Chris Corl, Asheville Department of Community and Regional Entertainment Facilities (CREF)

Is Asheville going to get a new performing arts center? Find out the back story and more by listening to our interview with the Director of the Asheville Department of Community and Regional Entertainment Facilities (CREF) Chris Corl. First we found out what CREF does for Asheville, its citizens and tourists. Then we jumped right in to a discussion about a very exciting prospective initiative of a large performing arts center being built in downtown Asheville following the formal establishment of a public-private partnership for the development of this facility. Chris talked in detail about what was in the MOU (including Economic Impact Studies and the development of a business plan and workforce training program), the history of the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium (formerly known as the Asheville Auditorium) and the Civic Center Arena, where the money will be coming from to build the venue, information on ATG Entertainment (the private sector partner), and what the theater might look like. He also outlined next steps for the project, how folks can get involved through community and stakeholder engagement meetings, and a tentative timeline. More information can be found here: https://publicinput.com/w64602