Projects & Initiatives
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
***********
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 Owners | Tuesday, July 29 8:00-10:00 a.m. Public Works Bldg.
161 S. Charlotte St. |
| Strategy Workshop 2: Shaping Downtown Asheville | Tuesday, July 29 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Public Works Bldg.
161 S. Charlotte St. |
| Strategy Workshop 3: Enriching Downtown Asheville | Tuesday, July 29 1:00-3:00 p.m. Public Works Bldg.
161 S. Charlotte St. |
| Strategies for a Vibrant Downtown Asheville | Tuesday, 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