From Staff Reports

The City of Asheville and Buncombe County are partnering to document the community’s vision for the future of Pack Square Plaza, including the site where the Vance Monument was previously located, according to a June 21 press release from the City of Asheville.

To that end, City Council on June 24 authorized City Manager Debra Campbell to enter into a $111,000 contract with the McAdams Company, a Durham-based civil engineering firm.

Mitchell Silver, principal and vice president of urban planning with McAdams and former NYC Parks commissioner, will be the project commissioner for the visioning process — leading community engagement and, ultimately, the development of a vision document that will guide the design, programming and management of the space.

“As a planner, I strongly believe in the power of public space, of parks,” he told the Asheville Citizen Times in a story appearing June 16. “This was an exciting opportunity to help Asheville and Bumcombe County really re-envision what this space could be.”

Meanwhile, the city’s June 21 press release on the “visioning” project stated the following:

“This project is a continuation of work launched by the signing of a joint resolution of the County Commission and City Council to create the Vance Monument Task Force in the summer of 2020. The findings of that initiative led to the signing of a City Council resolution in March 2021 to remove the monument, and to the dedication of funds to a planning process for the future of the site.

“The Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections and Asheville’s Public Art and Cultural Commission are helping to kick-start this effort by refreshing the existing Pack Square models displayed at the Pack Memorial Library, creating an online directory of resources that revisit the site’s history and narrative as well as launching a temporary public art program, Art in the Heart, that encourages diverse interpretations of the past, present and future of the site through inclusive programming.”   

Further, the city release noted:

“A Request for Proposals was released on Jan. 18 to seek a project manager to lead community engagement, and ultimately the development of a Vision Document that captures the community’s perspective on this area. 

“The Vision Document is also anticipated to include detailed guidance on how the design, programming, and management of the space can become more equitable and inclusive for all residents and visitors, and include strategies that support implementation of the community’s vision.”