From the Asheville Citizen-Times:
Moog Music also has plans to build an outdoor stage for concerts, as well as a new gallery that would highlight the intersection of art, music and technology. The company asked the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority for $405,000 to put toward its plan but was turned down. Parker told me Moog’s application for TDA funds was a last-minute request, and that Moog Music was moving forward with its vision.
The plan is for a new downtown music venue with a capacity of 2,000 people. A new 2,000-square-foot gallery would feature a permanent installation by the nonprofit Bob Moog Foundation. The new venue and gallery would boost local tourism, the company said.
This sounds pretty awesome but I’m even more excited that the tourism board didn’t hand over tax dollars to a private business whom wouldn’t have done much in return for the citizenry of Asheville. Opening a music venue sounds like a really good opportunity to sell beer which would pretty much mean every bar in town would apply for their free funding as well.
Where?
All it says in the article is that it will be a downtown venue. I suspect they have to have to offer some idea in the application to the TDA – wish it was listed in the article though. I’d hope it would be somewhere on the south slope or some other remote edge as I can’t imagine trying to squeeze it into the central business district.