Coordinated Arts Recovery Efforts Underway in Asheville and Buncombe County

Following the devastation of Tropical Storm Helene, multiple planning initiatives are now underway to guide Asheville and Buncombe County toward a more resilient, equitable, and creative future. While each project has a distinct focus and timeline, all share the common goal of rebuilding stronger and ensuring the arts and cultural sector has the resources and infrastructure it needs to thrive.

Urban Land Institute (ULI) Advisory Services Panel

Lead Organizer: City of Asheville
Cost: $0

The City of Asheville invited the Urban Land Institute (ULI) — the world’s oldest and largest network of cross-disciplinary real estate and land use experts — to conduct a free advisory panel focused on the French Broad and Swannanoa River corridors, including the River Arts District (RAD).

In late July 2025, ULI’s team conducted site visits, met with community stakeholders, and shared initial findings. ArtsAVL contributed arts data and participated in stakeholder interviews along with many other community stakeholders. The panel’s guiding questions highlight both the urgency and opportunity of this moment:

• How can Asheville stabilize and safely grow its creative sector in riverfront districts?
• What strategies will help tourism and hospitality — one of the most severely impacted industries — recover more quickly?
• What tools and incentives can drive resilient private development in flood-prone areas?
• How can public investments in stormwater and riverfront parks improve both flood mitigation and economic vitality?

The ULI process is designed to balance the dual identity of the riverfront: as a hub for creative commerce and as a natural floodplain. With access to federal recovery resources such as Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds, Asheville has a rare opportunity to reimagine its waterfront in ways that protect people and property while also sustaining cultural and economic life.

You can read more about ULI’s arts focused recommendations here.

ULI is now working with the City to refine its recommendations, with a final report expected in November 2025.

Sasaki Charrette for River Arts District Redevelopment

Lead Organizer: RiverLink / Unified RAD
Cost: $100,000

RiverLink and the Unified RAD (URAD) are partnering with Sasaki — an internationally recognized architecture, planning, and design firm — to create preliminary design concepts for the future of the River Arts District. This project is guided by three key goals:

1. Supporting the creative community so that artists, makers, and cultural organizations can flourish.
2. Strengthening flood resilience to protect people, property, and the downstream watershed.
3. Enhancing the RAD’s sense of place to promote economic vitality and ensure it remains a destination for both locals and visitors.

Funded through a grant, this charrette process began with site visits and collaborative workshops held August 11–13, 2025, followed by a community-wide survey open from August 20 through September 1, 2025. Katie Cornell of ArtsAVL serves on the steering committee, helping ensure the arts community’s needs are integrated into redevelopment plans.

Sasaki’s final recommendations are expected by early November 2025.

Asheville–Buncombe Arts Recovery Plan

Lead Organizer: ArtsAVL
Cost: $150,000

ArtsAVL is leading Asheville- Buncombe County’s first-ever cultural planning process in partnership with the City of Asheville, Buncombe County, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA), the Chamber of Commerce, and other local arts stakeholders.

Lord Cultural Resources — a globally respected cultural planning firm with projects in 57 countries and 450 cities — has been engaged to develop a five-year arts recovery plan. The process is funded through Helene recovery donations and grants. Lord’s initial site visit is scheduled for early September, with the final plan to be completed in June 2026.

The plan will address seven key focus areas critical to the future of the arts:

1. Arts & Cultural Districts – Defining and supporting creative districts through zoning, policies, governance, programs, and sustainable funding.
2. Public Art – Building multi-agency partnerships, strengthening programs and policies, and creating long-term funding mechanisms.
3. Live & Work Space for Creatives – Developing affordable housing and workspace solutions to help artists and makers remain in the community.
4. Arts, Parks & Community Facilities – Integrating arts into parks, recreation areas, and shared public facilities.
5. Arts & Entertainment Facility – Assessing the community benefits and opportunities tied to a potential new large-scale arts and entertainment center.
6. Music & Craft Industries – Delivering concentrated support to two of the hardest-hit sectors in the wake of Helene.
7. Local Arts Agency Grantmaking – Ensuring that ArtsAVL’s grant programs remain transparent, accessible, and sustainable in order to support both the arts sector and the broader community.

Together, these focus areas will provide a blueprint for recovery that balances creative vitality, community resilience, and economic development.

How These Efforts Work Together

While the ULI panel provides high-level land use and redevelopment guidance, and Sasaki’s work offers detailed design concepts for the River Arts District, the Arts Recovery Plan led by ArtsAVL will take a broader, countywide approach — shaping policy, investment, and programming to strengthen the entire arts ecosystem.

These are not the only planning efforts that will shape recovery. Other initiatives — whether led by government, nonprofits, or private partners — will also play an important role in shaping the post-Helene future. ArtsAVL will work to incorporate the findings and recommendations from these additional efforts as they come online, ensuring that the final recovery plan reflects a unified, collaborative vision for the region’s creative future.

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