A new cat cafe and transfer facility, House of Black Cat Magic, is set to soft-open in early May at 841 Heywood Road. The venue will feature a lounge where visitors can interact with cats in need and a cat-themed retail store with books, candles, incense, and more. House of Black Cat Magic is an executive of the non-profit organization Binx’s Home for Black Cats Women, joined by Hannah Soboleski, her director, foster coordinator Shari Komo, and Star Bustamonte, senior vice president of House of Black Cat Magic. The grand opening is scheduled for Sunday, June 4, and will feature a black cat adoption event, celebrity cat stylist Kate Benjamin, and other special guests.
Living Stone Design + Build, a Black Mountain-based luxury custom homebuilder, has moved to Asheville. The firm will join sister design firm IDology Interiors and Design and organic furniture studio Atelier Maison at 121 Sweeten Creek Road in the new Asheville Design District.
Real estate agents from Weichart’s Asheville office, Brendan Dennehy, Jessica Kissos, Laura Hutchinson, Nedra Cleson, Rebecca Condry, and Rick Sharp have been honored for their outstanding performance in 2022.
The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority is accepting applications for the Tourism Products Development Fund grant until Wednesday, May 17. The fund supports tourism-based capital projects. Applicants must be a non-profit organization or government agency that has been in operation for at least two years.
South Asheville Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital has tripled the size of its facility from 9,244 square feet to 28,369 square feet. The hospital at 1836 Hendersonville Road is equipped with state-of-the-art veterinary equipment and his on-site CT, MRI, and fluoroscopic imaging. The facility also has separate intensive care units for cats and dogs and his five operating rooms.
A paved path that will connect Karen Cranyolin Park has been broken ground on. The land was the site of an automated shredding facility, considered a brownfield due to soil contamination, for the past decade, non-profit organization RiverLink has been working on soil remediation in the area. Greenway ribbon-cutting ceremonies are scheduled for mid-to-late summer.
Asheville-based artisan Colin Buxton has been tapped to lead outdoor furniture brand Blueridge Chair Works. Buxton, who has over five years of woodworking experience, will succeed Alan Davis, who has led the brand since 2002.
Ten runners representing Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministries will race the Biltmore/Kiwanis 15K/5K Classic on Sunday, May 21, to raise money for Transformation Village to provide housing and support for homeless women, children, and veterans.
The Black Mountain Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund awarded 21 grants totaling $121,630 to non-profit organizations serving western North Carolina. Among the awards were $7,500 to Habitat for Humanity in the Asheville area, $4,000 to WNC’s Big Brothers Big Sisters, $5,172.00 to the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, and $10,000 to the Black Mountain Counseling Center.
Mountain BizWorks’ Latino Catalyst cohort kicks off this month with 12 entrepreneurs selected from Henderson, Buncombe, and Transylvania counties. Delivered entirely in Spanish, this 10-month program provides continuing business and leadership skills for entrepreneurs of colour. Attendees will receive up to $2,000 to subsidize the cost of their services in business and will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with Mountain BizWorks program facilitators and mentors.
Asheville Humane Society, in partnership with the Bissell Pet Foundation, a national animal welfare organization, will waive all animal adoption fees through Sunday, May 14. An interested adopter will meet with an adoption counsellor one-on-one to confirm suitability.