Brevard is up-and-coming hot spot for artists

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Here’s a snippet from my story that will be published in the Asheville Scene on Friday. It describes how the Brevard Lumber Yard is poised to become a new hub for artists. Tons of potential here:

Welcome to the Brevard Lumber Yard, the working name of a burgeoning arts district that the property owner and a host of artists, residents and town officials have high hopes for. Josh Leder of Leder Properties bought the King Street property in August for $550,000, according to him. Since then, Leder has dusted off cobwebs, spruced up sidewalks and is talking about establishing artist studios, an art gallery and an art school on the 2-acre property. Seven buildings dot the site, and could be home to a farmers market, a restaurant and a music venue.

“With today’s economy, you have to get a little creative,” the 37-year-old south Florida native said during a recent tour of the old lumber yard.

So that’s what Leder did — mainly by attracting creatives. Leder has landed one of Asheville’s most prominent art gallery owners. Chris Foley, owner of the Haen Gallery, a contemporary art gallery on Biltmore Avenue in Asheville, plans to open a new 14,000-square-foot gallery at the lumber yard. It should be up and running by February and will feature sculpture.

Leder is still in the early stages of planning out the development, but he sees the potential for his site serving as an economic hub built around the arts.

“So much of this has just been people wanting the lumber yard to be something,” Leder said. “The Haen Gallery coming in solidifies it and gives credibility to the project,” he said.

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

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1 Comment

  1. Heather November 29, 2012

    This is great! Brevard needs more things to do & this is perfect for all ages!

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