Asheville residents took a major step to write the next chapter of Pack Square Plaza, a 200-year-old park in the heart of downtown. On July 21, the City of Asheville released its draft vision document that reimagines Asheville’s central square as a more inclusive, accessible, and connective space. The plan was produced in partnership with McAdams Co., a Durham-based civil engineering firm.
The choice to reimagine the park stemmed from the city’s decision to remove the Vance Monument in May of 2021. Though the base of the monument remains at the park pending a decision from the NC Supreme Court, the work to reconfigure the community focal point forged ahead.
City Attorney Brad Branham said that regardless of the case’s outcome, and how it may or may not impact the redesign of Pack Square, the city plans to move forward with the project.
“The project scope is obviously much larger than the site of the former monument, so much of the plan could proceed regardless of the outcome of the Vance litigation,” he said in an email to Blue Ridge Public Radio.
“In either case, the city intends to move forward with the project, and will adjust as needed based upon the court's ruling and any potential future litigation involving the monument.”
The 49-page plan included 10 core design ideas, including new crosswalks and traffic patterns.
It suggests closing North Pack Square to vehicular traffic, converting College Street from one-way into two-way traffic, and moving the crosswalk Patton Avenue and Broadway Street crosswalk further south for safer pedestrian access for Pack Square Plaza.
The most involved part of the plan involves the reimagination – and possible relocation – of programming at the city’s Municipal Building at 100 Court Plaza, which currently houses the city’s police and fire department.
The motivation for this move, as explained by the document, is to make the park a more “people-centered place” and that “participants stated the presence of the police and fire department limit the potential of Pack Square, S. Market Street and The Block.”
If the police and fire departments were to relocate, that would make space for the building to be “repurposed as a cultural museum to share a comprehensive, inclusive story of Asheville,” the document suggested.
The plan also called for the transformation of S. Market Street into an “active cultural corridor” connecting Pack Square to The Block, a historic Black business district.
It also outlines a new, more accessible meditation grove on the eastern edge of the park and puts an emphasis on bringing more commerce to the lawn space in front of the Biltmore Building at 1 North Pack Square.
Stephanie Monson Dahl, the city’s Urban Design and Place Strategies Manager, said the plan was the result of the community input sessions the city has conducted since last September.
“This plan is a response to our community realizing that public space is really important and that we may have opportunities to make our public spaces more welcoming and inclusive for all kinds of people,” she said.
The plan is divided into four phases: “quick wins” that can happen in the first year, “short-term” 1-3 year suggestions, “mid-term” 3-5 year suggestions, and “long-term” 5-10 year suggestions.
It comes with an $8 million price tag, not including the possible shift of the Municipal Building, which Dahl said is still very hypothetical at this point but could cost upwards of $70 million.
A $3 million grant from the Mellon Foundation Monuments Project secured funding for some parts of the plan.
According to Dahl, $1.6 million will go towards the design and construction of a stronger cultural and physical connection between Pack Square Plaza and The Block. Another $1 million will be used for engineering plans for the redesign of Pack Square, and the remainder of the funds will support a new oral history project that will gather stories from residents across Buncombe County.
Dahl said she hopes to secure the remaining budget needs from “a variety of funders outside of just taxpayer dollars at the city or county.”
Now that the draft is out, the city is asking for an additional round of community input before the plan goes before Asheville City Council for a vote as early as September 12. General public comment will be accepted online through August 21. On August 14 there will also be a presentation and chance for input at the Planning and Economic Development Committee meeting.
Several other events are happening this weekend where residents can learn more and share input:
Friday, July 28
“Creating a Richer History about the Heart of our Downtown”
- 10-11 a.m. at the Public Works Building (161 S. Charlotte Street)
- Presentation and discussion with Katherine Cutshall, Buncombe County Special Collections Manager
“Reshaping Pack Sq. Plaza and Connecting The Block through Design”
- 12-3 p.m. at the Public Works Building (161 S. Charlotte Street)
- Drop-in to review and discuss the ten design recommendations proposed in the Vision Plan
Saturday, July 29, 2023
“The Vision for a More Inclusive Pack Sq. Plaza: Presentation and Discussion”
- 12-2 p.m. Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville (87 Haywood Street)
- A conversation about Pack Sq. Plaza and the value of public space with Mitchell Silver
