Behind the scene tour of Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

Behind the Scenes Tour of Thomas Wolfe Auditorium during the ArtsAVL Town Hall on Aug 21

 

Thomas Wolfe Auditorium FAQs

This page will continue to be updated as the discussion evolves.

Why support renovating Thomas Wolfe?

The Thomas Wolfe Auditorium (TWA) is a site of architectural and cultural importance within the downtown business district. It is also part of a larger City-owned civic entertainment complex that includes a large parking garage, meeting rooms, and arena. Building a new facility of similar size and scope is estimated to cost equal to or more than a similar scoped renovation and will also have costs associated with land acquisition and development. Additionally, the City would still have some required investment in the TWA in order to keep the doors open long term. No site is currently identified for a new build.

This location has served as the indoor public gathering space within Western North Carolina for community engagement, sporting events, graduations, concerts, and more for over 100 years.

Why can’t hotels be a funding source for the auditorium?

Occupancy tax revenue in Buncombe County, which is administered by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA), is split 66%/33% – 33% goes to the Tourism Product Development Fund and Legacy Investment From Tourist fund, which fund capital and maintenance projects that will draw or keep visitors to the area, and 66% goes to marketing. This is a recent change: prior to 2022, 75% of occupancy tax had to go to marketing, with only 25% going to projects. A project at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium would likely meet the requirements of one or both of these grants. The BCTDA is legislatively restricted in that non-profits or municipalities must approach the BCTDA with a request for matching funds to utilize occupancy tax. The BCTDA is not able to be the “first money on the table.”

Are public-private funding arrangements being explored? Are there plans to explore alternative funding sources or partnerships to support the auditorium’s revitalization and long-term sustainability?

The City has not yet made a public announcement about their plans for the Auditorium. In the event that they move forward with a renovation, a funding plan will have been publicly discussed through City Council work session meetings, regular City Council meetings, and at the monthly meetings of the Civic Center Commission.

How does the proposed “quick-fix” solution ensure the safety of attendees during reduced-capacity, non-ticketed events considering the ongoing situation?

There is currently no identified safety risk to Auditorium visitors who stay in areas designated for the public. The “quick fix” solution for the HVAC system will provide adequate heating, cooling, and ventilation for the auditorium’s reduced capacity.

What are the key factors that will be taken into account when evaluating the success of the “quick-fix” solution and its impact on the community?

Key factors will be reopening the venue at reduced capacity for events. Reopening the space and programming events are the top priority. Currently, larger TWA events are moving into a hybrid intimate theater-style layout within the ExploreAsheville.com Arena. This setup works well for concert events with a high volume of attendees, however; smaller community events, dance competitions, and speaking engagements with lower numbers of guests are not the best use. Reopening the TWA at reduced capacity allows smaller non-ticketed events to remain in the TWA while keeping important weekend dates available in the larger room for more impactful events.

For example, if the City were to allow a small 600 person dance event to book the Arena Theater for a weekend in March, that weekend would no longer be available for larger touring concerts, which bring a significantly larger economic impact to the community.

Given the concerns about the impact of the closure on the local community, what steps are being taken to mitigate the long-term effects of the auditorium’s closure?

The auditorium will reopen in late September or early October for non-ticketed performances at a limited capacity on a case-by-case evaluation. All shows originally scheduled for Thomas Wolfe have been moved to the Arena, to other locations in the area, or have been canceled/postponed.

How does the proposed plan align with the city’s broader cultural and economic development goals for the downtown area?

Council’s VIsion 2036 has eight central tenets: An equitable and diverse Community; A well-planned and livable community; A clean and healthy environment; quality affordable housing, transportation and accessibility; A thriving local economy; A connected and engaged community; and A financially resilient city. Renovation plans for the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium will connect directly to several of these pillars.

What considerations have been given to make the auditorium accessible and inclusive to a diverse range of performers and audiences?

All renovation plans outline that path to ADA compliance for the auditorium. All types of performers and audiences are currently welcomed in the space; however, physical limitations of the facility hinder the ability to book some types of events. Additionally, the facility relies on third party promoters for most of the programming held in the room. In order to guarantee specific types of performances, the City will need to create incentive programs and new partnerships with promoters who do not currently work in Asheville, or begin promoting and producing events in-house.

Can you provide more information about the potential benefits and drawbacks of fully closing the auditorium, as mentioned in the statement?

City staff used the calendar from the 2022-23 fiscal year (July 1-June 30) to estimate potential financial impact of a full or partial closure of Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. The venue was used on 177 days of the year.

The entire complex, which includes the ExploreAsheville.com Arena, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, nine meeting spaces, and a banquet room, results in almost $79.6 million in economic impact per year. Approximately $30 million is from the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. City staff currently estimate that about half of the equivalent programming will be lost compared to the prior fiscal year, and within that half the larger performances of concerts and special events. Therefore, the partial closure, with the facility reopening in the fall of 2023 to limited capacities will result in an approximate reduction of economic impact to Buncombe County of $20.5 million.

How will feedback and input from the ArtsAVL Town Hall be incorporated into the decision-making process moving forward?

Currently, we are using feedback and questions to build this FAQ and keep the conversation going. As new questions arise, we are reaching out to key members of local organizations involved to get information and updates and to express the continued interest in this project. Additionally, ArtsAVL is ensuring that feedback & questions received are delivered directly to decision makers in the process related to the future of the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.

How much money and manpower is allocated to the maintenance of this facility? What's the inspection schedule?

The Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville (HCCA), of which the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium is part, has a total of 11.5 budgeted full time equivalent positions specifically designated for operations and maintenance. However, this division has not been fully staffed since 2019 and currently is a team of five individuals. The facility also utilizes service agreements for preventative maintenance with local contractors.

What happened to funds from the previous efforts in 2020?

There were no funds raised at that time. Efforts were just beginning when the venue was shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Is the City contractually obligated to the Symphony to provide a suitable venue?

The City is not obligated to provide the Symphony with a venue.

Could the “Pit of Despair” be sold to raise funds for Thomas Wolfe, or otherwise activated in some way that would support the renovation?

In October of 2020, The Haywood Page Conceptual Master Plan was unanimously approved by City Council. The Plan is for City-owned properties on Haywood St. and Page Ave. in downtown Asheville. This Plan would activate the Haywood Page area, and the conceptual design includes native gardens and park space, a central plaza, public art, market stalls, and a mixed-used development that could include retail/work/live space. There may be an opportunity to link this site in the short or long term. If the Haywood-Page area is redeveloped, the City may consider any economies of scale that could improve Thomas Wolfe, including building and back of house access.

Council has not yet directed staff to implement the Plan. There are no current plans to sell the site.

How many non-ticketed events happen in the Auditorium? What are they?

The Thomas Wolfe Auditorium was utilized for 129 days in 2023. In total, 32 of these dates were for the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, 53 were concerts, dance performances, comedians, or performing arts; 28 were sporting events; and the remaining 16 were speaking engagements, graduations, or other civic events. In total, 38 of the 129 dates were non-ticketed events.

What are the next steps in this decision-making process? Who are the decision makers?

City Council will be meeting to discuss next steps on September 26 at 3:00 pm in the Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of City Hall. We will update this page with new information based on the outcomes of that meeting.

How was/is the Peace Center in Greenville funded? Is a similar path possible for Thomas Wolfe?

The Peace Center was founded by a group of individuals dedicated to fundraising for a performing arts space, and had an initial $10M pledge of support from the Peace Family. A subsequent $42M was raised after this initial pledge. In 2012, the Peace Center concluded a renovation funded by a $21.5M capital campaign.

A similar path is certainly possible for the TWA; however, a group of individuals in Asheville have been unsuccessfully advocating and fundraising for a performance center for nearly 20 years with the intent of a similar funding model to the Peace Center. It is unlikely that a single donor or family in the area will contribute an initial pledge as sizable as the Peace family’s.

Will renovations allow for the preservation of the auditorium’s historic elements?

All plans for renovation would keep the Art Deco elements of the historic building in place.

How does the Duke substation affect the renovation plans?

Although Duke has yet to make an official statement, they have indicated they are interested in moving the substation currently directly behind Thomas Wolfe Auditorium on Rankin Ave. High power lines in that area do not allow a build up to the property line. The move would make a future expansion of Thomas Wolfe easier and more possible. The substation is approximately 40 feet from the back of Thomas Wolfe’s outside wall. If the substation were to be moved, it would potentially allow something to be built out right behind the building, whether that’s Thomas Wolfe or a buildout of the Arena.

In the nine designs created so far for a Thomas Wolfe renovation, the substation moving was not considered. Duke has been a supportive partner and has asked the City what would be needed if they did rebuild the substation. As Chris Corl noted in the Town Hall, “Moving out is cheaper than moving up.”

Special thanks to Chris Corl, General Manager for Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, and Matthieu Rodriguez, Marketing Coordinator for Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville for providing information and data for this FAQ.
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