ASHEVILLE – The city is poised to begin the formal design process to create a “cultural corridor” between bustling Pack Square and The Block, the historic center of Asheville’s Black business district.

The district runs parallel to Biltmore Avenue, but can find itself disconnected from the hubbub of other streets in Asheville’s downtown, those densely populated with bars, restaurants and breweries.

A study of the area found narrow sidewalks, low tree canopy and dense street parking make South Market Street, which ties Pack Square to The Block, look “more like a parking lot than a walkable and appealing public street.”

As a business owner noted previously, from the other main connection to The Block, turning off Biltmore Avenue to head down Eagle Street, it “looks like an alleyway.” The district’s 2022 neighborhood plan flags similar challenges, including visibility, slow foot traffic and gateways to The Block that are not “visually inviting.”

The Block was part of the historically Black East End neighborhood prior to urban renewal, a federally funded program that began in the 1960s, devastating Black neighborhoods and shuttering businesses.

The Block is still anchored by the YMI, one of the oldest Black cultural centers in the country. The 132-year-old building reopened earlier this year after multimillion-dollar renovations. The district encompasses 20-plus businesses and two housing communities, according to the neighborhood’s site, and remains not only part of Asheville’s history, but a “vibrant hub for Black entrepreneurship, community engagement, and gatherings.”