The official source for news, announcements and information from the City of Asheville
This entry is part of Park Views, as Asheville Parks & Recreation series that explores the history of the city’s public parks and community centers – and the mountain spirit that helped make them the unique spaces they are today. Read more from the series and follow APR on Facebook [...]
In November, three Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) community centers host “Navigating Jim Crow: The Green Book and Oasis Spaces in North Carolina,” a traveling exhibit about sites important to, and personal memories about, African American travel using The Negro Motorist Green Book during the Jim Crow era of legal segregation. Published from 1936 to 1966, the book was used as both a travel guide and a tool of resistance to confront the realities of racial discrimination in the United States and beyond. The self-guided exhibit is free and open to the public at select APR community centers.
The City of Asheville is pleased to announce significant updates to its outdoor dining program as permitted in public spaces (streets and sidewalks) after City Council approval at their regularly scheduled meeting on October 24, 2023.
The City of Asheville has released a Disparity Study report detailing its contracting and purchasing activities and practices for the past 5 years. A Disparity Study is a type of research study that is designed to assess whether there are disparities, or differences, in the participation rates and opportunities for various groups in a particular program or industry. The goal of a disparity study is to identify any barriers or obstacles that may be preventing certain groups from participating fully, and to develop strategies to promote greater diversity and inclusion.
Asheville Transportation Department Director Ken Putnam has announced plans to retire from local government, effective January 1, 2024. Ken has been Director of the Transportation Department for the City since 2009 and has served in previous roles of City Traffic Engineer and Assistant Director of the Engineering and Transportation Department. He also serves as the [...]
The city announces that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) just released a new policy that now expands access to mortgage financing for homes that have or will include Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). ADUs are also known as backyard cottages, mother-in-law suites, basement apartments, ancillary units, carriage houses, and garage apartments. The City of Asheville supports ADUs as a way to spur the development of more affordable housing options and promote diversity in the types of housing choices available for residents.
The Asheville Business Inclusion (ABI) office is excited to announce it will host a Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) outreach event on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The event welcomes all Minority- and Women-owned businesses operating in the construction trades or offering services related to construction. Attendance from Prime contractors seeking collaboration opportunities with MWBE vendors is highly encouraged.
The next meeting of the Asheville City Council will be held 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 24, 2023. The meeting will be held in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of City Hall, 70 Court Plaza. Please join us in person or virtually. Click on the agenda link to find out what's up for consideration and discussion
The Wall St Parking Garage is currently undergoing repairs and improvements to the facility. If you're looking for parking, check out our real time parking service website.
After a 60-day safety and cleanliness initiative in the spring of 2023, City departments continued focused efforts to support a safe and welcoming downtown and are collaborating on new ways to deliver and track services with maximum impact. Are you interested in following our progress? Sign up for monthly updates here.
The Homelessness Division of the City of Asheville Community and Economic Development Department invites members of the public to join them for an informative learning series focused on homelessness in our community. Individual sessions can be attended in either November and/or December. The series offers community members the opportunity to learn more about the causes, responses, and actions that surround the homelessness issue in Asheville and the region.
Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center is a former school for Black children that was converted to public recreation use in the 1970s. Even before its adaptive reuse, it acted as the center of the Shiloh community with theatre productions, meetings, and athletic events taking place within and around the outside of its walls.
From October 22 – November 27, 2023, the final Art in the Heart project, Letters to my Children, will be on display in the median of Pack Square Plaza. Art in the Heart was part of the engagement efforts surrounding the Pack Square Plaza Visioning and Improvements Project which looked [...]
The Community Reparations Commission has been meeting since April of 2022 to develop short, medium, and long term recommendations. A batch of draft recommendations has been released. The recommendations align with the five impact focus areas of the commission: housing, economic development, criminal justice, education, and health & wellness. These draft recommendations are [...]
The Code Purple program kicks off this year on October 15, 2023 and runs through April 30, 2024.
In 2016, Asheville voters approved a $17 million bond referendum for major improvements to parks and community centers throughout the city. Most of these neighborhood investments are complete, increasing opportunities for community members to explore, connect, and discover.
The Broadway Public Safety Station on Broadway Street, even though not officially open yet, it is producing solar energy. This is the seventh City facility to include renewable energy production. The Broadway Public Safety Station will produce approximately 77,386 kilowatt hours per year, enough electricity to power 7 homes.