What’s next for Haywood Street site?

One clear winner from the 2015 City Council elections: local hopes for a public space for the city-owned lots facing the Basilica of St. Lawrence and the U.S. Cellular Center. Not so clear: exactly what kind of space Asheville needs and who will pay for it. The city’s Planning and Economic Development committee took up the hot potato issue to try to figure out how to move forward.

Charen appointed to Downtown Commission

City Council appointed Franzi Charen to the Downtown Commission and Barry Bialik and Laura Collins to the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee at its Jan. 26 meeting. Council also passed a “Ban the Box” measure, meaning that applicants for most city positions will no longer be required to answer questions about past criminal convictions on their initial job applications.

Haywood Park project clears first hurdle

A massive redevelopment proposed for downtown Asheville’s Haywood Park complex cleared its first big hurdle July 1 when the Asheville Downtown Commission approved the designs. Among other things, the plans call for two 20-plus-story high-rises that would dominate the skyline between Page Avenue and Haywood Street (see “Building a Legacy,” April 9 Xpress). Moving on […]