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 Watch a live stream of the City channel View live televised Asheville City Council meetings, at 5 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Sign up for city e-newsletter Receive City News in your inbox! 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 City of Asheville to launch Neighborhood Grant Program Posted on September 22, 2021September 22, 2021 by Polly McDaniel As a part of this year’s budget process, City of Asheville staff heard from our community that new City investments in neighborhoods were very important. To respond to that need the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget includes $200,000 to launch a Neighborhood Grant Program. This program is designed specifically for neighborhood-based organizations: Neighborhood associations; Homeowners associations; Neighborhood coalitions; and Resident organizations [...] City of Asheville working to keep it easy to connect to your government Posted on July 12, 2021July 12, 2021 by Polly McDaniel There are many ways to connect virtually to City government (right now). And the City of Asheville is working on a sustainable model of even more remote access to City government. Connecting people to government and removing barriers to government has long been a core value of the City of Asheville’s Communication and Public Engagement Department [...] Asheville Reparations Speaker Series continues June 10 and 17, community urged to participate Posted on June 8, 2021June 8, 2021 by Polly McDaniel On July 14, 2020, Asheville City Council passed a Resolution Supporting Community Reparations for Black Asheville. The resolution calls for the City Manager to, “establish a process within the next year to develop short, medium and long term recommendations to specifically address the creation of generational wealth and to boost economic mobility [...] More Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Transformation News
Watch a live stream of the City channel 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.
City of Asheville to launch Neighborhood Grant Program Posted on September 22, 2021September 22, 2021 by Polly McDaniel As a part of this year’s budget process, City of Asheville staff heard from our community that new City investments in neighborhoods were very important. To respond to that need the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget includes $200,000 to launch a Neighborhood Grant Program. This program is designed specifically for neighborhood-based organizations: Neighborhood associations; Homeowners associations; Neighborhood coalitions; and Resident organizations [...]
City of Asheville working to keep it easy to connect to your government Posted on July 12, 2021July 12, 2021 by Polly McDaniel There are many ways to connect virtually to City government (right now). And the City of Asheville is working on a sustainable model of even more remote access to City government. Connecting people to government and removing barriers to government has long been a core value of the City of Asheville’s Communication and Public Engagement Department [...]
Asheville Reparations Speaker Series continues June 10 and 17, community urged to participate Posted on June 8, 2021June 8, 2021 by Polly McDaniel On July 14, 2020, Asheville City Council passed a Resolution Supporting Community Reparations for Black Asheville. The resolution calls for the City Manager to, “establish a process within the next year to develop short, medium and long term recommendations to specifically address the creation of generational wealth and to boost economic mobility [...]