We’re excited to share that the latest Boosting the Block update has been posted! This update includes important highlights on recent progress, upcoming opportunities for engagement and what’s next for the project.

Read the latest update here: Boosting the Block - PublicInput

RFQ Released for Design/Engineering

On Friday, January 14, the City of Asheville released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to begin the process of selecting and contracting with a Design/Engineering team to implement streetscape enhancements on Eagle and Market Streets - foundational components of the Boosting the Block project. This is a major project milestone! 

The Eagle and Market Streetscape Enhancements Project leverages funding provided by the Mellon Foundation along with voter-approved transportation bond funds. A cohesive and inspired design will improve safety and accessibility, support cultural expression, and enhance the overall experience in and around The Block.  

A Design/Engineering and Construction Administration contract is anticipated to be executed this spring with public engagement during the conceptual design phase anticipated in mid-2026.

The RFQ can be viewed on the City’s BID page. Find more information about this capital project on the project page. 

2025 Project Recap: Community Engagement & Progress Update

To date, the project team has conducted 34 one-on-one and small group meetings focused on relationship building, learning, information-sharing, and feedback. These conversations have helped strengthen alignment between Boosting the Block goals and ongoing work with partners including Legacy Neighborhoods, ADID, Asheville Downtown Association, Explore Asheville, Mountain Housing, and the key institutions on The Block, YMI Cultural Center, Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and The Foundry hotel. These meetings helped build trust, clarify what work is already underway, and surface opportunities for collaboration.

In 2025, we broadened engagement through a set of group activities that intentionally brought together voices across generations. These included:

• An April gathering with local artists and small business owners

• A June engagement with elders from legacy neighborhoods

• July sessions with youth participating in Stephens-Lee’s summer camp and My Daddy Taught Me That’s YES program

Through these efforts, we connected with 85 community members, including approximately 60 youth.

In addition to these group activities, we supported broader community visibility and celebration through a pop-up engagement activation during February’s First Friday on The Block, and by providing $1,250 in financial support for The Block Collaborative’s Juneteenth celebration.

Our partnership with The Block Collaborative has centered on building strong relationships, listening closely to their vision, assessing needs, supporting community-led activations, and identifying strategies to build long-term capacity and sustainability.

In February 2025, the team participated in a learning trip to New Orleans to study a nationally recognized Black business and cultural district. This experience provided valuable insight into how public-private partnerships and private investment can support cultural preservation and long-term recovery, including lessons drawn from more than 20 years of post-Katrina rebuilding. Key takeaways from this trip have been synthesized and will inform the next phase of work. We plan to partner with an artist and creative strategist to translate these insights into visual design components that will guide the formal design process.

As design work moves forward, there will be additional community engagement opportunities to keep the process grounded in lived experience and local priorities.

Key Design Considerations that Emerged from Community Input

Community feedback to date has emphasized the importance of:

• Telling the full story of the community, honoring its history while reflecting its present and future resilience and brilliance

• Creating engaging, safe, and flexible spaces that support gathering, cultural expression, and everyday use

• Establishing guiding principles that shape the look, feel, and economic benefits generated by the design

These considerations will remain central as the capital project for design and construction kicks off this spring.

With gratitude, Your Boosting the Block Community Facilitators, 

Margaret A. Brunson, PhD, MPA

Brittany Bennett Weston, MPA