The renovations needed at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium were well-known for many years to anyone who’s worked or performed there. Now, with the heating and air conditioning system out of order, the auditorium is closed at least until next spring and possibly longer. That’s forced a scramble to move some shows into the neighboring Harrah’s Cherokee Center. Still, the economic impact of lost shows is expected to be in the millions.

Chris Corl, Director of Community and Regional Entertainment Facilities for Asheville, lays out the condition of the auditorium, the timeline for repairs and the costs of closure that go beyond financial. We get into the deeper issues that have plagued the auditorium for decades and what a state-of-the-art auditorium could mean for Asheville.

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