Stuff continues to brew at Pack Place. Pack Place, Inc. owns a building tenanted by three interests providing the community with education and arts. The City of Asheville owns the land on which Pack’s building sits. According to the agreement, the city can buy Pack Place, or it may confiscate it outright should it fall into disrepair. The city, wanting a free building, claims the place is not being maintained adequately; the tenants, wanting their $10/year lease payments, say it is.
I don’t have all the motives – forget the facts. What we can establish is there are some angry community pillars. Here is a little piece of the puzzle. I liked the segment in the drama where the building’s architect Barbara Field yelled at the mayor, vice mayor, and city manager, accusing them of blackmail.
[Mayor Esther] Manheimer and [Vice Mayor Marc] Hunt consulted their notes. [City Manager Gary] Jackson seemed to find something interesting going on outside the window.