Opinion: Renovations to Thomas Wolfe Auditorium will help revitalize Asheville economy

It is finally clear to all: Thomas Wolfe Auditorium is broken. The breakdown of the heating and air conditioning system, and subsequent closing of the venue, is a sad and embarrassing chapter for a city with such a vibrant music and arts community. This is no time for a quick and easy fix. It needs a proper and complete renovation.

Thomas Wolfe was a cultural icon for this area. After all, it is named for the famous author and Asheville native. Members of our family have seen many events over the years there, including high school graduations, well-known speakers and performances by legendary musicians, comedians and dance troupes.

Ten years ago, a young girl I know started high school with an interest in pursuing music. With the encouragement of her band director, she developed as a percussionist and moved on to playing bassoon. Her best friends in high school were all “band kids” and she went on to play in the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra. Her love of music culminated with playing on stage at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium and she graduated last year from Appalachian State with a degree in music therapy.

My daughter demonstrated what studies have shown for years. Music improves child and scholastic development in multiple areas. They show higher academic achievement overall, especially in mathematics. They have better attendance and graduation rates. Developmentally, students who play music optimize their social and communication skills, gain self-confidence, an improved ability to work together. Music in general, and Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, are essential to our kids, families and community.

The decline of this downtown performing arts venue has been insidious. Almost everyone who’s lived here knows the story of the leaky roof and rainwater that poured down on Alison Krauss during a concert. It is public knowledge that the famous bluegrass band out of Brevard has stated they will not perform at Thomas Wolfe in its current state. Many promoters will no longer consider Asheville for concerts. And this is before the entire HVAC system collapsed this summer. As a result, a number of already-scheduled concerts have been cancelled or rescheduled. As just one example, a recent performance was moved to Cherokee at the casino’s auditorium, undoubtedly inconveniencing performers, support staff and paying customers.

It has been estimated the loss of revenue to the city and county amounts to between $25-$30 million per year. Even though the facility is owned by the city, the county and all who live in the area are paying the price for having an obsolete facility in the middle of downtown. The infrastructure is so old that replacement parts for the HVAC system are no longer available. OSHA would not even allow repairs because there is no safety structure in the ceiling to protect the repairmen. There are ADA and safety issues, insufficient rest rooms, as well as poor back stage facilities, old seats and poor acoustics.

On the other hand, improving Thomas Wolf Auditorium to the level that Asheville has grown to deserve will undoubtedly bring new and larger acts here. Look at what the Peace Center has become for Greenville. And to those who say our city isn’t large enough to have a first quality performing arts venue, look at Santa Fe, New Mexico, and see how opera has transformed the music culture there.

More: Downtown Asheville's Thomas Wolfe Auditorium HVAC system failure: What to know

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

Asheville and Buncombe County need Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. We cannot ignore the deplorable state it is currently in. Given the wide-ranging financial damage to businesses in the area, support needs to come from all directions. The city, county and public and private support need to recognize the dire need for improvement. If multiple interested supporters can revitalize McCormick Field to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, then there can and should be support for doing the same for a similarly venerable institution.

Leadership is needed to make this happen. This is no time for inertia. For even a mid-range upgrade, $200 million dollars sounds like a lot, until you think about a business loss of $25 million to $30 million every year if Thomas Wolfe Auditorium is non-functioning. And, the longer it takes to make the required dynamic decisions, the more expensive the project, and the greater the financial pain for the community. Other government entities routinely raise money for capital expenditures through bond issues. It is time to stop applying a Band-Aid fix to a facility that can and should be a sparkling jewel of performing arts in downtown Asheville.

Dr. John Cuellar has lived in Asheville over 30 years. 

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Opinion: Thomas Wolfe Auditorium renovations can't wait