From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The 2026 Asheville State of Downtown address, delivered by Mayor Esther Manheimer on April 14 at The Orange Peel in downtown Asheville, was defined by a theme of “positive but uneven recovery” in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene. 

The event, drawing about 300 people, served as a critical update for business owners and community leaders regarding the city’s economic, physical, and fiscal health about 18 months after the disaster.

Manheimer described it as a positive-but-uneven recovery.

The city faces ongoing challenges following Helene, she said, highlighting as most vexing an estimated $30 million city budget shortfall.

“The event, hosted by the Asheville Downtown Association, carried an optimistic tone while acknowledging ongoing challenges,” Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on April 14.

“Downtown is still in a recovery process,” Manheimer told the crowd. “There’s no getting around it. It is uneven in some places. Some folks are thriving, and some folks are still in a state of recovery...

“One thing to think about is that the challenges we face as a city are in our operating budget. Staff are turning over every rock, trying to think of all the ways to trim back a budget.”

Meanwhile, the Asheville Citizen Times reported on April 16 that, in her address, Manheimer said the city’s center is not only the heart of Asheville, “but it is the heart and engine of Western North Carolina,”

If it’s not hitting on all cylinders, if it’s not the engine it needs to be, we all dim a little,” the ACT quoted Manheimer as telling the crowd.

News 13 noted that Manheimer said festivals in Asheville will not be cut, “knowing downtown businesses depend on traffic from them. She said other funding sources are supporting major projects, including infrastructure rebuilds and affordable housing from Hurricane Helene recovery funds.”

Specifically, Manheimer asserted, “There are so many other buckets of money, where we are able to utilize funds to do a lot of capital projects.”

The Asheville TV station added, “Affordable housing remains a priority, said Manheimer. The topic was also brought up by other speakers.”

To that end, in reference to a Coxe Avenue housing project with 200 units downtown, Amanda Edwards, chairwoman of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, told the crowd, “The project should be open, if all goes to plan, within the next couple of years.”

News 13 added, “Event organizers also highlighted continued downtown activity,” including Hayden Plemmons, the director of the Asheville Downtown Association, who told the crowd, “Over 75,000 people attended Downtown Association events this year.”

Plemmons then expressed support for a new policing strategy in Asheville, asking Asheville City Council members to support the program.

On the same pro-law enforcement note, Krista Stearns, membership coordinator for the Asheville Independent Restaurants group, said she supports more police presence downtown.

“There’s been a lot more gun violence this year, which is really unsettling, and I believe the police presence is what is going to curb that,” News 13 quoted Stearns as saying.

The event... which also featured new branding for downtown described as “fabric” and “thread,” was framed as a continued effort to rebuild the “heart and engine of Western North Carolina”. 

Also, “concerns over increased gun violence were addressed, with local business organizations (such as Asheville Independent Restaurants) calling for a stronger, more consistent police presence downtown,” AI Overview noted on April 26.

“The city is currently in a high-stakes election year, with Mayor Manheimer facing a challenge from City Council member Kim Roney. The next major milestone for residents to weigh in on these issues will be the public hearing on the proposed budget, scheduled for May 27,” AI Overview added.