The Asheville Museum of Science held a soft opening from 10 a.m. until noon at its new location in the Wells Fargo building at 43 Patton Avenue. In addition to the opening reception, an official ceremony was held to celebrate a $400,000 grant awarded to the museum from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority.
As more women work toward leadership roles in the local workforce, female business leaders and local organizations are working to provide the encouragement and resources necessary to help them attain equity and advancement in the workplace. Sharing their wealth of experiences, these community leaders are hoping they can lay the groundwork for the next generation of successful women professionals.
Business leaders, nonprofit representatives, elected officials and political candidates from across Buncombe County gathered at the Biltmore Estate’s Lioncrest venue Wednesday, Oct. 28 for the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s annual meeting.
Asheville is asking the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority for a $20 million grant to fund street improvements and a new parking deck in the city’s fast-growing South Slope.
In December last year, City Council directed city staff to analyze the potential impact of expanding the city’s homestay program for short-term rentals to separate living units known as ADUs. Six months later, much more information is available, but little if any consensus has emerged from the process. On May 17, Council will vote on a measure to allow homestays in ADUs, but the outcome of that vote is up in the air, meaning that another long night of testimony on the issue seems inevitable.
At the regular monthly meeting of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, Convention and Visitors Bureau staff outlined HB2’s effects felt in the local tourism industry since the bill was passed on March 23.
With an annual economic impact of $2.6 billion, tourism is a critical industry in Western North Carolina. But politicians and local residents are increasingly asking whether the tourism industry is paying a fair share of the cost of providing everything from sidewalks to roads to public safety to tourists. Now, City Councilman Gordon Smith is pushing for a new study to consider the local tourism industry’s impact and sustainability.
To make way for the planned Beaucatcher Greenway, how many trees must be cut to preserve the forest? And does significant construction on steep sections make sense to begin with? Those are among the questions being asked by residents at both ends of the planned greenway route — and they say the city’s answers have been few and far between.
For nearly 100 years, the dream of a high-elevation park offering close-range panoramic views over downtown has entranced yet eluded Asheville visionaries. With a new funding commitment from the Tourism Development Authority, can the planned greenway and park projects finally move forward?
“If only 1 cent of every room tax was contributed to the Home Trust Fund, we would collect $1.8 million dollars per year! Think about what a difference that would make to our housing shortage!”
“The BCTDA recently got their 50 percent increase in the occupancy tax, which means they now have $10 million a year to spend on projects that stimulate more room nights, more solid waste, more police and fire calls, more expense for local taxpayers. “
The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority held its monthly board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Items on the agenda included a first look at the new Foodtopia marketing campaign and a study recommending changes to the Tourism Product Development Fund.
The Bob Moog Foundation’s planned Moogseum has gotten a $600,000 boost from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. The money will help the foundation, which honors the work of the late Asheville resident Bob Moog, move forward with plans for an “interactive exploratorium” of the electronic-music pioneer’s musical and technical achievements. The group hopes to […]
