What arts activities have you attended, participated in, or supported in the last year? (check all that apply) Is there anything else you would like to share about your recent arts activities? (optional)

Visual Arts, Dance
I have been enjoying painting, underwater photography, and drone recording in recent years. These are newish pass times to me and have reawakened by creative side!

BACKGROUND | The City currently supports the arts through facilities like Thomas Wolfe Auditorium (more about this below), programming through the Parks & Recreation Department, grants like the Event Support Grant (in partnership with ArtsAVL), and the Public Art Program. However, all of these services are failing to reach their full potential due to funding shortages for things like maintenance, operations, and staffing,

Asheville does have a 1% for the arts policy that provides some support for public art from qualifying Capital Improvement Projects (CIP)– this does not generate a lot of funding. However, it is also common for cities to have additional dedicated funding streams for arts and culture like a Food and Beverage Tax. For example, Wake County currently has a countywide 1% Prepared Food and Beverage tax which supports arts, culture, sports and convention facilities in Wake County. Similar local taxes are also in place in Dare, Cumberland, and Mecklenburg Counties, as well as in the Town of Hillsborough.

Would you support a local food and beverage tax to provide additional funding for the City’s arts and cultural services? Is there anything else you would like to share about City arts funding?

Disagree
I answered disagree for several reasons: First, only the County can enact new taxes on the public; the City cannot. Second, food and bev taxes are regressive in nature, in that they impact the lower incomes more than the higher incomes. Additionally, taxes, utilities and rents have spiked so dramatically – up 42% – in recent years; we cannot add more, new daily taxes right now. There is also a significant bond package building for 2024 that will address our much needed long term facilities and infrastructure planning. We really need to see how that shakes out on the ballot ahead of any more new taxes.

BACKGROUND | A report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness found that Asheville is more expensive than 98% of other North Carolina cities, and rents have risen 41.7% since 2020, making it the most expensive place to rent in the state. In fact, a recent Asheville Citizen Times article showed that fair market rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Asheville has risen 78% since 2019. Meanwhile, the hourly wage has not risen to meet the living wage, reported by Just Economics as $22.10/hour in Buncombe County. This is having a devastating impact on the local creative community, forcing more arts professionals to move their residences and businesses outside of Asheville and even Buncombe County.

Affordability was identified as a problem back when rents 40-80% cheaper. The 2018 Arts Market Study showed the majority of artists (86%) and arts organizations (78%) identifying a need for affordable artist housing and/or studio space– 424 responded that they considered leaving Asheville due to cost of living. The report also identified the City’s “Ice House” property on Riverside Drive in the River Arts District as an ideal location for multiple use live/work development for artists.

ArtsAVL is currently conducting a Creative Spaces study that builds on this previous report from 2018, with the final report expected out in May 2024. Learn more at artsavl.org/spaces.

Would you support an initiative to create affordable artist housing and/or studio space in the River Arts District? Is there anything else you would like to share about City support for affordable artist live/work spaces?

Strongly Agree
The longer we wait, the more expensive the venture will become. We were in talks 4 years ago about a sliver of land in the River Arts District that could become artist housing. A great partner org was found and early conversations were started. Then it fizzled. Just this week, Council looked at those parcels of land again and is considering introducing them into a redevelopment process. Let’s do it!

BACKGROUND | On July 5, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium closed its doors due to a massive failure of the HVAC system. In the short-term, that failure immediately resulted in scheduled shows being shifted to the ExploreAsheville.com Arena or other locations. In the longer-term, this current closure of Thomas Wolfe, even if it reopens in a limited capacity, is estimated to result in a loss of over $20 million for Asheville businesses.

At a work session on September 26th, Asheville City Council directed staff to explore two potential paths forward—both major redesigns of the historic space. Staff is expected to come back to Council with more fleshed out recommendations for renovation in early 2024.

You can find more information about the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium issue here.

Based on your knowledge of this issue and the information that is available, do you believe it is time for the City to finally address this issue by fully renovating or replacing Thomas Wolfe Auditorium? Is there anything else you would like to share about the renovation or replacement of Thomas Wolfe Auditorium?

Undecided
I chose undecided because there are caveats to my agreement. One, this is a great use of tourism tax dollars and shouldn’t be solely on the city to fund. There is a large area of city owned land near this auditorium and a large, aged county owned library next door. I would like to see the updates and funding needed to renovate as part of a larger plan to update this entire district. Imagine how amazing it could be if we update and move the library to 68 Haywood, build a state of the art NC History exhibit, include the gardens and community visions, build out housing around the site, transition the old library to housing, and use the proceeds to help offset renovations to TW. We can do great things with this area.

BACKGROUND | A Business Improvement District (BID) is a specially designated area within a city or town where local property and business owners collaborate to enhance the economic and physical environment. BIDs are typically funded through a self-imposed tax or assessment on property owners within the district. The primary goal of a BID is to improve and promote the area, often through initiatives such as beautification, cleanliness, enhanced security, marketing, and events.

These districts are typically managed by a nonprofit organization or association (like the Asheville Downtown Association) that works closely with local government authorities and stakeholders. BIDs serve as engines for economic growth, helping local businesses thrive and contributing to the overall vitality and inclusivity of the neighborhood or downtown area they serve.

Downtown Asheville is the major arts and cultural hub for our region. Many arts organizations located in and/or presenting in downtown continue to be negatively impacted by safety and security issues facing our downtown. It is our hope that a BID could help address these challenges.

Based on your current understanding or prior knowledge of Business Improvement Districts, do you believe Downtown Asheville would benefit from the establishment of a BID? Is there anything else you would like to share about establishing a BID in Downtown Asheville?

Undecided
I am starting from a place of support but I have many concerns that must be addressed before I support a BID. The body appointed to govern the tax must be inclusive of downtown businesses of all sizes and representation. I am already concerned the BID is proposed to be housed at the Chamber, when it could be housed at a nonprofit business organization like the Asheville Downtown Association.The voting body should not include any tourism authority representation – they have enough tax and power. The core services that are already in place for the downtown district are a baseline starting point and need to be clearly identified. The BID is in no way to replace the funding that is currently (and historically) being spent on Downtown; a BID is meant to go above and beyond current services. The tax cannot be astronomical; rents and costs in downtown are already spiking; we cannot harm our beloved businesses. I will be frank: if all the hotels want the BID but no local businesses do, and if the voting body is comprised of hotels, tourism leaders, and large businesses like Biltmore Estates, I will not be supportive. My hope is the groups working on the BID hear this message clearly and address the concerns before it comes to Council. A BID can be a wonderful and important addition to our Downtown but it must be done as we do all other things – fairly, with inclusion, and without large powerful agencies and tourism influence dominating the body.

BACKGROUND | A cultural plan is a place-based planning process that generates a vision and action plan for strengthening and growing arts and culture assets. It provides an inventory of current assets, identifies maintenance and support needs, and highlights gaps and future opportunities for growth.

There has never been a cultural plan for Asheville or Buncombe County– even though we are widely known as a arts and cultural destination and our arts scene drives many people to want to live, work, and play in our community. As we hope you are seeing for the previous questions, our cultural community is being impacted by Asheville’s continued growth. It is important that we consider conducting some sort of cultural planning process to provide a roadmap to support this growth over time for the social and economic benefit of our community.

Would you support the creation of Asheville- Buncombe County’s first Cultural Plan to support the preservation of our cultural assets, and the equitable and sustainable growth of the creative sector? Is there anything else you would like to share about a Asheville-Buncombe cultural plan?

Undecided
Depending on cost and outcomes of the study and plan process, I could get behind this. I would need more info on timing, costs, and pros and cons. Great idea.