Renfro Lofts Condominiums sits at the corner of Virginia and Willow Streets in Mount Airy. The rehabilitation project turned a former tobacco warehouse into 37 condominiums.
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RALEIGH — A reinstatement of the historic preservation tax credit is included in the state budget approved last week by state legislators.
Lawmakers let the tax credit, which will now provide for up to a 25 percent credit for improvements that are made to an income-producing certified historic building, sunset on Jan. 1. Since then a movement to reinstate the credit has been under way throughout the state.
Non-income producing historic structures are limited to a 20-percent tax credit on rehabilitation projects of $10,000 or more. In short, any project that is covered under the federal historic preservation tax credit will once again receive the state tax credit.
The restoration of the tax credit will result in an $8 million revenue loss for the state.
According to a self-identified non-partisan group that runs historictaxcredits.org, North Carolina’s historic tax credit spurred more than $1.5 billion in private investment in the state from 1998 until the program expired at the end of 2014. Now the program is back, and some local leaders are applauding lawmakers for reinstating the program.
Mount Airy Downtown Inc. Director Lizzie Morrison said the historic tax credit program was greatly beneficial for Mount Airy. According to information Morrison provided, the tax incentive was used in about 25 projects in downtown Mount Airy prior to its expiration at the end of 2014.
One project Morrison gave as an example included more than $200,000 in private investment for which the property owner received tax credit of about $30,000. According to Morrison’s figures that project will produce more than $400,000 in sales and payroll tax revenues for the state of North Carolina throughout the period of the next ten years.
Another project — and one Morrison called a “catalyst” for future redevelopment — was a project at what is now the Renfro Lofts Condominiums on Virginia Street.
“The project turned an old tobacco warehouse into 37 condominiums,” said Morrison. “There are now about 50 additional people living downtown.”
According to Morrison the Renfro Lofts project spurred additional development on Market Street, where she said people who live in the condominiums now shop. Additionally, Morrison said the Renfro Loft project has spurred development in part of the former Spencer’s property that is owned by local businessman Gene Rees.
“The historic tax credit supports the heart of the community — downtown. It creates incentive for property owners to rehabilitate property while keeping the character and architecture of the buildings,” explained Morrison.
Rees said there are some differences in the new tax credit program. For instance, non-income producing properties will only receive up to a 20 percent tax credit, as opposed to the former 30 percent credit.
Another key difference is that the credit is no longer phased-in throughout a five-year period. Now a property owner can receive the credit in full in the first filing period following their approved application for the credit.
Like Morrison, Rees thinks the credit plays a huge role in the redevelopment of a town or city. “You can look across the state and see downtowns that have been revived over the past 15 years,” said Rees, who added that those revivals are due, at least in part, to the availability of the historic tax credit.
According to Rees the credit can put a rehabilitation project that would otherwise not be economically feasible back on the table for a property owner.
“Sometimes with these older buildings the economics of redevelopment simply don’t work for a property owner,” said Rees. “The tax credit makes a project that would otherwise not be profitable possible. It preserves history while improving the economy.”
Rees said he has seen downtown Mount Airy revitalized throughout the course of the past couple decades. He said a town that once had empty store fronts now has no long-term vacancies, and Rees says that’s important for Mount Airy.
“A vibrant downtown makes the town show well,” said Rees. “That’s important for tourism and future economic development.”
By Andy Winemiller
[email protected]
Andy Winemiller is a staff writer at The Mount Airy News. Andy can be reached at (336) 415-4698 or [email protected]
Andy Winemiller is a staff writer at The Mount Airy News. Andy can be reached at (336) 415-4698 or [email protected]
The NBA’s Most Valuable Player returned to his alma mater Davidson College on Thursday to show off the Larry O’Brien NBA championship trophy with the small school’s close-knit community.
Curry worked out with Davidson players, participated in a question-and-answer period with college students and banked in a 25-foot jumper in the first shot ever attempted at the school’s new practice facility, which is set to open in the coming weeks. He signed numerous autographs for students and even ate some chicken curry in the school cafeteria.
“This is where the whole story started and I know how much the Davidson alumni and community supports me, so this is very special,” Curry told The Associated Press.
Longtime Davidson men’s basketball coach Bob McKillop said Curry, who led the underdog Wildcats to the Final Eight in 2008, never ceases to amaze him with his humility.
McKillop said Curry told him he wanted to return to campus to celebrate this past season’s success with the student body.
“For him to come back and say, ‘I want you to be a part of this, because you are a part of this,’ to me that is just outstanding,” Mckillop said. “He makes everyone so proud that he’s a Davidson guy.”
Davidson athletic director Jim Murphy said the event was impromptu and that Curry wanted to keep it quiet and mostly within the community.
The event wasn’t made public to the media.
But word began leaking out on Thursday that the Golden State Warriors star was back in town and the campus started to come alive. Several hundred students crowded in the school’s athletic center on campus to hear Curry speak about his time at Davidson and life in the NBA.
“The welcome he got when he walked on stage, that is something that every one of these students is going to remember for the rest of their academic career,” Murphy said. “We are so proud of Steph. We watch from a distance on TV, but to see him in person talk so eloquently about his experience at Davidson — he’s a special guy.”
Speaking on stage, Curry thanked everyone in the Davidson community he could think of from McKillop to the administration to the grounds crew that keeps the campus looking sharp.
“I’m going to try to represent you guys the best that I can from here on out,” Curry said.
Curry, who grew up in Charlotte, is making the rounds this weekend in hometown. He also plans to bring the trophy by his former high school on Friday.
A big Carolina Panthers fan, Curry will be hitting the “Keep Pounding” drum before the team’s home opener Sunday against the Houston Texans in Charlotte — a tradition that honors former Panthers linebacker and assistant coach Sam Mills, who died of cancer.
“Man, I’m looking forward to being down there on the field,” said Curry, who owns his own No. 30 Panthers jersey. “Never done it before, so that will be cool.”
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Curry has been in the team’s locker room before and previously attended training camp in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
“It’s going to be cool because he’s a huge Panthers fan and the city just loves him,” Rivera said.
The homecoming comes one day after Curry signed a contract extension with Under Armour that will run through the 2024 season. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Submit items at least one week in advance of publication for the Outdoors Calendar, a weekly listing of hiking, mountain biking, paddling, running and other activities in Western North Carolina. Share your events at CITIZEN-TIMES.com/events or email News@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.
Conservation
Monarch Butterfly Day: Sept. 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., The North Carolina Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville. Monarch Butterfly Day offers fun, educational opportunities for adults and youth to learn more about the monarchs declining population and ways to conserve their habitats. $12 per car parking fee. www.ncarboretum.org.
Cycling Races/Events
Asheville Gravel Grinder at Biltmore: Sept. 13, 8 a.m., Biltmore Estate, 1 Lodge St., Asheville. 40 or 60 mile options. The first 6-8 miles is on paved surface where bikers will ride in front of Biltmore House and the gardens. Cyclists then switch to dirt/gravel paths on their way to the west side of the estate. http://idaph.net/events/du-the-asheville-du/gravel-grinder-bike-race-course-information/.
Blowing Rock Fall Classic: Sept. 26, 8 a.m., The Blowing Rock, 333 Wallingford St., Blowing Rock. 72-mile ride along some of the most scenic stretches of the mountains. $70. https://www.bikereg.com/blowing.
Cycle NC Mountains to Coast Ride: Sept. 26, downtown Waynesville. This particular ride is not classified as a race but a leisurely ride across the state making overnight stops. Waynesville will serve as base camp for initial kick-off and starting point. Participants arrive Sept. 26 and begin their journey Sept. 27 and travel 55 miles to Hendersonville, where they spend the night before continuing on to Shelby. The rides ends in Oak Island. http://cnc.ncsports.org/fallCNCRide/.
Tour de Franklin: Sept. 26, 9 a.m., downtown Franklin. Proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. $35 registration fee through Sept. 14, $45 after. www.active.com.
Hiking/Walking
Outward Hound Hikes: Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, 31 Glendale Ave., Asheville. The Outward Hounds Hiking Club is a great way for the dogs in our care to get a break from the hustle and bustle of the adoption center and get the necessary exercise to help them stay physically and mentally fit. 9 a.m. every Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Join us and hike with one of our dogs while enjoying the mountains. www.bwar.org.
Blue Ridge Parkway Hike of the Week “The Empty Graveyard”: Sept. 11, 10 a.m., Graveyard Fields parking overlook, Milepost 418.8, Blue Ridge Parkway. Join Parkway rangers for an easy to moderate, 2.5 mile round-trip hike at one of the most popular spots on the Parkway. Bring water, wear good walking shoes, and be prepared for chilly (and changeable) weather. 828-298-5330, ext. 304.
Max Patch: Sept. 12, 8:45 a.m.-4 p.m., meet in lobby of YMCA-Woodfin, 40 N. Merrimon Ave., Asheville. Easy 3.8 miles hike around Max Patch (a bald mountain) near Hot Springs. Elevation gain 500 feet. Bring lunch/snacks, water, hiking poles, boots, jacket and rain gear. One hour ride each way. Free, but $5 gas reimbursement if carpooling. Contact Blanca Miller at 828-658-0047 or Bmoi735@gmail.com.
Joyce Kilmer Loop: Sept. 16, 9 a.m., Waynesville Recreation Center, 550 Vance St., Waynesville. Depart from Waynesville Rec Center to travel to Robbinsville. Two mile trail leads to Joyce Kilmer Memorial and loops through giant trees. $7, $5 members. 828-456-2030 or www.townofwaynesville.org.
Blue Falls Nature Preserve in Tryon: Sept. 23, 8:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m., meet in lobby of YMCA-Woodfin, 40 N. Merrimon Ave., Asheville. 3.5 mile easy hike with two lakes and small waterfall. Bring lunch/snacks and water. Long pants recommended. Free but $5 gas reimbursement if carpooling. Contact Blanca Miller at 828-658-0047 or Bmoi735@gmail.com.
Family Hiking Day Celebration: Sept. 26, Fontana Village Resort in Graham County. Guided hikes, nature activities and crafts, educational presentations. Free. 828-498-2211.
Hunting/Fishing
Kids fishing tournament: Sept. 12, 8:30-11:30 a.m., Lake Julian, 406 Overlook Extension, Arden. $10. For age 15 and younger. Catch and release event. Prizes and free hot dog lunch. Registration day of event. 828-250-4266.
Women’s introduction to fly fishing: Oct. 2, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Pisgah Center For Wildlife Education, 1401 Fish Hatchery Road, Pisgah Forest. Topics include appropriate equipment, knots, practice casting and more. Equipment and materials provided. Bring a lunch and non-slip shoes or waders if you have them. For ages 12 and older. Free but register at www.ncwildlife.org/Pisgah. Booked but wait list is available.
Introduction to fly fishing: Oct. 3, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Pisgah Center For Wildlife Education, 1401 Fish Hatchery Road, Pisgah Forest. Topics covered include casting techniques and more. Equipment and materials provided. Bring a lunch and non-slip shoes or waders if you have them. Ages 12 and older. Free but register at http://www.ncwildlife.org/pisgah.
On The Water: Catawba River: Oct. 9, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Pisgah Center For Wildlife Education, 1401 Fish Hatchery Road, Pisgah Forest. Practice your fly fishing skills on the Catawba River. Learn about Delayed Harvest regulations, wading, reading the water, and more. Equipment and materials provided. Call 828-877-4423 for driving directions and meeting location. Ages 12 and older. Free but register at www.ncwildlife.org/pisgah.
Fly Fishing Skills: Casting for Beginners: Oct. 20, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Lake Imaging in Dupont State Forest, Brevard. Topics include casting theory, mechanics and practice techniques. Learn at your own pace the overhead cast, roll cast and the art of false casting. Advanced instruction available upon request. All equipment and materials provided. Bring a lunch. Ages 12 and older. Free but register at www.ncwildlife.org/pisgah.
Introduction to Tenkara: Oct. 24, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Pisgah Center For Wildlife Education, 1401 Fish Hatchery Road, Pisgah Forest. Jason Sparks, of Appalachian Tenkara, introduces the newly popular form of traditional Japanese fly fishing. Topics covered include unique perspective on Japanese flies (Kebari). Bring your own lunch and afterwards there will be a hands-on learning session. Ages 14 and older. Free but register at www.ncwildlife.org/pisgah.
Multisports
Asheville Duathlon: Sept. 13, 8 a.m., Biltmore Estate, 1 Lodge St., Asheville. The first 5K run on paved roads that will be a flat, out and back course starting at the winery, followed by a transition to mountain bikes for a ride onto packed dirt roads. Bike course is mountain bike recommended. Cyclocross may be OK but there is rock and gravel. http://idaph.net/events/du-the-asheville-du/du-asheville-du-maps/.
Asheville Du 4 Kids: Sept. 13, 8 a.m., Biltmore Estate, 1 Lodge St., Asheville. In conjunction with the annual Du the Asheville Duathlon + 10K Trail Run + Gravel Grinder Bike Races for intermediate and advanced level youth athletes only. Individuals and teams are allowed to participate in this 5K flat paved run and 10 mile bike course. Register at http://www.imathlete.com/events/EventOverview.aspx.
2015 Blue Ridge Ascent: Sept. 27, 9 a.m., Blue Ridge Mountain Club, off Highway 321 Business, Blowing Rock. Bike: 15K hill climb time trial, run: 3.7 miles, duathlon: 5.6 mile bike, 3.7 mile run. $34-$65. http://racesonline.com/events/blue-ridge-ascent/registration.
Tsali Adventure Triathlon: Oct. 3, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Tsali boat launch at Tsali Recreation Area, Tsali Road, Almond. Off-road adventure triathlon featuring three mile paddle, five mile run, and 12 mile bike stages. Individual $45, team $95. http://tsalitriathlon.com/.
Dig the Du Dirty Duathlon: Oct. 11, Sky Valley Farms, Sky Valley Road, Hendersonville. On undisturbed private land. 2.5 mile trail run before transitioning to 12 miles of chain-rattling off-road excitement on bikes. Finale is a 2.5 mile run, retracing your steps over the same trails. http://idaph.net.
Nature
Basic Beekeeping Beyond: Sept. 11, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism, 2 Westwood Place, Asheville. Local beekeeping expert and owner of Wild Mountain Bees, Jon Christie, presents workshop on basics of equipment, terminology, cost and set up for a backyard apiary. Feeding, swarming, and organic management of pest and disease issues will also be discussed. $45. http://organicgrowersschool.org/events/harvest-conference/pre-conference-workshops/.
Wild Mushroom Walks: Sept. 11 and 25, 11 a.m., Chimney Rock State Park. You’ll be amazed at the variety of fascinating fungi growing along the park’s trails. Guided hike as we identify and learn about a dozen or so of the most common mushrooms of more than 1,000 species that could be growing in WNC. Meet at Grady’s Animal Discovery Den. Important: collecting or removing plants from all N.C. State Parks is prohibited. Included with park admission. www.chimneyrockpark.com/events/event_detail.php?EVENT_ID=540.
Annual Flock to the Rock: Sept. 19, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Chimney Rock State Park. The region’s premier fall migration birding event. Features live Birds of Prey programs, birdwalks, workshops like bird photography and hummingbirds, plus family nature walks. Event coincides with annual hawk migration. www.chimneyrockpark.com/events/event_detail.php?EVENT_ID=394.
Bring Back the Monarchs program: Sept. 20, 2-5 p.m., Cradle of Forestry Historical Site, 11250 Pisgah Highway/U.S. 276, Pisgah Forest. Learn about monarch butterflies and how you can help them survive. 2 p.m.: Naturalist, educator and conservation activist Ina Warren presents multimedia program on monarch butterflies: their biology, migration, and conservation. 3:30 p.m.: Visit the Monarch Waystation as conservation specialist Joyce Pearsall explains her work developing this butterfly garden. Look for migrating monarchs in the lawn-to-meadow conversion areas. $5, free age 15 and younger. www.cradleofforestry.org.
National Public Lands Day: Sept. 26, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Cradle of Forestry Historical Site, 11250 Pisgah Highway, Pisgah Forest. Guided walks, gardening for biodiversity and service projects celebrate our national forests, conservation and the outdoors. Admission is free. If you are a group leader interested in service, find out how your group can “lend a hand, care for the land” at the Cradle of Forestry by calling 828-877-3130. Visitwww.cradleofforestry.org.
Outdoors
Outdoor demo day: Sept. 20, 2-6 p.m., Highland Brewing, 12 Old Charlotte Highway, Asheville. Hosted by Diamond Brand Outdoors, WNC’s oldest and local outdoor gear shop. Live bands, food trucks, outdoor gear from variety of vendors. Demo ENO Hammocks, tents, backpacks, outdoor footwear and more.
Elk viewing with Blue Ridge Naturalist Network: Sept. 21, 3 p.m., Cataloochee Valley in Haywood County. A Park Educator will tell us about the history of the area and the elk reintroduction. Subscribing members only but you may join at the event. Carpooling available. Email BRNnetwork2013@gmail.com.
Paddling
Old Cullowhee Canoe Slalom: Sept. 12, Tuckaseegee River. Family-friendly paddling competition on a calm section of the Tuckaseegee River near Western Carolina University’s campus in Cullowhee. $5 per person. Register in advance at the offices of WCU’s Base Camp Cullowhee, 828-227-3844, or phipps@wcu.edu.
Running Races
WNC Run/Walk for Autism: Sept. 12, 1:30 p.m., UNC-Asheville campus. Diamond Brand 5K race, part of Asheville Track Club Grand Prix Series; 5K noncompetitive run; recreational 1K run/walk. Also gives families a chance to celebrate autism awareness and acceptance with their community with the Fun Zone for children, music, and refreshments. Visit www.wncrunwalkforautism.com or call 800-442-2762 to register, join a team, form a team, sponsor, donate, or volunteer.
Freedlander 5K: Sept. 19, 8 a.m., Haywood Community College, 185 Freedlander Drive, Clyde. HCC celebrates 50th anniversary. Once 5K is completed, kids take center stage for Fun Run. After the races, join us for breakfast and awards ceremony. $30, Fun Run $15. www.haywood.edu/freedlander-5k.
Rock the Quarry Trail Challenge 5K Kids Fun Run: Sept. 19, 9:30 a.m., Grove Stone Sand Company, 842 Old U.S. 70, Black Mountain. Proceeds benefit Black Mountain Home for Children and Colburn Earth Science Museum. Register at www.active.com or http://www.hedrickind.com/our-company/rock-the-quarry/.
Southcliff Black Blue Classic: Sept. 19, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Southcliff Community, 10 Southcliff Parkway, Fairview. Runners who have raced at Southcliff before can expect much of the same as past years, with unique courses on private roads and trails, amazing views, post-race lunch from Laurey’s Catering and beer from Wicked Weed and the most generous awards in the area. http://gloryhoundevents.com/southcliff-black-blue-classic/.
Broad River Trail Run: Sept. 20, 3-5 p.m., Broad River Greenway, Boiling Springs (Cleveland County). Birthday party and trail race. Live music and fun for kids. Race begins at 4 p.m. http://racesonline.com/events/broad-river-trail-run.
Healthy Kids Running Series: Every Sunday Sept. 20-Oct. 18, 3:30-5 p.m., Glenn Marlow Elementary School, 1985 Butler Bridge Road, Mills River. For kids from pre-K to eighth grade. Kids compete each week for a chance to earn points. $35 for series or $10 per race. Register at http://www.healthykidsrunningseries.org/race_locations/asheville-nc/ or day of race.
Burkemonster five mile run: Oct. 3, 9 a.m.-noon, Mulls Grove Baptist Church, 5106 Burkemont Road, Morganton. Proceeds go to Gingerbread House for abused children and Burke Pregnancy Care Center. Walkers welcome. Register at https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/Morganton/BURKEMONSTER or Facebook page Burkemonster. Online registration ends Sept. 26 and includes shirt. Race day registration is 7-8:30 a.m. Entry fee is $25 + $2.50 sign up fee.
Cherokee Harvest Half-Marathon 5K: Oct. 3, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Acquoni Events Center, 1501 Acquoni Road, Cherokee. Famous for its generous swag package, picturesque courses, local culture and post-race meal. Proceeds benefit Madison Hornbuckle Children’s Cancer Foundation.ent. http://www.imathlete.com/events/EventOverview.aspx. Half-marathon $50, 5K $30 until Sept. 30, $35 after.
Race To The Taps #5: Oct. 3, 1 p.m., Oskar Blues Brewery, 342 Mountain Industrial Drive, Brevard. Featuring six-pack of four-mile, chip-timed road races starting and ending at several of WNC’s premier craft breweries. The new courses are appropriate for seasoned and casual runner/walker. Strollers and pets not allowed. http://racetothetaps.com.
Tails Trails 5K Adventure Run: Oct. 3, 9 a.m., Buncombe County Sports Park, 58 Apac Circle, Asheville. Open to adults, children and dogs of all ages. Dogs must remain on leashes at all times. $20 adults, $10 ages 4-12, plus two cans of dog food which will be donated to a local pet adoption agency. http://buncombecounty.org/parks.
Bethel Half-Marathon and 5K: Oct. 10, 8:30 a.m., Bethel Middle School, 630 Sonoma Road., Canton. Winds through Bethel community in Haywood County. Advance registration $25 for 5K and $40 for half-marathon; day of is $30 for 5K and $45 for half-marathon. www.active.com.
Eblen Charities annual The Walk Run or Roll: Oct. 10, 9 a.m., Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, 340 Victoria Road. 5K or 10K. Walk solo or bring a team. Kid Zone, prizes, music, shirts. $15, $5 age 6-12. Register at www.eblencharities.org.
Eagle Run 5K: Oct. 17, 7-11 a.m., begins at the bike track at Carrier Park, Amboy Road, Asheville. October is ADHD Awareness Month, so put on your running shoes and help bring awareness to ADHD. $30. Contact Andrea Wackerle at 828-456-3435 or andrea@soarnc.org.
Fall Into Flat Rock 5K run/walk: Oct. 17, 9 a.m., The Park at Flat Rock, 55 Highland Golf Drive, Flat Rock. $30, $10 for the walk. All proceeds benefit Park development. After the race, refreshments will be provided and awards given according to age group. T-shirts are free to registered runners only. www.active.com.
Thomas Wolfe 8K: Oct. 17, 10 a.m., Thomas Wolfe Memorial House, 52 N. Market St., Asheville. Winds through downtown, into historic Montford District, Reed Creek Greenway, and Riverside Cemetery before finishing back in front of Thomas Wolfe Memorial House. $25-$35. Packet pick up 4-6 p.m. Oct. 16 at Catawba Brewing or 8-10 a.m. Oct. 17 at race site. https://raceroster.com/events/2015/5047/thomas-wolfe-8k.
The Power of Pink 5K, Relay and Honor Walk: Oct. 24, 8 a.m.-noon, Haywood Regional Medical Fitness Center, 75 Leroy George Drive, Clyde. Haywood County’s premier breast cancer event returns, providing screening and follow up testing for underserved women. $30, $10 for dogs. http://gloryhoundevents.com/event/power-of-pink-5k/.
Trick or Trail 5 Mile Trail Race and 1 Mile Spooky Sprint: Oct. 30, 6 p.m., Guion Farm area in DuPont State Forest, Staton Road, Brevard. A unique nighttime racing format. Participants strap on headlamps and light up the night. The twists and turns of DuPont’s trail system will dare them to push forward, not knowing what bogies and specters might lurk around each corner. Headlamps are required and available for purchase online at time of registration. $17 five mile, $8 one mile. http://idaph.net.
Race To The Taps #6: Oct. 31, 11 a.m., Sierra Nevada, 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Fletcher. Featuring six-pack of four-mile, chip-timed road races starting and ending at several of WNC’s premier craft breweries. The courses are appropriate for the seasoned runner as well as casual runner/walker. Strollers and pets not allowed. $38 to Oct. 28, $40 on site. http://racetothetaps.com.
Conquer the Mountain Half-Marathon: Nov. 7, 10 a.m., Tassee Shelter Greenway, 877 Ulco Drive, Franklin. A portion of proceeds donated to Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center. Individual and two-person team registrations available. $30-$45 per person, depending on registration date and team status. Register at www.active.com. Race day registration at 9 a.m.
Bear Crawl 5K obstacle course: Nov. 21, 9 a.m., Jellystone Park, 1210 Deacon Drive, Marion. Bear crawl 3.5 mile obstacle course race along with cub crawl for ages 9-13 and tater trot for ages 4-8. Call 828-652-7208 to register. Camping available. If you volunteer, get 50 percent off your stay and free registration. $10-$55. www.jellystonemarion.com or active.com.
Veteran Jam 5K: Nov. 28, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Fletcher Recreational Park, 85 Howard Gap Road, Fletcher. Run the race against PTSD this Thanksgiving holiday. Come trot with our troops to show your support. $28 ($35 after Nov. 26), $20/$25 for youth. http://www.veteranjam.org. On-site registration available on race day. Shirts guaranteed to runners/walkers registered on or before Nov. 14.
When Chinese President Xi Jinping and a delegation of government and business leaders visit Washington this week, our star turn won’t be limited to Boeing and Microsoft.
This is a rare opportunity to showcase the state as a good place for foreign direct investment (FDI), including ramping up the number of U.S. subsidiaries of Chinese companies here.
Washington and Seattle connect with China in many ways, including trade, education and tourism. We are the No. 1 state exporter of merchandise goods to China. But FDI offers perhaps the most untapped potential.
According to the Rhodium Group, a global research outfit, China has done 35 deals worth $240 million in Washington from 2000 through the second quarter of this year. Real estate and hospitality, transportation and infrastructure are the biggest sectors to benefit.
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It’s not shabby, but it doesn’t match our performance in trade. We were outpaced by California, Texas, New York, Michigan, Illinois and North Carolina.
Since 2000, China FDI in the United States has totaled $54 billion. So there’s plenty passing Washington by.
Perhaps lulled by our strong export position, especially thanks to Boeing, Washington has only lately gotten serious about FDI. This is in stark contrast to many states, even less populous ones such as South Carolina and Alabama.
There’s a catch in dealing with China. Especially in the past, China’s FDI hasn’t been a big job creator. A Brookings Institution study of FDI through 2011 found only 16 jobs in Washington from Chinese-owned companies.
That ranked China No. 38 in FDI-based employment. By contrast, domestic affiliates of Canadian companies employed nearly 19,800 people in 2011. Japanese-owned companies employed 14,500.
According to Brookings, Washington ranked 19th nationally for FDI jobs in 2011, at 97,100. Of those, more than 65,000 were in metro Seattle, which ranked 14th among metropolitan areas.
A chief Chinese objective has been feeding its industry and its people.
In addition to buying heavily into real estate, Chinese money has especially flowed to commodities, energy and food. This was punctuated by the 2013 acquisition of Smithfield Foods by a Chinese company for $7.1 billion.
One prominent Chinese venture here is Northwest Innovation Works, formed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Holdings, the commercial arm of the research institution. Computer and device-vendor Lenovo is one of hundreds of ventures birthed by the Academy of Sciences.
Northwest Innovation Works is proposing three methanol refineries in Washington and Oregon, including a two-phase, $3.4 billion plant at the Port of Tacoma. The venture says the project would provide 1,000 construction jobs and 200-260 permanent operating positions.
The plants would take natural gas from the United States and Canada, convert it to methanol for shipment to China. There it would become petrochemical feedstocks for making plastics.
The total environmental effects are being debated, but the refineries would have a cleaner footprint than other fossil-fuel exports.
With a big toe dipped in Northwest waters by the Chinese Academy, it’s a natural fit to find partnerships with Chinese companies for Washington’s emerging clean-tech sector.
China is eager to clean up its environment and become less dependent on fossil fuels. For example, last week more than a dozen Chinese cities pledged to reach their peak CO2 emissions by 2020, a decade before the country as a whole has promised the same milestone.
Also, as Brookings notes, “Chinese companies now have an increasingly large presence in places with strong technology clusters.” In San Jose, for example, Chinese investors are interested in information technology.
Xi’s visit is a great time to show off the tech sector here for potential Chinese partners or for Chinese companies to locate their American technology headquarters here.
This is a long march. China is facing slowing growth and a painful transition to a consumer and services economy.
But the relationships forged in the coming week could pay dividends in the decades ahead.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Few teams could understand the uncertainty going through the Illinois locker room once the school fired coach Tim Beckman a week before the season.
North Carolina, who host the Illini on Saturday, has two key players who do.
For fifth-year seniors Landon Turner and Marquise Williams, Beckman’s dismissal following an investigation into allegations of player mistreatment and inappropriate behavior stirred memories of UNC’s abrupt firing of coach Butch Davis a week before the start of training camp in 2011. Davis’ ouster came amid an NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct.
“That’s coming out with a chip on your shoulder,” said Williams, UNC’s dual-threat quarterback. “I mean … you think your fan base is like, ‘Yeah, we’re just going to have another down season.’ But they’re proving people wrong.”
The Fighting Illini (2-0) certainly have gotten off to a good start under interim coach Bill Cubit. They outscored Kent State and Western Illinois 96-3 in the first two games and rank in the top five nationally in several defensive categories, while the offense managed its best two-game scoring output to start a season in seven decades.
Cubit said he’s tried to be positive with players and keep them focused on details “rather than have them just go out there and try to play on emotion.”
“Because that emotion and enthusiasm will get you somewhere,” Cubit said, “but it’s not going to get you everywhere unless you know what you’re doing.”
The Tar Heels (1-1) experienced that. After Davis’ firing, they started 3-0 under interim coach Everett Withers, but faded to lose six of 10 — including a lopsided bowl loss to Missouri. Turner said the uncertainty that comes with a coaching change hangs over a team, no matter what players say publicly.
“We loved that coaching staff and we wanted to keep them around,” he said. “But there’s still that seed of doubt in your mind and that can be pretty poisonous for a team. And it kind of showed as the year went on and it got less and less likely those guys were staying. Everyone was just kind of going through the motions.
“But it doesn’t appear to be happening with Illinois, which is awesome.”
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Here are some things to watch in Saturday’s Illinois-North Carolina game:
RELIABLE KICKING: Nick Weiler is 3-for-3 on field goals for UNC with kicks of 47 and 48 yards. A year ago, the Tar Heels couldn’t make a kick longer than 30 yards. It’s a big boost for UNC’s strong offense. “I love the way he’s hitting the ball,” coach Larry Fedora said.
A BETTER LUNT: Illinois interim coach Bill Cubit says he’s already seen improvement over last season in redshirt junior quarterback Wes Lunt, who’s stayed healthy after an injury-plagued season and hasn’t been hit often. “He’s got to be the big difference for us,” Cubit said. “He’s got to be the X factor.”
RUNNING ILLINI?: Illinois is averaging 140.5 yards a game on the ground through two games, and even that modest production is padded by a lot late running in games that were already out of hand. “Just move the ball,” Cubit said, “whatever way you can.”
HOOD’S ROLE: UNC tailback Elijah Hood got just 12 carries in the opener despite a big yardage day, then got more work but less production against North Carolina AT last week. Hood’s power running style certainly would help the Tar Heels this week.
DEFENSIVE STEPS: New UNC defensive coordinator Gene Chizik has seen the overhauled unit get off to a good start after a miserable 2014 season, though he talks about wanting the team to keep making steps forward. The most obvious example? UNC has just two sacks in two games and needs to get more pressure on quarterbacks.
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Associated Press Writer David Mercer in Champaign, Illinois, contributed to this report.
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Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap and the AP’s college football site at http://collegefootball.ap.org .
As the sun was sinking down Patton Avenue on Friday, Sept. 18, a crowd of Ashevilleans gathered in the shade of the Vance Monument, ready to seal a 100-year time capsule into the base of the downtown structure.
Like its 118-year-old predecessor, this new time capsule contains relics that represent Asheville and its people. But unlike the 1897 capsule, this one is made of stainless steel and will, hopefully, repel water better than the original. (Though there’s a backup stored in City Hall just in case).
The previous capsule, which was unearthed on March 31 of this year, contained newspaper clippings, a Bible, school honor rolls, coins and more. The paper items were water damaged but, remarkably, in good condition. Most items from the 1897 capsule are now on display at the Western Regional Archives, 176 Riceville Road — though coins from the original capsule were placed into today’s package, to spend another 100 years entombed in the monument.
The 2015 capsule contained newspapers, bumper stickers, beer labels, beer caps, tourism guides, Xpress‘ Best of WNC guide, key chains, the names and signatures of 1,000 Asheville residents, police patches and other mementos from our present.
The City of Asheville and Buncombe County wrote a letter to future Ashevilleans, beginning, “We hope you enjoy this glimpse into our world!”
“You already know if we solved our affordable housing crisis or if we were successful in raising the wages and standard of living for all of our citizens,” the letter continues. “Our hopes and dreams for education, the environment, transit, economic development, planning, recreation, culture, human services and public safety were written as bold statements because we hoped that we would achieve them to make a better community for you.”
Following a speech by City Councilman Jan Davis, the capsule was sealed, handed off and placed under the monument’s cornerstone, where it will remain until the year 2115.
Take a look at some of the contents of the both the original and 2015 Asheville time capsules:
Can’t view the slideshow on your mobile device? Have no fear! Click here.
Auto repairs could soon become more costly under a budget provision that would add sales taxes on repair, maintenance and installation services. The new revenue from the tax would go to poorer areas of the state.
The sales tax plan is a scaled-back version of a controversial Senate proposal to change how local-option sales taxes are distributed – a revenue shift from urban to rural counties.
It’s tucked into a 429-page, $21.74 billion budget compromise rolled out late Monday night and approved by the state Senate hours later. The House will vote Thursday on the bill, which includes provisions for spending on education, transportation and some government reorganization, among other items. The budget proposal could become law Friday if Gov. Pat McCrory signs it. The governor, however, has said he opposes any budget that includes a sales tax “redistribution scheme.”
Instead of altering the formula for all local sales tax dollars, the new budget provision would create an $84.8 million fund – funded through the new sales taxes – that would be distributed through percentage formulas set for each county.
The fund would come from adding sales tax to repairs, maintenance and installation services on vehicles, appliances and other personal property, items not traditionally subject to sales taxes. House negotiators killed an earlier Senate proposal to also tax pet care, veterinary services and advertising contracts. Legislators say taxing repairs makes sense because the businesses involved also sell parts and equipment, which are already subject to sales taxes.
About 21 urban and tourism counties, including Wake, Durham, Mecklenburg, Avery and Jackson, would get no money from the new tax. The money could only be used for schools, community colleges and economic development projects.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown said the new plan will still address an unfair system in which rural residents leave their counties to shop and contribute their sales tax dollars to their wealthier neighbors. The Jacksonville Republican proposed the original sales tax shift.
“While it wasn’t what I wanted in the beginning of the session, the plan in this budget will ultimately help struggling counties,” he said.
The additional revenue for 79 counties and their municipalities would vary widely, from $26,000 a year for coastal Hyde County to $3.87 million for Harnett County south of the Triangle. Harnett is the home of House Rules Chairman David Lewis, who helped negotiate the deal.
Brown said the funding will be a big boost to counties that struggle to build high quality schools and infrastructure to attract jobs. During Tuesday’s debate, he turned to Sen. Jane Smith, a Democrat who represents rural Columbus and Robeson counties.
“Sen. Smith, it’s $2 million a year in both of your counties that you didn’t have,” Brown said. “I think that can build a school.”
Smith voted against the budget Tuesday, along with every other Democrat in the Senate.
Brown said the totals mirror the new revenue counties would have received under his earlier plan. That proposal would have evenly split sales tax revenue between the county where sales occur and a population-based formula.
But Sen. Josh Stein, a Raleigh Democrat, said he hasn’t gotten a clear understanding of the budget’s revenue formula. “No one’s giving me an answer as to why some counties are winners and some counties are losers,” he said. “I don’t know what the long-term implications are of the shift. I can’t give you an opinion of how it will affect Wake County down the road.”
And while Stein and other Democrats still have concerns, some who lobbied against the earlier sales tax shift are supporting the new plan. Among them is the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition, which represents the state’s largest cities and towns.
“The Metro Mayors are encouraged that the legislature found a way to address small, poor county needs without creating unnecessary challenges in our urban and tourism economies,” coalition director Julie White said.
House Republicans who opposed the original proposal say they’ve now reached a workable compromise. “We did not want to harm urban areas,” said House Finance Chairman Jason Saine, a Lincolnton Republican. “In order to do that, we had to find a source of revenue that wasn’t from existing sales tax.”
Asked if the change still represents a revenue redistribution, Saine said, “We’re all concerned that that could be the case, and we’re going to monitor that very closely. It’s far from perfect, but it can be adjusted.”
A veto threat?
McCrory hasn’t yet spoken publicly about the new plan, but he’d earlier promised a veto.
“Just confirmed that Governor McCrory will veto the budget if it includes a sales tax redistribution provision,” spokesman Graham Wilson wrote on July 21.
McCrory strongly opposed the earlier version of Brown’s sales tax plan, which appeared in a separate Senate bill. “Redistribution and hidden tax increases are liberal tax-and-spend principles of the past that simply don’t work,” he said in a July news release.
McCrory again voiced concerns on Saturday as legislative leaders finished negotiating the budget’s tax provisions. He told The Associated Press that he’d heard they were “reopening a new tax scheme and redistribution scheme behind closed doors.” He also said he doesn’t favor adding sales taxes to services.
But as the budget rolled out on Monday, McCrory’s office issued a more muted statement, saying he “will thoroughly review the proposal to ensure it is fiscally responsible and aligns with our state’s priorities.”
With the House expected to take its final budget vote at 12:01 a.m. Friday morning, a gubernatorial veto would require an override vote within hours, or legislators would have to extend the temporary budget a fourth time. If they don’t, state government would face a shutdown starting Saturday morning.
New tax, new cuts
Republican legislators said the new sales tax on repair and maintenance services shouldn’t be considered a tax increase. They stressed that the change will be offset by about $400 million in income tax cuts.
The budget would drop the personal income tax rate from 5.75 percent to 5.499 percent in 2017. And the standard deduction would increase, meaning a married couple filing jointly wouldn’t owe income taxes on the first $15,500 in income starting next year.
Republicans have been shifting gradually away from relying on income taxes for revenue, moving instead toward more sales taxes. They argue that sales taxes are a less volatile source of revenue for the state.
“Expanding the base has always been a goal of ours in tax reform,” Saine said. “Tied into that is the cut in the personal income tax, and it’s pretty significant. When you’re still paying less, it’s a tax cut.”
But Democrats said the income tax cut would be minuscule for the state’s poorest residents – and the savings would be wiped out by a single trip to a mechanic.
“For somebody who earns less than $20,000, it’s a difference of $5,” Stein said. “It’s just not meaningful. I have a general concern with their entire tax shift, which is moving the burden off profitable corporations and placing it on the middle-class families of North Carolina.”
Wake County Commissioner John Burns, a Democrat, has mixed opinions about the new sales tax plan. He’d spoken out against Brown’s tax shift, which would have cost Wake millions of dollars in revenue.
“I think it’s better than the original plan, though I personally don’t like increasing the sales tax on things working folks need,” he said Tuesday. “The services targeted for tax expansion are telling. Car repair and appliance installation but not high-dollar services?”
BOONE – Samaritan’s Purse is headed to Europe to help with the growing refugee crisis.
On Thursday, the Western North Carolina based international Christian relief organization will distribute some 2,000 backpacks filled with supplies like rain ponchos, blankets, towels, hygiene items and granola bars to women and children in need.
Emergency personnel with Samaritan’s Purse are on the ground in Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Greece.
“The need is overwhelming,” said Dr. Nathalie MacDermott, in a statement to the media. MacDermott is coordinating Samaritan’s Purse response efforts. “We see little children forced to walk miles alongside their parents who are carrying even younger siblings and what little belongings they can.”
An estimated 9 million Syrians have fled their homes since the outbreak of civil war in March 2011, taking refuge in neighboring countries, the Migration Policy Centre at the European University Institute reports. An additional 6.5 million remain internally displaced within Syria.
More than 3 million people have already fled to Syria’s immediate neighbors: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. Meanwhile, over 216,000 Syrians have declared asylum in the European Union. The top five EU countries to receive asylum applications were Germany, France, Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Teams are working with local churches and partners to provide food and hygiene items to the refugees making their way into Europe. Many of these men, women and children are in a mad scramble to transit through the Balkans and Hungary in search of better opportunities.
For the past year, Samaritan’s Purse has been assisting Syrian refugees in Northern Iraq and in other parts of the Middle East. The organization has helped by providing necessities such as hygiene kits, winter clothing, shoes, blankets and access to clean water as well as creating safe places for children to play.
“These are families with small children who have traveled hundreds of miles and are desperately trying to find a place to live before the bitter winter cold sets in,” said Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham in a statement to the media. “We are working to provide food, hygiene items and other basic necessities they so badly need.”
For more information or to support Samaritan’s Purse relief efforts, visit www.samaritanspurse.org.
Vera Ann Myers has been busy booking birthday parties, company picnics and a pair of weddings. Her staff at Myers Pumpkin Patch are setting up craft stations and picking produce, a required task “to meet the demands for our busiest season.”
“I think people come to the site searching for farm fun. People are coming back to a farming atmosphere,” said Myers, owner of the Bulls Gap venue. “It is definitely the busiest time of year for us.”
It was a similar story at Hartman’s Corn Maze, located off the Blue Springs Parkway in Mosheim.
“September and October, it is prime time — more especially October,” said owner Bruce Hartman.
Hartman was working Friday on a new amusement, dubbed “zombie land,” an attraction that allows visitors to fire paint balls from military trucks at “zombies.”
“It’s all pretty good. We use a lot of technology here,” Hartman said. “We stay really busy.”
Communities throughout Appalachia cite an uptick in tourists during the fall, thanks in part to the growing agribusiness industry, as well as to state and national parks that lure visitors.
The Limestone-based Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park gains out-of-town guests from the popular storytelling festival in Jonesborough that happens in October, Park Manager Bill Knapp said.
“At that time of year, people also like to come see the leaves change. The aesthetics of the place, I guess you could say, draw people,” Knapp said. “We do see a rise in visitors during the fall.”
Greene County enjoys an average increase in tourist activity between 27 and 33 percent from September through October, figures from the Greene County Partnership show.
“One of the major draws for our region is the colors,” said Partnership Tourism Director Tammy Kinser.
“The interest in change of colors, it creates an opportunity for travel and an increase in overall economic impact on our community.”
In short: If agribusiness is the arms and legs of the tourist industry, earning cash and generating sales tax, then the county’s natural landscape is the heart.
In Greene County, hikers, picnickers and sightseers have many opportunities to relish autumn.
“Fall is a very popular time of year throughout the Cherokee National Forest. A significant amount of annual forest visitation occurs during the fall of the year,” said Terry McDonald, of the U.S. Forest Service, public affairs staff officer for the Cherokee National Forest.
“The majority of this visitation is driving for pleasure — day use. Thousands of people enjoy driving through the East Tennessee mountains to view the brilliant color changes.”
The Forest Service doesn’t track the number of single-day users — visitors who fish, hike or drive through — at sites such as the Paint Creek or Horse Creek recreation areas — because those areas offer multiple entry points, McDonald said.
Popular destinations throughout the county include the top of Camp Creek Bald (Viking Mountain), the paved Paint Creek Corridor, Margarette Falls and the Horse Creek Recreation Area.
A study released earlier this month by Western Carolina University cited the potential for speculator fall color in their more-tourists-than-normal prediction.
The geography of their report covered counties in western North Carolina, as well as Blount, Monroe and Sevier counties in Tennessee.
Low gasoline prices and the chance for vivid fall foliage were the leading factors in forecasting a 4 percent growth in tourism in fall 2015 for portions of East Tennessee and neighboring North Carolina.
Officials in both states foresee spectacular fall color in 2015. Dr. Timothy McDowell, a biology professor at East Tennessee State University, expects peak color in Greene County during late-October.
On Thursday, Kinser credited the area’s mountainous landscape when she noted a “marked upswing” in the average of per-trip spending in the third quarter (July through September) and the fourth quarter (October through December).
“In our case, our history and our story can be told at any time. Our visitation isn’t as weather driven as, for example, a theme park or water-based attraction,” Kinser said.
“We have an abundance of outdoor activities such as hiking and biking that take an upswing in the fall of the year as well as visitation to the Cherokee National Forest.”
For their visit to Asheville, one couple booked a house through an online service but were surprised when it turned out to be a double-wide trailer deep in the country. They quickly decamped for a room at A Bed of Roses Bed Breakfast in Montford.
“They were relieved to come to us,” said Emily McIntosh, who owns the inn with her husband Bill and also serves as president of the Asheville Bed Breakfast Association.
Guests prize bed-and-breakfasts as quiet refuges that offer only pleasant surprises. The inns themselves, though, face uncertainty in the shifting landscape of local lodging.
Five hotels, promising more than 500 new rooms, are under construction in downtown Asheville, and short-term rentals remain popular despite recent tweaks to city policy.
As the number of rooms keeps growing, it’s possible “to reach a point where there’s saturation,” said Kris Ullmer, executive director of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, a bed-and-breakfasts trade group based in Charleston, South Carolina. The result, she said, would be “pricing wars, and everyone will suffer.”
That prospect seems distant at the moment, as Asheville rides a tourism boom.
In July, total sales for Buncombe County BBs stood at $1.8 million, a rise of 15 percent from the same month a year before, according to figures provided by Jennifer Durrett of the Buncombe County Finance Department. Forty-eight bed-and-breakfasts contributed to that total, one fewer than the year before.
Sales for hotels and motels totaled $25.8 million in July, also a rise of 15 percent from the prior year.
The local BB association doesn’t compile statistics on occupancy rates, but vacancies appear to be few. With the fall leaf season approaching, many hotels and inns are already fully booked for October weekends.
“I’ve already got people panicking, saying ‘Where am I going to stay?'” said Nancy Merrill, who owns Applewood Manor Inn in Montford with her husband Larry. Some people turned away from downtown hotels look into BBs instead, Merrill said, and discover them to be “a better deal financially.”
Most guests turn to BBs not to save money but because they prefer the atmosphere.
“Asheville has a reputation for being a bed-and-breakfast town,” McIntosh said. “The people who stay with us are looking for a BB. You’re staying in a beautiful home. Each room is decorated differently. The owner is here all the time, acting as a concierge for your trip. It’s a fun experience. You get to eat a wonderful breakfast with other people.”
Merrill delights in converting people who are dubious about the BB experience. “We get a lot of first-timers,” she said. “People worry they’re walking into someone’s home, and they’re shocked by how much privacy they have.”
The innkeeper isn’t “lurking around the corner saying ‘Don’t touch that!'” Merrill said, but instead serves as a helpful guide to the town.
Some of Applewood Manor’s most frequent guests are “single women who feel a little safer than staying in a hotel,” she added.
Innkeepers point out that, unlike many short-term rentals, BBs are insured, licensed, and inspected for health and safety.
“There are reasons why the health department comes by,” Merrill said. “There’s a reason we pay lodging taxes.”
The Professional Association of Innkeepers International clearly is concerned about competition from short-term rentals.
In a recent statement, the association said licensed inns “continue to lose market share and pricing power” because of Airbnb and similar companies.
Ullmer, the group’s director, has “no doubt” that online rentals are hurting both BBs and hotels. “We’re very much united with hotels in our stand against unlicensed properties,” she said. “Properties that are not licensed and insured can undercut legitimate businesses because they don’t have the overhead.”
Asheville innkeepers emphasize that they offers guests peace of mind.
“You know that we’re safe,” McIntosh said.
Changes in the public’s travel habits have forced all players in the industry to adjust. “People are tending to book closer to the time of their trip,” Ullmer said. “They’re driving in their cars, looking for their next destination en route. Spontaneity is not a bad thing.” Innkeepers must maintain a strong presence online, especially with mobile and recommendation sites, to capture those last-minute reservations.
Visitors driving toward Asheville will certainly find more lodging options in coming years. Well into the construction phase are the 140-room Hyatt Place on Haywood Street and the 151-room Hilton Garden Inn behind the Buncombe County Courthouse. The 120-room AC Hotel is rising at the corner of Broadway and College streets, and the building that once housed Kostas’ Menswear near the Grove Arcade will soon be demolished to make way for a 136-room Cambria Suites. Asheville Foundry Inn, at Eagle and Market streets, will be a Hilton brand and have 92 rooms.
Will this glut of new hotel rooms hurt the local BB business? “It very well might,” McIntosh said, though she remained confident that visitors will always be drawn to the personal touch that bed-and-breakfasts offer.
Merrill welcomed the new rivals. “I am a believer in competition,” she said. “Some people like hotels, some people like motels, some people like Airbnb, and some people like bed-and-breakfasts.” The more lodging options there are at various prices, the better it is for Asheville’s future. “More people will want to come,” she said.
CITIZEN TIMES
Brace yourselves: Fall is coming (and so are the tourists)
