Joel Burgess

jburgess@citizen-times.com

ASHEVILLE - A strange and empty 2 acres of downtown may see some new life starting this spring.

That's when food trucks and a farmers market could occupy the city-owned Haywood Street site derided by locals as the "Pit of Despair."

It's a moniker the specially appointed Haywood Street Advisory Team hopes to scrap as the site adds temporary uses, including the trucks and market, and later this summer, movable seating and raised gardening beds.

"That would be something to hopefully take place in the short term," said Chris Joyell, executive director of the nonprofit Asheville Design Center. Joyell is being paid an estimated $30,000 to facilitate the advisory team with half the money coming from city taxpayers and half from donations.

Temporary uses for the site would be replaced in two to three years with a permanent use still being hashed out by the advisory team.

The land covers 68-76 Haywood St. This summer 33-35 Page Ave. was added with the demolition of the municipally owned former Sister Cities building. Nearby buildings include the U.S. Cellular Center, the region's biggest indoor entertainment venue; and the Basilica of St. Lawrence, an architectural landmark.

Disagreement over what should be done with the site turned into a political flashpoint in the 2015 city elections and led to the appointment of the advisory team. Councilman Cecil Bothwell headed the charge for a park at the site. At a Dec. 13 council meeting Bothwell urged the advisory team to quickly breath some life into the land, a graveled pit with retaining walls surrounded by parking.

"I certainly would like to see it move forward quickly because it takes time to start scheduling things. If we don’t come up with a plan by spring it will be next fall before anything occurs there," he said.

Deadlines coming for Asheville downtown 'Pit' on Haywood St.

Changes to the site are behind schedule. The volunteer advisory team had wanted to recommend a permanent use to the council by the end of 2016. They are now planning that for March 28, said Joyell.

Details of the market and trucks are still being determined, and they're not definite. To make them happen the city would have to check out electrical, water and wheelchair access issues.

In June or July Joyell's nonprofit design center will look to partner with Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and Clemson University to build the raised beds and seating.

Two other ideas for temporary uses are a performance space and interactive public art, said Andrew Fletcher, chairman of the advisory team.

"We really find that these six items could work together to try to animate the space," Fletcher said.

The plant beds were suggested after input from residents of the nearby Battery Park and Vanderbilt apartments, housing subsidized for low-income retirees and others with disabilities.

Boyle column: What should 'Pit of Despair' become?

For the permanent use, the advisory team collected and analyzed 2,000 "pieces" of public input. That slowed the process, though they got help from Lenoir-Rhyne graduate students.

Suggestions for permanent uses include a children's playground, a dog park, a merry-go-round, a meditation garden, a covered market and a music stage.

The city acquired the property, a former restaurant and small parking garage, for $2.4 million in 2001-2004. Officials planned to build a large parking deck but faced opposition from Battery Park residents.

Starting in 2007, the city looked to enter into a contract with McKibbon Hospitality to build a hotel. Pushback from other hoteliers and the Basilica of St. Lawrence helped kill that deal.

Leading up to the 2015 council elections, debate centered on whether to build a park that would require ongoing city maintenance, or to allow construction of a service or private business that would add to the tax base and would include some public space.