Hello Thursday.
April 18 2024
On Tuesday night, Asheville City Council voted unanimously to help fund the purchase + conversion of the Days Inn hotel at 201 Tunnel Rd. into permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. The city joins both Buncombe County and Dogwood Health Trust in the $13.5 million endeavor. Let’s take a look at the details.
The Days Inn will offer 85 converted units on a nearly 3-acre lot on Tunnel Rd. I Photo by AVLtoday
By the numbers: who’s funding this?
- The city is contributing $2 million from the $26.2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to nonprofit Homeward Bound to assist with the purchase.
- Homeward Bound is contributing $6.5 million to the total cost, thanks to partnerships with other groups.
- Buncombe County is putting $2 million toward the purchase.
- Dogwood Health Trust will offer $2 million.
- An anonymous private donor will donate $500,000 to support the purchase.
- A fundraising campaign will also be launched.
What about the digs?
- The ’60s era hotel will offer 85 rooms with added kitchenettes for those who make less than 30% of the area median income.
- An additional 43 rooms will be converted to new offices for Homeward Bound and service providers from other groups, plus case managers, a housing director + more.
- Onsite medical care for folks who are "medically fragile."
The project will help house folks experiencing homelessness throughout WNC. I Photo by @berne182
The hotel is intended to be a model for the community and hopes to be successful by offering services like treatment and behavioral health + food support. Unlike other housing for homeless populations, it will be permanent and allow residents to stay there and age in place. Homeward Bound hopes to close on the property next month and begin moving people in by 2022.
Also noteworthy? Housing won’t be limited to Asheville, but will support folks in the region, including from places like Henderson County.
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Show
- Chalwa | Thurs., July 29 | 7 p.m. | Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Dr. | $10 | 8-piece mountain reggae band.
- Park Rhythms Concert Series: Hustle Souls | Thurs., July 29 | 7-9 p.m. | Black Mountain Veterans Park, 10 Veterans Park Dr. | Free | Classic soul with a modern twist. 🎙️
- Random Animals | Thurs., July 29 | 6-9 p.m. | One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd. | $5 | Asheville-based indie-soul quintet. 🎶
- Patio Show: Songwriters in the Round ft Kaminer, O'Shea, Boswell | Thurs., July 29 | 6 p.m. | The Grey Eagle, 195 Clingman Ave. | $12 | Asheville-based female singer/songwriters.
TryThis
- Dine with Divas | Thurs., July 29 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Event Center at Highland Brewing Co.,12 Old Charlotte Hwy. | $35+ | Drag cabaret + seated dinner to help support Asheville’s Free Farmers Market for the Elderly. 💋
- ArborEvenings | Thurs., July 29 | 5:30-8:00 p.m. | The North Carolina Arboretum,100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way | $16 | Sip + stroll through the park while enjoying live music from Steve Newbrough and Laura Thurston. 🌳
Talk
Trivia
- Trivia Night | Thurs., July 29 | Grata Pizzeria, 1042 Haywood Rd. | Free | Snag a slice + show off your smarts. 🍕
Biz
- Expand Your Circle: Roundtable for Women Entrepreneurs | Thurs., July 29 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Focal Point, 125 S. Lexington Ave. | $25 | This roundtable-style networking event is for women making moves. Each table will have 4 women + 1 seasoned entrepreneur, everyone getting a chance to present a problem, issue, or question for collaborative brainstorming. Ⓟ
Network
- Founder Happy Hour | Thurs., July 29 | 5-7 p.m. | Archetype Brewing, 174 Broadway St. | Free | Join the NC IDEA and Venture Asheville teams for a networking happy hour.
Featured PlanAhead
- Black Mountain College Television screening party | Thurs., Aug. 5 | 7 p.m. | 120 College St. + online | Free | Part of the Asheville Area Arts Council’s LIVE! An Asheville Arts Benefit Series, this premiere episode of BMC-TV (think: a happening meets variety show) features Asheville arts businesses, performers, musicians, artists, and craftspeople. Ⓟ
Find more of the week’s local events in our July PlanAhead.
Get the essentials covered with Pawp
With Pawp, pet owners can get $3,000 in emergency coverage for up to 6 pets for a flat rate of $19/month.
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Weather
- 93º | Partly cloudy | 4% chance of rain
ComingSoon
- Daddy Mac's Down Home Dive (161 Biltmore Ave.) is coming to the South Slope next month. Specializing in upscale Southern pub fare, the late-night dinner spot will feature handhelds, shareable plates, smoked meats, — including a Bar-B-Cue-Terie board — salads, and craft beers + cocktails. 🍖
NowOpen
- For everyone melting in the summer heat, here’s a reason to rejoice: the Splasheville interactive water park has completed repairs and officially reopened to the public. The “splashpad” is open everyday from 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Check it out. (Mountain Xpress)
Civic
- Now through Sept. 28, the Buncombe County TDA’s Festivals & Cultural Events Support Fund is accepting applications for festivals + cultural events taking place in 2022. Grant amounts ranging from $1-5,000 will be announced in late October.
Number
- $500,000. The amount that the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project received from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. The funds will help expand its Appalachian Farms Feeding Families program, which boosts the amount of fresh produce available to folks. 💰
Drink
- Notchyo Pitch, a peach habañero tart ale, will be released Thurs., July 30 at Oskar Blues’ Brevard taproom. An all-female team brewed it to raise awareness for sexual harassment in the beer business, and 100% of its proceeds will go to orgs working for equality in the industry. We’ll raise a glass to that. 🍺
Active
- The 13th annual Rock the Quarry Trail Challenge 5K and Kids Fun Run will take place Sat., Sept. 11. The footrace includes scenic vistas, stream-crossings, private trails, and a dash through an active quarry. All proceeds go to the Black Mountain Home for Children and the Asheville Museum of Science (AMOS). Register here. 👟
TryThis
- The Asheville Art Museum will host its Summer Speakeasy benefit August 21 from 8-11 p.m. Celebrate the last few days of summer with live music, cocktails, and dancing — all inspired by the Roaring 20’s. 🍸
State
- Concerns about COVID-19 exposure and a subsequent lack of childcare has resulted in a trend of hesitancy to return to the workforce, according to Carolina Public Press. The worker shortage is especially significant in the food service, leisure + hospitality industries.
Coronavirus
- Check out the latest COVID-19 stats for NC from the Department of Health and Human Services here. As of Wednesday afternoon, 18,620 cases and 327 deaths have been reported in Buncombe County. See more Buncombe County-specific info here.
Watch
- WakuWaku Japanese Eatery owner Naomi Mikami has created a video designed to introduce the community to Japan, its music, and kimono. Created with local people, musicians + artists it offers a fascinating glimpse into sights + sounds not commonly seen in the mountains.
Outdoors
- The Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site (1800 Little River Rd., Flat Rock) will increase public outdoor access to the dairy goat barnyard + pasture starting July 30. The area will be open from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. daily with a capacity limit of 40 visitors. Not baaaad. 🐐(Mountain Xpress)
Job
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We heard a lot of great responses from folks about yesterday’s Esri Tapestry map article, and we've updated it to include East Asheville (our bad on that). Of the folks who answered our poll, 46% said that they saw similarities between Esri’s descriptions of their neighborhood and their own experience. However, 27% of you said that “labels are pointless.”
Pssst, if you had trouble finding access to the map, scroll all the way down the page and click on the “Explore your ZIP code” button.
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