A proposal by two historic WNC institutions to transform 10 acres in downtown Asheville got a unanimous thumbs-up on August 2 from Asheville's Planning & Zoning Commission. Project Aspire, unveiled in February, is a collaboration between the First Baptist Church of Asheville and the YMCA of Western North Carolina. The two organizations are neighbors and property owners along Woodfin and Oak streets.
According to the partners, the massive mixed-use project sets out to "prioritize sustainable building systems, public green spaces, and pedestrian connectivity, ensuring that the development is environmentally responsible and accessible to all." The project is being developed by Greenville, SC based The Furman Co. and includes:
- 165-300 hotel rooms
- 450-650 residential units
- 133,000-250,000 square feet of office space
- 75,000-120,000 square feet of commercial space
- A new 60,000-75,000 square YMCA
What’s next?
Pending approval by Asheville City Council, which is expected to discuss the plan during its August 22 meeting, the site will be developed in two phases over the next 10 years. The current plan estimates construction would begin near the end of 2024 or early 2025. Phase 1 would involve the development of the area between the church’s side entrance and College Street, including building the new YMCA, hotel, parking deck, green space/park, office space, and retail.
Phase 2 would develop the property between the church and the current Asheville YMCA into a mixture of affordable, workforce, and market rate housing, offices, retail, parking, and green space.
Watch the City Planning & Zoning Commission meeting.
