Something Beautiful - Rapid River Magazine

Rachel Barton Pine
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Daniel Meyer, Music Director
Suite from
Sleeping Beauty
Violin Concerto No.1
Rachel Barton Pine, violin
Symphonic
Metamorphosis
Walton Crown Imperial March
Trumpet Concerto
Mark Clodfelter, trumpet
Prayer of St. Gregory
Mark Clodfelter, trumpet
Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”
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boundary-defining
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R A P I D R I V E R A R T S
explore asheville
New Park Brings More
People Downtown
USA Today along
with numerous
national publications
ranks
Asheville as one of
the most ideal places to live
and retire in the country – a
testament that the downtown
revitalization movement
over the past 30 years
paid off. Asheville is valued
for its Art Deco buildings,
exciting performing arts
scene, diverse restaurants,
galleries, shopping centers
and now the newly finished
6.5-acre Pack Square Park.
“Locals and tourists
already tell us how
much they love the park,”
says Gary Giniat, Executive
Director of Pack Square Conservancy,
the non-profit which renovated the park.
“There are several water features, artworks
and gathering places; also, a performance
stage for outdoor concerts. Our landscape
architect, Fred Bonci of LaQuatra Bonci Associates
designed a dramatic showcase!”
Giniat, who grew up in Chicago and
resettled here in 2009, experienced firsthand
the positive impact city parks have on both
locals and visitors.
“A well designed park,” he says, “offers
a city beauty, comfort, pride and individuality.
“It’s as important to the city’s identity as
the architecture or climate. We owe a lot to
George Pack and his foresightedness.”
In 1901 philanthropist George Willis
Pack gave the county a plot of land for a new
courthouse on College Street. The terms of
his generous gift required the county to use
the land where the old courthouse stood as
a city park for people of Asheville “forever.”
The park that bears his name underwent
several transformations during the past 100
years, but remains steadfast as a symbol of
Asheville’s perseverance.
Hoss Haley fountain in Pack Square
Julia Burr railing
Talk of improving
and expanding the park’s
green space and making it
more accessible and safe
to the public was often
brought up during city
meetings and in planning
groups.
“In 1999 a water
leak under a street in
Pack Square brought the
topic out in the open once
again,” says Giniat. “Because
it required extensive
repairs to update the
waterlines people saw an
opportunity to talk about
updating the park.”
Citizens launched a discussion about
creating a more centralized and pedestrian
friendly public park incorporating Pack
Square and City-County Plaza. A lengthy
discussion ensued between the community,
business leaders and elected officials about
how to approach this problem.
The solution in October 2000 established
Pack Square Conservancy as the nonprofit
organization charged with designing,
building and funding the new park.
“The citizenry wanted vibrant street life
both for the fun of it and to attract business,”
says Giniat. “I
believe we’ve blended
the two quite well.”
The Conservancy’s
mission is to
enhance and protect
Pack Square Park as
a vital urban green
space celebrating
Asheville’s unique
historic, economic,
and cultural character.
The City oversees
the park and issues all
permits for its use.
“We plan to be
around for a long time
BY DENNIS RAY
Splasheville is
the coolest place
in town.
making certain this park continues to serve
as a showcase for our city.”
Splasheville, in front of the new stage,
is the coolest place in town, especially on a
hot day. The computerized interactive water
feature fills the park with sounds of splashing
water and laughing children.
“We come here almost every day,” says
Sharon Anderson of North Asheville. “My
kids prefer the fountain to the pubic pool and
I love just spending the day in the city. I catch
20 September 2010 — Rapid RiveR aRtS & CULtURe Magazine — Vol. 14, No. 1