Second LIFT Fund Cycle Supports Cultural Facilities and New Visitor Welcome Experiences Across Buncombe County
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority approved $11.2 million of new investments in 10 tourism-related capital projects to benefit visitors and residents. The Legacy Investment from Tourism (LIFT) Fund provides financial investment through grants, loan guarantees, or pledges of debt service to tourism-related capital projects that will increase patronage of lodging facilities and benefit the community at large in Buncombe County. The authority has stewarded the occupancy tax as a significant community investment partner, committing $119 million to 59 community capital projects through the Tourism Product Development Fund and LIFT Fund since 2001. Approximately 70% of all capital investment, more than $83 million, has gone toward improving municipally owned facilities and infrastructure. Six projects are first-time investments for the authority.
“Two years after Hurricane Helene, our community is still rebounding and rebuilding, and the LIFT Fund enables us to help carry that work forward,” said Vic Isley, president & CEO of Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. “From restoring a historic Donald Ross-designed course in Black Mountain, to bringing a nationally recognized craft archive to downtown Asheville, to creating three new experiences welcoming visitors across Buncombe County, these investments propel our community forward and strengthen its vitality.”
| Applicant | Project | Investment |
| The North Carolina Arboretum Society | The North Carolina Arboretum Education & Events Plaza | $2,400,000 |
| RADA Foundation, Inc. | RAD Creative Campus | $2,124,540 |
| Center for Craft | Center for Craft Community Library & Archives | $1,752,846 |
| Wortham Center for the Performing Arts | Infrastructure Capital Project | $1,739,146 |
| Town of Black Mountain | Black Mountain Golf Course Restoration & Enhancement Project | $1,229,982 |
| City of Asheville | Eagle and Market Street Enhancements: Implementing the Vision for The Block | $721,120 |
| Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority | Guest Services Welcome Center | $500,000 |
| Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce | Asheville Visitor Center Upgrades | $400,000 |
| City of Asheville | Biltmore Village Public Realm (Infrastructure) Restoration | $296,179 |
| North Carolina Stage Company | NC Stage Company Facility Modernization: HVAC, Lighting, and Security Upgrades | $22,700 |
| TOTAL | $11,186,513 |
Following legislative guidelines, the LIFT Fund Committee evaluated 24 applications, representing combined requests of $37.67 million, through a two-phase competitive grant process. Ten projects advanced to final review, where applicants presented and hosted site visits before the committee provided its recommendations to the board. After review, the BCTDA Board of Directors voted to invest $11,186,513 in all 10 projects.
“This LIFT Fund investment will provide the Arboretum with the exciting opportunity to create a new regionally rooted Education and Events Plaza, drawing richly from the area’s geology and surrounding watershed,” said Drake Fowler, executive director of the North Carolina Arboretum. “It will be a true gathering place that serves as an educational hub for students across Buncombe County, and continues to draw guests both from inside and outside our area who seek a deeper connection with our vibrant natural surroundings.”
Several of this cycle’s investments are scoped to a specific phase or component of a larger project, allowing the authority to address the most urgent needs—including ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene—while stretching available funds across more of the community.
“A commitment from the LIFT Fund is the strongest signal we can carry for the River Arts District, because it says the people who best understand what this district contributes to our economy have put their money behind it,” said Jeffrey Burroughs, founding board member of RADA Foundation and president of River Arts District Artists. “The Creative Campus will give visitors a front door, and send them outward into the studios, galleries, and restaurants across the district. For artists, it means a permanent home on high ground, and for the community, it means a place where neighbors can take a class, watch work being made, and see the district rebuild stronger than before.”
The North Carolina Arboretum Society | The North Carolina Arboretum Education & Events Plaza | $2.4 Million Investment
The North Carolina Arboretum will replace its circular arrival area in front of the education center with an accessible, pedestrian-friendly Education & Events Plaza featuring waterfall and cascade features, regional stonework, and a lawn designed to interpret the geology and hydrology of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The plaza will allow the Arboretum to host larger weddings, conferences, and festivals, expanding capacity from about 150 to 400 guests for weddings and conferences, and up to 700 guests for select festivals.
The authority previously invested $1,655,000 in the Arboretum for the creation of the Bonsai Garden and for garden lighting and parking enhancements.
RADA Foundation, Inc. | RAD Creative Campus | $2.12 Million Investment
The RADA Foundation will create the RAD Creative Campus through adaptive reuse of two industrial buildings on Lyman Street, above the River Arts District floodplain. The project includes affordable artist studios, shared fabrication space, a purpose-built River Arts District Welcome Center, workforce development and classroom space, and flexible exhibition and event space.
Center for Craft | Center for Craft Community Library & Archives | $1.75 Million Investment
The Center for Craft will renovate the basement and portions of the second floor in its 67 Broadway Downtown Asheville building to house the American Craft Council Library & Archives, a nationally significant collection documenting American craft from 1940–present. The project includes a 6,695-square-foot public library and reading room with climate-controlled archival storage, a materials workshop and community room, and accessibility and elevator upgrades.
The authority previously invested $975,000 in the Center for Craft to create the National Craft Innovation Hub.
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts | Infrastructure Capital Project | $1.74 Million Investment
The Wortham Center's HVAC system is approximately 50 years old and largely original to the building, and several air handling units are failing or no longer functional. This project will replace critical air handling units and improve building security by replacing failing exterior doors and adding a key-card access system at two entrances. The Wortham Center serves more than 55,000 residents and visitors annually across more than 400 performances and community events, with approximately 25% of patrons traveling from outside Buncombe County.
The authority previously invested $875,000 in the Wortham Center.
Town of Black Mountain | Black Mountain Golf Course Restoration & Enhancement Project | $1.23 Million Investment
The Town of Black Mountain will restore and enhance its 18-hole municipal golf course, established in 1929, with a front nine designed by Donald Ross. Hurricane Helene significantly damaged critical infrastructure, including bridges, greens, drainage systems, and the maintenance building. At full operation, the course historically hosted 22,000–29,000 rounds annually, with an estimated 60% played by visitors from outside Buncombe County.
The authority is investing in the first two phases of the course’s seven-phase restoration plan, which addresses its most urgent recovery needs: replacing the maintenance building, restoring irrigation, and repairing cart paths, front-nine tees and fairways, and the #9 green.
City of Asheville | Eagle and Market Street Enhancements: Implementing the Vision for The Block | $721,120 Investment
The Eagle and Market Street Enhancements project delivers the physical public-realm components of Boosting the Block, a community-driven initiative to restore visibility, walkability, and cultural identity to The Block, Asheville’s historic Black business district. Funded through a Mellon Foundation grant and City capital funds, the initiative will replace sidewalks along South Market and Eagle streets and install a cultural gateway feature.
The authority is investing in the project’s placemaking elements, including an enhanced cultural gateway feature and additional commemorative and cultural identity elements connecting the district’s public art and Black Cultural Heritage Trail stops.
This investment builds on the authority’s previous investments in The Block, including $800,000 in the YMI Cultural Center, $705,000 in LEAF Global Arts, and part of a $500,000 investment in the creation of the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail.
Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority | Guest Services & Welcome Center | $500,000 Investment
As part of the construction of Asheville Regional Airport's new passenger terminal, the Airport Authority will build a Guest Services and Welcome Center in the new 20,511-square-foot Baggage Claim. The project features a dedicated space to welcome incoming visitors and encourage dispersal throughout Buncombe County as well as a living wall feature.
The new terminal is expected to be completed in early 2028, with the Guest Services Welcome Center projected to be completed in October 2027.
Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce | Asheville Visitor Center Upgrades | $400,000 Investment
The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce will renovate the Asheville Visitor Center at 36 Montford Avenue, a 4,000-square-foot facility that has welcomed visitors since 2006. The project includes a full renovation of the visitor floor and restrooms, new exhibits and technology such as digital kiosks and interactive displays, wayfinding and signage, and outdoor landscaping and amenity improvements. The redesigned center will highlight neighborhoods across Buncombe County, encouraging visitors to explore beyond downtown Asheville and extend their stays.
The authority previously invested $750,000 in the creation of the Asheville Visitor Center.
City of Asheville | Biltmore Village Public Realm (Infrastructure) Restoration | $296,179 Investment
The City of Asheville is restoring historic brick sidewalks, granite curbing, and street trees within the Biltmore Village local historic district, where flooding from Hurricane Helene compounded years of deferred infrastructure maintenance. The City has secured a $2.49 million NC Department of Commerce grant to complete repairs on Biltmore Plaza, Kitchin Place, Swan Street, and Boston Way. The authority is investing in additional pedestrian-safety and placemaking improvements on Biltmore Plaza.
North Carolina Stage Company | NC Stage Company Facility Modernization: HVAC, Lighting, and Security Upgrades | $22,700 Investment
NC Stage Company, Asheville’s only professional Actors’ Equity Association theatre, will add a ductless mini-split system to supplement the early-1990s HVAC at its 124-seat venue, convert stage lighting to energy-efficient LED fixtures that reduce stage heat by an estimated 83%, and replace failing exterior doors with ADA-compliant, panic-hardware doors. The improvements address climate-control and security issues that currently limit the theatre’s ability to extend its season and host touring productions.
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