Asheville's River Arts District has always been a place where creativity flows as strong as the French Broad River.

When Hurricane Helene tore through, it damaged nearly 80%.

Carolina Impact's Dara Khaalid and videographer Russ Hunsinger explore how the marketplace and makers work together to rebuild.

(somber music) - [Dara] It's nearly dark inside as construction workers smooth out the drywall under the beams of their portable lights.

- Today, the electrician is finishing up a lot of the last minute detail, because there was a lot of detail for him to work on.

And the drywallers are finishing inside there, prepping for paint.

- [Dara] Moving swiftly about a dozen workers are restoring Marquee Asheville, the once bustling marketplace housed inside this 50,000 square foot warehouse where people could find unique antiques, local handcrafted jewelry, and art that exuded the colorful spirit of the city.

- The Marquee was basically birthed as a place of creative community, having a marketplace of variety, things that are just kind of like over the top, things that you wouldn't see in very many places.

- [Dara] Before these stalls stood silent, divided by bare walls, and waiting for fresh paint they pulsed with life, more than 300 artists, antique dealers, makers, and small business owners filled the space drawing customers from every corner of the country.

It was the realization of a dream Robert Nicholas had been building since opening the doors in 2021.

A dream that turned an old warehouse into a vibrant community.

- We looked forward to see who was coming in that door.

If it was a familiar face or a new face that would later become a familiar face.

And you know, our artists had come walking up the ramp and you'd start smiling all the way at the bottom to the top and giving hugs.

(somber music) (tree rustling) - [Dara] But in September, 2024, Hurricane Helene's raft came rushing in, washing all of that away.

- We had about 15 feet of water, which is up on the ceiling, about three feet above the windows that you see here.

So, it was substantial.

And this wall broke out, a lot of things went out this way and was never seen again.

- [Dara] Robert says they had 120,000 items worth almost $9 million in inventory.

This was a devastating hit financially, but also, emotionally.

- It's like somebody stole it, you know?

And you're looking for parts and pieces of the memories, you know, and so, it was a great loss.

It was people's heart and soul of things they created and made.

(upbeat music) - [Dara] And one of those people is Mark Schieferstein.

Owner of Scrap Monkey, who made nearly a third of his income selling his handmade jewelry created from salvage materials at the Marquee.

- It was kind of disbelief.

It was definitely emotional.

It is pretty devastating.

- [Dara] Mark didn't salvage a single item from the building after Helene.

Thousands of dollars in merchandise gone in an instant, and the storm's toll didn't stop there.

Just a few miles away his metal shop was swallowed completely.

Yet, even in the face of such loss, Mark is determined to rebuild.

Proving that while the waters rose, his resolve runs deeper.

- You're wearing, you know, a suit and rubber gloves and a respirator trying to get your stuff out of a space that's just black mold.

- [Dara] After losing both the Marquee space and his metal shop, he refused to let Helene wash away his craft.

On his land in the quiet hills of Marshall, just steps away from his front door, Mark transformed a humble shed into a new workshop.

(gentle upbeat music) Here, surrounded by the resilience of the mountains, he's hammering out a fresh start, creating bold, geometric jewelry from materials most people throw away.

And it's not just survival, it's artistry reborn.

- We're always gonna find a way to make stuff and get stuff out to the public and keep doing what drives us every day.

- [Dara] Back at the Marquee, Mark gets a chance to return the favor of supporting another creative by choosing to be a loyal vendor.

Persevering with Robert through the reconstruction and keeping his business at the soon to open marketplace.

- For them to rebuild that is amazing.

To give like hundreds of artists an outlet to keep what they love to do going, it's a pretty monumental task.

- [Dara] Monumental, but worth it, because for Robert and many in Asheville, rising again isn't just a personal journey.

It's about joining hands with others, standing shoulder to shoulder, and living out the true spirit of resilience.

A spirit that echoes across the entire region.

For Carolina Impact, I'm Dara Khaalid.