This news item expired on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
Pack Memorial Library's North Carolina Room is putting on a six-part series on the last Wednesday of every month focusing on significant historical events that took place in downtown Asheville. These events all took place between the 60's and 80's, so if you want to take part in this interactive discussion series, you should definitely attend.
The next event is Wednesday, May 25th with the discussion Businesses, Restaurants, and Food Stores. The moderator will be Rob Pulleyn with panel member Pete Aposolopoulos. It will take place in the Lord Auditorium on the bottom floor of Pack Memorial Library in downtown Asheville.
In the late 60's and 70's all America's downtown business districts dwindled as large, national chains headed towards "the mall." Asheville was no different, but interesting things were going on downtown in the late 70's and throughout the 80's. Lower rents and sagging property values lured entrepreneurial/pioneering small businesses and restaurants to join long-standing downtown small businesses and make downtown the vibrant and viable place we now see around us.
For more information about this event, or for more information about the rest of the series, visit buncombecounty.org/library. You can also call the library at 828.250.4700.