We are very much in favor of a park in this place [Asheville city property along Haywood Road across from the Basilica of St. Lawrence]. It would accentuate the beautiful basilica, and give a strong feeling of a city that cares about its environment, as we would see in Europe. The BB&T building is a much better place to stash a hotel, if it is needed.
Alan Anderson
Asheville
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A Google search for cathedral piazza brings up many images of cathedrals in European cities that have busy commercial squares (some pedestrian only, some with traffic) immediately adjacent to their historic cathedrals, not parks. A properly designed hotel with a shopping arcade and a pedestrian piazza would be perfectly in keeping with Asheville’s desire to have a European feel. St. Paul’s in London is a good example: http://www.mcaldg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/St-Pauls-Cathedral.jpeg. Maybe the City of Asheville needs to have a design competition, similar to the one for Westminster Cathedral Piazza in London: http://www.building.co.uk/new-westminster-public-space-competition/3156503.article.