Biltmore Village Businesses Struggle 18 Months After Tropical Storm Helene

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Several business owners in Biltmore Village, a historic commercial district in Asheville, North Carolina, told city council that recovery efforts from Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024 are lagging behind other areas of the city. They described an uneven, block-by-block recovery that has left visitors walking down darkened streets, stumbling over broken sidewalks, and passing boarded-up buildings, which they say is shaping negative perceptions of the city's comeback at a time when leaders are trying to restore tourism, jobs, and tax revenue.

Why it matters

Biltmore Village is a major tourist destination in Asheville, located across from the entrance to the Biltmore Estate, the city's biggest tourist attraction. The slow pace of recovery in this historic commercial district could have significant economic impacts on the city as it tries to bounce back from the destruction caused by Tropical Storm Helene.

The details

Several business owners, including Vanessa Salomo, co-owner of the Corner Kitchen restaurant, told the Asheville City Council that many Biltmore Village businesses remain closed or are struggling to recover 18 months after Tropical Storm Helene struck in September 2024. They said the district was among the hardest-hit parts of the city, and that the lack of progress on sidewalk, lighting, and infrastructure repairs is shaping negative perceptions of the city's comeback efforts.

• Tropical Storm Helene struck Asheville in September 2024.
• It has been 18 months since the storm hit.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The Asheville City Council will need to address the concerns raised by Biltmore Village business owners and develop a plan to accelerate the recovery efforts in the historic commercial district.