January Minutes 2012

Welcome: Matt Sprouse

Depot Street Parking Plan: Matt Sprouse

-Matt Sprouse and Marcia met with City to discuss modification of the plan

-Parking starts on The Junction side of Depot Street and then transition to the other side of the street (railroad side) to continue to 5 points intersection of RAD

-Ken Putnam feels this will work

-Possibility this will happen in Spring 2012

-Parallel parking down Depot Street and a sidewalk along the railroad side of Depot to join up with new sidewalks

-Trying to get a sidewalk across railroad tracks, as well as near the Soapy Dog

-Pattiy talked to Greg Schuler to let them know when the June Studio Stroll is

Marcia recommends inviting Ken to a meeting in February.  Matt will send Ken an email to invite him.

Pecha Kucha

Collection of creative folks giving presentations 20 slides/20 seconds each

Friday, January 27 at 7 p.m. $7 Food and Drinks provided, Phil Mechanic

RADA Update: Wendy Whitson

-Trying to find the right person from RADBA Exec. Comm. to attend RADA meetings

-New Brochure Draft: 164 Members signed up

-60-80,000 brochures printed

-A few Ad Spaces still available; get in touch with Laurie McCarrier if you’d like to advertise, get in touch ASAP:  riverartsdistrict@gmail.com

-Looking for a new director of RADA by April 30, 2012

-New Committees: Liaison to CVB, someone in charge of tours, business education committee

-New Signage: who to talk with at the City

Pattiy-Is there some way RADBA can contribute to the Stroll?

Wendy-perhaps sponsors for Second Saturdays to help promote

Are businesses benefiting from the Studio Stroll?

Tim Schaller-was very beneficial the first couple of years, now we sell all the beer we make.  There’s a lot of giving that’s not seen.  We donate beer all year long to different events.

Pattiy-the Stroll that the Cafe opened, RADA sales went up 70% because there was food in the RAD, so I think it’s important that there be communication between RADA and RADBA

Wendy-get exec. committees together

Tripp-RADBA should support RADA because without the artists, we would not

Tim-We’ve been talking about doing benefits and the Clingman Streetscape is being maintained by RADBA

Wendy-Artists love having the businesses here

Matt-suggestion of getting the Exec. Committees is a good idea; we’re a professional service business, but we came down here because of the Stroll.  We might have awareness as people walk by during the stroll.  We like our clients to know that we’re down here.  It benefits us in different ways.

Second Saturdays: Brandy Clements

-Second Saturday of every month there are going to be special things happening in the RAD

-Want to promote RAD as year-round destination

-Second Saturdays Studio Guide

-want folks to know we are open for more than Studio Strolls

-use social media and WNCW Art Break, Trolley Guide, Look at Asheville book blurb

-Still advertising opportunities in the Trolley Guide, contact Brandy Clements for details

-Potential for sponsorships in the future

-Potential for free transportation (menus in the van, magnet on the van, etc.)

-Advertising for an event that happens to be on a Second Saturday, please include Second Saturdays

“A Closer Look” more studios open, more education opportunities, more time with artists, etc.

-Want Second Saturdays to be calmer, more intimate with visitors

-Partnering Ideas: One Business and One Studio, include history of the building, what’s happening, what contributions are to the community, radio collaboration possibilities

-Think about RAD for weekend and weekday plans, not just visiting for art, but also business services, eating, etc.

-Want locals to know that we are here all year, bring out of town guests

-Up to artists to plan their events; and then we help tell people what’s going on

-Spread out to support charities and neighborhood projects

-Collaboration of over 100 artists and businesses

-Would like RADBA and RADA to cross collaborate

-Consider launching things on Second Saturday to partner with RADA

-We realize that donations are challenging, what are your parameters?  People need to know what is donated and be grateful

-NEXT MEETING: Thursday Feb. 13 at 3 p.m.

-Meeting with Chamber on Feb. 21 9:30 a.m.

Tim-suggestion keep studios open to a certain time each weekend (so that everyone knows that things are open)

-will have flyers and banners, potentially signs

Tim-roll movie nights into Second Saturdays

Pattiy-the Chamber wants something monthly from RADA, which is where Second Saturdays came from; could this possibly be region-wide?  This is could be the next phase.

East of the Riverway Initiative and Bus Shelters: Chris Joyell of Asheville Design Center

-Nonprofit with a small staff and army of volunteers (100 designers)

-Wednesday, January 25 6 p.m. Design Charette at Asheville Design Center, next to Tupelo Honey—E-Shuttle Program (Jonathan Glover): create electric shuttle from downtown to RAD facilitated by SmartPhone App

-NEA grant, teamed up with AAAC and other organizations to have a design-build program to build bus shelters throughout the city (waiting to see if they get it)

-Working with City of AVL to develop a guidance tool for small business owners looking to develop properties/revitalize buildings; this is a decision-making tool to help people understand the process of doing that–if you’ve had this experience, please call Chris Joyell to share information about that experience

-East of the Riverway-national initiative, Sustainable Communities Initiative to get HUD, DOT and EPA can better collaborate and work together.  Land of Sky is heading up a regional initiative.  City won a challenge grant and is dedicating it to a planning grant setting the ground work for additional federal investment to implement.

Area:

Hillcrest Apartments to Livingston Apartments to AB-Tech–Southside to Lee Walker Heights to WE CAN and South French Broad neighborhoods

-Little over 2000 households, trying to bring density back to the neighborhood

Deliverables:

-bring Wilma Dykeman Riverway up to shovel ready, 75% complete (this makes us more ready for future federal dollars)

-Two trans formative projects: Reid Center into green job and education center is one of the projects

-AVL Design Team up with Green Opportunities to open up channels of communication with the community, grassroots outreach effort

-Wants input from RADBA

-Develop an energy plan and a transportation plan for the community

-Bring two greenways (Town Branch) and Clingman Forest Greenway up to construction ready which will connect downtown to RAD through greenway

-Overarching Transportation plan: they need information about how people flow through the RAD to put into this plan, how do people get to the RAD, how do they navigate the RAD once they’re here?

-Energy Plan: the City wants to put as much money as possible back into people’s pockets, reduce our dependency on energy

-Developing a website–EastoftheRiverway.com to collect feedback to get a better understanding of challenges and solutions

Pattiy–AVL Design Center put a kiosk in front of PHil Mechanic to provide information for East of the Riverway, to tell people within the community about what’s going on and gather feedback

How are neighborhoods that lie between downtown and RAD going to be impacted, can they partake in the effort?

Find ways to build community into the success that is happening, afford more opportunities for people in the community.

30% of people in East of the Riverway Community do not have a car–so greenways are essential

-We will be coming back to find ways to partner and gather input

-Once plan is complete, partners will stay with it to implement it.  Looking for federal investments for Wilma Dykeman

-Tim: Between the Bridges Charette was a good forum for us to provide information; perhaps doing something like that for this; more than 1/1; Chris Joyell will bring it back to the city–we want to support you.  AVL Design Center made sure that 26 did not go through our city.

AVL Design Center brings designers to the table

Cindy–suggests having the gathering at Wesley Grant Center or the Reid Center; you could put a kisok on our property (Glen Rock Depot)

-Would like to have the kiosks serve other purposes; what is the support system that’s necessary for the entire community to thrive?  GO members have been building the kiosks along the way.

–Wendy: five-points area needs one, perhaps on Wedge leased property

-Bus stop for the trolley for people while they wait

Chris Joyell, chris@ashevilledesigncenter.org or 828-782-7894 for more information or suggestions

Benefit: One Neighborhood and Green The RAD

Benefit at Grey Eagle

Need a good band first and then schedule the date: perhaps Steep Canyon Rangers

The other option for a benefit: One Neighborhood, artists work with neighborhood kids

Bands seem to be more excited by One Neighborhood than Green the RAD

Cindy–one of the MHO goals was to be a bridge between Southside and RAD and to bring the kids together in the neighborhood through the arts

Trip-Odyssey has a scholarship process

Chris-trying to find the connections between neighborhoods and RAD

Want to take bids for Green the RAD landscaping if we are doing a benefit and RADBA is involved

With everyone who has contributed, it looks like we should be set for the next 1.5 years.  Where are we with things?

Marcia–might be good to get a clearer understanding with DOT about what they will do on an on-going basis

Chall-if we’ve delineated our costs, it will be easier to talk to the DOT and ask them to take responsibility for certain elements

Marcia–kudzu should be maintained on a regular basis; City is mowing the grass, but DOT is not set up to do landscape maintenance and City crews don’t have the resources.  Good point: the clearer we get about what it is and what needs to be done, then go to the City and DOT.

BILLBOARD: Pattiy

Do we want to renew the billboard contract at Patton and Clingman?

-there are not 12 committed annual sponsors, so Pattiy’s been covering the rest of it

-RADA does not want to hold the billboard anymore

-Wendy: think the directional signs the city put up is enough

-Cindy: if we let it go, can we get it back?

-We have a great deal right now that we will not get back.  We have a year contract at a great rate that keeps being rolled over, no increase in 3 years.

-$12000/year plus production fees $1200/year (total $13,600)

-Chall: thinks it’s useful but don’t think it’s worth what it costs

-Tim: not fitting into the budgets of the businesses; put it out one more time and see if it fits in the budgets of businesses

-MMS: think it’s a very helpful tool; might be important for Second Saturday branding

-Pattiy: need 12 solid sponsors annually to do it ($1000/year/sponsor–$250 every 3 months).  Need to decide by February 15.

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, February 28 at 4 p.m. at The Magnetic Field