ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Just seven months after launching its ambassador program, the Asheville Downtown Improvement District says it has completed more than 67,000 service tasks aimed at keeping downtown cleaner, more welcoming and better connected to businesses and visitors.
The figures, released in the organization’s 2025 annual report, offer the first detailed look at the work performed by the district since ambassadors officially began providing supplemental cleaning, maintenance and hospitality services on June 2, 2025.
The Asheville Downtown Improvement District, known as ADID, was created by the Asheville City Council in 2024 as a municipal service district funded by a special property tax on downtown property owners. The Asheville Downtown Association manages the district under contract with the city.
According to the report released in January, ambassadors worked from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily, providing street cleaning, graffiti removal, visitor assistance, business outreach and connections to social services. The ambassador program emphasizes hospitality and coordination rather than law enforcement.
“Our funding priorities for the upcoming year will not change, reflecting our ongoing commitment to the core services that support a thriving Downtown,” Asheville Downtown Association Deputy Director Erica Waltemade said in a statement.
The report covers work performed from June through December 2025 and says ambassadors completed thousands of cleaning and maintenance tasks while also serving as a visible presence throughout downtown.
By the numbers
From June through December 2025, ADID reported:
- 21,276 litter and debris removal tasks
- 19,416 sidewalk sweeping tasks
- 5,756 community engagement contacts
- 4,231 business check-ins
- 3,737 graffiti removals
- 2,011 needle and drug paraphernalia disposals
- 1,489 landscaping tasks
- 1,479 bulk item removals
- 1,473 public trash can cleanings
- 1,435 flower basket maintenance visits
- 434 wellness checks
- 418 human waste cleanup calls
- 42 calls to 911
- 37 non-emergency calls to public safety agencies.
In addition to daily operations, ADID highlighted several special projects, including seasonal lighting displays in Pritchard Park, Pack Square and Triangle Park, installation of 47 hanging flower baskets along Lexington Avenue and around Pritchard Park, and public placemaking events.
The report also emphasizes ambassador training in mental health first aid, de-escalation, Narcan administration, customer service and trauma-informed engagement. ADID says ambassadors are intended to serve as a care- and coordination-based resource rather than an enforcement agency.
Financially, the organization reported nearly $1.2 million in revenue during 2025, primarily from Business Improvement District assessments, and finished the year with a net income of about $163,450.
The annual report also outlines plans for 2026, including launching a State of Downtown survey, expanding online and text-based service requests, continuing development of a three-year Downtown Business Resiliency Strategy and strengthening coordination with city departments and community partners.
The district’s operations are expected to expand as revenues increase.
According to city officials, the BID is expected to generate about $1.8 million during the next fiscal year, including approximately $1.4 million from the district’s property tax and about $400,000 in sales tax revenue.
The city said all revenue generated by the district must be spent on services within the downtown municipal service district and cannot replace existing city services. Property tax revenue is used directly by ADID to provide supplemental downtown services, while the sales tax allocation will support downtown events, holiday parades and police personnel assigned specifically to downtown operations.
The BID operates through a separate city fund and is not part of Asheville’s General Fund. City officials said they have not considered using BID revenue for projects outside the district and there are no planned changes to the district’s tax rate or core services in fiscal year 2027.
According to the city, BID revenue totaled $1.43 million during fiscal year 2025, while collections have reached $1.68 million so far during fiscal year 2026.
