Xpress staff reporter Michael Muller interviews Sam Powers, General Manager of the Civic Center and Director of Economic Development for the City of Asheville. In this exclusive video, Powers takes Xpress viewers on a guided tour and explains some of the changes coming to the 35-year old downtown institution.
Tag: Asheville City Council
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The Beat news roundup: Grand Old Party poopers
It was a bad week for the Buncombe County Republican Party. The party and its chairman, Chad Nesbitt, were harshly criticized for a 9/11 fundraiser and an associated video; the Board of Elections found their highly publicized complaints over an early voting site to be based on faulty information; and Asheville City Councilman Bill Russell left the party, citing its “antics that demonize people” and “political games.”
Councilman Bill Russell leaves the Republican Party
Asheville City Councilman Bill Russell changed his party affiliation from Republican to Unaffiliated this afternoon at the offices of the Buncombe County Board of Elections. “My job on council is non-partisan by nature,” he told Xpress. “Party politics has recently become more of a distraction than anything positive.”
Asheville City Council preview: signs and towers
At its meeting tomorrow, Sept. 14, Asheville City Council will consider allowing cellphone towers in residential areas, and receive an update on the infamous peeling signs.
Local Matters: Standoffs and sidewalks
In this week’s edition of the Local Matters podcast, Xpress staffers Jake Frankel and David Forbes discuss the recent police standoff and the special meeting of Asheville City Council to address pedestrian safety concerns.
The reporters recorded the conversation as they huddled at the site of the standoff on Otis Street, between the federal courthouse and the RBC Bank.
Asheville City Council calls for Hillcrest bridge to be reopened
At the Aug. 24 Asheville City Council meeting, covered by Mountain Xpress Senior News Reporter David Forbes, members took the following actions:
• Voted 6-1 to ask that the Hillcrest pedestrian bridge at I-240 be re-opened (Davis voted against).
• Approved a discount tire store for Bleachery Blvd (member Jan Davis, who owns a downtown tire store, was recused from the vote).
• Approved, 4-3, an incentives package for Montford Commons; Bothwell, Smith and Russell vote against it.
Live from City Hall: Council’s Aug. 24 meeting
Asheville City Council members’ Tuesday, Aug. 24, meeting promises to be a doozy: The agenda is long, and some hot topics include the possible reopening of the pedestrian bridge that connects Hillcrest Apartments with the rest of town. Earlier this year, a pedestrian was killed as he tried to dash across I-240. For live coverage by Senior News Reporter David Forbes, click here or tap the title above — and/or follow the Tweet action with #avlgov.
Asheville City Council preview: building bridges
Tomorrow night’s Asheville City Council meeting will revisit two ongoing issues: reopening the Hillcrest pedestrian bridge and possible incentives for the Montford Commons project.
Photo by Jonathan Welch
The sidewalk shuffle
Sidewalks are a hot issue in Asheville these days, complete with protests, possible changes in city policy and a special Council meeting in Haw Creek at the end of the month focusing on the issue. What’s behind the ruckus?
Asheville City Council: Highlights, from Tweets to actions
Asheville City Council held its Aug. 10 meeting. Here are a few highlights of actions taken and minute-to-minute coverage by Xpress Senior News Reporter David Forbes:
Asheville City Council preview: housing, security and annexation
At its meeting tomorrow, Aug. 10, Asheville City Council will take up the sale of city property to Habitat for Humanity, a security contract for its parks and proceeding with the annexation of over 700 people.
Asheville’s next political battle: sustainability advocates vs. neighborhood activists
I’ll go out on a limb and make a prediction: Asheville’s next big political battle will pit advocates of sustainability and affordability against neighborhood activists.
Asheville City Council: Two annexations begun
Some Buncombe County residents may soon be Asheville citizens: At its July 27 meeting, Asheville City Council approved beginning the process of two annexations — Coopers Hawk and Royal Pines. Council member Bill Russell voted against both annexations; Mayor Terry Bellamy joined him in voting against an annexation in the Royal Pines area, citing concerns about the size of the annexed area and about providing service. Mountain Xpress Senior News Reporter David Forbes reported on the meeting via the social-media outlet Twitter. Other discussions included incentives for a Montford development, handicapped parking downtown and domestic-partner benefits.
Asheville City Council preview: incentivized edition
At its only July meeting tomorrow, Asheville City Council will consider beginning two annexations, an incentive for a Montford development and handicapped onstreet parking in downtown.
Council member tweets committee meetings
Today Asheville City Council member Gordon Smith tweeted deliberations on re-opening the Hillcrest pedestrian bridge and other matters at meetings of the Public Safety and Planning and Economic Development committees.
From beginning to sunset: Xpress coverage of the June 22 Asheville City Council session
As Asheville City Council started its June 22 meeting, Xpress reporter David Forbes provided live coverage, starting with this Tweet:
Live, from City Hall, it’s Asheville City Council!
More than four hours later (about average for the municipal body), he offered his last Tweet, snapped a photo of the sunset over downtown and signed off for the day, having covered several major actions by Council.
Asheville City Council preview: Of film festival and finance
It’s a packed agenda for Asheville City Council Tuesday night, as it considers the fate of the Ashevillle Film Festival, new financial arrangements with the Grove Arcade and the passage of the long-debated city budget.
Three Democrats and a Republican walk into a bar…
We owe it to ourselves to examine the gathering of four Asheville City Council members at Pack’s Tavern earlier this week — for innocent social banter, they claim — after a long meeting. Perhaps that’s so, but it sets a bad precedent.
Asheville City Council preview: Going public
On the agenda for tomorrow’s Asheville City Council meeting: a proposal to back publicly financed elections, tinkering with development rules and a plethora of reports.
In comes the bus
With Strive Not to Drive Week, attention has turned to Asheville’s bus system, a flashpoint of no small amount of political debate. It’s a symbol, a line item in the city budget and, for thousands, a part of everyday life.
Grove Arcade can’t pay its debt to the city
The Grove Arcade is struggling to make payments on renovation debts to city, despite nearly $1 million received per year in rents, the city of Asheville’s Planning and Economic Development Committee learned today at its May 18 meeting. City Council member Jan Davis said that the city would, in his opinion, have to help the Arcade with its debt. The committee passed the decision on to City Council.