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 City of Asheville rolls out text message option for public engagement Posted on November 16, 2020November 16, 2020 by Ashley Traynum-Carson As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country, the City of Asheville looks to implement tools to engage with our residents safely. Most recently, the City began accepting public comments via text (SMS) message. The vast majority of Americans – 96% – now own a cellphone of some kind. In an effort to engage the public [...] Mayor’s Committee for Veterans’ Affairs to host virtual Veterans Day Ceremony Posted on October 19, 2020October 30, 2020 by Polly McDaniel The City of Asheville Mayor’s Committee for Veterans’ Affairs invites everyone to join us online for a virtual Veterans Day Ceremony, to be streamed live on the City’s YouTube channel at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 from Council Chambers, Asheville City Hall. While City Hall is open in a limited capacity to provide [...] Halloween guidance: Lower your risk for COVID-19 transmission with alternative activities Posted on October 6, 2020October 19, 2020 by Polly McDaniel Halloween is going to look a little different in Asheville this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But you can still celebrate with family and friends safely with this guidance from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services: Remember that Gov. Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 163 limits mass gathering to no [...] 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.
City of Asheville rolls out text message option for public engagement Posted on November 16, 2020November 16, 2020 by Ashley Traynum-Carson As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country, the City of Asheville looks to implement tools to engage with our residents safely. Most recently, the City began accepting public comments via text (SMS) message. The vast majority of Americans – 96% – now own a cellphone of some kind. In an effort to engage the public [...]
Mayor’s Committee for Veterans’ Affairs to host virtual Veterans Day Ceremony Posted on October 19, 2020October 30, 2020 by Polly McDaniel The City of Asheville Mayor’s Committee for Veterans’ Affairs invites everyone to join us online for a virtual Veterans Day Ceremony, to be streamed live on the City’s YouTube channel at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 from Council Chambers, Asheville City Hall. While City Hall is open in a limited capacity to provide [...]
Halloween guidance: Lower your risk for COVID-19 transmission with alternative activities Posted on October 6, 2020October 19, 2020 by Polly McDaniel Halloween is going to look a little different in Asheville this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But you can still celebrate with family and friends safely with this guidance from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services: Remember that Gov. Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 163 limits mass gathering to no [...]