In the wake of the continued discussion about the Health Adventure’s bankruptcy and its unclear future, it’s worth noting that local taxpayers are still subsidizing the organization and its umbrella group, Pack Place.
Buncombe County commissioners write a $400,000 check each year to cover rent and utilities for Pack Place and its tenants – the Health Adventure, the Diana Wortham Theatre and the Coburn Earth Science Museum.
And about three weeks ago, Asheville City Council voted to spend $250,000 of taxpayers’ money for a new HVAC system for Pack Place.
That’s a lot of public money going to support Pack Place, on top of the millions the Health Adventure raised, then spent, and all for nothing.
4 Comments
Our city has blossomed, in part due to the arts, and Pack Place is a great location to pull tourism dollars into downtown businesses….I don't have the biggest problem with some taxes helping non-profits function downtown and increasing the energy in the middle of our downtown district…..
BUT – this amount is ridiculous… there were grumblings when those city signs popped up and SOME non profits were noted while others were not – now we are footing the bill for a new HVAC system? I mean, the Merrimon and Broadway signs point to UNCA AND Momentum (the stupid, stupid, stupid astronomic project that we all knew was doomed from the start). Why plug Momentum and the nonprofits in Pack Place but not others?
I am WAY sickened by the Health Adventure Momentum project and waste of our tax dollars – and our beautiful woods off Broadway.
Shame.
My guess is that if you let the market decide, Pack Place would be closed in pretty short order.
Something is definitely badly wrong with our city and county government when they write check and provide payments for these tenants. How are such "sweetheart" deals arranged. I know too that the county writes checks to the Asheville Chamber of Commerce to pay them for the staff of the economic development group at the chamber. Don't we have government employees who do this sort of work?
Somebody is in bed with somebody to benefit from these deals. The Health Adventure is a disaster. Who knows, maybe they are even subsidizing the Asheville Center for Performing Arts and the $209,000 salary that group pays its administrator. I'm sure the city and county have made payments to Pack Square Conservancy to help with their massive cost overruns and delays. I'm sure the board members are all familiar names in the Asheville good ole boy/girl network.
Something stinks downtown in the area around Pack Square — it seems to be coming from Asheville City Hall and Buncombe County govt.
Do the Asheville Art Museum, YMI, and Asheville Lyric Opera enjoy the same lease? Those organizations are also listed in the Pack Place directory.