Performance Center/Block Revitalization Meeting Notes Summary Fall 2010 Meeting Schedule August 31: East End Neighborhood officers at ADC September 9: East End Association at East End September 23: Workshop Including Design Professionals at ADC October 7: Workshop for City Police, Fire, Planning Officials at ADC October 13: Session for Arts Groups Executive Directors at AACPA October 21: Sessions with Participating Groups at YMI Notes from Sessions Held August 31 October 13 Opportunities: the over arching theme was creation of more connections from the Block to the East End both physical and historical. Museum located in Performance Center could have African American theme, Asheville History theme, Rotating/Traveling artist theme Possible outdoor gallery space Public Restrooms Neighborhood (East End) community art projects After school programs integrated into facility Development of more detailed, organized Urban Trail tied into The Block and surrounding area that would be well mapped, and connecting different and dynamic areas of downtown Pedestrian friendly routes in the Block area, connecting to East End neighborhood. Historical placards in the East End neighborhood as a means to reclaim the history of area damaged by Urban Renewal. Rename Charlotte Street to original Valley Street or New Valley Street. Pedestrian friendly access from East End to the Block: build islands, crosswalks, bridges, etc along Valley St. to slow traffic Improve existing bridge by tying new spur to direct people to the Block rather than the back of the jail. Handicap accessible. Lights for evening pedestrians.
Retail space should include uses such as grocery, pharmacy, sandwich shops, and other daily needs establishments that could be owned, employed, and utilized by the East End neighborhood as well as downtown Retail space must be affordable and shops locating must be affordable to community Improve employment opportunities for neighborhood residents Get the youth from the East End involved. Integration of Velvet into PAC plan and the Block. (This may fall more into the Mt. Zion plan?) Design Ideas: Bridges high bridge designs to link the Block over/through PAC to Pack Sq. Exterior Massing of PAC stage portion. What will this look like? How High (to mid section of City Hall). Over- all questions regarding the esthetics of main stage mass. Roof access on top of PAC? Green Roof? Area for restaurant/bar usage? Multi- Purpose portion of building. Community access for this area? Casual gathering space with sound/media utilities for bands and musicians. Music could attract people to this area. Winter use? Both indoor and outdoor? Heated areas? Community concerns: Are the ideas for the Performance Center set in stone? Is it a done deal? Strong and adverse reaction to parking deck: City has too many parking decks. How will this help the East End? Will there be space available for community businesses? Will the space that is set aside for the community businesses be affordable? Will this be another extension of the continual gentrification of Asheville s Black communities? Will the development keep Mt. Zion s view in mind when planning the spaces in front of and surrounding the church? Where will the City police/fire Departments park? What happens to YMI when Performance Center is built? How will the Performance Center help the YMI? How will the neighborhood deal with increased traffic? Our neighborhood has real need for more green space, trees! We are concerned because we can remember when this community was revitalized in the past (urban renewal), and new revitalization in this community should have taken place when work on Pack Place happened; anything that happens now should fit in with the neighborhood/community and be aimed at the community as a whole We have seen retail destinations come in and push out low- income, historically minority communities Want people who live in this community to own the businesses in the community
Revitalization of the Block Program 10.21.10 Comments from YMI Open House Partners represented: Asheville Art Museum Asheville Design Center Eagle/Market Street Development Corporation Mountain Housing Opportunities Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church The Performance Center of Asheville Meeting Comments: The Performance Center: 1. Orientation of the theater and lobby is very good, as it doesn t have its back to the Block or the Pack Square Park. 2. Multipurpose Rehearsal Room at Eagle Street is a great idea. 3. The park above the parking structure connected to both Eagle Street and the big park to the north is good, especially with its access to the multipurpose space and the big theater lobby. 4. The Board shouldn't set its building program in stone...there's a definite need to engage the community in what size theater should be built (smaller is better?) and what the added components should be (a neighborhood history museum should be added, question need for a black box theatre, etc). Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church: Comments posted to our boards: 1. The Stevens Lee parking lot offers a great view of the Block, which might be helpful in visualizing the plans. 2. Glad you are planning to save the historic buildings on the Mt. Zion property. 3. Would like to see Spruce Street reopened to the neighborhood. 4. Thanks for keeping the old buildings. 5. The scheme looks great. 6. Create pedestrian connections to the East End. 7. Offer small business opportunities. 8. Change Charlotte Street name back to Valley. 9. Provide affordable homes. Verbal comments: 1. Farmers Market concept fits with Wellness brand for Mt. Zion. Look at opportunities for FM to evolve as neighborhood evolves. 2. History is important. Look carefully at neighborhood precedents. 3. Music venue concept for Velvet Street is strong. 4. Re-opening Velvet Street is good idea. Eagle Market Street Development Corp.: Verbal comments to Mountain Housing Opportunity Staff:
5. Glad that apartments will be truly affordable-i like the rents 6. Like the idea of lots of community space 7. Interior courtyard sounds great 8. If it s like the Glen Rock, it will be wonderful 9. Thank you for bringing your plans to the community 10. Like the Del Cardo is being restored for EMSDC 11. Glad that you will treat Del Cardo as historic property 12. Like the idea of the playground across the street 13. Can you include more commercial? 14. Like the idea of the townhomes on south Market Street Asheville Design Center: Comments from Asheville Design Center Table: 1. Yes! Rename to Valley St. 2. Do organizations (especially black organizations) that have their hands on The Block know 3. how these projects will affect/benefit them? [I m assuming this means current businesses and 4. organizations located in The Block] 5. Will this project finally push African Americans out of The Block and East End? 6. What is the percentage of black ownership of buildings in The Block? Verbal comments: 1. Asheville SCORE office in The Block 2. Commercial ownership for East End residents in The Block 3. Make notes from community workshops available to public, on ADC website (Ms. Dee Williams) 4. Put new revitalization board on the ADC website 5. Put Wordle on ADC website General Comments (left in community basket) 1. I am very disappointed that Asheville Buncombe Institute of Parity Achievement is not regarded as a vital partner and part of this community. Our board and staff have been completely disrespected and disregarded. (Elaine Robinson, Executive Director) 2. I would like to help. I have a background in real estate, public speaking and some computer skills. Carol Anders, 828-686-1380, from Swannanoa, NC 3. I did not get a clear understanding of what is going to happen as it relates to the revitalization of the Block. Like how much of the original structures will be preserved or restored and how they will be used and how much it will cost to rent space there and who we would contact if interested in doing so. Juanita Grier, 9 Mill Stone Dr. Asheville, NC 28803 828-277-7983 4. How will revitalizing the Block benefit / affect African Americans in Asheville? I have attended meetings through the years and nobody has mentioned how these revitalization will affect blacks. Charles Wright. Cwright604@yahoo.com 5. South Charlotte Street is the temporary home of the Asheville City Market. The market was created to provide downtown access to local food and was intended to feature 100 local farmers and vendors each week. In its first two years, the market generated over $1 million
in sales. Finding a permanent home for ACM is included in the City s Master Plan could developments involving our current location evolve to include a permanent site? If so, how might the joint planning efforts in progress include ACM as a design element? Mike McCreary, Manager, ACM (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project). 828-348-0340, mike@asapconnections.org Next Steps Continue to review and edit draft report Additional meeting with East End Neighborhood before year s end Individual meetings with representatives of EMSDC, Mt. Zion & Performance Center Presentation of project summary and draft to area elected officials (small group meetings) Set date for update to Asheville City Council (early 2011) Includes notes compiled by Megan Williams, Asheville Design Center