Written by John Boyle, Asheville Watchdog.
While downtown Asheville emerged largely unscathed from Tropical Storm Helene, its lack of potable water for nearly two months and a dramatic dropoff in foot traffic have led more than three dozen businesses, some that had been there for decades, to close.
The normally crowded leaf season and Christmas holidays were painfully slow. Visitation to downtown, a walkable area packed with art galleries, restaurants and shops, has declined this year – by one estimate it was down 21 percent year-to-year for a recent 30-day period…