ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Stakeholders and music enthusiasts in Asheville are reacting to the announcement that Salvage Station intends to reopen at a new location. The outdoor music venue plans to reopen at an indoor venue along Riverside Drive, in the building that once housed the Asheville Waste Paper plant.
“It’s totally reaffirming. It’s fantastic,” said Bryan Matheny, a longtime local musician involved heavily in the music community. “I think it’s a good signal for our recovery too, for someone of their stature and reputation to get back in it.”
Matheny explained Salvage Station’s success at its former site, farther north of the River Arts District.
“They can draw mid-tier acts, I think a lot of people want to see, and who may not be able to go to Raleigh or Charlotte to see,” Matheny said. “Do it on the river and in that fantastic River Arts District, and that whole vibe they create is fabulous.”
More details: SALVAGE STATION PLANS COMEBACK WITH RIVER ARTS DISTRICT INDOOR VENUE
“To have them staying in the RAD is one of the most exciting things we could have right now,” said Jeffrey Burroughs, president of the River Arts District Artists.
Burroughs explained that having a large music venue in the center of the River Arts District was publicly identified as a priority by RAD stakeholders participating in community brainstorming groups, as part of the Unified RAD initiative.
“We did this whole community-wide research on a vision and what we can create for the future of the RAD. This is the kind of project that was something our community and city identified,” Burroughs added.
Burroughs, who owns a jewelry store in the district, is well aware of what musical acts can bring to an area.
“Salvage Station has just been one of the most incredible places, always great music selection,” Burroughs said. “There was no other outdoor music venue in Asheville like it, so to have them staying in the RAD is thrilling. It’s such a big property.”
On Nov. 25, Salvage Station’s owners posted to social media to announce the new development, writing, “Today, we are proud to share that our new home will rise in the heart of the River Arts District, on the iconic McMahan/Pace family property long known as Asheville Waste Paper.”
HELENE: A JOURNEY OF HOPE (RIVER ARTS DISTRICT)
The music venue owners said the first step at the new building is clean-up and rehabilitation.
There were no details as to the amount of investment dollars that would go into the site or when it would break ground. But the post did mention a commitment to work with the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. The TDA is closely tied to the area’s Tourism Development Fund, which awards millions in hotel and short-term rental tax revenue to projects aimed at attracting more visitors.
The social media post by Salvage Station included a quote from the Pace family, which has held the new property since the 1940s:
“Trey and Whitney Pace shared, ‘Our family was devastated seeing the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Everything our family had worked for over 83 years was swept away overnight. Meeting Danny and Katie [the owners of Salvage Station] and feeling their excitement in their vision has brought so much happiness to our family in knowing our property will continue to serve the community, as it always has!'”
Salvage Station did not post specifics on when work would start on the future indoor venue.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source wlos.com ’
