Answer Man: Asheville Fuddruckers obliterated, are 186 apartments on the way?
This installment of Answer Man deals with the long-anticipated demolition of an Asheville burger institution and a controversial apartment and commercial project on which construction looks ready to start.
Got a question for Answer Man or Answer Woman? Email Interim Executive Editor Karen Chávez at KChavez@citizentimes.com and your question could appear in an upcoming column.
Question: Fuddruckers was never the prettiest building, but it was a fixture and landmark on Charlotte Street for as long as I’ve lived here (over 20 years) and now it’s obliterated. What’s happening on that site and why couldn’t they reuse the building? Was it in danger of falling down or hazardous in some other way?
Background: The Fuddruckers was part of a burger chain and built in 1986 on Charlotte Street. In recent years it's been eyed by developers and was proposed as the site for an apartment and commercial project by Kassinger Development in 2021. (Kassinger first looked at the change in 2018, but plans did not advance.) After months of pushback from some residents, the City Council on Oct. 12, 2021, approved the 186-unit, 166,000-square-foot project that in portions would reach five stories ― a central criticism from some who called it a "brick monolith."
Along with giving the plans a go-ahead, the council voted to give Kassinger a $1.5 million tax break spread out over 15 years in exchange for affixing affordable rents to 37 of the units for 30 years. Eighteen will go to residents making a maximum of 80% of the area median income. (Currently, that would mean a single person making $45,000 or a four-person household with an income of $64,250.)
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Nineteen of the units will accept government housing vouchers, which go to some of the city's poorest residents.
On Dec. 28, 2021 the Charleston, South Carolina, based Kassinger bought the building and 2.3 acres for $4.5 million from a limited liability company managed by Thomas P. Leslie of the Leslie and Associates property management company.
Answer: On March 1, almost a year-and-a-half after council approval, demolition started on the building. In a few days the site was largely flattened. Because of the size of the development, the company never talked of saving the building.
Company contact Payne Kassinger did not respond to March 6 messages seeking comment.
Chris Collins, city planning and development division manager, said the local government had received application for the demolition permit. T
"The applicant has yet to submit building permit plans for review and eventually issuance of a permit for construction," Collins said.
The company's website shows a completion date of 2023.
The project, dubbed "120 Charlotte Street" will have 4,500 square feet of commercial/retail space, it says, adding it meets a number of "key city goals," including:
Encouraging responsible growth — by increasing the city’s housing supply and locating housing density and new jobs in a locationally efficient area, within an Innovation District, which is one of the plan’s identified growth areas.
Making streets more walkable, comfortable and connected — by supporting mobility and access through pedestrian and transit infrastructure improvements.
Celebrating the unique identity of neighborhoods through creative placemaking and increasing and diversifying the housing supply — by providing appropriate infill development that includes housing, especially affordable housing.
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Bonus background: For those who have lived in Asheville for a while, such as the reader, the restaurant was a landmark, even if you didn't eat there. Here's a quick look at its mention in our digital archives which stretch back to 1995:
The store got a 90% on its health inspection on March 11, 1996, a story said that listed the scores of various eateries.
Fuddruckers was voted a "standby" in Asheville for the 1996 book "Where the Locals Eat (The One Directory You Need Wherever You Travel)" published in 1996.
In 1997, a man reported to police that he was assaulted in the restaurant parking lot and $250 taken from him, and that he was "dragged across the parking lot as he tried to get the money back from two men in a 1988 Honda Accord."
In 2000 the chain made national news for introducing an ostrich burger, and in 2007, Citizen Times readers voted it "best burger" in Asheville.
Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Answer Man: Asheville Burger eatery gone, 186 apartments on the way?
