WNC'S TALLEST BUILDING PROJECT MOVES FORWARD IN DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE

*DOUBLE-TOWER HAYWOOD PARK HIGH-RISE REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL APPROVED by Asheville Downtown Commission at Public Meeting Tues., July 1, 2008 | Asheville Downtown Commission voted in favor of supporting the largest new building proposal that the city has seen in decades. The Haywood Park redevelopment proposal submitted by FIRC Group Inc., will include two 20-plus story towers and tens of thousands of square feet of new retail space designed to attract new upscale retailers. 

Kitty Love, executive director of Arts2People and a member of the Downtown Commission attended the July 1 meeting. She told DowntownAsheville.com that she looks forward to learning more details about the developer's "community benefit program."

Recently, the Haywood Park redevelopment developer had stated publicly that he would provide a community package that would benefit the public interest. Downtown Commission members and the public await to see just how generous the community benefits package by the Haywood Park developer will be. 

Love said some Asheville merchants favor the high-rise redevelopment while others do not.

She confirmed the Asheville's UDO does not have any height restrictions at this time, therefore the developer is legally allowed to build as high as he wants.

If completed, as proposed, the massive Haywood Park redevelopment project will boast the tallest building on the Asheville skyline, as well as the tallest building in the history of Western North Carolina.  

"Some believe (constructing) tall, slender buildings will be good for Asheville, but I'm not convinced," said Love. 

The Downtown Commission meeting was held Tues., July 1, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. in the Office of Economic Development, 29 Haywood Street in Downtown Asheville. The meeting, which was open to the public, continues the design review process and quest to fully understand the details of the developer's bold high-rise towers that will add hundreds of thousands of square feet of new hotel-condo-retail space in the heart of downtown. Click Here>

-Posted July 2, 2008 BB