Letter: How quickly can downtown be saved (again)?

Graphic by Lori Deaton

Having been involved in the “Save Downtown” movement in the late 1970s, when a group of citizens joined with business and property owners to defeat a plan to demolish the center of downtown in order to replace it with a suburban-style shopping mall, hearing the reports of the state of downtown now, to use an old Southern expression, “breaks my heart.”

I know the same thing — or worse — would have happened if a suburban mall had been built. It would have been a fine place for the homeless to congregate.

My questions are: How did, for example, Charleston, S.C., escape this fate of crime and homelessness? How could things have gotten this bad without intervention? How quickly will this situation of fear and crime be turned around?

If it is not, I fear the bad publicity will slide into negative consequences for those many small businesses downtown that make it such a unique and fun place to visit. I still shop and meet friends for lunch downtown. I haven’t personally had any negative experiences.

My message to the City Council, managers and Police Department: Get with it!

— Kathryn Long
Ambiance Interiors (previously at 25, 27 and 29 Broadway and 189 E. Chestnut St.)
Biltmore Lake

Editor’s note: Most of the letters about downtown Asheville in the March 15 issue came in after a recent Xpress newsletter that highlighted three articles covering concerns about public safety and cleanliness downtown. Those stories can be found at avl.mx/chuavl.mx/chw and avl.mx/cht. To sign up for Xpress’ free newsletter, go to avl.mx/8st.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

3 thoughts on “Letter: How quickly can downtown be saved (again)?

  1. Frank

    Not sure the council reads MX. I think you have to vote to get a message across.

  2. R.G.

    Sometimes, the only way to save something is to let it crash and burn and begin all over again…

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.