As you may recall, Asheville’s Downtown Master Planners from Massachusetts, Goody, Clancy & Assoc., held a meeting to hear what the African-American community thought of the plan. Representatives of Goody Clancy got chewed out. Those present complained that in Asheville urban renewal has historically been synonymous with Black neighborhoods being seized by eminent domain. One lady said the whole shenanigan was a ruse. Government only bothered with them during election season – at church. The classic line came from lead planner David Dixon. When participants complained they didn’t see themselves in the posh watercolor renderings, Dixon responded, and I paraphrase, “Those buildings may look like luxury apartments, but they’re actually subsidized housing.”

Well, the Master Planners have had time to regroup, and now local Black opinion leaders have been co-opted to make a second pitch for buy-in. ‘Tleast that’s what it looks like.