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DTMP

Downtown Asheville is at an important crossroads, and its future will be guided by a Master Planning Process that kicks off in May. The quality of Asheville’s plan depends on capturing a broad range of input from citizens, businesses, and stakeholders. Downtown belongs to everyone, whether you come once a year or everyday, and your input is important.

· Get involved: Upcoming public meetings and timeline
· Overview: What are the goals of the master plan process?
· Background: How did the city decide to move forward with this process?
· Project Team: Who is managing the process?
· Public Input: Read the input captured at each of the public meetings and see the PowerPoint presentations given by the consultants.  
· Stay Connected: Sign up for e-mail updates and send your questions to the project manager

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Downtown Master Plan Final Documents

Final Downtown Master Plan

Downtown Master Plan Appendices

 

Frequently Asked Questions          Powerpoint Presentation, Draft Master Plan, January 15, 2009

 

Meeting

Date, Time & Location

Master Plan Kick-Off Meeting

Thursday, May 8
6:00-8:30 p.m.
AshevilleCivic Center

Local Panel Discussion
"The History of Downtown: Understanding the Context"

Thursday, May 15
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Public Works Facility

Community Education Session
Current Issues in Downtown Development

Friday, May 30
6:00–8:00 p.m.
Asheville Community Theater, 35 E. Walnut Street

Downtown Master Plan Workshop

Saturday, May 31
10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Randolph Learning Center, 90 Montford Avenue

Drop-In Session: Master Plan Workshop Review

Sunday, June 1  
12:00-3:00 p.m.  
Office of Economic Development,
29 Haywood Street

Community Feedback Session
Draft Vision and Goals

Thursday, June 12
6:00–8:00 p.m.
Asheville Civic Center

Strategy Workshop 1: Experiencing Downtown Asheville

Monday, July 28

1:00-3:00 pm

Public Works Bldg.

161 S. Charlotte St.

Community Open House – A discussion about the

African-American community and downtown

Monday, July 28

6:00–8:30 p.m.

Public Works Bldg.

161 S. Charlotte St.

Downtown Business OwnersTuesday, July 29

8:00-10:00 a.m.

Public Works Bldg.
161 S. Charlotte St.

Strategy Workshop 2: Shaping Downtown AshevilleTuesday, July 29

10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Public Works Bldg.
161 S. Charlotte St
.

Strategy Workshop 3: Enriching Downtown AshevilleTuesday, July 29

1:00-3:00 p.m.

Public Works Bldg.
161 S. Charlotte St
.

Strategies for a Vibrant Downtown AshevilleTuesday, July 29

6:00-9:00 p.m.

Asheville Civic Center

Community Meeting – A follow up discussion

 about the African-American community and downtown

Monday, Sept 15
6:00-8:30 p.m.
Public Works Bldg.
161 S. Charlotte St.

 

Draft Plan Presentation

 Thursday
January 15, 2009
7:00-9:00 pm
Asheville Civic Ctr

 

Overview: What are the goals of the master plan process?

The Asheville Downtown Master Plan is expected to be an extensive assessment of the opportunities and challenges associated with development in Asheville’s near future. The plan will take current community goals into account with previous planning efforts and policies in order to provide a clear guide and predictable framework for both developers and citizens with a stake in downtown. The plan will serve as a powerful graphic tool for visualizing preferred downtown development and will be detailed enough to address downtown Asheville’s immediate needs yet dynamic enough to serve as a guide for the foreseeable future.

It is anticipated that the plan will include: a written implementation strategy; a phasing plan with associated public infrastructure costs; graphic illustrations; a regulating plan; policy recommendations; and a matrix outlining the plan implementation components. For more detailed information about what will be included in the Asheville Downtown Master Plan, review the complete Request for Proposals that was issued in search of a consulting firm to manage the process.

Background: How did the city decide to move forward with this process?

In 2002, Asheville’s City Council adopted the Center City Plan, a document included as part of the city’s Comprehensive 2025 Plan, which provided a cohesive framework for addressing housing, transportation, economics, and the physical environment in downtown. The main purpose of the document was to strengthen downtown Asheville as the social, cultural, and economic center of the region, while ensuring that the unique characteristics that attract residents and visitors were well preserved.

During the last several years, downtown Asheville has experienced significant revitalization and vibrancy, and the Center City Plan is considered to have served an important role in downtown’s success. But because conditions have evolved since the Center City Plan was drafted, the Downtown Commission saw the need in 2007 for a new plan.

As downtown Asheville has grown, characteristics such as building height and design, maintaining small independent businesses, infill development and redevelopment of key areas have emerged as key issues. In April 2007, the Downtown Commission formally asked City Council to fund a Downtown Master Plan. Asheville City Council agreed with the commission’s recommendation and approved funding for the plan in the city’s 2008-09 budget. The overall budget for this phase of the mater planning process is $170,000.

Project Team: Who is managing the process?

The Downtown Master Plan process is being steered by the Downtown Commission, an advisory board to the Asheville City Council charged with focusing on the sustainability and continued development of downtown. Staff support is being provided through the City of Asheville’s Office of Economic Development. In October 2007, the City of Asheville released a Request for Qualifications regarding a Downtown Master Plan. After a lengthy selection process, the Master Plan Advisory Panel chose Goody Clancy to help implement the master plan process. The City of Asheville's internal staff project manager may be contacted for more information about the process or with questions about how to get involved. For a list of the consultant team members, click here.

Contact Information
City of Asheville, Office of Economic Development
Downtown Master Plan Project Manager
Sasha Vrtunski
Phone: (828) 232-4599
E-mail: svrtunski@ashevillenc.gov

To Receive Email Updates  send an email to: downtownmasterplan@ashevillenc.gov