University of North Carolina at Asheville D. H. Ramsey Library Special Collections/University Archives Register for: East Riverside Asheville, N.C. (1970's)
[Cover] East Riverside Asheville, N.C. Special Collections, D.H.Ramsey Library, UNCA
Title	East Riverside Asheville, N.C..
Alt. Title	East Riverside Asheville, N.C.
Identifier	http://toto.lib.unca.edu/findingaids/mss/housing_authority_city_asheville/series_26 _publications/east_riverside_asheville/default_east_riverside_asheville.htm
Creator	Housing Authority of the City of Asheville -- NC R-48 East Riverside Urban Renewal Project
Alt Creator	Urban Renewal Administration of the Housing and Home Finance Agency
Subject Keyword	Asheville, NC ; city planning ; civic improvement ; East Riverside ; East Riverside Renewal Project ; economic conditions ; housing ; Housing Act of 1949 ; Housing Authority of the City of Asheville ; modernization ; poor ; public housing ; rehabilitation ; relocation ; urban planning ; urban renewal ; Urban Renewal Administration of the Housing and Home Finance Agency
Subject LCSH	City planning -- North Carolina -- Asheville City planning -- United States -- Asheville (N.C.) Civic improvement -- North Carolina -- Asheville Urban renewal -- North Carolina -- Asheville Asheville (N.C.) -- Urban renewal Urban renewal -- United States -- Case studies  Relocation (Housing) -- North Carolina -- Asheville Housing -- North Carolina -- Asheville Housing -- North Carolina -- Asheville -- Statistics Asheville (N.C.) -- Planning Community development, Urban -- United States -- Case studies Urban policy -- North Carolina -- Asheville Public housing -- North Carolina -- Asheville Poor -- North Carolina -- Asheville Asheville (N.C.) -- History Asheville (N.C.) -- Economic conditions  Asheville (N.C.) -- Economic conditions -- 20th century Urban renewal -- United States -- Finance  Federal aid to community development
Date	1970's ?
Publisher	Housing Authority of the City of Asheville
Contributor	Booklet was financed in part through a Federal advance from the Urban Renewal Administration of the Housing and Home Finance Agency under provisions of Title 1 of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended.
Type	text ; image
Format	Booklet ; 8 1/2"  x 8 1/2" ; illus.
Source	D. H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, Manuscript Collections M2007.12.44
Language	English
Relation	Is part of:  Asheville Urban Renewal Files, D. H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, UNCA.
Coverage	1960s-1970s: Asheville, NC
Rights	Any display, publication or public use must credit D. H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville. Copyright retained by the authors of certain items in the collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Donor	Donor 310 ;  City of Asheville, NC.
Description	This publication is a small booklet designed by the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville, NC, that describes the proposed project to rehabilitate, clear, and redevelop the East Riverside area.  The pamphlet is polemical, trying to persuade skeptics of the virtues of urban renewal in the East Riverside area.  It claims that all cities need to be revitalized from time to time in order to avoid growing "old and useless before their time."  It reminds readers that blight and deterioration cause "unnecessary hardships" to residents, a high "toll in human suffering," and great loss to the city.  Action should be taken now before the "blight that has already attacked some sections of East Riverside spreads and engulfs the whole neighborhood."  The pamphlet lays out the three components of urban renewal plan.  The major emphasis is on rehabilitating and conserving as many houses as possible.  Secondly, the substandard houses for which repair would be economically unfeasible will be removed.  Third, the clearing of residential land will provide for the construction of new housing.  As the pamphlet puts it, "Where shacks now stand, new, sound, attractive homes will be built."  The pamphlet assures readers that no family will be displaced "until a safe, decent and sanitary dwelling unit is made available."  All moving expenses for displaced families will be paid for, and the federal government will pay 2/3 of the cost of "redesigning East Riverside and removing the causes of blight and the threat of this area returning to a slum-like condition."
Acquisition	2007-
Citation	Asheville Urban Renewal Files, "East Riverside Asheville, N.C."  D. H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville 28804
Processed by	Special Collections staff 2008
Last update	2008-04-24

PAGE	DESCRIPTION	THUMBNAIL
East Riverside Asheville, N.C. -- FULL TEXT
cover	[Cover] East Riverside, Asheville, N.C.
inside cover	"a decent home in a decent environment" The preparation  of this pamphlet was financed in part through a Federal advance from the Urban Renewal Administration of the Housing and Home Finance Agency under provisions of Title 1 of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended.
1	Cities are a lot like people. They are born, grow up, reach maturity - and in the process, cities, like people, sometimes run down. People regain health by seeking remedies that strengthen and re-vitalize them. So it should be with cities. If their growth and development are to be maintained at a natural pace, cities from time to time need to be re-vitalized. If they are not, cities are all too apt to grow old and useless before their time. Since the turn of the century, Asheville has been steadily growing and maturing. This growth was interrupted during the Depression. The city was "hit hard"; but despite this, Asheville can be proud of its progress. Now, however, Asheville must deal with some problems that have developed along with and partially because of its growth.      Not all areas of Asheville have achieved or maintained desirable standards of living. Some neighborhoods have lagged behind; some seriously so. The East Riverside neighborhood is one of these. Once a healthy section of the City, East Riverside is now deteriorating. Portions of the housing are not in good condition, the community facilities are not adequate, many streets need to be improved, and there are flood conditions which need to be eliminated. These are serious problems. Blight and deteriorations always are. They work unnecessary hardships on those who must live in these conditions- the toll in human suffering is high. The loss to the City is great.      Steps have been taken to change these conditions. The remainder of this pamphlet explains the problems involved and the solutions proposed in redeveloping East Riverside into a first-class residential Neighborhood.
2	[Dwelling, East Asheville.]
3	Housing One of the first problems that must be tackled is the housing.  Some of it is good; some bad. The Good -- Within the neighborhood there are houses which are standard and in good condition.  These are sound homes and need no work done to them.  There are many other houses that are basically sturdy and in good condition, but they are beginning to show signs of deterioration.  They are "aging."  These homes are conservable, that is, they need only limited repairs to bring them up to standard condition. The Bad -- East Riverside has its share of poor housing.  About half of the dilapidated housing in Asheville is concentrated here.  Some of these houses are actually no more than wooden frame shacks, lacking the most basic sanitary facilities such as inside plumbing.  These houses are not only unhealthy; they are unsightly.  The yards and surrounding areas often are ill-kept.  They sometimes serve as collectors of trash, broken equipment, and other types of junk.  This is hardly a desirable environment for children to grow up in or for families to live in.  Furthermore, such conditions discourage improvements both in the neighborhood and in the residents. The need for action is now -- now before the blight that has already attacked some sections of East Riverside spreads and engulfs the whole neighborhood.  This would be a great waste, for the neighborhood is very much worth saving.
4	Streets Many streets are in need of improvement; some more so than others. The street system throughout the neighborhood is basically functional and adequate. Some streets, however, are not paved, while others have no sidewalks.  These streets are hazardous and dangerous for both motorists and pedestrians - especially children. Flooding Part of the East Riverside neighborhood is located in a flood plain; consequently flooding is a hazardous problem. The results of the flood conditions are physically damaging as well as unhealthy. There is one badly blighted commercial section, located between Depot Street and Southside Avenue, which is frequently flooded. The effects are costly both in damage done to property and in the loss of business during flooding. This entire commercial area needs to be cleared and the use of the land redesigned. Community Facilities It usually takes more than just good houses to make a neighborhood a desirable place to live. People expect a neighborhood to have adequate community facilities - such as schools, shopping and community centers, parks, play areas, etc. All these should be an integral part of the neighborhood. East Riverside is lacking in community facilities. Those that do exist do not adequately serve the neighborhood residents. There is a need for parks and playgrounds in which children can play. The school sites are limited and do not provide enough space for athletic facilities and recreational use. It has already been mentioned that the existing commercial areas are subject to flooding. In addition, many of these stores and shops are obsolete both in appearance and in the line of goods offered. Outdated and poorly located facilities such as these cannot be expected to compete with modern commercial development.
5	[View of East Asheville area.]
6	[Map] The Plan The problems in the East Riverside neighborhood were carefully studied. Upon the basis of this study, an urban renewal plan was drawn up. The main proposals of this plan are as follows: Conservation of the good housing and rehabilitation of the reparable houses Construction of new residential housing, both private and public Provisions of new, centrally-located commercial facilities which provide convenience shopping in close-in, residential areas Provision of additional community facilities such as a new Y.M.C.A. Improvement of school sites by providing more land for playgrounds and recreational areas Improvement of streets with land being set aside for proposed downtown traffic loop Elimination of badly blighted commercial section located in a flood plain Removal of substandard, dilapidated housing
7	[Map] LEGEND Residential Neighborhood Trading Area Convenience Shopping Public & Semi-Public Institutional Service Commercial
8	Housing The urban renewal plan for East Riverside proposes to retain the existing residential character of the neighborhood.  The objective will be to significantly upgrade the quality of housing.  Good housing has been recognized as such an important factor in the character of a neighborhood and the people who live in it that it has become a national objective to achieve the goal of a "decent home in a decent environment for every American family."  How can this goal be achieved in East Riverside?  The following three methods will be used: 1.  Rehabilitation and Conservation The major emphasis in the urban renewal plan is placed upon retaining as much of the housing as possible.  Much care and attention has gone into setting up a thorough rehabilitation and conservation program to assist and advise homeowners in determining the type and extent of repairs needed to bring their houses up to standard condition.  About half of the houses in East Riverside are reparable and can be saved if properly rehabilitated.  2.  Clearance The substandard houses would require such extensive repair work that it would not be economically feasible to attempt to save them.  For this reason, these houses will be removed.  3.  Redevelopment -- The Construction of New Housing, both Private and Public Since the plan calls for the clearance of a considerable amount of residential land, redevelopment of the neighborhood will mean the construction of much new housing.  Land will be made available for private residential development.  Where shacks now stand, new, sound, attractive homes will be built.
9	The plan proposes that much of the vacant land be redeveloped to provide public housing. The Public Housing Authority of Asheville proposes to build a highrise public housing complex of 100 units near Aston Park. This structure will be designed specifically for the elderly residents of the area. Another public housing development of 100 units also is proposed by the Authority to be built in the south part of the neighborhood, and it will be available to all eligible families. The plan also proposes that the urban renewal authorities make available enough land for an additional 300 units of public housing to be built as needed. Much of this public housing can be used for relocation purposes during redevelopment activities. RELOCATION Of necessity, some families and individuals will be displaced while the urban renewal plan is being carried out. No one will be required to move until a safe, decent and sanitary dwelling unit is made available. And all moving expenses will be paid for those who are displaced. A relocation office will be set up within the neighborhood. The experienced personnel staffing this office will be glad to answer questions and provide any needed assistance.
10	Improved Community Facilities Because community facilities are such an integral and important part of a neighborhood, many improvements to facilities in East Riverside are proposed. Southside Avenue has been chosen as the site for a new commercial area. This area will include modern retail facilities. The excellent location of these stores, which are within walking distance of residential areas, will provide neighborhood residents with convenience shopping. These stores will provide a variety of goods to serve the day-today needs of nearby residents. New community buildings, including a fire station, a community center, and a Y.M.C.A., will be built and located in the newly-constructed park. A new high school has recently been built as a part of a neighborhood program. It will serve the entire East Riverside Area. In addition, the site of Livingston Elementary School will be expanded to provide the much needed land for standard playgrounds and recreational areas. Improved Streets The street pattern of East Riverside will remain basically the same. Improvements will consist mainly of widening, resurfacing, and adjusting major and minor streets so that they can better accommodate traffic. Paving and sidewalks will be put in where they do not already exist. The proposed street improvements are in accordance with the recommendations of the major thoroughfare plan of Asheville. This plan proposes a future downtown traffic loop so land will be set aside in the neighborhood to provide space to build part of this loop. Elimination of Flood Conditions All stores and businesses will be removed from the flooded section of the neighborhood. This area will then be landscaped and converted to a pleasant, attractive park.
11	[Image of creek.]
12	The problems of the East Riverside neighborhood in Asheville have been carefully studied. A plan has been drawn up to solve these problems. That plan has been presented in summary form in this pamphlet. The next step is to put the plan into action - to carry out the redevelopment of East Riverside. This will cost money. The first question that you may want to ask is "where does the money come from to finance this plan?" Because East Riverside is being redeveloped through an urban renewal program the federal government will assist Asheville in meeting the cost of this program. In fact, the federal government will pay 2/3 of the net cost of redesigning East Riverside and removing the causes of blight and the threat of this area returning to a slum-like condition. The time to begin rebuilding and revitalizing East Riverside is now. Asheville is a city of progress. The success of the project in East Riverside depends upon the continuation of this spirit of progress. But, ultimately, the success of the project will depend upon you . . . the citizen. Study the plan, discuss it, support it. If you have questions or suggestions, call one of the folks listed on the opposite page. These are some of your fellow citizens who volunteered their time and talents to finding a solution to the problems of blight in Asheville.
13	BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS J. Alfred Miller, Chairman D. Bieman McKenzie, Vice Chairman Eugene C. Ochsenreiter, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer Dr. David K. Hall, Jr., Member Joseph Sternberg, Member STAFF James W. Greer, Executive Director Burnitt Bealle, Jr., Assistant Director Kent Washburn, Administrative Assistant Edward B. Henry, Relocation Supervisor Vito F. LePore, Community Renewal Advisor William T. Roland, Rehabilitation Advisor Oren L. Whitehead, Accountant Norma M. Grayson, Social Worker Gloria Lance, Cashier-Receptionist Roberta S. Elingburg, Secretary-Receptionist Leilani Littlejohn, Clerk-Typist PLANNING CONSULTANTS Eric Hill Associates, Inc. GRAPHICS C. Ross Ingram
14	[Back Cover]
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