New Wall Street Signage Aims to Boost Asheville Traffic
Retailers and restaurant operators look to new murals and signage to drive foot traffic after five years of decline.
Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Openings & Closings
Live Poll
Do you believe city-led beautification projects are effective at revitalizing struggling local business districts?
Business owners and local groups have completed a major placemaking initiative on Wall Street, installing new hand-forged signage and public murals. The project aims to drive foot traffic into recently opened storefronts and revitalize the street following five years of declining visitation.
Why it matters
The initiative addresses the core challenge of street-level visibility for retail and dining operators in downtown districts. By combining aesthetic improvements with a live event series, owners are attempting to convert high downtown visitor counts into direct store traffic.
Downtown Asheville saw 1 million out-of-town visits in September 2026, a 7.4% rise over the previous year. This performance, up 2.3% from 2023, provides the baseline for retailers and restaurants now operating in previously vacant Wall Street storefronts.
The players
Dayna Walton
The artist who completed the expansion of the Meander mural on the Wall Street steps and parking garage.
Explore Asheville
The regional tourism organization that provided funding for the Wall Street improvements.
Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority
A public agency responsible for directing investment toward local tourism infrastructure projects.
Asheville Downtown Association
A member-based organization that advocates for the economic development and interests of downtown merchants.
The details
The project uses physical infrastructure, including hand-forged entryway signs and an expanded mural by artist Dayna Walton, to draw pedestrians into the corridor. The strategy relies on consistent daytime programming, such as the weekday Lunchbox Live series, to build habitual foot traffic during lunch hours. This effort is a coordinated collaboration between the city, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, and the local business associations.
Timeline
2025: Asheville Forager opens on Wall Street.
September 2026: Downtown Asheville records one million out-of-town visits.
October 23, 2026: Community partners host a free public celebration.
Through November 20, 2026: Lunchbox Live music series occurs on weekdays from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Market Landscape
This project follows the established pattern of the Downtown Improvement District model, which leverages public-private funding to boost corridor visibility. It serves as a test case for whether aesthetic placemaking can effectively reverse five years of declining street-level traffic.
Operators in the district should prepare for the possibility of sustained increased foot traffic during the mid-day hours. Business owners should monitor the conversion rate of this weekday lunch crowd against the costs associated with supporting local public programming.
The takeaway
The project signals that city-backed infrastructure investments are being prioritized to stabilize commercial corridors after years of vacancy. Operators should track the correlation between the ongoing Lunchbox Live music series and their own midday customer volume to assess the strategy's ROI.
What happens next
Community partners host a free public celebration on October 23, 2026, followed by the conclusion of the Lunchbox Live music series on November 20, 2026.
Further reading
For more on the retail environment in the city, visit Asheville Openings & Closings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WLOS.
Live Poll
Do you believe city-led beautification projects are effective at revitalizing struggling local business districts?
