Asheville council considers multimillion dollar Thomas Wolfe Auditorium renovations

ASHEVILLE - Doing nothing is not an option. That was the consensus of Asheville City Council members Sept. 26 as they considered the fate of the aging Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Several multimillion dollar projects are on the table following the summer's complete HVAC system failure that forced the venue to temporarily close, and harshly illuminated needed repairs, some of which are decades old.

Twenty years and nine studies and evaluations later, Chris Corl, the city's director of Community and Regional Entertainment Facilities, said now "the momentum is greater than it's ever been."

In his more than 10 years with the city, Corl said he's seen the conversation "bubble up" three or four times around renovation of the city owned, 2,431-seat auditorium — most recently in January 2020, when Corl unveiled a $100 million renovation just before the pandemic hit. But despite frequent conversation, he said, in his time here, "it's never gotten this far."

At their Sept. 26 work session, after a presentation from Corl, council members indicated an appetite for two of the five potential projects, the more ambitious project weighing in at $150 million, and the other at $125 million.

The sixth option, "do nothing," still somewhat costly as the city has been footing the bill for an average of $262,000 in repairs annually for the last eight years, was firmly removed from the table.

“Doing nothing is not a solution at this point,” said council member Sage Turner.

Similarly, with short-term fixes incoming, Mayor Esther Manheimer said even once the auditorium is back online, she doesn't want them to "take our foot off the gas pedal."

City Manager Debra Campbell said the urgency was palpable, and after decades of delays and deference, only true action would ensure the "return on investment this community deserves."

Which 2 projects are City Council considering?

The priciest of the projects, a $198 million "Broadway/major renovation and expansion," was largely dismissed by council members. A venue capable of housing Broadway often makes it more difficult for other arts interests to compete, council member Maggie Ullman said, sometimes pushing out local tenants and programming. Plus, she said, nearby venues in Greenville, South Carolina, and Knoxville, Tennessee, could make for a difficult market.

Also set aside was a $110 million "multi-purpose flat floor arrangement," which Corl said would result in Asheville being without any large seated venues, and only made sense when there was talk of another performing arts center opening in the city.

Staff recommended further investigation of the "patron-driven and significant renovations" project, formerly referred to as the "acoustic-driven approach," the second priciest of the five options. Price tags represent estimated construction and design costs for 2028 when, realistically, renovation could start.

At $130-$150 million, the patron-driven option, which Corl said has already been "well-vetted" in a 2016 study, was likely the best possible solution for Asheville Symphony, the venue's main tenant, whose performances make up a quarter of its annual events, and for other touring symphony-style events they don't currently snag.

It's good for concerts, he said, and has an opportunity for general admission standing room areas. It would increase front and back of house space, has updates in the rigging, as well as safety and code updates. Negatives include the high cost and a less flexible space than the Broadway proposal.

The other proposal council expressed an appetite for was the $105-$125 million "improved raked floor arrangement," which would maintain the same footprint and setup found in the theater now.

"This would have very little effect on our programming. You would see a lot of the same touring acts, same style productions coming through the room now," Corl said.

Though it doesn't have the same improvements for the front or back of house, and there's less space flexibility, he said it would still have a "significant" economic impact, plus safety code updates and improvements to patron experience.

Manheimer said she was eager to see the city pursue both options, fleshing out funding opportunities, meeting with partners and beginning to assemble a portfolio of contributions.

“This is the role cities play in our world, to provide these cultural centers and places for people to be together," she said.

Next steps

Having received council direction, Corl said his department will begin exploring potential stakeholder partnerships, public input, economic business plans and financing feasibility for the possible options.

“It’s never one thing," Corl said of funding strategies. "It’s always a combination of different things that help make these projects happen."

Possibilities include state and Tourism Development Authority funding, philanthropic donations, bond dollars, corporate sponsorships, a local food and beverage tax and more.

Opened in January 1940, the auditorium was renovated in 1974 to its current format. Thomas Wolfe comprises the Harrah's Cherokee Center complex and the ExploreAsheville.com Arena. Some of the first calls for renovations came in the '80s.

The theater has an annual economic impact of $29.5 million, and sees 97,500 guests a year.

In the last five years, it's been forced to shrink to a reduced capacity three times due to a host of challenges. Twice because of HVAC failures, including the ongoing closures, in which a "progressive failure of equipment" led to all three units that serve the seating chamber failing.

Events were moved to the building's arena, rescheduled or canceled altogether until repairs, partial or otherwise, could be made. The Asheville Symphony, which called the theater home for 55 years, was forced to leave the venue entirely.

Executive Director Daniel Crupi, who was present in the audience at Sept. 26 work session, was encouraged by the conversation and council's recognition of the need for "significant" renovations to the auditorium.

"This is encouraging news for all who use this facility, including our community's artists and audiences, as well as for our downtown business community," Crupi said. "Investment in our downtown performing arts infrastructure consistently results in greater economic impact to our entire region, meaning that our downtown and surrounding area can flourish."

How long will auditorium be closed?

In the meantime, "quick fix" repairs to the HVAC system began in August, carrying an estimated cost of $188,000, with work likely complete in the next week. In October, the theater will reopen at a reduced capacity of about 1,300, allowing the venue to continue hosting nonticketed events.

Also in October, Corl said his department will come to City Council to request a $1.4 million appropriation from its fund balance to cover more long-term repairs, enough to get the theater back at full capacity by February or March. Totaling $1.2 million, it includes fall arrest and catwalk installation — necessary to even begin work on the main HVAC unit — as well as air handler, electrical and plumbing repairs, plus contingencies.

More: $100 million plans discussed for Thomas Wolfe Auditorium renovation as building crumbles

More: $20.5M loss? How will Thomas Wolfe Auditorium closures impact Asheville, Buncombe economy

Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Thomas Wolfe: Which renovation plan is Asheville council considering?