look like the 1922 originals – complete with intricate, X-shaped mullions – only this time around, they were made of aluminum instead of wood. The current renovation also re-established the dual character the building had after the 1922 makeover – Greene's neoclassical façade and the adjoining turn-of-the-century building, which once again has its own brick façade fronting Church Street and will be rented out to tenants.

Restoring the interior was even trickier, says Murrell-Kisner. There wasn't much left of the original, and they had no old photos to provide clues. There was a local man who remembered what the building had looked like when he was a child and his father had a law office there, and a newspaper description from the 1922 opening helped a little. But "we didn't know the old floor plan," the architect recalls.

Still, several original interior features were retained, such as the black-and-white mosaic tile in the basement and also in the ladies room. Visions Design Group, the interior-design firm for the project, used that black-and-white theme in redoing all the restrooms, explains company President B.J. Miller.

The ladies room may have been the first such facility in a downtown business other than a shop or restaurant. Up till then, notes Murrell-Kisner, women weren't expected to visit banks. If they did have to make a financial transaction, they usually sent a male relative or acquaintance on their behalf.

In describing the 1922 renovation, an Asheville Times article from Aug. 23 of that year notes, "There are two additional tellers' windows, facing on a separate enclosure, for the special use of ladies." A few paragraphs down, the article continues: "A ladies rest room is included, which represents the latest departure in service for bank customers. This rest room is completely furnished for the comfort of lady customers, with chairs and other furniture of old mahogany."

The team was able to restore one room – called the Board Room in the 1922 article – to its original state. "The [wood-beamed and gold-leaf-stenciled] ceiling of that room and about 75 percent of the walls were [about] the only things left intact from the old building that had gone through so many generations of renovations," Murrell-Kisner reports.

For the most part, however, the renovation team didn't try to re-create the actual physical layout of the 1920s structure. Because of the demands of modern mechanical systems and building codes – not to mention the very different needs of 21st-century banking – that just wasn't feasible. But the new interior does incorporate many features that pay homage to an earlier time, notes Murrell-Kisner: a vintage color scheme, lots of wood trim, scored plaster, wide-slat blinds on the windows, a rustic-looking wood floor, and period-appropriate light fixtures. There's also an elegant, concave teller area whose Tuscan columns echo the exterior.

But the architectural renovation isn't Asheville Savings' only step back in time, notes Young. Back in the day, the Board Room was offered to the public as a place to hold community meetings. And as a nod to its history, the restored space – renamed the Community Room – is once again made available to nonprofits and bank customers for such gatherings.

---

I tried to post the pictures included in this article, which showed how this bank building has evolved over time. However, it appears that you can't link to pics in X-Press articles. Therefore, to take a gander, follow this LINK (http://www.mountainx.com/news/2005/0413bank.php) !

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (04/17/05)

Symphony for United Nations branch is another feather in cap for Asheville

New York; Berkeley, Calif.; Pompano Beach, Fla.; Asheville — four cities separated by many miles, but sharing just the right traits for a branch of the Symphony for United Nations (SUN) to call them home.

Billed as a “humanitarian orchestra,” Symphony for United Nations concerts have benefited young victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the child refugees of Bosnia and peace in Northern Ireland. SUN has played in Costa Rica, Moscow and South Africa.

The Asheville branch hopes to create music and arts programs in the area that focus attention on and raise money for peace, refugees, hunger, disaster, the environment and especially for children. The paid orchestra will be composed of classical musicians in the area, many of them with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra.

The first concert is coming up next Sunday, April 24, at Diana Wortham Theater at 3 p.m. to benefit the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the Children’s Welfare League. Among the highlights to watch for are an appearance by a young Asheville musician, violinist Ginger Kowal, and the performance of an original composition, “Listen, The Earth is Weeping,” by Ron Clearfield, the music director of the Asheville Youth Orhcestra and Asheville Civic Orchestra.

Founded in 1974 by conductor Joseph Egers, SUN is a nongovernmental organization headquartered in New York. Egers is internationally acclaimed as a conductor and as the author of the book, “Einstein’s Violin: A Conductor’s Notes on Music, Physics and Social Change.”

Though he currently lives in Pompano Beach, Egers is excited about Symphony for United Nations, Asheville (SUNA). “There’s an audience there not only for good music but also for deep thinking and decent social goals for a better world,” he said. “I love Asheville. I love the people. … Asheville is kinder than some other places I’ve been.”

To find out more about SUNA, call Corine Brouwer at (828) 236-0771.

On the Web: http://www.symphonyun.org/home.html

---

Liberal? Why, yes we are!

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (04/18/05)

Downtown parking garage construction to begin in fall

By Rebeccah Cantley-Falk
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — While downtown merchants await the construction of Asheville’s new parking garage, some are doing all they can to preserve parking for their customers.

“You don’t want to take up the limited space the customers could use, so a lot of us actually park at the top of Montford (Avenue) and walk over,” merchant Phyllis Roberts said.

Roberts, owner of the Dragonfly, an eclectic home accents and gifts boutique in the Grove Arcade, is one of many downtown merchants who say the planned 650-space garage is overdue. City Council approved the structure in December, but it will be several months before dirt starts flying at the site along Haywood Street. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall and should take about 18 months, City Engineer Cathy Ball said.

“We still don’t have all the property acquired,” she said.

The Battery Park Apartments, which provides subsidized housing for low-income seniors, is seeking approval from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to sell property for the project, Ball said.

The city must close on the Battery Park property before it can close on property from the Basilica of St. Lawrence church, also along Haywood Street, she said.

Although merchants have been outspoken about the need for parking, some Asheville residents are against the project because of its scale and cost. The five-story garage, which has been in the works several years, will take up an entire city block. And projected costs rose from $11.9 million to $20.8 million, or $32,000 per space.

The city plans to finance the garage through bonds to be paid for with parking revenues and a projected $10 increase in monthly rates in all of the city’s garages.

Another component of the project is a parcel of land that could be privately developed. There are no plans for the land now because it will be used for storage and staging during construction.

In March, City Council voted to pay for a marketing study to determine the best use for the parcel. Councilman Brownie Newman has pushed for an affordable housing component for the project, but the study will consider all options.

In the meantime, parking woes aren’t preventing new businesses from starting in downtown. Matt DeRobertis opened a Chef Cargo kitchen store in the Grove Arcade about two weeks ago.

“Parking is a problem, but we like the traffic downtown,” his wife, Alex DeRobertis, said.

Contact Falk at 232-2938 or

rfalk@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (04/20/05)

Broadway building could spur more activity

By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — Many people expected big things to happen on Broadway when workers finished widening the historic street between Chestnut Street and UNC Asheville in 1997.

But neighborhood resident Willie Shivers summed up what happened next this way: “Nothing.”

“The only thing is, they just took out the parking,” he said Tuesday, referring to conversion of on-street parking between Chestnut and Interstate 240 into two additional lanes of traffic when the stretch of wider road north of Chestnut opened.

Developers of a planned four-story, mixed-use condominium building at the southwest corner of Broadway and Elizabeth Street say that relative inactivity is about to change.

They held a groundbreaking for the building Tuesday, plan to start on another, similar one right beside the first later this year and say a third should follow within a year or so.

And they predict the corridor just north of downtown will see other development as their project gains momentum.

“There are a bunch of property owners all up and down this corridor … just waiting for the action to begin,” said David Hill, a partner in the project and the architect who designed the first building.

The first building in a cluster developers are calling The Gateway will have retail use on the first floor, offices on the second and 10 residential condominiums on the top two floors.

It’s designed to be environmentally friendly. Much of the exterior will consist of huge panels of recycled material that are particularly energy-efficient because of a lack of cracks and seams, said Tom Gallaher, another partner. Heating and cooling systems are also designed to be highly efficient and, Gallaher said, the location itself encourages walking or riding a bicycle.

That was an attraction for Samantha Forrest, who has reserved one of the units in 237 Broadway.

“It’s close to UNCA. It’s close to the health food store. It’s going to be close to the Staples store when it goes up (on Merrimon Avenue) and it’s close to downtown,” Forrest said.

City government rezoned property along the street to encourage mixed-use development. Community Corridors, a private company that includes developers of 237 Broadway, has plans that show a series of mixed-use buildings along the street and has acquired other property in the area. The city has done some planning and other work toward building a greenway path along Reed Creek, which parallels Broadway, although that project has been delayed repeatedly.

Work on 237 Broadway has been a while coming, too. Partner Kimberly Evans asked a crowd of about 75 people at Tuesday’s groundbreaking to give a hand to some buyers who had reserved space in the building more than two years ago.

Economic ups and downs, time spent getting different zoning in place and the fact that, “all five of us have day jobs” contributed to planning stretching over several years, Gallaher said.

Contact Barrett at 232-5833 or

mbarrett@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

More information

To learn more about three buildings planned along Broadway, call 251-2900 or visit www.ashevillegateway.com.

---

My take? Nice design, but too damn short. Add about ten stories and then we'll talk. Here's a pic:

http://cmsimg.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=B0&Date=20050420&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=50419013&Ref=V1&Profile=1003&maxW=600&maxH=440&title=1

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Mountain X-Press (04/20/05)

Take me to the river
Council approves new River District apartments
by Brian Postelle

The Asheville City Council's unanimous approval of a proposed mixed-use development in Asheville's River District paves the way for further revitalization in the historic area, neighboring merchants say.

"Please vote for the zoning that will allow for this improvement," urged Susan Kendel, owner of Carolina Cornerstone Construction on Depot Street, one of several local businesspeople who spoke during a public hearing at Council's April 12 formal session.

Mountain Housing Opportunities plans to spend up to $20 million on the development, which will provide 110 one- to three-bedroom apartments at rents ranging from $300 to $675 per month. The local nonprofit specializes in developing housing for low-income families.

Federal and state tax credits, which could amount to as much as $10 million (half the projected cost), will play a crucial role in making the project feasible, said MHO Community Rental Investments Manager Cindy Weeks. The credits, she explained, will offset the cost by " in huge sources of equity, so our bank loans will be much smaller."

Three types of credits are available, Weeks told Xpress: for historic renovation, affordable housing and investing in a nonresidential project in a blighted area. Investors buy the credits, providing money for construction; they can then take advantage of the tax credits themselves. And the reduced debt load enables the project to be viable while keeping rents low.

The project also includes renovating the neighboring 115-year-old Glen Rock Hotel, creating 20 to 25 modestly priced condominiums. The nonprofit is buying both properties from Ralph and Clarence Cannon.

The approval by City Council marked the first use of a new zoning classification. The Urban Place District, created in February, allows much-higher-density residential development (as much as 64 units per acre, compared to 16 units per acre under the property's prior zoning), as well as mixed-use retail, office and community space. When Council approved the new zoning category, Planning and Development Director Scott Shuford noted that it would be perfect for upcoming projects in the long-neglected River District. Around the same time, Mountain Housing Opportunities' proposed development went before the city's Technical Review Committee, where it won unanimous support. Council also approved a conditional-use permit for the project.

The 2.11-acre site sits between Depot and Ralph streets, surrounded by dilapidated commercial and industrial structures. Apart from the hotel, only two small, abandoned buildings remain on the property; they are slated for demolition. But a historic photo of the site displayed by Weeks showed Asheville's train depot, along with many other buildings. The area, noted Weeks, "was really like a small town – a real hub of activity." Mayor Charles Worley, an Asheville native, said he thought the depot had been torn down in the 1960s.

The photo, taken during the great flood of 1916, showed the site partially under water, due to spillover from a temporary dam created by debris swept down the French Broad during the deluge that lodged against the old bridge. During last year's flooding, water never reached the site (which is not in the floodplain), she noted.

The new building will contain 110 apartments, as well as three floors of mixed-use space. The Urban Place designation, noted Shuford, prohibits certain "undesirable" uses, such as bars and nightclubs.

According to the plans shown to Council, the complex will offer courtyards and other pedestrian amenities as well as a possible rooftop green space. Additional landscaping is planned along Town Branch, a creek that runs through the property (affectionately dubbed "Nasty Branch" by the locals). Most of the parking, noted Weeks, will be contained inside the lower levels of the building.

No objections were raised during the public hearing, and every one of the handful of people who spoke enthusiastically endorsed the new development.

Kevin Green, whose family owns Green's Mini-Mart on Depot Street, said he's watched Asheville revitalize every corner of the city except the River District. "It has pretty much been the redheaded stepchild of the city," he said.

Besides providing affordable housing, the development will also help maintain momentum on the overall plan for the riverfront, the city staff report points out.

Council member Terry Bellamy, who is marketing-and-development manager for Mountain Housing Opportunities, was excused from the discussion and vote.

[b]Next annexation

Council members also took the first step in extending the city limits into five new areas south of town: the Ridgefield Business Park, Ascot Point Village, a section of Long Shoals Road, Airport Road and Town Square. The move will bring several residential and business complexes and two public schools into the city (the schools will remain in the county system).

The city's policy is to annex bordering areas that exhibit urban character and meet state requirements, according to the staff report. The whole process is expected to take about eight months, barring legal challenges by residents. The next step, said Shuford, is to determine the project's economic impact on the city (including both expenses and tax revenues) and report back to Council on April 26.

Council member Brownie Newman likened annexation to another perennial source of controversy: water. "Asheville pays twice the level of taxes as people outside the city," noted Newman. Those taxes, he said, pay for city services. "When [an area] becomes urban in nature, it should pay for those things," he asserted.

But not everyone was ready to get on board the annexation express. Vice Mayor Carl Mumpower had a philosophical objection, saying the "harm outweighs the benefits."

And Council member Joe Dunn had a problem with the way the new tax revenues would be used. "The money is not going back into core city services," he said. "Until I see that, this councilman will never vote for annexation."

At Shuford's suggestion, Council voted on each area separately, so if one annexation is challenged, it won't hold up all the others. Newman made all the motions to approve, with Council member Holly Jones seconding. All six motions (there are two parcels in Town Square) were approved on 5-2 votes, with Mumpower and Dunn opposed. Several steps remain in the process, however: a May 31 public-information meeting, a June 14 public hearing, and a June 28 vote on the annexation. If approved, the annexations would take effect Sept. 30 (for Ridgefield and Town Square) and Dec. 31 (for Ascot Point, Long Shoals Road and Airport Road).

[Brian Postelle is a regular contributor to Xpress.]

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (04/22/05)

Hotel may go up near Civic Center
Project would create jobs

By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — A Missouri-based hotel developer announced Thursday that he wants to build a 250- to 280-room hotel near the Civic Center downtown.

The possibility of a roughly $50 million hotel, which officials said would create the equivalent of 200 full-time jobs, also could spur action to renovate the aging Civic Center, Mayor Charles Worley said.

Developer John Q. Hammons said the hotel would be located near the Civic Center and that he is looking for property from Lexington Avenue west toward the center but has not settled on a site.

The hotel would probably be branded as an Embassy Suites or a Marriott and would get much of its business from conventions and meetings, he said during a press conference at City Hall.

City-owned property along Rankin Avenue is a possibility, Worley said, but private property may be needed as well. Hammons said he would like to begin construction in a year-and-a-half or so.

Based in Springfield, Mo., John Q. Hammons Hotels owns or manages 58 hotels in 22 states under brands such as Embassy Suites, Renaissance and Marriott.

Hammons, founder, CEO and chairman of the company that bears his name, said he personally owns a number of other hotels and has built 163 hotels since getting into the business in 1958.

City government has been struggling off and on for years to find money to make significant renovations to the complex. Worley said he will contact state legislators to urge them to approve a tax or fee to generate money to pay for work on the Civic Center.

“As best we can tell, (the hotel proposal) fits very nicely with some of the goals we have for the Civic Center,” Worley said.

Hammons did not say explicitly that his plans hinge on improvements to the Civic Center, but he said the building currently is “not acceptable for a proper meeting.” The hotel would contain meeting space as well, he said.

“We think we need to (renovate the Civic Center) if we’re going to be a partner with Mr. Hammons,” Worley said.

Hammons said he does not have any property under option and that attempts to secure a couple of parcels did not work out.

“This is not an easy city to get into … because of your topography and the history that you have,” he said.

Some Haywood Street businesspeople said a hotel would boost business.

“It would have to help the restaurants and everybody down here,” said Jennie Charlton, co-owner of Sensibilities, a day spa and natural body care products store.

Contact Barrett at 232-5833 or mbarrett@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

---

250-280 rooms on what is likely to be a small plot of land? How many stories is this building likely to be?

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (04/22/05)

Committee prods city to mend aging Civic Center

By Rebeccah Cantley-Falk
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — City leaders hope a Missouri developer’s plans to build a hotel near the 30–year-old Asheville Civic Center will also help them build a case for renovating or replacing the outdated facility.

But Asheville has been down this road before. For at least 10 years, city officials have talked about improving the Civic Center.

Members of the Civic Center Commission — a citizen committee that advises City Council on center operations — say they’re tired of waiting for something to happen.

In February, the commission published an 11-page report called a “White Paper,” listing problems ranging from water leaks in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium to a fire alarm system that no longer meets code.

“We wanted to get people talking about the Civic Center again and get a discussion going based in fact,” commission chairman Max Alexander said.

The bottom line in the commission report is that the Civic Center has maintenance needs that can’t be ignored and that city leaders need to determine the building’s future and set a plan of action. The frustrating thing for Alexander and others was that many of the problems outlined in the report were identical to those mentioned in 2001. That year, the city appointed a task force and hired Atlanta-based architectural firm, Heery International, to report problems and devise a plan for addressing them.

Water damage in the 2,400-seat Thomas Wolfe Auditorium is one of the most visible deficiencies. Stains, peeling paint and crumbling plaster were mentioned in both Civic Center reports.

“I get tired of hearing, ‘well, now is not the time,’ or whatever put-off you hear,” Alexander said. “The roof on the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium as well as the arena is splitting open, water is going in, and it doesn’t come out.”

City Council members offer a variety of reasons for lack of action: there’s no local funding source, legislators have been unwilling to talk about a tax or fee to generate money, and the council has lacked leadership. Others say the problems haven’t been characterized accurately.

“It’s not as bad as some would portray, nor as good as others would like to believe,” Vice Mayor Carl Mumpower said. “The roof is not about to fall in. We’re neglecting maintenance needs that are going to come back and bite us. We can limp along like this for some time, but what we can do and should do are very different.”

Alexander said he received a few e-mails from council members after the release of the most recent Civic Center report but was disappointed that it didn’t generate more feedback. During City Council’s retreat in December, Mumpower encouraged Mayor Charles Worley to form a committee to devise a plan for replacing or restoring the Civic Center, but Worley said another committee would be useless.

“I want to have a realistic opportunity to get something done,” Worley said. “We need something that will make an impression on the legislative delegation that we really do need a funding source.”

Ideas that have been informally discussed are a prepared food and beverage tax or a 2-cent hotel room tax, but nothing has garnered support from the local delegation.

The earliest council is likely to discuss Civic Center repairs or replacement is in May during budget deliberations, Worley said. The Civic Center’s $2.3 million budget includes about $50,000 for maintenance, much less than what would be needed for meaningful action, Director David Pisha said.

The Heery Report outlined several choices for renovations and improvements ranging in cost from $7.2 million to $85.9 million.

The general fund subsidy for the Civic Center this year was budgeted for $776,249, according to the city’s budget.

“We bring in a lot of diverse events, and we have public assembly space,” he said. “Just about any citizen at some point will come to an event here, be it a sport or the symphony.”

Contact Falk at 232-2938 or RFalk@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (05/02/05)

Hotel proposal may jump-start languishing debate over Civic Center
By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — Will John Q. Hammons help Asheville decide what to do about its aging Civic Center?

Mayor Charles Worley hopes Hammons’ proposal to build a large hotel near the Civic Center will prompt action to fix the center, but two key state legislators were noncommittal when asked what should happen next to the city facility on Haywood Street.

Hammons, a Missouri developer, did not say his plans are contingent on improvements to the Civic Center when he announced April 21 his hopes to build a hotel but called its current condition “not acceptable.”

Worley said the proposal should spur action on the center, saying Hammons’ project would generate about $300,000 a year in additional property tax revenues, $38,000 in sale taxes and even more indirect economic benefits.

City leaders have discussed renovating the center for several years. A February report by the Civic Center Commission, a citizens committee that advises City Council on center operations, said the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium roof leaks and is too damaged to repair, the fire alarm system does not comply with the current building code and several systems or fixtures have exceeded their useful life.

However, there have been disagreements over how best to fix the center. Worley said City Council does not want to pay for improvements with property tax revenue.

State legislators have been reluctant to approve a special source of revenue such as a local-option sales tax or a tax on food and beverage sales.

Two state legislators said that because of the General Assembly’s calendar, it would be difficult to get any action on a proposal this year even if a consensus on what should be done existed.

Sen. Martin Nesbitt, D-Buncombe, said he has heard little about the issue lately.

“I don’t know what (city officials) would be proposing or what they would be requesting of us. I just don’t know,” he said.

Right now, “I’m not in favor today of looking at any other way of taxing the people,” said Rep. Wilma Sherrill, R-Buncombe. “I do think that something needs to be done about the Civic Center but I haven’t made any (decision) as to what it might be.”

County commissioners have discussed transferring responsibility for the Civic Center to an independent board or to county government as part of a settlement of the dispute over the city-county water agreement, but city officials have been unenthusiastic about the idea.

People in the hospitality industry have generally resisted using proceeds from the county hotel/motel room tax to fix the Civic Center and there is some opposition to using public funds to help attract a hotel to the area near the center.

Victor Trantham, general manager of the 33-room Haywood Park Hotel just down Haywood Street from the Civic Center, said a key issue with regard to Hammons’ plans would be whether the city proposes subsidizing them in some way.

“No one else around here had the city help them build their hotel,” he said.

Worley said the city might make land it owns along Rankin Avenue available as a hotel site. But, he said, there has been no discussion of the city bearing any of Hammons’ costs.

“We would expect to be compensated at fair market value (for land). This is not something that has come to us saying, ‘Give us incentives, we’ll do it,’ ” he said.

Some people who work along North Lexington worry that the city might condemn property there to make way for a hotel.

Worley dismissed the idea.

“We have not talked about doing that, and we can’t do that for a private purpose,” he said.

At the moment, the city is waiting to see what Hammons does next, Worley said.

“We’re going to work with Mr. Hammons, but he’s got to come forward with a specific proposal.”

Contact Barrett at 232-5833 or mbarrett@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

---

I've got mixed feeling about this proposal. On one hand, I'm thrilled at the thought of a large, and probably tall, building going up downtown. The plot of land they're talking about stuffing this building onto is just tiny, which means the developer would have no choice but to build up.

On the other hand though, if this hotel turns out as posh as other Hammons projects, it's too close for comfort to North Lexington Avenue, which is one of ASheville's most bohemian 'hoods. I don't like the thought of an established community getting pushed aside in the name of some developer's bottom line. Besides, Asheville needs its dirty hippies every bit as much as its capitalist pigs. Together the two make the city work, and without one or the other it will fall apart. I don't want Asheville to become normal, because then it would no longer be Asheville, and if an expensive hotel were to go up near a dirty hippy enclave, you just know all the prissy hotel guests wouldn't want to mix and mingle. And because the prissy guests will have more money to throw around, guess who will be listened to?

I have concerns.

[hauntedheadnc]

Here's another article that addresses some of the very things I'm most concerned about with a large upscale hotel moving into downtown

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From the Asheville Citizen-Times (05/02/05)

COVER STORY: Fears and cheers: New hotel proposed for downtown sparks variety of reactions
By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE - Developer John Q. Hammons' proposal to build a 250- to 280-room hotel near the Civic Center might boost business around it.

It might also change the character of some nearby areas, and it might have trouble attracting a lot of meeting business, some say.

Or, it might not get built at all.

Hammons, a Missouri developer who has built more than 150 hotels around the country, came to town April 21 to announce at a press conference that he would like to build a hotel west of North Lexington Avenue, north of Walnut Street and south of Interstate 240. The hotel would probably be either a Marriott or Embassy Suites and construction might begin in a year-and-a-half, he said.

Hammons said he has not settled on a site for the hotel, which Mayor Charles Worley valued at $50 million or more. Scott Tarwater, an official with Hammons' company, said it would offer the equivalent of 200 full-time jobs.

But no matter where it is located, the hotel would be sure to have a dramatic impact on the western end of downtown.

NEIGHBORS

Several downtown businesspeople said increased numbers of visitors staying nearby would likely boost their sales, although they also voiced concerns.

"Anything that would bring an attraction ... for tourists would be good for us," said blacksmith Douglas Lapham, co-owner of Ariel Gallery, a crafts gallery on Haywood Street.

"I can see that turning into an asset" if it makes use of parking lots on Rankin Avenue immediately behind the Civic Center, Lapham said.

Many of the customers at Sensibilities, a natural body care products store and day spa on Haywood Street, are guests at downtown hotels, said co-owner Jennie Charlton. "It would be great to have another hotel here," she said.

Down the hill on North Lexington Avenue, views were more mixed. Last year's closing of coffeehouse Vincent's Ear, a key gathering spot for many in Asheville's arts community, and reports of rising rents this year have raised worries that the area will become gentrified.

North Lexington has been more of a counterculture part of Asheville for years but has already changed from a focus on antiques and used clothing to a more upscale mix with art galleries, craft stores and home furnishing stores - and, still, vintage clothing.

A hotel nearby would be "awful" because it would spur location of franchise businesses along the street, said Kate Roach, a seamstress at a North Lexington shop. "Asheville's charm (is) not having a lot of big, anywhere-in-America things."

"We're going to be shoved out when somebody else comes along" who can pay more rent, said Kitty Love, owner of Sky People Gallery.

Luis Serapio, co-owner of Terra Nostra Décor, said it is too soon to measure the impacts.

"If somebody's going to try to develop some jobs for these people in this town, that's not a bad thing," but it is hard to evaluate the idea until a location is known, he said.

Kanji Ueda, owner of Heiwa Shokudo Japanese restaurant, said the additional business a hotel might bring would be good but worried that it might change North Lexington.

"I love this street right now," he said. "It's in harmony."

VISITORS

Hammons said meetings and conventions would make up a big part of the hotel's business. But there is skepticism about how large the demand is for more meetings in the area.

The meetings business "is a tough market, and it's been a tough market since 2001," said Craig Madison, president and general manager of the Grove Park Inn. The inn would not be a direct competitor of Hammons' hotel, he said.

Companies have not restored travel budgets to earlier levels, he said. "People are still having meetings but people are sending less attendees."

Marla Tambellini of the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau had a similar assessment.

"Right now it seems that the Asheville market appears to be accommodating the current demand for meeting space," she said.

Hotel rates and occupancy in general have been trending up, but, "we still have not achieved quite the occupancy levels that our friends in places like Savannah and Charleston have, nor the daily rate," Tambellini said.

On the other hand, Madison said there is a strong interest in staying downtown.

"Downtown Asheville is a great product," he said. "If I was not from here and traveling here and I didn't want to go on the resort side or the Biltmore side, I'd really want to be downtown."

A 2000 study done by an Atlanta consulting firm for the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority recommended against changes to the Civic Center to turn it into a convention or conference center.

"The investment would not generate a positive return in terms of positive economic impact or significantly increased visitation," Peggy Berg, president of The Highland Group, wrote at the time. The city already has a fairly large amount of meeting space, most groups that might consider Asheville are already coming here and large groups tend to meet in cities that have more air service than Asheville and other cities its size do, the report says.

The business would come, Hammons said during his press conference.

"You have some first-rate hotels here now, we know, but I think there's room for one more with some good meeting space," he said.

---

I've seen plans, which thankfully aren't going anywhere, for an expansion of the Asheville Civic Center. The owner of Heiwa Shokudo is right to not want the hotel coming in. If the Civic Center plans were followed to the letter, the center would spill over another two blocks to Lexington Avenue, and his little restaurant sits squarely in the path of a performing arts center.

[Matthew]

I've been trying to create a rendering of what the proposed 15-17 storey hotel tower might look like on the skyline, but I can't find a picture with a view that would show it and not cover other buildings or have other buildings covering it. This subject, since it could lead to a new skyscraper, should have it's own thread. This is proposed for the site behind the old Vanderbilt Tower, isn't it? I know there is an open space on Lexington behind those apartments that is perfect for something like this and could force them to build a good sized tower?

:eek: This should be fun to look at from I-240!

[hauntedheadnc]

Well, Rankin Avenue is the one that runs directly behind the Civic Center, and the city is considering selling some of the property it owns there for the hotel -- assuming plans come through at all, of course. The plot of land there is very long and narrow, which means any building there would rise like a wall. Long, narrow, and probably quite tall.

Another thing, is that if a tall building were built there, it wouldn't make much of an impact on the skyline because that's that at the bottom of the tall hill crowned by the Civic Center. It probably wouldn't rise any higher than the Civic Center itself.

[orulz]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (04/20/05)

Broadway building could spur more activity

---

My take? Nice design, but too damn short. Add about ten stories and then we'll talk. Here's a pic:

Hi. Never really knew this thread was here. I'm an Asheville native at school in Raleigh for the past 5 years.

My take:
The Gateway on Broadway is an excellent scale for that part of town. I say keep everything more than 5 or 6 stories on the south side of I-240. If anything bigger than that ever gets built to the north, it should be on Merrimon or Charlotte, not Broadway. People keep saying that downtown Asheville is in a land crunch, but there are PLENTY of surface lots around the Health Department and Renaissance Inn on College St that should be converted to a deck to make room for new construction.Bulldoze the Tripp's restaurand and the Beverly Hanks office while you're at it, and relocate them to a multi-story mixed use building that addresses the street rather than the parking lot.

Regarding Broadway, here's something that you may not have thought about: it would be an excellent road for a streetcar. Firstly, the right-of-way is more than wide enough. It's also the only route from the river to downtown that does not involve a steep (>5%) grade. It runs right by UNCA and it heads straight downtown. This streetcar line could then connect to the old Asheville & Craggy Railroad along Riverside Drive, perhaps helping to spark some redevelopment of the dilapidated warehouses and sheds sheds along that part of the river. If you head south from Broadway, the railroad goes to the Urban Riverfront area; going north, you evenutally end up at the intersection of Elkwood and Merrimon in North Asheville. There's been some talk of removing the rails and turning it into a rail-trail but I see no reason why the corridor can't be shared (they do it in Carrboro and it works just great.)

Here's what the corridor looks like where it crosses Woodfin Ave. in Woodfin:
http://www.reprehensible.net/~orulz/CML.jpg

[hauntedheadnc]

^Why not put your idea in a letter and send it to Mayor Worley? It sounds like a damn fine concept to me, and I've found Mayor Worley to be very accommodating and willing to listen to people who have good ideas.

[orulz]

I may just do that. Especially considering that I still vote in Asheville since it's still my home =) It just kills me that I can't go to any of the public meetings where these plans are discussed.

And, next, another interesting post in this thread:

I think Asheville could get a new tallest (25 stories), all condos and ground floor retail. I think something Post-Modern, with a nice crown would look great as a signature tower.
I agree, Asheville needs some more height somewhere. Something bold. A modern tower would certainly be nice, but not something that looks like it is imported from Charlotte or Winston-Salem. Make it modern, fine; but make it uniquely Asheville.

But more importantly, I say that there is one unbelievable opportunity for a lucky developer to build a brand-new, yet undeniably genuine and historic skyscraper in town: put the tower on the Grove Arcade!. How tall was it supposed to be again? I've heard 19 stories and I've heard 22. No modern interpretations, and no skimping out on ornamentation and materials, either; build it exactly as it would have been built in 1929 - only, build it for compliance with modern building codes and ADA regulations. Oh yeah, modern double-paned glass in the windows would be nice, too. I wonder whehter any of the original blueprints for the tower are left?

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (05/09/05)

Group rallies to oppose annexation
Organization to meet Wednesday in Raleigh
By Clarke Morrison
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — As the city of Asheville continues to expand its boundaries, Candler resident Julia Roberson believes it’s only a matter of time before her property is annexed.

“If I wanted to be in the city I would have moved to the city,” the retiree said. “They don’t have anything to offer I don’t already have. I pay enough taxes as it is.

“I think they’ll go all the way to the Haywood County line eventually if something’s not done.”

A group called Stop N.C. Annexation is trying to do something. The organization is holding a rally Wednesday in Raleigh on the grounds of the Capitol building in an attempt to convince legislators to change laws that allow involuntary annexation by cities and towns in North Carolina.

Through its Web site, www.stopncannexation.com, the group is urging annexation opponents across the state to attend the rally, which begins at 9 a.m.

City officials consider annexation an indispensable tool for supporting municipal services. They contend that people living in areas around a city that have become urban in nature should help pay for those services, rather than forcing current city residents to shoulder the entire tax burden.

“Cities need to be able to grow,” said Asheville Mayor Charles Worley. “If you don’t allow a reasonable method for cities to grow, then you lock up the boundaries and urban growth occurs anyway around those boundaries.

“Cities are economic generators for the areas around them. And the cities have to have a way to continue to serve that function, and the only way to do that is by continuing to grow.”

But Ron Thoreson, chairman of Stop N.C. Annexation, called annexation a “tax grab” used “so the politicians don’t have to raise the taxes of the people who voted them into office.”

“People make the choice to be outside a municipally governed area,” he said. Residents whose property is annexed “are forced to pay for services that you don’t want or you don’t need.”

The group maintains that residents in an area considered for annexation should be able to vote on whether the land will be taken in by a city.

In a 5-2 vote last month, Asheville City Council made official its intent to annex six areas around the city containing a total of 750 acres. A public hearing on the plan is slated for June 14.

Wednesday’s rally by design coincides with a “Town Hall Day” meeting the N.C. League of Municipalities is holding with legislators in Raleigh. The league strongly opposes changing the state’s laws on annexation.

“Annexation authority allows a city or town to include on its boundaries more of the citizens and property it actually serves when the area becomes urban,” according to the league. “Without annexation, municipal residents, with their tax dollars, subsidize the municipal services that non-residents receive. These include streets, transportation, police, fire, EMS, parks, recreation, cultural, economic development and other services.”

Contact Morrison at 232-5849 or cmorrison@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

---

Areas to be annexed under Asheville City Council plan:

• 204 acres of the Ridgefield Business Park, located near the intersection of Brevard and Sardis roads

• 33 acres of the Ascot Point Village off Hendersonville Road near the Mill Stone subdivision

• 224 acres along Long Shoals Road between Overlook Road and Schenck Parkway

• 251 acres along Airport Road from the intersection of Sweeten Creek and Hendersonville roads to Loop Road

• One acre at Two Town Square near the intersection of Schenck Parkway and Town Square Boulevard

• 37 acres east of Town Square Boulevard.

---

I say: If it ever looks like these morons are winning, simply annex Buncombe County. That'll fix 'em. Bastards.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Mountain X-Press (05/18/05)

Seconds fat: New study could bury eight-lane option for I-26 Connector
by Cecil Bothwell (additional reporting by Steve Rasmussen)

A new traffic study funded by the N.C. Department of Transportation may have sounded the death knell for an eight-lane Interstate 26 Connector through West Asheville. The study found only a minimal difference in drive times between the six- and eight-lane options and appears to contradict the DOT's long-running argument that eight lanes are needed to avoid unacceptable levels of congestion.

Last August (and again in November), the Asheville City Council asked the DOT to re-examine the data using a computer program called CORSIM (see "A Last Ditch Effort," Nov. 24 Xpress). "CORSIM [an acronym for corridor simulation] is the recognized state of the practice for traffic simulation," DOT Plan Review Engineer Nathan K. Phillips noted in a memorandum replying to Council's August request.

Eight-laning, the new study found, would shave 9.6 seconds off the travel time from Interstate 40 to the North Broadway intersection during the afternoon commute, compared to the six-lane option. Driving the same route in the opposite direction, having eight lanes would save 17.4 seconds. The difference in morning drive times is too tiny for the CORSIM program to meaningfully measure, according to Stantec Consulting Services, which conducted the study for the DOT.

A congestion simulation that Asheville Traffic Engineer Anthony Butzek prepared based on the CORSIM study could loom even larger in derailing the eight-lane option. The congestion study rates the level of service for the six-lane alternative as C on most segments and never falling below D. Both those ratings are considered acceptable by the DOT. For years, however, the agency has argued for the eight-lane configuration, citing earlier studies that said fewer lanes would result in unacceptable congestion.

The incredible shrinking estimates
In 2002, when the DOT was making its case to local officials for an eight-lane connector, the agency maintained that 143,000 vehicles per day would be using that stretch of freeway in 2025. (According to the DOT, eight lanes have a carrying capacity of 138,000 vehicles per day; six lanes can carry 103,500 vehicles, and four lanes can accommodate 69,000 vehicles per day.)

The department radically altered this estimate in 2003, after a study that covered a larger area and used more realistic employment and population-growth projections produced a traffic estimate that was more than 30 percent lower (99,100 vehicles per day – well below what six lanes could handle). But the agency insisted that the extra lanes were still needed to avoid falling below a D rating.

Council member Brownie Newman (who, together with Butzek, had urged City Council to press for the new study) told Xpress: "The DOT is to be applauded for conducting this state-of-the-art traffic study. It's hard to avoid the conclusion that continued advocacy for an eight-lane freeway will further delay the project, waste millions in taxpayer dollars and harm West Asheville. And for what? Eight seconds of drive time? It's time to move on."

Vice Mayor Carl Mumpower, meanwhile, said: "I pushed for further study because the DOT has not provided clear and consistent data upon which to solidify a recommendation. Hopefully this final effort will shine enough light on the facts that the majority of the community can land on a final lane configuration and press forward." He added, "I don't have a dog in the fight in terms of six or eight, but I do want us to make a fact-based choice on the right one for the job."

Construction on the I-26 Connector project is scheduled to begin in 2012.

[orulz]

Yeah!! Hopefully the Citizen-Times' prediction on this one will be correct. And even Mumpower's on board now? Looks like somebody at the DOT finally woke up. Go here (http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2871&st=27#) to read my opinion of the I-26 connector...

Now if only they could speed up construction, because the congestion on the Smoky Park Bridge can be terrible, and the I-240/I-26/Patton/Westgate/Sam's Club interchange on the west end of the bridge has one of those configurations where you wonder what the f*** the designers were thinking.

Oh yeah, there's the junction of I-40/I-240/I-26, too. hardly a week goes by without a truck flipping over or at least somebody getting hurt because of the dangerous ramps. For some reason, someone decided to design them with left exits, left merges, limited visibility, and deceptively sharp curves. That one needed to be redesigned from the second it first went down on paper. I only hope they replant some trees in the spaces between the ramps; a giant grassy field is too huge of a scar.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (05/23/05)

Serving us a theater feast
Stoneleaf festival stages more than 100 performances in 10 days
By Tony Kiss
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

ASHEVILLE — There are easier and faster ways to make money, but Bradley Smith long ago decided his life was on the stage.

So two years ago, he and his partners John Catron and Jenna Close moved from Louisville, Ky., to Asheville to base their acting company, Theatre of a Thousand Juliets.

“Asheville is a vibrant artistic community,” said Smith, 26. “It seemed like the ideal place.”

Now they’re hoping to win more fans — and exposure — at the first Stoneleaf Festival of North Carolina Theatre, opening Friday in Asheville. “Stoneleaf will help,” he said. “A wider audience will see our work because of this festival.’’

A celebration of the state’s live theaters, Stoneleaf will feature about two dozen acting companies giving 100-plus performances in a 10-day stretch, using almost every stage in town. Some are local groups, but others are making the haul from Charlotte, Raleigh, Chapel Hill and elsewhere. The goal is to sell at least 7,000 tickets.

It’s organized by the nonprofit North Carolina Theatre Conference, which supports, promotes and advises all levels of the state’s theaters. In the works for a year and a half, invitations were made to theaters across the state, said NCTC president Charlie McIver, the artistic director of Asheville’s N.C. Stage Company.

“We got a lot of response, more than we anticipated,” he said. “One of our reasons for doing this is to create excitement about North Carolina theater. And they all want to be part of that.”

Attending will be famed award-winning playwright Romulus Linney, here for the opening performance of his play “Silver River” and to speak at festival events. Linney’s daughter is the Oscar-nominated actress Laura Linney.

Why Asheville

There are bigger cities in North Carolina. But Asheville was the “obvious” location, since the town is already a nationally known tourist destination, and home to many local live theaters, said Terry Milner, the NCTC executive director.

“We have faith that there is an audience out there” for the festival, he said. “You don’t go into the theater business without a lot of faith.” Hopefully, the Stoneleaf audiences “will come here from all over, then go back home with a new awareness of what (these theaters) are doing,” he said.

It won’t be easy, or cheap. Stoneleaf has a budget of about $300,000. While the festival booked the performing spaces, each acting group is paying its own expenses.

On the road

“Without a doubt, it’s a financial risk,” said actor-producer David zum Brunnen of EbzB productions from the Raleigh-Durham area. “It’s a pay-it-forward (project). It’s a chance to exhibit our work to another audience in another region.”

He is starring in the one-man show “Via Dolorosa,” a co-production with Deep Dish Theatre of Chapel Hill, about the British playwright David Hare and his travels through the Middle East. “It will be the most politically-charged piece” in Stoneleaf, said zum Brunnen, who spent several seasons performing at Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre (SART) with his wife Serena Ebhardt.

Something different

Stoneleaf will also let theaters do experimental plays, such as “inn/between, a hotel play,” by Asheville’s Redundant Theatre Company Theatre (yes, that it’s name). The show is a series of “inter-connected” scenes that will move from space to space inside the Haywood Park Hotel, with the audience following along.

“We would have done something (for a spring show), but I don’t think we would have done this,” said actor Willie Repoley. “We will be taking it to another level, which is what we like to do.”

‘Shakespeare (abridged)’ returns

The hottest ticket at Stoneleaf might be “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged),” a joint production between Asheville’s North Carolina Stage Company and the region’s premiere live theater, Flat Rock Playhouse. The wild comedy (in which three actors attempt to do all the Bard’s work at breakneck pace) played to turn-away crowds last fall at N.C. Stage.

To make it happen required some really juggling — Flat Rock is well into its own season with rehearsals and performances underway. “It’s going to be a four-ring circus,” said Flat Rock executive director Robin Farquhar. “But we felt the demand for (“Shakespeare”) hadn’t been met and we could fulfill it and participate in Stoneleaf.”

With an annual budget of $2.5 million, and 85,000 tickets sold last season, Flat Rock Playhouse is among the state’s most successful theaters, Milner said.

“But I am never going to take anything for granted,” said Farquhar. “We are grateful that people come to Flat Rock Playhouse.”

Contact Kiss at 232-5855 or tkiss@CITIZEN-TIMES.com, but for theater tickets or showtimes, contact the festival at www.stoneleaftheatrefestival.org

---

Good things happen when you invest in the arts!

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Mountain X-Press (05/25/05)

Tracking by ectoplasm: Touring downtown's haunts with Asheville's ghost hunter
by Steve Shanafelt

Joshua Warren, our tour leader, and his assistant Caleb Hanks stand outside Barley's Taproom smoking a final pre-tour cigarette. As he chats with our small crowd, Warren emits the confidence of a well-practiced magician. He seems far older than his mere 28 years, and if he's nervous, he doesn't show it.

But he'd have good reason to be nervous, frankly. This isn't just some early-evening walk around scenic downtown Asheville. Tonight, we're hunting ghosts.

Warren is president of the League of Energy Materialization and Unexplained phenomena Research, or LEMUR, and he's spent the last 10 years in serious study of ethereal presences, phantom lights and other strange occurrences that most scientific researchers would likely dismiss as paranormal bunk. He's even written a book about area ghosts, Haunted Asheville (Shadowbox, 1996), which has since become the de facto guide for area spook seekers.

The tours remain a little rough, having started only a few weeks ago, and Warren is still in the process of training his guides. As a result, the aura is anything but frightening. In spite of this lighthearted mood, though, Warren makes it clear that he takes his pursuit of the unseen very seriously.

He remarks: "One thing about this tour, as opposed to other tours, is that we are ghost hunters" (read: not everyday tour guides). His voice is as clear and professional as a radio announcer's – not surprising, since he also hosts the Saturday-night paranormal call-in show "Speaking of Strange" on AM 570 WWNC.

"Let's go."

As we walk toward Church Street, Warren begins telling us about the old unmarked graves said to have been paved over to make room for the roads. This street, he says, is home to many strange sightings. Before we get to the row of churches that give the street its name, however, our leader stops us and begins fishing around in the bag his assistant is carrying.

"Sometimes you get lucky," says Warren, pulling out a few strange items from the satchel. "You get to see something anomalous or ghostly with your naked eyes. Other times, if you take a picture, you get something you might not be able to see. I'll give you a demonstration of what I'm talking about."

He pulls out a tiny electric pocket fan, and turns it on. Like the twirling blades of the fan, he says, many extra-natural events happen too fast to see unaided. In his other hand is something that looks like a 1950s sci-fi movie weapon – a miniature strobe light. He flicks a switch and makes the beam hover over the whirring blades. In the flashes, we see what he means: frozen glimpses of ghostly propellers.

"Your camera's shutter speed," says Warren, "allows the invisible to become visible."

At this point, Warren's assistant begins passing out "EMF Meters," the tour's prime ghost-hunting tools. We are each handed a smallish box, roughly the size of a Zippo lighter, made of milky-white plastic. (According to Warren, they also glow in the dark.) On top is a thin antenna, flexible and coated in black plastic. There's a single, unmarked switch along the side. At the very bottom, next to the seam that joins the two plastic halves that conceal the inner workings, is a red light.

When that light turns on, Warren says, this tiny machine is detecting a powerful electromagnetic field.

"What we find is that there is some kind of strange connection between electromagnetic anomalies and the places where people experience ghostly activities," he explains.

We are told to keep an eye on our meters throughout the tour. If they come on, we could be in the presence of something not of this world.

Why Barley's has red pool tables
Warren leads us on a meandering tour of downtown Asheville. We walk by a building said to be plagued by apparitions of the falling bodies of Depression-era bankers; past unassuming hotels with histories of grim murders; through a placid city park that supposedly hosts the spirits of forgotten Civil War soldiers; and along a storefront allegedly troubled by, of all things, a phantom intercom system.

Not unexpectedly, concrete details are scarce. Most of these stories are rumors, or at best, curious anecdotes – but Warren doesn't seem bothered by this. Each new story is another hunt he has yet to go on, and tonight, we are his field researchers.

At one point, as we walk up Walnut Street, one of the EMF meters suddenly shudders to life. The red glow of the meter's light seems to be picking up something on the street just outside Gypsy Moon. For a moment, there is excitement.

After a brief examination, however, Warren tells us the meters are detecting the row of lights lining the window. Unless those lights are also haunted with the spirits of the waking dead, there's nothing more to see here.

Of course, not everything on the tour is quite as intangible as Warren's ghosts. Some of the stories are rooted in real blood – for instance, the strange events at Barley's Tap Room, which also serves as the tour's home base.

Here, we are told, is the scene of Asheville's biggest mass murder, a 1906 shooting spree that claimed the lives of five people, including two police officers. Step by red step, Warren leads us through a tale about a man named Will Harris, who killed his way up Eagle Street and down Broadway in a drunken, jealous rage.

These bloody events, Warren says, center around the very site where Barley's now stands.

Warren then tells about brief snippets of spooky happenings inside the bar, from unexplained sounds and ghostly voices to the odd story of the seemingly possessed service elevator. Ghosts or no ghosts, these are good yarns spun elegantly around a real-life tale of horror. (Later, however, over drinks at the bar, Doug Beatty, Barley's owner – and partner in the Haunted Asheville Ghost Tours – confirms most of these stories, and adds a few of his own.)

At the end of the tour, we stare at a grainy post-manhunt photo of Harris' bullet-riddled corpse while Warren collects the tiny EMF detectors. They are for sale, he reminds us, just in case we'd like to do a little freelance ghost hunting of our own.

[Joshua Warren's Haunted Asheville Ghost Tour is currently available by reservation only, although regular hours will likely start this summer. The tour lasts 60 minutes, and involves light walking. $13/adults, $7/children age 14 and under. For times and availability, call 216-3383 or visit www.hauntedasheville.com.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (05/26/05

Neighbors, developer strike deal
Pact has The Grove apartments adding improvements to Montford
By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — A neighborhood-developer agreement for improvements near a Montford apartment complex is a good deal for the neighborhood under the circumstances, say two Montford residents who negotiated it.

Campus Crest of Asheville, developer of the 154-unit The Grove apartment complex now under construction on the northern end of Montford Avenue, agreed recently to install a wooden fence on the Montford Avenue side of the property, improve landscaping in that area and build two pedestrian islands on the street.

Neighbors had complained that workers cut trees and shrubs that neighbors had expected to remain based on a statement made by a Campus Crest official during an August City Council hearing on whether the city should approve the project. The Greensboro-based company said the discovery of a pipe discharging storm water onto the site necessitated additional cutting.

Council in January declined to take formal action against Campus Crest but decided to push for neighborhood-developer talks to find ways to mitigate project impacts.

“Given all the complexities and the lack of closely monitoring (the project) from the city, I think it worked out well,” said Gerald Green, one of two Montford residents who negotiated with Campus Crest.

“Obviously, nothing can replace those mature trees that were at the site. … Certainly this is not truly a substitute for those trees,” said Dee Eggers, the other neighborhood representative.

But, Eggers said, the agreement “is a good outcome for Montford, considering our starting point.”

Campus Crest manager Michael Hartnett said the negotiations have been “a very positive experience… We had a misunderstanding in the beginning but everything was resolved in a neighborly fashion.”

The complex will contain 448 bedrooms and is marketed to UNC Asheville students. Construction should be finished in early July, Hartnett said.

The landscaped pedestrian islands will be located near the intersections of Montford and Courtland Avenue and Montford and Watauga Street and will cost Campus Crest a total of about $30,000, Green said.

They are designed to beautify the neighborhood, make it easier to walk across Montford and slow traffic, which Eggers said often moves too quickly through the predominantly residential area.

Neighbors raised traffic concerns when City Council was deciding whether to approve The Grove.

Neighborhood reaction to the deal has been mixed, Eggers said.

“Some people think it’s wonderful. Some people are glad we got at least something,” she said. Others think developers should have done more.

Willie Williams, who can see the complex from his front door, said he isn’t going to worry about it: “I don’t see it as a big deal.”

Contact Barrett at 232-5833 or mbarrett@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

---

I've seen this development under construction and it's pretty grim. Had I been a neighbor I'd have been livid at watching this piece of crap going up.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (05/28/05)

Competition drives employee-owned Blue Moon Bakery to close
By Chris Armstrong
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE - A statue of a crying moon sits in the window of the Blue Moon Bakery and Cafe on Biltmore Avenue. Nearby, a notice lets people know the longtime establishment is now out of business.

On Friday, customers wondered why Blue Moon had closed as they walked by the bakery where coffee, pastries and sandwiches had been served since September 1992.

"It's kind of ironic because we have a lot of locals that recognize Blue Moon, the name," said Jason McMahan, one of Blue Moon's six co-owners. "We tried to make it work with the customers we had regularly, but it just was not enough. I've been here for four years, and there has been a lot of competition that has sprung up in the area."

A group of workers in December 2003 bought the bakery and cafe from Terry and Elizabeth Simmonds.

In an Asheville Citizen-Times story a short time later, one of those workers - Irene Mitchell - said "the jury's still out" with regard to the company's multiperson ownership.

Now that Blue Moon is closed, Mitchell, like McMahan, blames the business' demise on increased competition, including corporate chains around Asheville.

Seth Connelly of Fairview, who was outside Blue Moon on Friday, said, "it's a flooded market for this type of business, in downtown particularly."

Karen Hansen and her friend Frederika Gravenstein on Friday peered through the bakery's window, saddened at the sight of workers packing boxes and stacking their cooking utensils. The two said they had been loyal customers for nine years.

"It's lousy," Hansen said after realizing her favorite sandwich shop is out of business.

"It was a nice gathering place," Gravenstein said. "You always ran into people you knew. What happened?"

Another loyal customer was Watson Simms. He said he'll miss meeting his son for lunch on a regular basis at the Blue Moon.

"But," he says, "Burger King will never replace the Blue Moon."

Contact Armstrong at 236-8971.

---

On the one hand, whenever some sort of "high concept" venture fails, such as an employee-owned bakery, you have to wonder if it was simply inept management rather than competition from chains. On another hand, perhaps they offered an inferior product, as many independent businesses do. For instance, I speak from experience when I say that Starbucks, evil as it is, is the only place that can make a consistently good frappucino, which is the only way I care to drink coffee (it's as thick and sweet as a milkshake, for those of you in the cheap seats). Then again, perhaps they actually did offer a superior product, but just couldn't make a go of it against the likes of the Atlanta Bread Company.

I suspect though, that these people are not the victims they make themselves out to be.

[orulz]

I suspect though, that these people are not the victims they make themselves out to be.All the same, it's a shame to see Blue Moon fall by the wayside. In my mind they were an institution in downtown Asheville. I suspect that no single factor caused their downfall, but rather a number of things came together to finally make them have to shut down.

I wouldn't be too surprised if someone came in and bought them out for the location and the name recognition. I won't get my hopes up, though.

[hauntedheadnc]

This is the second high profile business to fail in downtown Asheville recently, and it does have me worried. First it was Vincent's Ear, whose landlord made no secret about the fact they were kicking out the coffeehouse in order to free up space for higher end business able to pay more rent, and appealing to another class of customer. Now it's Blue Moon, which I never set foot in, but recognized.

Whenever I get concerned that downtown Asheville is losing its edge and its vibe, its things like this that I think of.

[LSyd]

you're dedicated. even if few people read this, your dedication's admirable.

-

[zigzag]

I read most of it.

[hauntedheadnc]

I had another thread like this going once, but gave it up because so few people read it. Now however, since there's so much -- relatively -- residential development, plus the new central park, I thought bona fide urban development news might appeal to more people.

[Matthew]

Actually I was the one who started the last Asheville News Thread. I thought a thread with a lot of replies would attract a lot of attention. Also some forum members were complaining about the Asheville threads I started. It seems my one or two threads on a small city bumped their threads on their larger cities. I also had one on W-S too. When a new page started in the threads, I would post a photo(s), some fun facts and a line of scripture in both threads as an intro to the new page. It was just hauntedheadnc and me posting in the Asheville thread, so I called it and the other one a failure and ended both threads. They received 5 page views or less, even when new topics were posted in them. I learned to never post news threads again. Recently I talked with hauntedheadnc about the lack of anything posted on Asheville here and hauntedheadnc started this thread as a revival of my old Asheville News Thread. It's doing ok, but nothing beats telling people in the thread titles what the news is. A lot of people don't click on everything, but they do read the titles. If you post "New 12-storey Asheville condo tower" as it's own thread with that as the title, someone who never clicked on an Asheville thread in their life will instantly know a 12-storey condo tower is proposed in Asheville. If you post that same thread in "The Asheville News Thread," that same person may never know about the condo tower.

I will miss the Blue Moon. I use to do freelance work for Jeff at the little graphic design agency above the Blue Moon. When I visited the main office (which is very cool with all kinds of Atlanta awards) I would stop in at the Blue Moon for lunch. It wasn't the greatest restaurant on the face of the earth, but it was a great sandwich shop. They always had a small crowd, which is why I can't understand them closing? It looked like they were doing well? I will miss them. I think their location was also somewhat to blame. That isn't exactly the best location for foot traffic, but there are some offices and residences near-by. I think that was the heart of their business. Their assistant designer (who now works as an assistant for a corporate head hunter) also use to go down with me for a break to talk. Jeff (art director) and his #2 guy in the office beside his would also use to stop in. The lack of more offices on that end had to hurt them, because the offices that are there were regulars. I only stopped-in when I was on that side of Biltmore.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (05/31/05)

Project gives fresh look to local airport
Asheville Regional working toward more modern interior
By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — The interior of the Asheville Regional Airport terminal is getting a $1.5 million face-lift.

The work begun recently might not be extensive enough to launch yet another of those personal or home transformation television shows, say, “Extreme Makeover — Airport Edition.” But over the next seven months, workers will replace flooring, some wall and counter surfaces and ceiling panels in the older parts of the building.

The idea is to give the building “a more modern look,” said Susan Phillips, the airport’s director of marketing and public affairs.

The project is the first of several changes in public facilities passengers using Asheville Regional can expect this year. The airport signed a contract this week to bring a new food vendor to the airport and plans to add 150 public parking spaces over the next few months.

Asheville Regional has seen a surge in usage over the past year and a half. Passenger traffic for the first four months of 2005 was up 40 percent over the same period of 2004.

About $1 million of the $1.5 million price tag for the interior work will go toward a new fire sprinkler system, replacing outdated equipment in many areas, Phillips said. The money comes from local, state and federal sources.

The interior face-lift will occur in the oldest part of the terminal, primarily the ticket counter area and main passenger lounge.

Travelers may have to avoid roped-off areas from time to time, but, “there will be very little work that we expect to be done in the daytime,” Phillips said. “People will see that ceiling tiles are missing or that we’re installing things” but should not experience delays moving through the terminal, she said.

The face-lift is being done by Asheville-based H&M Constructors.

William Murdock, executive director of Eblen Charities and a frequent passenger through Asheville Regional, said he hasn’t felt the inside of the terminal is dated but welcomed changes.

“Once you walk inside, I think it’s as modern as any place I’ve seen,” he said.

He says he uses Asheville Regional because of convenience and to support a local institution. The planned improvements, however, “certainly would be more of an incentive,” he said.

Contact Barrett at 232-5833 or mbarrett@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

On the Net: Asheville Regional Airport: www.flyavl.com

---

Sidebar

Food, drink and asphalt

Asheville Regional Airport officials think there will be enough parking to handle passengers’ vehicles this summer despite dramatically higher passenger numbers, Director of Marketing and Public Affairs Susan Phillips said, although travelers should allow some extra time to find a spot.

“Typically in the past, you drive in and there was instantly a space,” she said.

For the time being, the airport is prepared to send passengers to park in the employee lot south of the terminal if public parking fills up, Phillips said. Officials plan to make available 150 more spaces by taking space from a lot now used by rental car companies to the southwest of the terminal. Phillips said the new section should be ready by early fall.

A consulting firm is looking at what should be done to augment the existing 1,000 parking spaces and at other long-term growth issues and should report back this summer, she said.
Last week, the airport signed a five-year contract with MSE Branded Food Systems of Gainesville, Ga., to take over food and beverage operations at the airport, Phillips said.
The company will offer Subway sandwiches, Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and will operate a Buckhead Grill restaurant, J.J. Sports Bar and gourmet coffee kiosks in the airport. Some items will be available to passengers after they have passed through security, she said.

Renovations are scheduled to begin in July and should be finished in August, Phillips said

---

http://cmsimg.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=B0&Date=20050531&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=50530004&Ref=AR&Profile=1003&maxW=600&maxH=440&title=1

---

It used to be that this was a sleepy, almost useless little airport, but recently there's been a major push to make it a viable major gateway to the city and region. Used to, you could only fly to a few places like Charlotte, Atlanta, and Raleigh-Durham. Now, however, you've got Charlotte, Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Cincinnati, New York (Newark), Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Houston, Orlando, and on a trial basis this summer, Washington and Philadelphia. More and more, the airport is becoming a major way to come to town, and that's a wonderful thing as far as I'm concerned.

[Matthew]

I live not far from the airport. Back when I was in high school, that parkinglot was near full. In the afternoon, you could see the US Air jets on the runway as you drove past it. They of course cancelled that service after 9/11. I think that was the wake-up call to bring new life to the old airport. With all the recent new flight announcements, I'm surprised they haven't seen the need to add a huge parking deck. While not attractive on the front, they could add it to the side or hide it behind great architecture or landscaping. Over the past two or three years we've tried to buy a major airport by offering airlines money for flights or lower fares and renovating the building. Now we can finally see the changes of our Asheville vs. Greenville airport war. They also invested in a nice website, if you haven't seen it lately. You can track flights and compare costs with Greenville. :D This is also bringing more growth around the airport. Some of it welcome and some of it not. I worry that the fairgrounds could be sold-off for strip shopping or hotels. That road is not built to handle a lot of traffic and already the widening is on the board.

[hauntedheadnc]

I'm just now closing out a 16-hour shift here at work, and I had the news on. I just now heard on WLOS that a 10-story office building has been approved for downtown Asheville, at the corner of College and Woodfin streets! :hyper:

According to the news report, the building will mostly house Buncombe County offices, and will contain approximately 130,000 square feet of space. The proposal now goes to City Council for city approval.

Woo hoo! This is the tallest proposed building of all the new structures going up downtown! I checked Google Maps to look at the location of this proposal, and see an empty parking lot across the street from the jail, where a 6-story addition will be going up soon enough.

In other news, unfortunately, WLOS was also talking to people about their reactions to a monster subdivision soon to break ground in Fairview. A Charlotte company has essentially bought an entire mountain and plans to develop the living hell out of the whole thing, with literally hundreds of houses, plus commercial space.

[orulz]

I'm just now closing out a 16-hour shift here at work, and I had the news on. I just now heard on WLOS that a 10-story office building has been approved for downtown Asheville, at the corner of College and Woodfin streets! :hyper:

According to the news report, the building will mostly house Buncombe County offices, and will contain approximately 130,000 square feet of space. The proposal now goes to City Council for city approval.

Woo hoo! This is the tallest proposed building of all the new structures going up downtown! I checked Google Maps to look at the location of this proposal, and see an empty parking lot across the street from the jail, where a 6-story addition will be going up soon enough.
Please let us know as you find out more about this proposal. The county owns acres of surface parking around the health services building in that part of downtown. I guess this is what they've been holding onto it for. Hopefully this building will have underground parking or at least a significant integrated parking deck so that more of this surface parking can be opened up for development.

[Matthew]

Great news! I tried to find some article or something going into detail with a possible rendering, but found nothing.

So this is between First Baptist and the Detention Center? They will have to go with underground parking. I know there are some low-rise structures there, so that should force them to build upwards. Some of those parking lots have heavy (development) restrictions on them, but that site seems to be outside that restriction zone. I don't like expanding the footprint of the skyline (which this does), but I do welcome it. I just want to see more "high-rise" density inside the existing skyline's footprint. The parkinglot directly south of the Renaissance is my preffered location for a new skyscraper. It would have visiblity in Beaucatcher/Town skyline shots, create a more enclosed urban parkspace and add high-rise density inside the existing skyline footprint. That parking lot is so ugly too. It redefines ugly and it's in such a high visiblity area! Of course that is where my proposed 25 storey condo/office/performing arts center tower will go one day when I find someone to invest in it! Anyone with a few million interested? :D

[hauntedheadnc]

The newspaper hasn't pounced on this, so I haven't been able to find anything more to report about it. Perhaps when the city approves it -- if the city approves it, because this is Asheville after all -- the paper will have more details.

As near as I can tell, the proposed location for this building is the corner of College and Woodfin, which, by the time it gets to the intersection, has changed its name to Oak Street. There's a parking lot on the corner, and a church, smaller than First Baptist, to the north.

[glowrock]

It's kinda fun to keep up on the Asheville goings-on, especially now that my parents are only about an hour away from there! :D Interesting reading about the Asheville-GSP airport war, it's kinda funny, really... I really like GSP, it's a hell of a nice, modern, yet smallish, airport... Only 15 minutes to my parent's place, too...

It's funny, after that tour hh gave me when I was in town not too long ago, I actually KNOW where some of these projects are going! ;)

Aaron (Glowrock)

[zigzag]

A cool Asheville site I found.
http://www.justasheville.com

[hauntedheadnc]

^ I love that site. It's the best I've found about the Urban Trail especially.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Mountain X-Press (06/08/05)

Colonel Sanders slept here
Griffin Awards recognize spaces (and stories) worth saving
by Alli Marshall

I doubt I'm the only history dilettante in town whose heart sank at the sight of industrial Dumpsters outside the Whiteford G. Smith House on Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. In fact, I went so far as to enact a drive-by shooting (of the digital-camera variety) to save – at least in pixels – the rundown Queen Anne.

Luckily, the Dumpsters weren't omens of a teardown but the first phase in restoring the home's former royal presence. Of course, in Asheville there's a propensity for rescuing seemingly unsalvageable buildings from the clutches of time, neglect and kudzu. There's also an equally strong (if not quite so dramatic) movement to preserve historic gems for posterity.

"That one had been sitting there sort of moldering for years," observes Harry Weiss, urban-projects director for Public Interest Projects, a local development company. Nearly all of the Montford Historic District, which begins just a block away from the Haywood Street renovation, has already been restored, so an overhaul of the Smith House was long overdue.

And if seeing such local architectural gems brought back from death's door weren't reward enough, the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County hands out annual awards for notable feats of architectural conservation. This year's Griffin Awards ceremony, held May 19 in the Grove Arcade, honored projects ranging from a refurbished former retail store that's now a restaurant to a former no-tell motel reborn as classy condominiums. The event also featured a talk by Weiss on the past 15 years of local restoration efforts.

Transforming downtown's abandoned places into livable spaces is a continuing trend. "The lion's share of reconstruction in Asheville has been upper-floor residential," notes Weiss. "The idea is to get it into use," he says of such structures as the Sawyer Motor Company Building. "One of the key strategies for preservation is to read the building [and] adapt to what the building has to offer." And this year's Griffin Award winners testify to the wide range of uses that creative minds have found for Asheville's historic infrastructure.

• Residential Rehabilitation: 31 Highland St. Owners: Peter Brezny and Trina Egen. Most likely built between 1912 and 1915 as a duplex, this two-story pebbledash home served as a rental for some 30 years before the couple purchased it. They completed the restoration work themselves, creating a modern, energy-efficient house with a '20s feel.

• Adaptive Reuse: Whiteford G. Smith House, 263 Haywood St. Owner: G/M Property Group LLC. Contractor: Bobby Stearns. Woodwork and reproduction: Craig Weis. Built in 1894, this is one of only two remaining Queen Anne-style homes on Haywood Street. Preserved features of the house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, include turned and bracketed porch columns, period mantels and five-panel doors with original hardware.

• Commercial Rehabilitation: 375 Weaverville Highway. Contractor: Matt Moss of Moss Construction Group. Local legend has it that Col. Harland Sanders (of KFC fame) owned this 1930s motor court. The original 15- or 16-unit property has been converted into efficiency apartments, with renovations focused on returning the exterior as closely as possible to its original look. Items such as Eastlake hardware and art deco hinges were salvaged.

• Interior Commercial Rehabilitation: 12 Church St. Owners: John Yurko and David Aiton. Architects: John Yurko and David Aiton. Originally used as the architectural offices of Richard Sharp Smith, this building is now home to the Minerva gallery and, appropriately, two architectural firms. Renovations included restorating the heart-pine floors and lime-plaster walls.

• Adaptive Reuse: 37 Hiawassee St. Owners: Urban Space of Asheville. Architect Robbie Sweetser of Griffin Architects. Contractor: Abbott Construction. In its previous life, this property, which was completed in 1963, was the Interstate Motel, boasting 55 rooms and a $29 nightly rate. It was transformed into 32 residential condos with full amenities and an egress barrier to minimize traffic noise.

• Residential Rehabilitation: 73 Edgemont Road. Owners: Geoff and Cheryl Smith. Contractor: Woodworth Inc. This 1960s ranch house had a makeover, emerging as a 1920s-style Arts and Crafts bungalow. Salvaged and vintage supplies include a clawfoot tub and stained-glass windows.

• Addition to a Historic Residence: Violet Cottage, 48 Sunset Terrace. Owners: Deborah and Gordon Pirie. Architect: Robbie Sweetser of Griffin Architects. Contractor: A&B Construction and Development. Grove Arcade architect Charles N. Parker designed this 1920s Arts and Crafts chalet. Improvements included replacing a poorly constructed one-story bay with a new two-story bay.

• Residential Rehabilitation, Montford: 28 Soco St. Owners: Joseph and Wanda Newman. Restoration craftsman: Tim Petree. This early 1900s Queen Anne-style home underwent major restoration. From structural repair to refinishing the heart-pine floors, the house was returned to its original glory – with a few modernizations like new electrical and plumbing systems and the addition of a laundry chute.

• Rehabilitation: Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 47 Eagle St. Steward: Dr. John Grant. Contractor: Stroup Sheet Metal Works. Built in 1919 in the African-American commercial district, this church received stone masonry repairs as well as a new roof. New tin shingles with a galvanized-steel finish were made from original patterns.

• Commercial Restoration: Jackson Building, 22 S. Pack Square. Steward: Landmark Properties. Known as Asheville's first skyscraper, this 13-story building was constructed in 1924. The Gothic exterior, sheathed in brick and terra cotta, was reconditioned to extend the building's life.

• Interior Commercial Rehabilitation: The Lobster Trap, 35 Patton Ave. Owner: Amy Bell. Architect: Cynthia Turner of Glazer Architecture. Contractor: Rick Flemming of RPF Construction. This building started out as the J.H. Law China and Cutlery Store in 1885 and has housed a series of retail shops. For its latest incarnation as a restaurant, sprinklers and a full kitchen and bar were added.

• Adaptive Reuse: West Condominium, 51 College St. and 35 Patton Ave. Owners: Steve and Mary Ann West. Architect: Laurie Miller of Glazer Architecture. Contractor: Rick Flemming of RPF Construction. Occupying the same building as the Lobster Trap, this condo received structural repairs and upgrades. The boarded ceiling was salvaged, hardwood floors were added, and an existing chimney was utilized for a gas-log fireplace.

• New Construction, Montford: Schultz Cottage, 40 Watauga St. Owner: Shirley Schultz. Architect: Laurie Miller of Glazer Architecture. Contractor: Greg Borden. When Schultz decided to move to Asheville, she chose a perfect location: a cottage behind her daughter's Richard Sharp Smith-designed home. In order to make the new construction fit into the Montford Historic District, cues were taken from the main home, including a dropped gable roof and pebbledash stucco.

• New Construction, Downtown: Sawyer Annex, 120 Coxe Ave. Owner: Sawyer Annex LLC. Architect: Fisher Architects. Contractor: Rick Flemming of RPF Construction. After renovating the 1926 Sawyer Motor Company Building (formerly a car dealership) into condos and retail/office space, the owners performed the same magic on the three-story annex.

• Individual Award for Leadership: John Horton, a restoration specialist with the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources' Office of Archives and History. Horton has served in the Biltmore Village-based historic-preservation office for 15 years, surviving many budget cuts and bureaucratic challenges. His duties include coordinating grant-in-aid and tax-credit programs as well as monitoring the rehabilitation of National Register properties.

For more information on the Griffin Awards and historic preservation, call the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County at 254-2343 or visit their Web site (www.psabc.org).

---

I remember the house they mention above, but I never knew its name. For a very long time, it had a distinct list to the right, and I'm glad they brought it back to life. It's a real beauty! Now... if they could just do something about the crappy buildings that surround it...

[Matthew]

Montford is actually very cool! The Rankin House is the oldest (1846 or 1847). That house is older than the neighborhood though. The neighborhood was developed by George Pack in 1889, if I'm not mistaken? Hard to believe that was a suburb! I think we often forget that even 110+ years ago, people were moving to the suburbs, shopping at national chains and stores were opening in these neighboroods, so residents didn't have to go to Downtown. When you look at it closely, things haven't changed as much as we think. Each change in transporation technology allows the next generation to move to the undeveloped farm/forest land behind the previous generation's. When the suburbs go out so far, people begin to leave the area for the next city they can do this to. At least the present generation nationally is starting to think about downtown in a big way. Our city is a ahead of most in the region by about 5-10 years. :D

I was looking at the new sections of the Grove Park Inn (Sammons and Vanderbilt wings), and the Vanderbilt Wing appears to be 10 stories or more. I counted at least 10 floors. I think the Sammons is 8 floors (1984) and Vanderbilt is 10 floors (1988)? Anyone have the exact stats on the additions (new wings)? They have really damaged the architectural character of that old resort with their expansions. I think the experience of staying there was cheapened by those wings and expansions that don't match the building and overwhelm it.

[hauntedheadnc]

I agree, although I wonder what could be done to retrofit them. I mean, you can't tear them down, nor would the Inn ever dream of doing so, because the Main Inn only has about 130 rooms. The two wings bump the total up to more than 500.

I'd like to see the Inn, instead of constantly plotting to buy and demolish historic mansions in the Grove Park neighborhood, do more with what they have, and do more to weave the whole mess up there on the mountain more tightly together.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (06/09/05)

Gary Jackson named Asheville's new city manager
By Julie Ball
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE - City Council voted unanimously today to name Gary W. Jackson, the former city manager of Fort Worth, Texas, to the city of Asheville’s top administrative post.

Jackson will succeed City Manager Jim Westbrook, who is retiring after 11 years in that job. As city manager, he will head up a 1,000-person city workforce and work to implement the policies of council.

“I’ll deeply moved for the opportunity,” Jackson said.

He pledged to work on communication, collaboration and continuing improvement for Asheville.

“I recognize that Asheville didn’t get to where it is today by accident,” he said.

Jackson will be paid $140,000 a year, according to Mayor Charles Worley.

Worley cited Jackson’s breadth of experience in the decision to hire him. His first day on the job will be June 27.

Council earlier narrowed the field of applicants for the job down to three finalists. The other finalists were Jeff B. Richardson, Asheville’s assistant city manager, and Steven T. Thompson, former city manager of Greenville, S.C.

Jackson, 51, worked as city manager of Fort Worth from 2001 until last August. After graduating from Miami University of Ohio, Jackson went to work as a social worker in Dayton, Ohio. He said he felt he could have a much greater impact at city hall, so he went back to college for his master’s degree.

“I came to it (city government) by way of growing up in the central city in Dayton, Ohio, and I wanted to pursue something that would allow me to make the community better,” Jackson said.

He holds a master’s of public administration from the University of Kansas. In addition to the Fort Worth job, he’s worked as city manager in Carrollton, Texas.

---

I saw this in the "Breaking News" section of the paper when I came in to work today, and it's big news for us. However, is this a good thing or a bad thing, I wonder? Because so few people read this and stay current with what's doing in Asheville, I think I'll post this in the Texas forum and see what anyone from Ft. Worth might have to say.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (06/10/05)

Jackson named new city manager
Former Fort Worth manager wants to ‘get out and meet people’
By Julie Ball
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — With a pledge to promote partnerships in the community, the former Fort Worth, Texas, city manager will take over as Asheville’s city manager later this month.

Members of Asheville City Council unanimously agreed to hire Gary Jackson on Thursday.

Jackson, 51, replaces 61-year-old Jim Westbrook, who is retiring after 11 years as city manager. Jackson will take over the job June 27 and will be paid $140,000 a year.

“It’s important for people to know that I’m open and accessible. I’m really looking forward to invitations to get out of City Hall and meet people,” Jackson said. “I’m not coming here with all the answers, and I am looking forward to learning about the community through other people’s perspective.”

Chris Pelly, president of the Coalition of Asheville Neighborhoods, called Jackson a good choice and said he liked Jackson’s “proactive approach with the neighborhoods in the cities where he previously worked.”

“I just thought he was a strong candidate,” Pelly said. “We need somebody that listens to all segments of the community, and I believe we’re going to have that in this person.”

Jackson spent three years as city manager in Fort Worth. There, he headed a staff of 5,500 people in a city that has grown in population to more than 600,000.

Jackson left that job last year amid criticism over a new trash program and news reports that he was under pressure to resign. Since then, he has worked as a management consultant.

Asheville Mayor Charles Worley said he did not consider the situation in Fort Worth a mark against Jackson.

“We understood the circumstances, and we’re very comfortable with that,” Worley said.

Fort Worth Councilwoman Becky Haskin said Jackson lost four of his five assistant managers — two to illness and two to retirement — making it tough for him.

On top of that, “We had a new mayor that came in and wanted to change everything,” Haskin said.

Asheville Councilwoman Terry Bellamy called Jackson a “comprehensive candidate” and cited his ability to deal with developers and to seek input from neighborhoods on projects.

“The ability to mesh developers’ needs with residents’ needs, to bring them together to put forth good plans and policies for city council, his track record is very successful,” Bellamy said.

While in Fort Worth, Jackson worked on a public-private project to renovate an office tower that was damaged by a tornado in 2000. He also was involved in negotiations to bring a 600-room hotel to downtown Fort Worth and worked on a $265 million bond package for infrastructure needs.

“My style is to promote teamwork, involve and empower managers and rely on business techniques, establishing business plans, goals and objectives,” he said.

Before taking over at Fort Worth, Jackson spent about five years as the city manager of Carrollton, Texas, a city of more than 100,000 near Dallas.

While he was city manager in Carrollton, the city came under fire after some city workers bulldozed over the nesting site of some egrets. Following the controversy, the city suspended three workers, according to published reports.

Jackson has also worked in Liberty, Mo., and Coon Rapids, Minn., and he spent nine years working for the city of Dallas, eventually serving as assistant to the city manager.

Born in Frederick, Md., Jackson grew up in Dayton, Ohio.

He went to work as a social worker in Dayton after graduating from Miami University of Ohio.

But Jackson said he feels he could have an even greater impact working for city government. He has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas.

“I was ready for a change from the big city pressure cooker. I was looking for the right opportunity, and Asheville was the perfect opportunity to find the right balance,” he said.

Jackson is also a competitive bicyclist. He and his wife, Kathy, have two sons, ages 11 and 13.

“I’m attracted here (to Asheville) for the very same reasons that everybody else is attracted to Asheville — the quality of life, the diversity and the character of the community,” Jackson said.

Challenges ahead
Jackson said as city manager, he will emphasize communication, collaboration and continuing improvement for the city.

But he will face a number of challenges.

The first of which will be the expiring water agreement, unless city and county leaders reach a deal soon. The agreement set up the existing water authority, but city leaders announced last year that they want out of the deal. The water agreement ends June 30.

“I’m going to go to school on the issue,” Jackson said. “I think it’s about relationships at this point.”

Jackson sees as another challenge managing the city’s growth while protecting the environment and character of the area.

“One of the things I would challenge him (the new city manager) to do would be to come out and talk and have a town hall meeting, and find out what their needs are,” said Keith A. Ogden, pastor at Hill Street Baptist Church.

Ogden attended a forum last month that featured all three city council candidates. He says affordable housing and addressing the concerns of poorer neighborhoods are key challenges for the new city manager.

“The city manager plays such an incredible role,” said William Wilcox, president of Tower Associates in Asheville.

The new manager will have a lot on his plate, but Wilcox said, “We’re excited about having him on board.”

Contact Ball at 232-5851 or jball@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

On the Net: www.ci.asheville.nc.us.

---

Sidebar: Community reaction

Thomas Rightmyer of Asheville: Any one of them (the three finalists for the job) would do. My personal favorite was the assistant city manager (Jeff Richardson) just because he’s local. ... But I’m sure the fellow who has been chosen will do a fine job.

“He (Gary Jackson) has the advantage of coming in fresh and not knowing anybody. He has the advantage of experience in a city larger than Asheville.”

Keith A. Ogden, pastor of Hill Street Baptist Church: “One of the things I would challenge him (the new city manager) to do would be to come out and talk and have a town hall meeting, and find out what their needs are. We need (someone) that’s going to actually come out and talk to the people and find out what’s going on.

“Come sit down and talk with these pastors. … We have the members in our church, and we hear their cries. We hear their complaints.”

Edna Campos of Asheville: “Most people who live in Texas understand the issues about diversity… It means this particular person is going to have some experience working with minority communities. With the anticipated growth we have in different communities, with new people coming here, I think it can be helpful.”

Campos added that Gary Jackson’s experience working in a larger city would be to his advantage in Asheville.

Chris Pelly, of Haw Creek, president of the Coalition of Asheville Neighborhoods: “I’m glad to hear they selected him (Gary Jackson). He was a strong choice,” Pelly said. “We need somebody that listens to all segments of the community, and I believe we’re going to have that in this person.”

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (06/13/05)

Projects would have downtown growing up
Proposed building, parking deck would alter portion of inner city
By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — County government and private developers are planning two large building projects that could change the look and feel of the eastern end of downtown.

One is a proposed office building of up to 10 stories and 130,000 square feet at the corner of College and Oak streets, on what’s now a parking lot at the northwest corner of the new traffic roundabout on College Street. If City Council approves plans next month, construction would begin in spring 2006, its developer says.

The other is a parking deck with 600 to 700 spaces that would be located on what’s now a surface parking lot between the county health center building and Woodfin Street. The county is still negotiating with a private company but hopes construction might begin this fall, Assistant County Manager Jon Creighton said.

As currently planned, the office building would contain a bank and some retail space on the first floor, bank offices on the second, and five floors of Buncombe County office space with the remainder to be leased to other businesses.

If all 10 stories are built — the exact size of the building depends on demand for office space, developer Greg Edney says — the College Street building would be shorter than only a handful of others downtown and would be a noticeable addition to views of downtown from the east.

“It’s a significant building. It’s going to be very prominent, very attractive,” said Alan Glines, a city planner who is reviewing the project.

A new view

Areas of downtown radiating out from Pack Square and Pritchard Park have seen dramatic changes over the past 15 years or so as older buildings have been renovated into shops, restaurants and offices, resulting in a huge increase in pedestrian traffic.

But much of the area from the county courthouse east toward Beaucatcher Tunnel is a checkerboard of office buildings and surface parking lots with what Glines called a “suburban” feel.

People interviewed in the area between showers Friday afternoon had a generally positive reaction to the office building project.

“It’d be better than looking at a parking lot,” said Janet LeCount, who works across College Street from the proposed site.

“That’s a nice-looking building,” Luther Jackson said when shown an artist’s rendering.

Lela Stephens said “infill development” in downtown is preferable to sprawl in suburban areas. She wasn’t crazy about the building design, but said, “it’s got to be better than the BB&T Building.”

“We viewed the structure as a gateway into our downtown,” said Chad Roberson, principal and director of the Asheville office of PBC+L Architecture, building architects.

“The building is located in an area with several structures of the same scale, allowing it to fit within the existing urban fabric,” he said, and is designed to encourage pedestrian use.

County plans

Edney and his Skyland-based Northwest Property Group would develop the office building on land that he would lease long-term from the county. Creighton said the county is negotiating a similar deal for a private company, which he did not identify, to put the parking garage near the health building.

The office building would allow the county to put workers now spread across several locations in one building and to in turn move some workers out of leased space into space the consolidation would vacate, Creighton said.

In addition to its own employees, about 1,200 of whom work downtown, the county is responsible for providing space for certain state workers in the court system. That can be a burden, Creighton said.

“The cost of downtown space is a lot more than it was five years ago,” he said.

The county manager, personnel, finance, county attorney and planning offices would probably move into the new space, Creighton said. The county is considering moving commissioners’ offices and meeting room into the new building, but no decision has been made, Creighton said.

Moving commissioners out of the courthouse would be a break with tradition, but the roughly 80 seats in the current meeting room aren’t enough and it needs other improvements, he said.

“Even though we doubled the size of it (a few years ago), it’s still small for a public meeting room for a county with 200,000 people. If you get a hundred people in a meeting, you have people standing in the hall,” he said.

Citizens don’t pack the room often, but when they do, no one wants to left outside, Creighton said: “You want to come to a meeting and all of a sudden you end up standing in the hall. Nobody’s happy about that.”

The city Planning Commission has already approved the project. The proposed site is zoned for office use, but the project would require City Council approval as well because of its size.

Parking problems

Parking for county employees is so tight now that some use a county lot on Charlotte Street north of Interstate 240 and the county supplies a shuttle to get them to and from work, Creighton said.

“Everybody that comes in the court system or the health department complains that we can’t find a place to park,” he said.

County officials hope to strike a deal for the parking deck this summer, he said. They are talking with city government about whether the parking deck would also include some office or retail space, Creighton said.

Parking was the point of concern about the office building for Kathy Kelley, a state employee who works in the courthouse and parks on the building site.

“They ought to stop building all these buildings,” she said. “People need a place to park,” Kelley said, calling the office building plan “ridiculous.”

Candaus Richardson said he would be glad to see more downtown growth.

“I think it’d be good for Asheville,” he said. “It’s already a sleepy town which is on the verge of becoming a booming city.”

Contact Barrett at 232-5833 or mbarrett@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

---

http://cmsimg.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=B0&Date=20050613&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=50612020&Ref=AR&Profile=1001&maxW=600&maxH=440&title=1

[hauntedheadnc]

^ Is it a thing of beauty? No. It's more of the same "modernist bland" crap going up all over downtown, but it is better than a parking lot.

[Matthew]

It was beautiful before I saw the rendering. Just this short line...

a proposed office building of up to 10 stories and 130,000 square feet

and this one also...

“It’s a significant building. It’s going to be very prominent

It had me from significant. I knew it was the building I've been waiting for. :D

the College Street building would be shorter than only a handful of others downtown and would be a noticeable addition to views of downtown from the east.

It's going to be beautiful! I counted 11 floors! I'm adding it now. I've added the buildings along Macon Street Friday and now this one. I consider the Grove as three seperate buildings. Also I added my favorite condo tower on Macon Street.

Currently we don't have an excellent example of Post Modern. I don't consider the National Climatic data Center a true Post Modern Building. I think of it more as a Modern Building than Post Modern. This is a true Post Modern Building, like a missing piece of Asheville's urban fabric and it's a tall example, not a short one. I welcome this! We need an example of this style. We also need more skyscrapers. I welcome anything over 6-7 floors with open arms! We must break ground before the NIMBYs stop it! I've got my shovel! I want this! They can't break ground fast enough for me! I just worry a group of anit-growth NIMBYs will stop it.

You should've posted this as a seperate thread announcing a new skyscraper in Asheville in it's title.

[orulz]

I love the reaction "They ought to stop building all these buildings [on parking lots]. People need a place to park. This is ridiculous."

I'm sorry, but your reaction is what's ridiculous, especially since a 700 space parking deck is being considered just down the street. Are your thought patterns so incurably suburban that you not only demand lots of parking, but it has to be surface parking too? Go away, whoever you are. You don't belong downtown anywhere and we don't want you in Asheville.

[hauntedheadnc]

I considered writing a letter to the editor concerning that nitwit, but I figure what she said was so patently ridiculous that it didn't need to be pointed out again.

[Matthew]

I know parking is tight there, but a parking deck would solve all those problems and be like adding more surface lots. Not only that, but her SUV would stay cool and protected during the summer or storms. :tup:

We'll it's NIMBY time! I listed her at SkyscraperCity as Matt's NIMBY of the Week and I think she will be NIMBY of the Year this year. It will be hard to beat that statement! She is the first of many who will try to stop this project and bring it down to Asheville's Official NIMBY height limit of 6-7 floors. They are the reason that area hasn't developed and the reason so many are scared of developing those lots. That and there is a "real" height limit over some of them. ;)

I'm also still excited about the chance for a 15+ storey hotel on Lexington at Hiawassee! I think in the very near future, Hiawassee and part of Rankin could be closed to traffic and we could get an improved and expanded Civic Center to meet up with the hotel and auditorium, offering 50,000-100,000 new square feet of convention space and the ability to walk from facility to facility without going ouside. This new city manager could be the guy to make things happen at the Civic Center and Wolfe site.

WOW! I am excitied, ....if something breaks ground.

[hauntedheadnc]

My main concern with a Civic Center expansion and the proposed Hammon hotel is that it will be the de facto kiss of death for North Lexington Avenue. Already, landlords are tossing out their tenants in anticipation of the Porcelain Doll Emporium, Armani, and Overpriced Gewgaws Ltd. I hate that. It's legal, sure, but that doesn't make it right.

[glowrock]

^^^
LOL at Overpriced Gewgaws. Ltd.! :haha:

Aaron (Glowrock)

[Matthew]

It looks like my dream of an expanded Civic Center that fills the lots behind it, closing part of one street and closing another, won't happen anyways. A new development was proposed on one of those lots last week. :( I don't want Asheville to fall behind and never develop. I want skyscrapers! A hotel and expanded Civic Center would be great news for downtown Asheville and the city as a whole.

[hauntedheadnc]

^^^
LOL at Overpriced Gewgaws. Ltd.! :haha:

Aaron (Glowrock)

Thank you. I'll be here all week.

And then some. Remember to tip your servers.

[hauntedheadnc]

It looks like my dream of an expanded Civic Center that fills the lots behind it, closing part of one street and closing another, won't happen anyways. A new development was proposed on one of those lots last week. :( I don't want Asheville to fall behind and never develop. I want skyscrapers! A hotel and expanded Civic Center would be great news for downtown Asheville and the city as a whole.

I want skyscrapers too. The more the merrier, in fact. I wish the South Slope area between downtown and the medical district would fill in with enough residential high-rises to make even Vancouver green with envy.

On the other hand, I don't want the things that make Asheville special and unique to be mowed down in the process. There are some cities, like, again, Vancouver, as well as Seattle and Portland that manage to combine dense urbanity and high-rise development with a bohemian, free-spirited populace, and they're praised for it. I don't really trust Asheville's leadership as of now with the task of balancing growth while allowing the weirdos their place in town. I really fear that Asheville will destroy one to encourage the other, and in the end we'll all be poorer for it. There are any number of cities out there crammed with rich retirees and urban expats who live in grossly overpriced condoes and nibble foie gras at the most precious little cafes. There aren't that many that can maintain and nurture the kinds of people and businesses you find here now.

[Matthew]

I don't want those funky stores to leave. I do want to see those empty lots developed. A nice 15-17 storey hotel and convention facility connecting it to the Civic Center and Auditorium would be a great asset for Downtown and the community. It would help downtown complete with the Grove Park Inn for conventions, which means more people on that street. It would bring more events to the city that the whole community can enjoy, more money into the city and give us a new skyscraper, towering over I-240. If you thought the Basilica of Saint Lawrence looked big over the highway, wait until you see a 15-17 storey skyscraper towering over it! I've always enjoyed seeing the Basilica of Saint Lawrence and Battery Park Apartments from 240! :D

[hauntedheadnc]

The Hammon hotel would be a better fit for someplace west of the Civic Center, not east toward North Lexington. I believe it was orulz who said it ought to be built as the never-constructed Grove Arcade tower, and I agree. The hotel and the established community along Lexington do not in any shape or form complement one another, and one would have to make way for another. It goes without saying that the more money you have the more power you have, which means the hoity-toity hotel set would get their way, and the merchants of North Lexington would get their eviction notices.

Even in the space of a couple of blocks the neighborhood changes completely. The area around the Grove Arcade is significantly more upscale and entirely different from North Lexington, and would be a perfect fit for a fancy hotel. Perhaps it should be built as the Grove Arcade tower, perhaps it should be built as a component of the planned city parking deck there at the planned St. Lawrence Plaza. Either way, it belongs there and not a foot closer to North Lexington. Hippies are skittish creatures and are easily frightened by unusual sounds and sights, and in downtown Asheville there are fewer sights and sounds more unusual than those of new construction. Therefore, to protect our unique downtown vibe, it's imperative to put things in their proper place and leave well enough alone.

North Lexington is well enough. Leave it alone. Build the hotel in another part of town where it will fit in better.

[Matthew]

Building it on top of the Grove Arcade is a great idea, but I think it would cost too much. Think of the stone needed and the skilled craftsmen. They could do it if they could build a tower of their own design, but that would be bad news, architecturally, for the Grove. If only we had major corporations here to give money to the project, it would be great to see that tower built. It would be our tallest skyscraper!

Hippies are skittish creatures and are easily frightened by unusual sounds and sights, and in downtown Asheville there are fewer sights and sounds more unusual than those of new construction.
:hilarious :haha: :hilarious :D

Funny and true. With the new lowrises going-up, maybe construction is becoming familiar to them and it wouldn't be as bad now as it would've two or three years ago? I don't want it too close to St. Lawrence, so what other areas could it go? Asheville's Downtown Footprint is very large, providing lots of places for towers, but I think this one needs to be close to the Civic Center. We also should avoid the wrecking ball if possible. I haven't heard anything about it recently and that is always bad news.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Mountain X-Press (06/22/05)

The boss
How an autocratic city manager ran Asheville
by Steve Rasmussen

When incoming City Manager Gary Jackson takes the helm as Asheville's most powerful official on June 27, he will oversee the city's thousand-member work force and multimillion-dollar budget (see sidebar, "From Steamrolling to Bridge Building"). But when he begins tackling the issues facing Asheville today – the water system, the Civic Center, downtown development – he'll find the fingerprints of his most famous (and most controversial) predecessor all over them. Weldon Weir guided this city through its hardest, poorest times while building a political empire unequaled here before or since. And in the process, he retooled the local power structure to serve his purposes.

Other public functionaries are often more visible. The police chief, the fire chief, the parks-and-recreation director, the public-works director, the planning-and-development director: These and other key city officials draw the hot spotlight of public attention whenever one of them signs off on a decision that affects local businesses' profits or city residents' lives. But every one of these movers and shakers answers to a single person, whom Asheville's charter vests with the sole power to hire them, fire them, and tell them how to do their jobs: the city manager.

Like a corporate CEO who's supposed to answer to a board of directors, the city manager is himself hired or fired by the men and women the voters elect to City Council. Yet there was a time, not so long ago, when Asheville's unelected boss even chose the folks who would supervise him.

Just about everyone who lived in Asheville during the '50s and '60s has a story about Weir, who served as city manager from 1950 to 1968. His admirers speak of him in near-reverent tones, and even those who opposed his autocratic political machine praise the results he achieved. To a significant extent, modern Asheville is Weldon Weir's legacy.

At the beginning of his reign, Weir lobbied successfully for building the 36-inch pipeline from the North Fork Reservoir into the city – a key component of the municipal water system that's now being bitterly disputed by Asheville and Buncombe County. Ironically, Weir's diversion of water revenues, which helped keep the city afloat financially while it was laboring to pay off its Depression-era debt, also helped create the crumbling infrastructure that still plagues the system today.

In 1955, county voters rejected a bond issue to build an airport. Two years later, Weir pushed through a city bond issue that gave us the Asheville Regional Airport. In the mid-'60s, Weir helped conceive the plans that led to the construction of the Civic Center a decade later. And in 1964, he secured millions of dollars in urban-renewal funds to redevelop a 75-acre triangle of downtown north of City/County Plaza and east of Market and Spruce streets. This 12-year project left in its wake a swath of sleek, parking-lot-encircled modern structures such as the Buncombe County Health Center and what is now the Renaissance Asheville Hotel – right alongside the blocks of funky, antique buildings that are the focus of today's downtown revival.

But even greater than the mark he left on the city's physical landscape is the way Weir reshaped its political terrain to center on the city manager's office – which many observers say remains the pinnacle of local power to this day.

The problem-solver

Throughout the cash-flush days of the Roaring '20s, Asheville was run by a mayor and two elected commissioners (of public works and public safety). Then came the Great Depression. In 1930, angry citizens forced the mayor and both commissioners to resign after discovering that they had illegally borrowed huge sums of money in a vain effort to keep the bank holding the city's accounts from crashing.

In a referendum held the following year, Asheville voters approved a change in Asheville's charter (later confirmed by the N.C. General Assembly) that placed the city under the council/manager form of government. This relatively new system – pioneered by Staunton, Va., in 1908 – empowered an elected mayor and city council to appoint a professional manager who would serve as the city's chief executive officer – overseeing its day-to-day business, preparing and administering its budget, and hiring (and firing) its personnel.

The new system got off to a rickety start. Asheville's first city manager – R.W. Rigsby, who had previously held comparable positions in Charlotte, Durham and Bristol, Tenn. – retired after only two years. The second, George Hackney, wound up being sued (along with the city council that had hired him) by Asheville's creditors, who claimed that the city owed them its water revenues in payment of its massive debts.

The third city manager was a local Democratic Party mogul and former Asheville Times publisher named Pat Burdette. But he didn't exactly throw himself into the job, as Margaret Simmons, Weir's secretary, recalled years later for local historian Rob Neufeld. Burdette would get to work at 10 a.m., take a two-hour lunch, and leave at 4 p.m. The man who actually got things done was an ambitious 22-year-old whom Burdette promoted to public-works director immediately after his own installation as city manager in 1935. Fifteen years later, Weldon Weir took over Burdette's job in name as well as fact. And in his two decades as city manager, Weir is credited with almost single-handedly pulling Asheville out of the prolonged financial spiral precipitated by the Depression.

This Asheville-born son of a sales executive turned dairy farmer was a tireless worker, those who knew him recall. Weekdays, he would rise at 5 a.m. and show up at the city garage first thing to give arriving employees his version of work orders – slips of paper bearing notes he'd made the day before and stuffed into his pocket. From the time Weir arrived in his office (generally around 8:30), he kept his door open to anyone who wanted to see him, writing down what needed to be done to solve petitioners' problems on more slips of paper. And Weir would often return to the garage at 5 p.m. to check with the returning workers on the status of jobs he wanted finished that day.

"I still hear [this from] some of these old-timers that talk about Weldon: If you went to Weldon with a problem, it was taken care of," says Bruce Peterson, who grew up in Asheville during Weir's tenure and has been active in the Buncombe County Democratic Party for many years. "I mean, you didn't get lip service – you got results."

And not just bigwigs like Democratic Party power broker Don S. Elias (then the publisher of both the Asheville Citizen and the Asheville Times), or the executives at Wachovia Bank (which handled the city's accounts and covered its most pressing bond debts after the Depression crash). What made Weir's name legendary in this town was his genuine concern for the problems of ordinary city residents.

"If they needed fuel oil, if they had a fire at their house, he took care of people – he made sure they had what they needed," remembers Peterson, and published biographies of Weir corroborate this.

Bruce's wife, Carol Weir Peterson, is Weldon's niece. Since her election to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners last fall, she reports, many locals who recognize her name have told her stories about how her uncle helped them. "So many people said, 'He was more my family to me than my family,'" she recalls.

Weir was even a pioneering force for racial equality, hiring minorities at a time when the South was still mired in segregation.

Meet the machine

But there was another side to the way Weir got things done. In an age when Western North Carolina's mayors and sheriffs often ruled their little fiefdoms like backwater feudal barons, Weir operated a political-patronage machine that would have done Chicago Mayor Richard Daley proud.

It wasn't Weir's creation: He inherited it from Pat Burdette, who for decades had been one of the leaders of an entrenched Democratic Party syndicate that the newspapers called "the Burdette-Greene-Nettles organization." The first partisan City Council elections, held in 1935, were swept by the syndicate's candidates, who promptly hired Burdette – the head of the Buncombe County Democratic Party – as city manager, a post he held until passing the torch to Weir.

Weir ran the machine with a down-home touch. Every Saturday morning, everybody who was anybody – or who wanted to be – came to the basement of the Lance's Produce warehouse on South Lexington to have hot dogs with Weir and his cohorts as they casually hashed political matters. Whether you were a teenager hoping for a summer job cutting grass at the cemeteries or a pillar of the community dreaming of a seat on City Council, the first thing you had to do was meet Weldon face to face and get his approval.

Bruce Peterson, whose first job as a youth was swinging a sling blade for the city Parks and Recreation Department, remembers the experience well.

"First thing they ask you is, how is you registered? How are your parents registered? Do you live in the city?"

If you or your folks weren't straight-ticket Democrats, or you didn't live in town, you didn't stand a chance. And even then, if you weren't a friend or family member of Weir's, a hot dog was often all you'd walk away with.

In an article titled "Asheville Used to be Run Like a Family, and Things Got Done," (May 1, 2004 Asheville Citizen-Times), Rob Neufeld quoted Weir's close friend and right-hand man, Charlie Dermid, who said Weir's motto was, "Never hire anybody if you didn't know his grandfather." Dermid, who attended school with Weir and worked with him early on at what is now Azalea Park, benefited from his powerful friend's patronage for decades. At various times, Weir installed Dermid as parks director, police chief, director of public safety and director of public works.

Throughout the '50s and into the '60s, Weir in the city and Sheriff Laurence Brown in the county controlled access to every local elective office, deciding who would run – and, usually, who would win.

"Many people have told me, 'I wanted to run and I went to see Weldon, and he told me no!'" Bruce Peterson recounts. "He said, 'You can do it ... but you won't get support.' He said, 'We've got somebody in line for that.'

"I think it was a situation where today you'd say the tail's wagging the dog – where the manager controls the [city] council. He approved their running for office, helped them get elected; they were all in this thing together, they depended on each other. It wasn't an adversarial situation at all. That's just the way it was. If you wanted to run, come see me."

In those days, the South was overwhelmingly Democratic, and city employees were expected to vote for Weir's men. But some say the machine was not content just to drive folks to the polls and hope for the best: Rumors still persist of impossibly lopsided precinct counts, and of votes cast by folks who never entered a voting booth (and we're not talking absentee ballots here).

Many Ashevilleans opposed the way Weir operated, even if they liked him as a person. One of his most determined critics was local attorney Bruce Elmore Sr., himself a Democratic Party powerhouse at the state level. His son, Bruce Elmore Jr., is also an Asheville attorney who serves on the board of the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. As a boy, Elmore Jr. saw through the eyes of his father (who's now in his 90s) what a town ruled by patronage looked like.

"You couldn't do much of anything politically without being on the right side. It may even have been more perception than reality, but people would have thought that, 'Oh, if I want to get a loan from [a local bank], I probably ought to be friendly to the machine.' So a lot of folks who weren't political would have given lip service to the machine.

"If you had a business, and you had to have delivery people double-park every now and then to deliver, you wouldn't want to be against [the machine] because folks might get towed. They would have worried, whether it would have actually happened or not."

If your bar had a jukebox owned by a rival of one of Weir's relatives, your customers would be repeatedly arrested for DUI by the police, remembers Elmore – because the city manager controlled the police chief.

But whatever Weir's enemies thought of his methods, his chief critic never believed that the powerful city manager was motivated by greed.

"My dad never thought that [Weir] did it for gain," recalls Elmore, adding, "He just wanted control; power. And he had it."

The end of an era

But in the perennial struggle to stay on top of the political heap, Asheville's alpha male finally lost a key bout with a powerful rival. In 1964, when City Council voted to introduce cable television, Harold H. Thoms, who owned local television stations WLOS and WISE, was one of the principal bidders for the contract. Weir, however, convinced Council that the city should own and operate the cable infrastructure as a public utility (it would have been the city's only income-generating utility, other than water), and successfully fended off Thoms' efforts to acquire the contract.

The next year, Thoms sweetened his deal, promising to direct 20 percent of the cable system's profits to the Asheville Orthopedic Hospital, which he served as board president (it's now known as Thoms Rehabilitation Hospital). Yet Weir and City Council chose an out-of-state cable operator who offered Asheville a smaller cut of the profits than Thoms had, but who promised to turn the whole system over to the city after 20 years.

In 1967, though, Thoms got his way. Weir's own Council turned around and handed the local TV magnate a contract to install and operate Asheville's cable-TV network. The still-controversial document essentially gave Thoms a 35-year monopoly on the city system.

"I think it just sort of signaled that his era was over at that time," says Elmore. On Sept. 1, 1968 – mere days after the riots at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago – Weir announced his resignation as city manager. And in the Council elections the following spring, a slate of outsiders beat the machine, as Republicans took control of City Council for the first time ever. The voters also elected Asheville's first black and first female Council members.

The new Republican mayor was Dr. Wayne S. Montgomery – the director of the cerebral-palsy clinic at Thoms' hospital.

Weir lived until 1987, remaining a respected elder statesman in the local Democratic Party. But he never again held the kind of power he'd wielded as Asheville's city manager.

The more things change ...

Today, as the 11-year tenure of City Manager Jim Westbrook winds down, political parties play only a limited role in Council elections, which have been nonpartisan for years. City officials now run a many-layered, multimillion-dollar bureaucracy, and the Saturday-morning klatches over hot dogs are history.

But what hasn't changed much – because it's built into the city's charter – is the lopsided balance of power that drives Asheville's strong manager/weak Council form of government. While elected officials take the heat for unpopular decisions, it's often the city manager who, behind the scenes, has done much of the actual deciding.

"Any time you have a council/management-type situation, council does set policy, but we're elected people, and we really don't have the background in public administration that a manager does," observes Council member Jan Davis. "So we have to rely very heavily on what they say. If you have confidence in that manager, it helps a great deal."

Brian Peterson (no relation to Bruce or Carol), who served on City Council from 2000 to 2004, was one of several Council members who clashed with Westbrook (and nearly fired him) in 2003. Peterson, who says he has no plans to seek a seat on City Council again, spoke candidly with Xpress about his experience of how the council/manager system plays out.

"It's a bit of an unequal playing field, because – it's like running the military, you know? The president's the commander in chief, but the general actually's got command of all the soldiers on the field, and so the policy might be we're not going to abuse prisoners in Iraq, but the general lets it happen.

"Council's a part-time job," notes Peterson. "Everybody [who isn't retired] has other work, has families; you don't have time to be an expert on everything that comes before Council."

Echoing Davis, Peterson says: "You end up relying very, very heavily on staff, and some have the view that – they'll sort of give staff a huge benefit of the doubt. Whatever staff says must be right, unless there's some overwhelming evidence or reason why you're going to disagree with them."

With a staff of 20 and the entire city work force to command, the city manager has far more resources at his or her disposal than Council members, who are lucky to have a handful of volunteers to help them out.

"There are certain duties that Council legally has to do – you know, approving a rezoning – that actually takes a vote of Council. But the process of getting it to Council is controlled by the city manager, and what staff recommends is controlled by the city manager. The information that comes to Council is controlled by the city manager.

"Council in the vast majority of cases is going to follow what staff recommends, and the city manager can tell staff what to recommend," Peterson emphasizes. "So even though the city manager – maybe it's a big rezoning – sits there and doesn't say a thing, he probably has shaped what staff has recommended. And sometimes he plays sort of coalition-building politics to put together a majority of Council to vote for something that he wants.

"Council gets the blame for stuff, but it's typically the city manager who's been really running stuff. Or [if] not him directly, then staff under his direction. But he stays out of the limelight – doesn't talk much at Council meetings. He talks before Council meetings; he talks with members one to one, or in groups of twos and threes. And he very much stays out of the limelight, so if there are people who are unhappy, they're unhappy with members of Council and not with him."

From Weir to Westbrook, Asheville's unelected bosses have exerted a tremendous influence on the city we live in. Now it's Gary Jackson's turn to put his stamp on the Asheville of the coming years. And though it remains to be seen what his impact will be, in the end, notes Council member Davis, "You just have to have a lot of faith that person is going to do what you want them to do."

[hauntedheadnc]

And now, for a mention of the hotel proposal that has downtown all in a dither, we turn to...

From the Mountain X-Press (06/22/05)

From steamrolling to bridge building

"'Road-roller' methods were employed by the city council in the Rigsby election," the Asheville Citizen observed back in 1931. The city's influential unions complained that R.W. Rigsby, Asheville's very first full-time city manager, had acquired a reputation for being unfair to organized labor while serving as Charlotte's chief executive. Council, however, ignored labor leaders' pleas to delay his confirmation vote until more could be learned about him.

Three-quarters of a century later, disputes between developers and neighborhoods have replaced labor/management strife as the leading source of conflict in City Council's chambers. And earlier this year, neighborhood activists unhappy with the list of criteria Council drew up for screening candidates to replace retiring City Manager Jim Westbrook griped as bitterly as the labor unionists once had about the lack of opportunity for public input. But on May 25, in a precedent-setting break with the old ways, City Council introduced the three finalists to Asheville residents at a public forum in the Civic Center. For more than two hours, those in attendance probed the candidates with questions, and Council members solicited feedback from the public to guide them in making the final selection.

Gary Jackson – the former city manager of Fort Worth, Texas – declared right off the bat that one of his strongest suits is his ability "to bridge business interests with neighborhood interests." That statement clearly struck a chord with at least one city official. Immediately after the unanimous June 9 vote to hire Jackson, Council member Terry Bellamy told Xpress that she'd made the motion to hire Jackson because she was impressed by his comprehensive background and his "ability to bridge the needs of both the business community and neighborhoods."

At the forum, Jackson also gave an unambiguous answer to a question about whether he supports the concept of "smart growth": "Yes, wholeheartedly. I not only talk the talk, but walk the walk – I have a lot of experience with it."

That experience may have influenced conflicting views about Jackson turned up by Xpress in the course of researching his tenure in Fort Worth. A Web site for a Texas-based real-estate-development firm opined that Jackson had been forced out of his position there because "he slowed growth" in the city. Yet a Web site for a taxpayers' watchdog group criticized Jackson for cutting a deal with a hotel developer that involved public bonds.

The latter point seems of particular interest because the developer, John Q. Hammons, is the same man who – introduced with considerable fanfare at a city press conference last month – expressed a desire to build a hotel/conference center behind the Asheville Civic Center. That announcement has generated concerns among some Lexington Avenue merchants and property owners about gentrification and fears that the city might resort to eminent domain to secure needed parcels.

If the project proceeds, Jackson's bridge-building skills may be put to the test – perhaps illustrating what the Asheville Citizen had in mind when, in a 1931 editorial condemning Council's flattening of dissent, the paper reminded its readers, "Under the managerial system of city government the selection of a city manager is ... the most important duty which the council is called upon to perform."

– Brian Sarzynski and Steve Rasmussen

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (06/26/05)

Successes, a few concerns define city manager’s past
Jackson will have broad power as Asheville’s top administrator
By Rebeccah Cantley-Falk
and Julie Ball
STAFF WRITERS

ASHEVILLE — A city manager who was visible, customer service-oriented but who may have been in over his head in his last job are some descriptions given of Asheville’s new city manager, Gary Jackson.

Jackson, former city manager in Fort Worth, Texas, will take over Monday as the top administrator of Asheville, the unofficial capital of Western North Carolina. A power broker for the region, Jackson will oversee 1,000 city employees and a budget of more than $100 million. He will be expected to carry out the mandates of Asheville City Council and will be paid $140,000 annually.

Under Asheville’s council-manager form of government, Jackson will have broad administrative powers to hire and fire department heads. He will also take the reins as the city and county continue the battle over the Regional Water Authority agreement, which expires Thursday.

So who is this man, and what is his track record?

One thing those who know Jackson say: He’s likely to be connected to the community. In Carrollton, Texas, where Jackson served five years as city manager, Pat Cochran saw him at the soccer fields and at barbecues.

“People in Asheville can expect a man that’s going to come in and try to understand the people first, understand who they are and where they want to be in 10 years,” she said.

Residents in the communities listed on Jackson’s resume seemed pleased overall with his performance when contacted recently by the Asheville Citizen-Times. But tensions between Jackson and elected officials in Fort Worth eventually led to his resignation.

Here’s a look at Jackson’s three most recent career stops before Asheville:

Fort Worth, Texas

Jackson resigned in August 2004 after 3 1/2 years as the top administrator amid news reports of tension between him and City Council. Council gave him a less-than-stellar performance review, but neighborhood leaders said they were surprised when he left.

Jackson developed good rapport with the neighborhood associations and was available to meet with them, Gary Kidwell, president of the Hallmark/Camelot-Highland Terrance Neighborhood Association said.

“His response was immediate in every single case, and his mode of correcting problems was responsive,” Kidwell said.

But Jackson received sharp criticism in a February 2004 job review, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which obtained a copy of the evaluation through the Texas open records law. Mayor Mike Moncrief did not return telephone messages from the Citizen-Times.

Jackson received a 3.63 rating on a scale of one to five. One was considered unacceptable, two indicated a need for improvement, three was competent, four excellent and five outstanding.

Council members’ comments included that Jackson was “a good man doing a good job during very demanding times” and conversely that he seemed to be “in over his head.” Councilors praised Jackson for being passionate and committed, but one said he was “inconsistent in his ability to make decisions.”

Residents suspected the problem was rooted in personality conflicts.

“You’ve got to blame somebody, and I’ve always felt to a degree that Gary was the person to pin something on at that time,” Patti Crabtree, a neighborhood leader in Crestwood said.

Fort Worth residents reported overall satisfaction with services in a survey taken during Jackson’s tenure. But one area that saw decline was residential trash collection. The percentage of residents rating trash collection as a four or five on a scale of one to five fell from 82 percent in 2002 to 61 percent in 2004.

Jackson took criticism for the trash problems. Fort Worth contracts trash collection to a private company, which then has subcontractors. Council members said in July 2003 that they were bombarded with calls about missed collections, forgotten recycling pickups and piles of brush.

Removal of brush and other bulky waste was the major difficulty, and within two years, Fort Worth tried at least two different ways of addressing it. A call-in program for residents to request pickup was replaced by weekly pickup of brush and monthly pickup of bulky waste. The change included a fee increase.

“We still have that (trash) headache, so I can’t say Gary was the one that instigated that problem,” Crabtree said.

Crabtree is a charter member of a cleanup program initiated under Jackson’s watch. The program, called Code Rangers, uses volunteer residents to patrol the streets looking for code violations such as tall grass and debris. The residents report problems to the city’s compliance division, which then follows up.

Carrollton, Texas

Before Fort Worth, Jackson served as city manager in Carrollton, Texas, a Dallas suburb that has grown from 4,000 people in 1960 to more than 115,000. Jackson came to the city in the wake of political turmoil.

Members of Carrollton City Council had been the focus of a voter recall, and six of seven were either recalled or opted not to seek re-election. Voters were unhappy with an amortization plan city leaders put in place for an area of Carrollton known as Old Downtown. Under the plan, property owners were given a certain amount of time to come into compliance with zoning changes or stop using the property.

“The new council very much wanted to do things differently. Gary came in as very much the change agent,” said Bob Scott, Carrollton chief financial officer and assistant city manager. “(Jackson) is a team builder. He likes consensus.”

Jackson built a reputation as a city manager focused on customer service.

“He was very business-oriented. And he felt the city was a business, and the taxpayers ought to be treated as customers,” said former Mayor Milburn Gravley, who was a member of the board that hired Jackson.

During his time in Carrollton, Jackson worked on two successful bond packages in 1998 and 1999. One was to build parks, rebuild a couple of fire stations and build a municipal court facility. The second was for large infrastructure, including drainage and streets.

“Gary was instrumental in getting that process started,” Scott said.

As part of that process, Jackson recommended council set up a citizens advisory committee to review capital projects and establish priorities. That committee still exists, Scott said.

Jackson also pushed for higher pay for police officers and other city employees.

But his time in Carrollton wasn’t without controversy. He was criticized in 1998, when city workers, responding to complaints from neighbors, bulldozed an egret nesting area. Neighbors had complained about bird droppings and noise.

The work killed hundreds of birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated, and the city ended up paying $70,000 in fines plus more than $126,000 to a local wildlife rehabilitator for the care of hundreds of injured birds.

“Gary took a little heat off of that because it was one of his managers who made the decision,” Gravley said.

Liberty, Mo.

After a stint in Coon Rapids, Minn. — Jackson’s first city manager job — he became city administrator in Liberty, Mo.

Those who worked with Jackson in Liberty agreed he had one trait: professionalism. Jackson initiated a push for service excellence, Coni Hadden, a 14-year council member, said.

“He wanted to raise the quality of standards for all employees as they dealt with the public so that service was uniform and consistent,” she said.

Jackson was successful in strengthening teamwork, Hadden said. But his intense personality conflicted with certain folks. On the other hand, his drive was what made him effective, she said.

“From some people’s points of view, he was expecting too much for everybody to be up to bat all the time and take on new projects,” Hadden said.

One of Jackson’s lasting impacts was developing the Heartland Meadows Industrial Park, Patty Gentrup, current city administrator, said. Developing Heartland Meadows required bringing several entities together, including a private college and the industrial development council. The project was the first in Missouri to use tax increment financing, a development incentive whereby tax revenues generated by a project are put toward debt retirement on public infrastructure.

Heartland Meadows, which has 11 tenants, exceeded community expectations, Gentrup said.

“It took less time than expected to pay off the debt, and it’s a clean industrial park that we point to with pride,” she said.

Jackson’s leadership style should serve Asheville well, Bo Ferguson, assistant town manager in Black Mountain, said. Ferguson, originally from Charlotte, came to Black Mountain in May and served as an intern under Jackson in Liberty.

“He was well-respected in the organization, and to the best of my knowledge was well-liked and respected by the leaders in Liberty,” Ferguson said. “He was extremely approachable. He always took opportunities to help me learn and get me exposed to new things.”

Contact Falk at 232-2938 or RFalk@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

Contact Ball at 232-5851 or JBall@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (06/26/05)

Jackson strives to build relationships, learn about community
By Rebeccah Cantley-Falk
STAFF WRITER

New City Manager Gary Jackson spoke by telephone Tuesday from Fort Worth, Texas, to Asheville Citizen-Times city government reporter Rebeccah Cantley-Falk. Here are excerpts from the interview:

Question: Why did you get into public administration?

Answer: My true love has always been to do something to better man. My religious upbringing (the Methodist Church) has been that each of us has a gift, and my gift has always been to work with people. After undergraduate school and getting a practical business degree, I chose to do social work in the central city of Dayton, Ohio, in an impoverished area. … The social work led me to believe I could have a greater impact by becoming city manager.

Q: What are your first impressions of Asheville?

A: It has been well-led and well- managed in the past, and I look forward to building upon a strong foundation. I’m impressed with the character and diversity of the community. I’m impressed with the sound financial management of the city. I’m impressed with the caliber of city staff, and the vision and strategic plan that the mayor and council have adopted are superior among cities.

Q: How will you spend your first days, weeks and months on the job?

A: I’m going to concentrate in three areas. … First, making a special effort to get to know the mayor and City Council and establish a close working relationship as the chief executive. The second is to get to know the organization, what its strengths are so we can continue to build upon those and what areas need improvement so I can support continuous improvement.

The third area is to become knowledgeable of the diverse community. My objective would be to meet and visit with as many neighborhood groups, business groups, community organizations and other government partners to establish working relationships that will build into partnerships.

Q: What issues do you think are most important in the city?

A: The council has done an outstanding job of establishing the strategic goals from community development and community building to preserving the natural and as-built character of the community, as well as addressing affordable housing issues. … The underlying challenges nonetheless are always relationships. … Asheville does not live as an entity unto itself. We need to work with everyone from the school districts to the neighbors in the community.

Q: How would you describe your leadership style?

A: I like to delegate. I believe that everyone has something to contribute. Every job or position in the city is important, so I really focus on empowering individuals, empowering teams.

Q: What happened in Fort Worth that led you to resign (as city manager in August 2004)?

A: After accomplishing much of everything I set out to accomplish in the role and with the change in mayoral leadership, I decided it was an appropriate time to find another balance, where my family would be raised higher on a pedestal in balance with my work. It was necessary to resign from my position to achieve that. It was also necessary to resign to satisfy the mayor’s desire to change quarterbacks to have someone that he had a hand in selecting.

Q: What is your perception of the water debate?

A: I certainly don’t have a silver bullet. I’ll be the first to say that. My objective would be to listen and learn as much as possible from the mayor and council and negotiating team for the city, but I will also reach out and make a special effort to get to know the other side of the issue, and I’ll always be supportive of open and continuous dialogue.”

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (07/07/05)

Grove Park Inn gives up on downtown, for now
Statement says development not ‘economically feasible’
By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — The Grove Park Inn will not build a large mixed-use development that might have contained as much as 1 million square feet of space on the south side of City-County Plaza, citing economic reasons.

“After extensive research and consulting, it has been determined that any projects would not be economically feasible at this time,” President and CEO Craig Madison said in a statement released last week.

The inn said in January 2003 that it was looking at two sites downtown for development. One, at the corner of College and Market streets, sparked controversy because of concerns that putting residential condos and some retail space there would take away too much green space.

The inn dropped that idea in December 2003.

Madison said at the time that the inn would turn its attention to about 3 acres of mostly city-owned property located to the southwest of City Hall on Marjorie Street, often called Site B. Inn and city officials discussed the project last year and an inn official said earlier this year that the inn’s consideration of the project was continuing.

Building on Site B could have represented a huge influx of new retail, residential and office space downtown. The project might have cost $225 million and contained 1,000 parking spaces, the inn said in 2003, although Madison later said a smaller project was possible also.

James Geter, who is involved in efforts to revitalize the historic African-American business district nearby at the intersection of Eagle and South Market streets, had a mixed reaction.

In August 2003, at a meeting with residents and business owners from the Eagle and Market streets area, Madison said inn officials hoped “our building may be a bridge between (Pack Square) and the Eagle/Market streets community.”

But critics of the plan worried that a large development by the inn could negatively affect the district, called The Block, by erecting a barrier between it and downtown park space.

“There were a lot of concerns as to what would go there, how would it look,” Geter said.

Madison’s three-sentence statement, issued June 30, said the inn “has withdrawn its immediate plan to pursue land options in downtown Asheville for proposed development” but said the inn would “continue to consider downtown development opportunities if and when those economically feasible opportunities arise.” The Citizen-Times was unable to reach him for comment Wednesday.

Pack Square Conservancy President Carol King said Grove Park Inn representatives told the conservancy that officials at the inn’s parent company, Dallas-based Sammons Enterprises, decided, “They could invest the money elsewhere.” The move may have been related to changes of views or personnel at the corporate level, she said.

The conservancy is planning a major renovation of Pack Square and City-County Plaza. While the inn’s decision does not affect those plans, it is “a big disappointment because it would help to build the edges of the park,” King said.

The development would have brought more people to the park and vice versa, King said.

But, she said, there have been questions from the start whether downtown could absorb all at once the huge amount of space the inn proposed to build.

Geter, King and Weaverville resident Julie Brandt — a leader of opposition to the inn’s plans to develop the first site — all said they wouldn’t be surprised to see other developers take an interest in the property, given the high level of development activity downtown.

“It’s a prime location,” Brandt said, although it’s hard to predict how long it might take for the property to be developed.

The inn won approval last year for expansion plans that call for construction of 57 additional guest suites and 50 condominiums on its roughly 150-acre campus in North Asheville. Those plans are unaffected by last week’s announcement, inn spokesman Phil Werz said.

Contact Barrett at 232-5833 or mbarrett@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

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Well, this just fucking sucks.

[orulz]

Well, this just fucking sucks.I blame the nimbys. Damn them!

[Matthew]

I could give you a list of buildings in the past ten years that have gone nowhere. I haven't heard anything on this 180 footer in months, so I was expecting the worst. I also posted a few times on the opposition to the building and how I thought that would cancel the project. At least the hotel is still an active proposal. It's good to read news on it. I am excited about the possibility of a pro-growth City Manager and his ability to push something through anyways. However I don't want to see businesses pushed out for growth. I want to see lots filled and towers rise. A return to the 20's. :D

Opinion:
I'm not a huge fan of the Grove's idea of architecture. They are destroying their so called campus. They have no problem swinging the wrecking ball and adding ugly additions to a major historical landmark. If Edwin where here today, he would be angry at what has become of his dream. An inn similiar to what he saw in Yellowstone.

[hauntedheadnc]

If the hotel harms the established neighborhood along North Lexington Avenue, I don't support it. I want a high-rise hotel in downtown, but I don't want it to obliterate any neighborhood it settles in.

In other news, I received an email today saying that the New York Times is preparing to do a series of articles on Asheville that explore how it became a haven for gays and lesbians. While this won't appeal to everyone, I hope it helps to cement our reputation as the San Francisco of the South.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (07/18/05)

City landmark sells for $2M
New owners say downtown’s Miles Building will be preserved
By Dale Neal
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — When Elwood Miles decided to sell the downtown landmark that bears his family name, he wasn’t just looking for the top dollar, but for someone he could trust to preserve the historic Miles Building.

On July 8, Stephen and Mary Ann West paid $2 million for the Miles Building, in a deal that honors tenants leases until 2007 and prohibits any condominiums in the prime downtown property for at least the next 10 years.

“He entrusted the building and the tenants to us,” said Mary Ann West. “We feel the building belongs to Asheville and we want to preserve it.”

Miles had about 12 contracts to consider within a week of listing his building with Whitney Commercial Real Estate back in May. The firm had never before seen such interest and activity on a listing, according to Kenny Jackson and Tim Harrison of Whitney.

With the opportunity to match his building with a new owner, Miles personally interviewed potential buyers about their plans for the property.

He talked for about half an hour on the telephone, separately with the Wests.

“It was hairy, waiting for his answer,” Mary Ann West said.

Miles said he didn’t go with the top bid, but favored the Wests, who had family in town.

The Wests plan to keep the character of the building, adding air-conditioning and sprucing up the interior.

“The building has beautiful bones. It just needs some cleaning up,” Mary Ann West said.

Owner honors history, but ready to move on

The building was constructed in 1901 and was first known as Battery Park Hill. Herbert D. Miles, Miles’ grandfather and a financier, moved to Asheville from Chicago in 1912 after his wife contracted tuberculosis. The couple built Breezemont, a large house behind The Manor Inn on Charlotte Street. Later, Miles bought the downtown property from the Coxe Estate in 1919, which he improved into the Asheville Club, an exclusive social organization.

In 1927, Herbert Miles extensively remodeled the clubhouse into an office building with dark brick and white terracotta facings, based on buildings he had seen while visiting Italy. After Herbert Miles died in 1958, the building went into an estate for his heirs. Elwood’s father served as the estate’s trustee until his death in 1997, leaving Elwood as the last trustee. The last primary beneficiary, Marjorie Miles Jackson, lived to almost 102 years, dying in 2003.

With no children of his own to pass the building onto, Elwood Miles decided he wanted to retire as landlord and handyman after 37 years.

Elwood Miles recalls his father hired him in 1971, saying “I can hire you or a janitor, but I can’t hire both.”

“I used to tell people, I collect the rent and the trash,” he said. “I’ve changed the faucet washers, put tar on the roof.”

Nick Kirpalani opened up his Chicago Hi-Fashion clothing shop in the Miles Building along Battery Park Avenue in 1978.

“He’s been a wonderful landlord. I couldn’t get better than him,” Kirpalani said of Miles.

With a lease set until December 2007, Kirpalani is pleased to still be in business while downtown shopping habits have changed over the decades. But he’s isn’t sure about the future.

“If they do renovations, the rents will probably go up. I’m not sure I can survive if the rents go up.”

Mary Ann West said she hoped that all the tenants would stay on.

Meanwhile, Elwood Miles is looking forward to retirement, traveling more on his motorcycles and working on his “microfarm” in Beaverdam.

“I feel very pensive, letting go of something that’s been in the Miles family for so many years. On the other hand, I have the freedom not to be tied to the building.”

Contact Neal at 232-5970 or dneal@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (07/18/05

EDITORIAL: Still lots of irons in the fire in downtown Asheville
By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

In some cities, news of the loss of a potential downtown development that could have cost up to $225 million and involved up to 1 million square feet would have business and government leaders worried sick.

In Asheville, downtown is attracting so much money that people shrugged their shoulders when the Grove Park Inn said recently it was ending study of property to the southwest of City Hall known as Site B. Many were skeptical whether the project would ever happen anyway and some said, sooner or later, another developer will come along.

Sammons Enterprises, the Dallas-based company that owns the inn, is primarily involved in life insurance, the inn and heavy equipment. It isn’t surprising the company would pass on the chance to sink big bucks into a real estate deal downtown, especially when it already has plans to build on property around the inn itself in North Asheville.

It isn’t a foregone conclusion that someone else will find the same parcels downtown attractive. The site’s uneven topography would make it expensive to develop and the property is not in the heart of downtown activity.

Still, the general point about downtown holds true: Someone else will come along, somewhere.

There has been so much development activity downtown the list of downtown buildings that have not been redeveloped in recent years is dwindling, but there is some empty or underused property that could be built on in downtown and more on the fringes.

Some developers are turning their attention to the Merrimon Avenue and Broadway corridors to the north of downtown and the “south slope” along Biltmore, Lexington and Coxe avenues. There have been fewer signs of activity immediately to the east or west of the center of downtown — with the notable exception of a proposal to put a 10-story office building on College Street near the county courthouse — but that could change over time.

Contact Barrett at 232-5833 or mbarrett@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (07/20/05)

Council unhappy with DOT over I-240 plans
By Rebeccah Cantley-Falk
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — City Council wants to talk with state Department of Transportation officials about DOT’s steadfast support of widening Interstate 240 to eight lanes in West Asheville.

Council members expressed frustration with DOT’s position during a discussion Tuesday with city Traffic Engineer Anthony Butzek of the latest study of travel time projections done for the state.

The study showed little travel time difference between six and eight lanes and considered traffic projections through 2030. Opponents of eight lanes say the large highway would devastate West Asheville neighborhoods. Proponents say they are needed to move traffic.

The widening would be part of the I-26 Connector project, which would involve widening I-240 between Westgate Shopping Center and the I-26/Interstate 40/I-240 interchange in West Asheville and building a new crossing of the French Broad River west of downtown. Construction is to begin in 2012.

The recent study was done at council’s request and Butzek said it is the most comprehensive and detailed analysis to date. The state, however, still says eight lanes are necessary.

“I credit them for doing this analysis, but the results came back, and they (DOT officials) say, ‘Oh no, this changes nothing,’” Councilman Brownie Newman said. “It seems like in their minds a decision was made, and facts are just optional.”

Council members decided to request a meeting with the DOT to go over the study again and hear the state’s position. Mayor Charles Worley said he would schedule the meeting.

Contact Falk at 232-2938 or rfalk@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.

[hauntedheadnc]

From the Asheville Citizen-Times (07/20/05)

Officials buy rail depot site
Passenger train service planned for Biltmore Village land
By Mark Barrett
STAFF WRITER

ASHEVILLE — State and city government bought 3 acres on the edge of Biltmore Village last month that officials say will eventually be home to the city’s passenger rail depot.

Don’t pack your bags just yet. Officials say they don’t know when the depot will be built on the site, much less when passenger trains will visit the depot.

The state plans to someday run passenger trains between Asheville and Salisbury, where connections could be made to Raleigh and the rest of the Amtrak system. But an estimated $135 million in improvements to crossings and the 139 miles of track between the two cities are needed first, and a state official said it is not clear where that money will come from.

Train service would add some life and customers to Biltmore Village, merchants there say, although there was some disappointment that the site at 81 Thompson St. is not closer to the center of the village.

The property, currently home to MC Communications, is on the south side of the Norfolk-Southern tracks a little to the east of Biltmore Station, a collection of retail and office buildings.

Officials considered a site closer to the middle of the village than the Thompson Street property but it was taken off the market, said Bruce Black, director of transit and parking services for the city.

Putting the depot near the French Broad River would have required passengers trains to creep through the Norfolk-Southern freight switching yard, adding significantly to travel time, Black said. Another site to the west of Biltmore Village would have involved a long walkway from the depot to trains, he said.

The site chosen has plenty of room for parking and connections to city buses, Black said, and its location next to a rail junction means it will be easy to turn trains around quickly. Julia Jerema of the state Department of Transportation’s Rail Division said that, unlike much of the village, the property stayed above water during last year’s floods.

Laura Mahan, owner of The Compleat Naturalist, a nature store and art gallery in the village, said the site “might be a little far away for affecting our foot traffic here. It would help us more if it were right in the village.”

But Mahan and others said it would still help the village to have the station located in the area, in large part because it would increase the odds that visitors coming by rail will have some contact with Biltmore Village.

“We’re very positive about the concept of the train,” said Stan Collins, president of the Biltmore Village Merchants Association.

Black described the purchase as one step in a long process.

“These rail projects are very big and they’re very long and they tend to go in incremental amounts,” he said.

Jerema said it made sense to go ahead with the purchase, which was funded 90 percent by the state.

“We know (passenger service) is coming and land generally doesn’t get cheaper,” she said.

The site and the two-story metal building that sits on it have been leased to MC Communications for three years, Black said. The property had been owned by a Fairview company, Granieri Properties.

Oteen resident Judy Calvert Ray, head of a group pushing for passenger rail service, endorsed the choice of the site and said its purchase is yet another sign that DOT will establish service.

Riding a train from Asheville to Raleigh may not be as fast as driving, but Calvert said service would still be popular.

“If you can take a train and sit there and do your work … and get there refreshed instead of getting there with your teeth nearly bitten off from the stress” of driving, the train is attractive, she said.

Sidebar: Rail connections

Rail mileage: Asheville-Salisbury: 139
Rail mileage: Asheville-Raleigh: 270
Passenger rail travel time: Asheville-Salisbury -- 3 hours, 45 minutes
Passenger rail travel time: Asheville-Raleigh -- a little less than 6 hours

Source: N.C. Department of Transportation

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Excuse me while I quiver. :hyper:

[Matthew]

So the city has finally given-in and helped purchase the property! That's good news. The preferred site had options renewed twice, while council debated spending the money the state said was needed to bring service back. Too bad we don't still have the original 1894 Southern Railroad Depot on Depot Street, with it's beautiful gold dome. That was a huge station, but it did flood a few times. It was unfortunately lost to urban renewal in the East Riverside Renewal Project, planned to clean-up Depot Street of old run-down buildings. :no: If only they knew then what we know now...

I heard through a good source in West Asheville they were going with 6 lanes, instead of 8? 8 is a real surprise! From the the info I recieved it was clear 6 was preferred. I guess it's like I said, the DOT will build whatever they want, no matter what the locals think or how many public meetings are held. Too bad GPI doesn't have that same attitude and power. :D

[hauntedheadnc]

I think you mean they're going with 8 lanes, despite the fact that everyone wants 6. The city is fuming over that now.

On the brighter side though, I just heard on WLOS that a major urban village project is planned for the river. Which river? They kept saying the French Broad, but showed footage of the Swannanoa, so I don't know. I figure that, like last time, it'll be in the paper in a few days.