This is a very good example of why we need building permits from Asheville’s Citizen Times:
ASHEVILLE — The collapse of a downtown building might have been avoided if a contractor had gone through the proper permitting process, the head of the city’s Development Services Department said Friday.
Before a permit was issued, the city would have required that an engineer prepare plans that would include measures to ensure the structural integrity of the 1917 building during renovation, department head Robert Griffin said.
Odds are that following those plans would have prevented the Thursday collapse, he said.
Asheville fire officials say demolition work had been underway inside the building for about the last week.

People who heard about the collapse on Facebook gathered in a courtyard that was strewn with bricks from the collapsed building to get a look at the damage.
https://ashvegas.com/breaking-building-collapses-in-downtown-asheville-on-carolina-lane