Buncombe TDA requests for tourism project funding: South Slope, aquatic center, theater expansion, more

Here’s this year’s list of projects seeking funding from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s 2016 Tourism Product Development Fund. A new Buncombe County aquatic center, renovations and an expansion of Asheville Community Theatre and a Black Mountain greenway are among the big projects seeking funding.

The biggest project is a request from the City of Asheville for $20 million to be paid over seven years for the development of the South Slope. The Mountain Xpress has a detailed explanation of the funding request here, one that would include everything from pedestrian and bicycle pathways to a new South Slope parking deck.

The TPDF is funded by one-and-a-half percent occupancy tax on paid lodging in the county. (Visitors who stay in paid lodging in Buncombe County pay a 6 percent occupancy tax in addition to the 7 percent sales tax for a total tax of 13 percent on paid accommodations in Buncombe County, according to the TDA. Each year, Buncombe County sees 3.3 million overnight guests.) The projects that get funded must show that they “can generate substantial new and incremental room nights, and, therefore, increase the economic impact on the community,” according to the TDA. Since the fund’s inception in 2001, $23 million has been awarded to 27 community projects.

(Here’s the list of the six project that were awarded Tourism Product Development Fund cash last year, in the amount of $3.9 million. Greenways, soccer fields and the WNC Nature Center were among the big winners.)

Here’s the list by organization/project/amount requested:

Asheville Area Arts Council
The Refinery Creator Space
$50,000

AMOS (Colburn Earth Science Museum)
Science in the Spotlight
$150,000

Asheville Community Theatre
Theatre Expansion & Renovation Project
$1,000,000

Asheville Taxi, LLC
Asheville Taxi Co.
$200,000

Buncombe County Schools
Buncombe County Aquatic Center
$2,000,000

Buncombe County Recreation Services
Lake Julian Park Interactive Children’s Playground
$150,000

Buncombe County Recreation Services
Hominy Creek Greenway/Buncombe County Sports Park Pedestrian Bridge
$150,000

Black Mountain (Town of)
Black Mountain Riverwalk Greenway Phase II
$1,000,000

Center for Craft, Creativity & Design, Inc.
The Hive AVL Conference & Event Venue
$450,000

Image link for The Hive AVL

City of Asheville/U.S. Cellular Center
ExploreAsheville.com Theatre Creation and Meeting Room Conversion
$1,509,400

Montreat College
Pulliam Stadium-Phase II
$350,000

NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
WNC Farmers Market – Master Plan Implementation/ Retail Area
$500,000

Pack Place Performing Arts
The Wortham Center
$700,000

TOTAL
$8,209,400

Major Works Request:

City of Asheville
South Slope Enhancements – Development of an Innovation District
$20,000,000 over 7 years