Tourism Development Authority President and Explore Asheville CEO Vic Isley has a lot of gall reducing the criticisms toward the TDA to just emotional reactions [“Looking Ahead: TDA President Vic Isley Plans to go Full Speed Ahead in Promoting Tourism,” March 20, Xpress]. She’s sure got her hands in deep in the tourist-trade money pot in her three short years living here. What does she know of the changes locals have seen in the city they have loved and lived in or nearby for decades? Where does she think those emotions rise from?
I have lived in surrounding areas of Asheville since 1983. Asheville was pretty run-down back then. But it always had a sense of community, creativity and innovation. Indeed, entrepreneurs turned the downtown around. The River Arts District was started by artists setting up studios in abandoned old buildings and warehouses. Now they are forced out by ever-increasing rent.
Can you imagine that in 1983, I commuted from Black Mountain to West Asheville to my job, and there was no rush-hour traffic?! That’s right. Today it’s a daily crawl on Interstate 240. Didn’t exist back then.
But I watched this little city that I loved transform by the spending of millions on tourism and catering to all things tourist-oriented. So many hotels. Expensive food and boutiques (since rent is astronomical). Back in the day, we had Stone Soup. And funky little shops. It was still affordable. There were great buskers. Those dressed-up human statues, jugglers, musicians. Street art. Mostly gone now.
Now I can’t even stand to try to drive in Asheville. The traffic gets gridlocked.
I see wheelchair users on South French Broad have to use the street because the sidewalks are a mess and have been for years. But wherever the tourists go, it’s all swanky and nice! New sidewalks! They just may have to step over a homeless person here and there. Last time I was downtown, however, it looked like the homeless had been pushed out, too. Tourists fill restaurants to overflowing so that locals can’t even eat out. Some thoughtful restaurants/bars started to serve locals only.
So yeah, Ms. Isley is smiling all the way to the bank while she justifies the very fact that the cost of living and gentrification keep soaring in Asheville, while the tourism-related service-jobs paycheck that workers get pretty much blows. And she’s going to justify how even more is better! Reeks of greed.
Yeah, you bet we are emotional. We are pissed.
— Troy Amastar
Alexander
