ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —

By adding more opportunities for local contractors to get involved, Asheville officials hope to move past a concern that has stalled a project honoring a historically Black business community near Pack Square Park.

On Tuesday night, the Asheville City Council will revisit the selection of a community facilitator for the Boosting the Block project, which calls for building a gateway to a cultural corridor through the district, centered at Eagle and Market streets downtown.

The decision on a $180,000 facilitator contract was supposed to happen on March 12, but no council members made a motion to vote.

At an earlier council agenda briefing, several council members had voiced concerns that a selection committee had recommended an out-of-town partnership, Illumined Leadership Solutions and BennettWeston Consulting, over a list of local applicants, including one with a presence on “the Block.”

DEBATE OVER LOCAL PREFERENCE IN CONTRACTING DELAYS PROJECT

After a more than two-month delay, the same group is being recommended, but city staff members are emphasizing additional contracting opportunities for local firms to serve as community coordinator, creative strategist, in marketing and promotions, community celebration production or design and construction.

“I still have the same concerns as before, that we’re going to be missing that local history and local connection, though I do appreciate that we’re breaking it down into smaller components,” Council member Kim Roney said during an agenda briefing teleconference on Thursday, May 23.

At that session, the general discussion was about future contracting projects. Council member S. Antanette Mosley suggested developing a scoring rubric that takes into account a firm’s “local knowledge,” whether or not they are locally-based.

Concerns over local participation in contracting until now has stalled selection of a Community Facilitator to plan and implement the “Boosting the Block” project centered on Market and Eagle streets in downtown Asheville.
Concerns over local participation in contracting until now has stalled selection of a Community Facilitator to plan and implement the “Boosting the Block” project centered on Market and Eagle streets in downtown Asheville.
Concerns over local participation in contracting until now has stalled selection of a Community Facilitator to plan and implement the “Boosting the Block” project centered on Market and Eagle streets in downtown Asheville.

As City Attorney Brad R. Branham has cautioned council members, there are legal and constitutional hurdles to creating a direct local preference in contracting, and changing the scoring criteria for this particular project at this late stage might require starting over with an entirely new Request for Proposals — creating additional delays.

“We hear you as a staff,” Branham told council members May 23. “We agree this is a valuable component.”

The $180,000 for “Boosting the Block” is part of a larger, $3 million grant from the Melon Foundation’s Monuments Project, which includes reimagining Pack Square following the now-completed removal of the Zebulon Vance Monument.

“Boosting the Block” is intended to create “a cohesive and truthful narrative” about the historically African-American community and Black-owned businesses in the district that pre-dated the monument in that part of downtown Asheville.

But the issue also has opened up a larger discussion about contracting in general, and Council member Sage Turner suggested doing additional policy work to make sure local firms are getting a fair chance at city jobs.

The Asheville City Council meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, at City Hall.