Summary (updated 3/26/26): City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, March 24, to place a two-year land hold on the “Parkside” parcels to explore the building of a downtown performing arts center in Asheville. Importantly, the final approved version of the resolution stipulates that the City will “create and utilize, as part of this process, meaningful and robust partnerships [emphasis added] with the surrounding communities, including but not limited to the Block and East End.” Read our full update here, and consider sending an email of appreciation using our template. You can also read our three-part special report on this site here.

Note: Those who want to dig deeper can find a detailed timeline of advocacy, research, and historical context here.

The facts: City Council was asked to approve a resolution authorizing a two-year land hold on the “Parkside” parcels. The purpose of the land hold is to preserve the option of building a downtown performing arts center while the City conducts feasibility work and explores partnerships.

According to staff materials, the land hold period would be used to:

• Conduct feasibility and financial analysis=
• Explore operating partnerships
• Engage stakeholders and the community
• Refine potential site concepts
• Evaluate funding options

Staff recommended approval of the land hold so that these discussions can proceed while the City maintains control of the site.

Importantly, the proposed action does not approve construction or funding. It does, however, establish the framework and timeline for how decisions about the project will be shaped.

You can read the staff report here and see the presentation slides here.

Our Assessment: This decision is fundamentally about process and trust.

Community members have expressed concern not simply about the project itself, but about how decisions are made — particularly given the history of land acquisition and displacement in The Block and East End area. The request coming out of recent community conversations has been clear: if the City moves forward with a land hold, it should simultaneously commit to active partnership in decision-making with a cultural partner who is locally-rooted and representative of the communities that will be impacted. (You can read the report-back and recommendation that emerged from a community-led meeting on this issue here.)

The City’s latest materials emphasize outreach and engagement, which is a positive step. However, they stop short of committing to shared decision-making. Without a formal role for a community partner, the process risks following a familiar pattern:

• decisions shaped early by the actors with the greatest economic influence
• community engagement that informs but doesn’t empower
• limited ability to influence outcomes

The land hold itself is not the concern. In fact, a two-year exploration period could create space for meaningful collaboration. But that only happens if the community has a seat at the table from the start — not just an opportunity to provide feedback as key decisions are shaped by other players.

For that reason, we believe City Council should approve the land hold only if it is paired with a binding commitment to:

• include a locally-rooted cultural partner in all decision-making regarding the project
• identify and grant that partner voting power early in the process
• provide public updates on progress

This approach allows exploration to continue while building trust and ensuring that development decisions affecting The Block and East End / Valley Street are shaped with — not simply presented to — the community.

Things to do (updated 3/30/26): We invite you to join us in sending an appreciative email for City Council’s inclusion of a “partnership” provision for The Block and East End / Valley Street neighborhoods, as well as for City staff’s plans for the development of an anti-displacement policy (see below).

Email Template: You can send an email to the Asheville City Council and City staff by filling out the form below. Our email tool will send an individually addressed email to the recipients, and enable us to track how many emails were sent overall in the campaign. If you prefer to write your own email, you can copy and paste (and adapt) our template text – please cc: or bcc: info@gapavl.org on your individualized email, so we can better track how many emails were sent.

To: AshevilleNCCouncil@ashevillenc.gov, dwesley@ashevillenc.gov, bwoody@ashevillenc.gov, dhitch@ashevillenc.gov

CC: or BCC: info@gapavl.org

Subject: Appreciation for performing arts decision and anti-displacement progress

Dear Mayor and Council Members, City Manager Wesley, Assistant City Manager Woody, and Community and Public Engagement Director Hitch,

I’m writing to express appreciation for two actions the City took recently: 

1) The revision of the Parkside land hold resolution on March 24th, so that The Block and East End neighborhoods would be recognized as “partners” in the forthcoming exploration of whether to build a performing arts center in their community;

2) The announcement of a plan for developing an overarching anti-displacement policy, which was outlined by Community and Public Engagement Director Hitch and Assistant City Manager Wood at the City Council briefing on March 19th.

While neither of these issues is resolved – there remain serious questions about whether a performing arts center on The Block is a good idea, and an actual anti-displacement policy will require many months of work – I wanted to let you know that I see these as meaningful and positive steps. I appreciate that you have listened to community members’ concerns, and are taking important action to address them. 

Thank you for your leadership.

Sincerely,

[Name]

Report Back

(updated 3/26/26): City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, March 24, to place a two-year land hold on the “Parkside” parcels to explore the building of a downtown performing arts center in Asheville. Importantly, the final approved version of the resolution stipulates that the City will “create and utilize, as part of this process, meaningful and robust partnerships [emphasis added] with the surrounding communities, including but not limited to the Block and East End.” Read our full update here.

Total GAP Supporter Actions Taken: 98

Recipients and Responses:

Asheville City Council

• Mayor Esther Manheimer: No response
• Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley: No response
• City Council Member Bo Hess: Responded (see below)
• City Council Member Kim Roney: Responded (see below)
• City Council Member Maggie Ullman:  No response
• City Council Member Sage Turner: No response
• City Council Member Sheneika Smith: No response

Email response from Council Member Kim Roney:

I appreciate your reaching out about the proposed performing arts center on the Block in East-End Valley Street.

I have reviewed the report from the community meeting and the recommendations. I am mindful of the harms of the past and hopeful repair is possible, especially if true partnership is the goal and equity is our demand for how to get there.

With shared concern,
Kim

Email response from Council Member Bo Hess:

Thank you for your input and perspective, it has been taken to heart.