Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Transformation Happening Now Conceptual design images and information will be released on the evening of January 15, 2020 at a public information session held at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Please feel free to register in advance for this meeting by visiting www.transformthewolfe.com Pre-registration is not required. Find the latest press release here. Background By no means is the concept of renovating the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium or building a new performance center a new idea. For decades there have been periodic requests from staff, community organizations and media outlets for renovations to this facility. In fiscal year 2017, Asheville City Council approved $500,000 in capital funds towards creation of an initial design and budget development for a renovation of the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Additionally in fiscal year 2017, Asheville City Council approved a $2 per vehicle increase in special event parking fees, with the increase directly dedicated to the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Improvement fund. The current balance of this fund is $140,000. Timeline 2017 – Council approved funding towards creation of initial design and budget development for renovations to Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. 2017 – Council approves a $2 per vehicle increase in special event parking fees dedicated to Thomas Wolfe Improvement Fund. October 2018 – RFQ issued to select a qualified design team. February 2019 – Earl Swensson Associates, Inc., an architecture firm based in Nashville, TN to complete a stakeholder needs analysis, conceptual design and base budget. ESa has acted a the lead firm on numerous theater renovation and construction projects, highlighted by the Charleston Gaillard Center in Charleston, SC and the Schemerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, TN. January 2020 – Presentation of conceptual designs to community Supporting Documents 2005: Civic Center Report by the John Lock Foundation 2005: Thomas Wolfe Recommendations by Theatre Consultants Collaborative 2006: Economic Impact Study by Western Carolina University 2015: Capital Campaign Feasibility Analysis by Western Carolina University Management Students. 2015: Facility Wide Energy Assessment Report by Griffin Engineering 2016: Economic Impact Study by Western Carolina University 2016: Facility Wide Security Assessment by Asheville Police Department 2016: Structural, Acoustical & Costings Report by Threshold Acoustics Current Physical State of the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, in photos. Original & Vintage photos of the Auditorium site prior to construction of the Civic Arena Contact Information Chris Corl, General Manager, Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville 828-259-5452 Dustin Clemens, Program Manager, Capital Projects 828-232-4580 Related Services Sign up for city e-newsletter Receive City News in your inbox! Watch livestream of city council meetings View live televised Asheville City Council meetings, at 5 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Explore city data Public datasets and maps are available on the open data portal at data.ashevillenc.gov. Gun safety Learn how to prevent deadly gun accidents and teach your children what to do if they come across a firearm. More Related Services Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Transformation News Asheville City Council continues remote meetings with many ways for public to participate Posted on July 10, 2020 by Polly McDaniel Due to the locally declared State of Emergency and the State Phase 2 Safer at Home order, Asheville City Council continues to hold its meetings remotely via the City’s Public Engagement Hub, which offers multiple ways the public can participate. The agenda for Council’s July 14 meeting is posted at this link. City [...] Neighborhood spotlight: Kenilworth Forest Posted on June 25, 2020June 24, 2020 by Polly McDaniel Neighborhood: Kenilworth Forest. Where is it? Kenilworth Forest is a friendly, established cul-de-sac neighborhood of 100 homes on the east side of lovely Kenilworth Lake. We are just off Tunnel Road. I-240 West brings you to vibrant downtown Asheville in five minutes. Details: Kenilworth Lake was formed in 1925 by “impounding the waters of Ross Creek,” culminating [...] City of Asheville boards and commissions meetings to go virtual in June Posted on June 4, 2020 by Polly McDaniel The City of Asheville is pleased to announce the return of board and commission meetings beginning in June. All meetings will take place virtually, with the first committee meeting being the Urban Forestry Committee on June 15. All City of Asheville Boards and Commissions meetings were cancelled starting in March due to [...] More Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Transformation News
Watch livestream of city council meetings View live televised Asheville City Council meetings, at 5 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month.
Explore city data Public datasets and maps are available on the open data portal at data.ashevillenc.gov.
Gun safety Learn how to prevent deadly gun accidents and teach your children what to do if they come across a firearm.
Asheville City Council continues remote meetings with many ways for public to participate Posted on July 10, 2020 by Polly McDaniel Due to the locally declared State of Emergency and the State Phase 2 Safer at Home order, Asheville City Council continues to hold its meetings remotely via the City’s Public Engagement Hub, which offers multiple ways the public can participate. The agenda for Council’s July 14 meeting is posted at this link. City [...]
Neighborhood spotlight: Kenilworth Forest Posted on June 25, 2020June 24, 2020 by Polly McDaniel Neighborhood: Kenilworth Forest. Where is it? Kenilworth Forest is a friendly, established cul-de-sac neighborhood of 100 homes on the east side of lovely Kenilworth Lake. We are just off Tunnel Road. I-240 West brings you to vibrant downtown Asheville in five minutes. Details: Kenilworth Lake was formed in 1925 by “impounding the waters of Ross Creek,” culminating [...]
City of Asheville boards and commissions meetings to go virtual in June Posted on June 4, 2020 by Polly McDaniel The City of Asheville is pleased to announce the return of board and commission meetings beginning in June. All meetings will take place virtually, with the first committee meeting being the Urban Forestry Committee on June 15. All City of Asheville Boards and Commissions meetings were cancelled starting in March due to [...]