Asheville council approves ‘Boosting the Block’ contract

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —

The Asheville City Council voted Tuesday to hire a Durham-based partnership to serve as community facilitator for the “Boosting the Block” project, vowing to get local contractors involved in various other aspects of the work.

The council voted 5-1, with Council Member Kim Roney dissenting, to approve a $180,000 contract with Illumined Leadership Solutions and BennettWeston Consulting.

The project is meant to honor a historically Black business community and neighborhood centered at Eagle and Market Streets near Pack Square Park. Plans call for construction of a physical gateway and cultural corridor, with “enhanced public spaces and programming that authentically narrate the past, present and future of The Block.”

The firms selected for the contract both are black-owned firms selected following a competitive Request for Proposals process judged by a selection committee of city and county staff members and community representatives.

But in March, when the council first was asked to give final approval, council members declined to take any action. At an agenda briefing, several members had questioned why local applicants for the contract — including one firm with a presence on The Block — did not receive higher scores based on their local knowledge.

The case sparked a larger discussion about ways to make sure local contractors get a fair chance at city procurement. That discussion is expected to continue, but the council majority went forward with the selection of the Durham partnership after assurances about other upcoming opportunities within the “Boosting the Block” work.

City staff members emphasized additional contracting opportunities for local firms to serve as community coordinator, creative strategist, in marketing and promotions, community celebration production or design and construction.

The $180,000 contract represents the first money spent from a $3 million Mellon Foundation grant to implement a Pack Square Plaza Vision Plan adopted by the City Council in September 2023. The project also includes design and engineering work to reshape Pack Square and a partnership with Buncombe County Library to “expand programming and education around more inclusive storytelling and history efforts in our community,” city officials said in a release.