Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian recently opened its second location. Also: Harvest Pizzeria eyes opening on South Slope, Chow Chow 2021 winds down and more!
County considers $500K boost to One Buncombe Fund
While the initial round of One Buncombe money was split between emergency assistance for individuals and low-interest loans to small businesses, the new $500,000 would go entirely toward grants of up to $5,000 for business owners.
Council approves COVID relief spending categories
Starting Friday, Sept. 24, local organizations can submit projects in the following categories for grants from the federal funds: affordable housing, care for aging residents, climate change, city infrastructure, domestic violence prevention and assistance, food systems, homelessness services, public engagement, revenue losses, small business recovery and workforce development.
Asheville Motor Speedway’s legacy endures
More than two decades after the speedway closed, some of its most passionate supporters gauge the historical significance of “The River,” as well as the opportunities available to modern racing fans and drivers.
Contested Woodfin election driven by development concerns
Eight candidates are vying for three seats on the governing body for the town of roughly 8,000 people to the northwest of Asheville. Challengers and incumbents alike agree that concerns over development, particularly The Bluffs at River Bend proposal, are driving interest in a normally quiet race.
What’s new in food: Rowan perks up Broadway with new coffee shop
Rowan Coffee opens on Broadway, Bhramari Brewing Co. hosts Above the Clouds Festival, La Tapería debuts in Black Mountain and more local food news.
Green in brief: Ecusta Trail land purchase complete
On Aug. 12, a subsidiary of nonprofit Conserving Carolina completed the $7.8 million purchase of the currently unused Ecusta rail line, stretching 19 miles between Hendersonville and Brevard, from the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad.
Mixed-use development could come to Ferry Road
While the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners did not make a formal commitment to any plan for the 137-acre site, several members expressed a desire for denser development focused on housing.
Citizen guide to land development coming in January
As part of the Local News Ideas-to-Action Series, the Virginia-based national media nonprofit American Press Institute awarded Xpress a $9,300 grant to create a guide to local government decision-making for land development. The guide will cover the stages of review that projects face on their way from concept to final approval, what aspects are considered at each step and what avenues exist for public input.
What’s new in food: Benne on Eagle welcomes new chef
Benne on Eagle hires a new chef, We Give a Share welcomes an executive director, the Getaway fries fish on the river and more local food news.
Mask mandates 2.0 affect hospitality businesses again
The first week of August was déjà vu all over again for Jane Anderson, executive director of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association. After a jubilant but all too brief return to near normalcy for the hospitality industry beginning in late spring, COVID-19 cases were again on the rise, and business owners were once again forced […]
Buncombe awards $9.3M in pandemic recovery grants
The largest single grant of $4 million will support broadband infrastructure expansion in unserved areas of the county. Brownie Newman, chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, said that investment would leverage an additional $6 million from the state of North Carolina and private broadband providers.
What’s new in food: Buxton Hall BBQ fires up the smoke again
Over the last 18 months, Buxton Hall BBQ has undergone a literal trial by fire(s) before reopening to indoor diners Aug. 19 with a new look and expanded menu. The CliffsNotes: Like everyone else, the eatery closed its dining room in March 2020 in response to COVID-19, launched takeout, then reopened in July 2020 only […]
Tourism recovery grant recipients reflect one year later
Of recipients of grants from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund who responded to a recent survey, 97% were open as of June 30. Nine respondents were closed at the end of June, including five which had closed permanently.
What’s new in food: Asheville Cider Crawl expands
Asheville Cider Crawl is set for Saturday, Aug. 28, plus the Omni Grove Park Inn hosts its 29th annual National Gingerbread House Competition, Metro Wines raises money for homeless pets, and more local food news.
Local chefs find excitement and calm on the river
Local chefs discuss the joys of fly fishing and fish cooking techniques.
What’s new in food: The Market at Underground Baking Co. eyes its relaunch
The Market at Underground Baking Co. in Hendersonville is on the cusp or reopening. Also: New Origin Brewing Co. opens, Chop Shop Butchery returns to in-house workshops and plenty more local food news.
Green in brief: Cherokee establish framework for medical marijuana cultivation
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council passed an ordinance on Aug. 5 allowing production and use of the crop, which the body had previously voted to decriminalize on May 6.
What’s new in food: Noble Cider reimagines its downtown location
Noble Cider reinvents its downtown presence, plus ASAP’s Appalachian Farms Feeding Families program expands, a new tailgate market emerges in Leicester, Sunflower Diner shutters and more local food news.
Asheville floats zoning changes to boost dense development
The city’s urban centers initiative, as well as updates to open-space requirements for new projects, are meant to encourage denser development patterns, supporting less car-dependent communities and increasing the city’s tax base.
Q&A with Demp Bradford, president of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission
Certain activities are closely associated with Asheville: sampling local craft brews, tubing down the French Broad River, eating one’s own weight in barbecue. If Demp Bradford, president of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, has his way, professional sports will become quintessentially Asheville, too. Bradford, a native of the North Carolina Piedmont, became interested in […]