As the local creative sector gains financial clout, tensions loom between art as a business, an economic-development tool and a means of personal expression.
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As the local creative sector gains financial clout, tensions loom between art as a business, an economic-development tool and a means of personal expression.
At a meeting Thursday morning, March 14, members of the downtown Asheville Business Improvement District board harshly criticized Asheville City Council for delaying approval of the BID’s proposed bylaws and expressing “disappointment” that the board hadn’t also submitted a detailed budget. Many board members said they were almost ready to walk away from the project.
Asheville Police Department Chief William Anderson publicly apologized today for “a poor decision” in directing the APD, rather than the State Highway Patrol, to handle the initial investigation of a March 9 accident involving his son, Chad Anderson.
Led by the Asheville Design Center, a grass-roots effort is under way to build a new public plaza near the Haywood Street entrance of the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Asheville, named for the famed architect/builder of the Basilica of St. Lawrence, Rafael Guastavino.
At their retreat yesterday, Asheville City Council members discussed a variety of topics facing the city, focusing especially on density, budget issues, the effect of state legislation, and even a possible overhaul in the way city government deals with the arts.
With a key position still vacant after six months, major changes could be in the works for how the city of Asheville deals with the local arts community and tries to facilitate growth in the creative sector.
This year, both Asheville City Hall and the Buncombe County Courthouse turn 85. The two classic buildings are both undergoing renovation or expansion, part of an effort to keep them a center of civic life for the next 85 years. A look at their history, their future, and the end of the old feud that created them. Photos by Max Cooper.
At the end of her State of the City address tonight, Mayor Terry Bellamy announced she won’t seek re-election, instead running for Rep. Patrick McHenry’s 10th district congressional seat once again in 2014. Photo by Max Cooper.
Follow live Twitter coverage as Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy delivers the State of the City speech beginning at 5 p.m.
Asheville City Manager Gary Jackson has undertaken a major staff reorganization: Three senior staff members will oversee “functional groupings” that put multiple, related departments under one umbrella, and a new “general services” department will oversee building and vehicle maintenance. Jackson claims the changes will make for better coordination and efficiency,
After the analysis of its financial dilemmas before, Asheville City Council’s formal meeting tonight sees the return of a controversial proposal for drive-thrus on Merrimon Avenue and expanded signs in Biltmore Park.
Some of the biggest news in city government this week isn’t happening at Asheville City Council’s formal meeting, but at a presentation to the Finance Committee at 2 p.m. this afternoon. There, staff will lay out the effects of rising property values in the city, and the details of Council’s challenges will become more clear.
The situation of the Asheville Police Department evidence room has improved, with a new manager and better systems, Chief William Anderson told media today. He also says he’s better informed about what led to missing evidence, and who was responsible, but refused again to reveal further details. Photo by Max Cooper.
The local fight over the legislative push to forcibly transfer the city of Asheville’s water system to the Metropolitan Sewerage District has helped spur a larger statewide reaction. Last week, the League of Municipalities adopted the defense of local utilities as one of its top priorities, and 40 cities and towns across North Carolina have passed resolutions against state government taking municipal infrastructure.
The work that caused the collapse of 15 Carolina Lane Thursday afternoon was never authorized by the city of Asheville. The Building Safety department is currently investigating the incident. Photo from the Asheville Fire Department.
The whole region is under an ice storm warning today, as the National Weather Service cautions residents about a “wintry mix” of ice and snow through this afternoon.
During a meeting that lasted almost to midnight, Asheville City Council approved New Belgium’s brewery in the River District. Council also approved funding for sidewalk improvements and a study of alternate truck routes to address concerns of some residents about the traffic the business will bring. (Pictured: City Clerk Maggie Burleson swears in all those who wanted to speak at the public hearing. Photo by Max Cooper)
Last week made it clear the city of Asheville’s political season is off to an early start, as this year’s elections will determine the majority of seats on Asheville City Council. Two mayoral candidates (Vice Mayor Esther Manheimer and former city staffer John Miall) have already declared, and Council member Cecil Bothwell says that he’ll run for another term. Photo by Max Cooper
In an email to Xpress, Asheville Vice Mayor Esther Manheimer declares that she will run for mayor. Asserting a “need for inclusive, inspired, strategic leadership,” she plans to launch her campaign this spring.
An assertion by Asheville City Council member Cecil Bothwell that the city’s ordinance banning firearms on city property should mean an end to gun shows here is unlikely to hinder this weekend’s show at the WNC Agricultural Center. State law restricts localities’ ability to regulate or prohibit gun shows, and city staff are currently looking into the implications of those rules.
Asheville City Hall should see a new entrance and metal detector completed this spring, according to Building Safety Director Robert Griffin. The changes are the latest in a gradual increase in security at City Hall over the past few years.