From Staff Reports
Asheville City Countil voted 6-1on March 23 to approve its task force’s recommendation to remove the Vance Monument — the final step that will lead to the demolotion of a landmark located in Pack Square in the heart of downtown Asheville since it was erected in 1897.
The dissenting vote was cast by Sandra Kilgore, who has said in the past that she has favored repurposing the monument.
“The cost to remove the obelisk will be about $115,000,” Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported. “Another $25,000 will go to create a temporary site, which could feature landscaping and a flower bed installation.”
In addressing council, capital projects director Jade Dundas said that, pending council authorization, the monument removal and demolition, as well as temporary site restoration, is expected to take 45 days.
Following the monument removal, a temporary site restoration would occur including a $25,535 landscaping contract to MS Lean Landscaping, an Asheville African American-owned business.
Later, another $70,000 would be used for the “vision” portion of the project, under which “a team of planners and community organizers will work with the public to create a comprehensive community vision document for the site,” a city press release noted.
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