Among those who are skeptical, the point of contention is whether a business improvement district overburdens downtown taxpayers for basic services that should be provided by the City of Asheville and Buncombe County.

Among those who are skeptical, the point of contention is whether a business improvement district overburdens downtown taxpayers for basic services that should be provided by the City of Asheville and Buncombe County.
The new amenity, which will be located at the intersection of Rankin Avenue and College Street, aims to offer residents, visitors and the unhoused a safe, clean place to go when nature calls.
Listed on Council’s agenda for Tuesday, March 22, is a presentation about Asheville’s “community cleanliness strategy.” The discussion comes two weeks after the Asheville Downtown Association released its annual survey, in which respondents gave the city’s core a 2.2 out of 5 in terms of cleanliness.
Attendees at a “downtown summit” this afternoon expressed concern about a variety of issues, including cleanliness, the homeless, affordability, and infrastructure in Asheville’s core. The forum was organized by city staff as an effort to gather input. (Photo by Max Cooper)