ASHEVILLE – Historic tannery buildings that survived major floods, fires and the shifting economy of American leather production might again have new life supporting the Asheville-based artists who revived them over the last 30 years.
In November, two buildings that comprise Riverview Station were sold by longtime owners Helaine Greene and Trudy Gould to the Ohio-based GBX Group, which has announced its plans to rebuild and bring artists back to the building. The sale marks another forward step for a district that has been steadily rebuilding since Tropical Storm Helene, as district leaders have sought to maintain its identity near the French Broad River, which crested at nearly 25 feet during the storm.
The sale also ends 30 years of local ownership that helped shape and define Asheville’s River Arts District. The complex has since been listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the new “Hans Rees’ Sons Tannery Historic District.”…