Back in the day, when I taught physics, I would go to the icehouse for dry ice. It was way cool. Now that we’ve moved into the twenty-first century, people don’t need dry ice, physics, or a whole lot of other stuff, so the icehouse is vacant. It now serves as a “canvas for graffiti artists and a backdrop for fashion photographers.” That’s well and good. Mixed-use fits well with the New Urbanism of the River Arts District. Unfortunately, a third use – homicide scene – isn’t in the UDO, and it isn’t going over well with neighbors.

Assuming government might have something to do with fighting crime, the neighbors turned to Asheville City Council. Assuming who knows exactly what, the city decided it could best solve the problems by purchasing the property. With a certificate of title, the city can proceed with studying best practices for preventing future crimes.