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Panelists at the Critical Issues Forum focusing on the Asheville Civic Center on Aug. 25 included (from left) Kelly Miller, Mike Burke, Jan Davis, Keith Jarrett (standing and speaking), Geoff Cabe and Sam Powers. Daily Planet Staff Photo

From Daily Planet Staff Reports

Asheville’s agreement to invest in upgrading its Civic Center to attract the four-day Southern Conference basketball tournament annually for three years likely will have spinoff benefits by drawing more more musical acts and sporting events to the city, which in turn will increase tourism and economic development.

At least that was the view voiced by a panel of speakers at an Aug. 25 Critical Issues luncheon, sponsored by Leadership Asheville Forum at the Buncumbe County School Board office in West Asheville.

Keith Jarrett, a senior sports writer for the Asheville Citizen-Times, said this “is a very sophisticated sports town” and “I think Asheville has really missed this (SoCon tournament) event,” which is held in early March.

“I think there’s an opportunity here” for the Civic Center, with the impending improvements and promote its non-SoCon events to draw much bigger crowds, thereby giving a positive spark to the business community downtown.

Others panelists expressed similar sentiments about the return of the So-Con basketball tournament. Besides Jarrett, the panel included Civic Center Director Sam Powers, City Councilman Jan Davis, Mike Burkey, chairman of the Asheville Civic Center Commission; Kelly Miller, executive director of the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Geoff Cabe, the SoCon’s senior associate commissioner.

The city has agreed to make about $5.4 million in upgrades on the bedraggled building in advance of the tournament’s return to Asheville in 2012.

The panelists agreed that the Civic Center helps to generate downtown economic activity. No one challenged the contention that more than half the people attending the Civic Center events live more than two hours outside Asheville.

“This project and the Southern Conference Tournament is economic development,” Powers asserted.

He added that improvements within the arena “will benefit the Southern Conference, but certainly by no means are limited by the Southern Conference ... There is not an improvement that is being undertaken in the venue that is pigeon-holed to any one group, the Southern Conference or anyone else.”

Powers noted that “we have completed putting a new roof on the facility. That was the first phase.” He said the second phase is work on the inside of the arena.

For instance, he noted that the seats in the lower-bowl area “are originals. They’re 35 years old. There’ve been a lot of butts up and down on those seats.” He also said that “we plan to replace seats in the upper deck,” too.

However, as the panelists noted, the tournament has spurred action on renovating the Civic Center.

The conference chose Asheville to host the tournament for the three years based in part on the city’s commitment to make repairs to the building that will host the majority of the games.

SoCon officials also wanted a neutral site for its 23 men’s and women’s teams, which include those from Western Carolina and Appalashian State universities. To that end, UNC Asheville’s new Kimmel Arena will serve that purpose.
Also making bids for the tourney were five other cities — Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Chattanooga, Tenn., Greenville, S.C., and Charleston, S.C.

On behalf of the SoCon, Cabe said, “Since we left Asheville, we’ve ... been kind of a vagabond,” holding its tournament in numerous cities. “We’re glad to be coming back.”

Of Asheville, Cabe said, “It’s a geographic center for the conference,” making it an ideal place to hold the tournament.
Also, the Civic Center’s downtown location  “is really a plus, so fans can walk to it” from nearby hotels. “We’re glad to put down roots. We did not want to go through a bid process, changing (cities) every year.”

From the SoCon’s viewpoint, “the biggest challenge (with Asheville’s bid) was the building. Few improvements have been made (at the Civic Center) since we were here last time,” Cabe said.

Among specific upgrades the SoCon sought were of the locker rooms, hospitality area and lower-bowl seating, he noted.

Cabe concluded by saying, “Once again, we’re very excited to be back in Asheville.”

Meanwhile, Asheville recently was allocated $2 million in hotel tax fees to finance a portion of the improvements, which include new seating, new lighting, a new scoreboard, new roof, better sound sysem, and upgrades to messaging systems, technology and dressing rooms.

The tournament could generate a $4 million economic boost to the Asheville economy, some officials have projected.
An additional benefit of landing the tournament is that the upgraded Civic Center and the city will be seen by thousands of visitors and a national television audience, the panelists noted.

“The other unintended consequence of this is ... the nonsport users, they can tell us, and I think they are right in this, that they will bring more business here,” Miller said. “If we get more people hopping in their cars and flying in here to go to events, that is incredibly huge.”

During a question-and-answer session that followed, Nancy Williams, a Leadership Asheville organizer, said she was “very skeptical about getting the $5 million in work done in time.” Her concern, she noted, has been exacerbated by the delays of other major construction projects and problems, such as the peeling directional signs around the city.

“I am so excited about the tournament, and I think it is terrific, but I think the nature of the construction makes the timelines hard to meet,” Williams asserted. “I’ve been discouraged by other city projects.” (Williams is the professional education coordinator at UNCA.)

In response, Davis said that, along with the construction, other logistical problems must also be worked out, including developing a committee to head the project and finding local support. No govenment money will be used for the tournament, he noted.

Powers added, “The good news for us is the Civic Center is a structurally sound facility. We are making aesthetic improvements. So we have a high confidence level in getting this done on time.

Jason Sandford of the Citizen-Times, asked, “What started the ball rolling on the Civic Center?”

“Sam’s coming on board has really accelerated the process,” Davis replied.

Powers prompted some laughter from the audience when he smiled and asserted, “Sometimes, the stars are aligned. You’d like to say it’s from a lot of hard work, but sometimes the stars line up.

“Sometimes, you play up or down to the level of competition. We felt we were playing down to the level of competition” by allowing the Civic Center to continue to deteriorate.

Doug Jones, who identified himself as a retiree, asked how much money is being put into the Civic Center now and what would be the ideal amount needed to upgrade it.

Davis said the current project is $5 million, but that $40 million would be the spending level if money were no object. In the latter case, he said the city would be, in effect. “gutting it out and starting over again.”