Downtown is the economic hub for Asheville and a five-county area. We’re booming. We’re growing. We’re attracting millions of tourists and are featured on dozens of top ten lists. How do we ensure we grow responsibly? How do we ensure businesses that have helped establish our downtown have a voice and are prioritized in how we grow and what we need?

Last year over 200 businesses responded to the first Downtown Asheville Business Census, a collaborative effort led by the Downtown Commission’s Local Living Economy Committee, Asheville Downtown Association (ADA), Asheville Grown Business Alliance (AGBA) and Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR). Results of the survey, including business size, employment, goods & services, and collective needs, were shared with Council, city leadership, organizations, funders, boards and commissions, and the public. See this link for a snapshot of results and actions taken in 2018. The group is back with the 2nd annual Downtown Business Census and invites downtown businesses to share feedback about 2018 to help guide us in growing our downtown for all in 2019.