The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority is investing $12.4 million in several tourism capital projects throughout the county, including a highly-anticipated facility in Swannanoa’s Beacon Village.
Beacon Park, a new multi-purpose outdoor destination in Swannanoa, will receive $4.5 million, the TDA announced at its monthly meeting. The award is one of eight made this year through the TDA’s Tourism Product Development Fund.
“This is kind of us planting a flag in a new outdoor sports space, and hopefully it gives us a strategic advantage,” TDA board chairman Matthew Lehman said shortly before Wednesday’s vote.
The Beacon Park project is expected to be completed by next June. It will transform a sprawling area in downtown Swannanoa — the former Beacon Blanket Manufacturing site — into a multi-use facility including a world-class bike park, outdoor bouldering walls and a one-mile walking loop.
The bike park will be an “all-wheel” facility, meaning it will be open to bicycles, scooters and skateboards. It will be “the largest of its kind in North and South America” and is expected to draw national and international events, according to Tiffany Thacker, the TDA’s vice president of partnership and destination management.
The site will also include a large event lawn for concerts and festivals with a capacity of 4,000 people.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Buncombe County Commissioner Terri Wells said she’s excited about the Swannanoa project and thanked board members for voting to fund it.
“I’ve actually been out to Beacon Park last week and got to see the progress on it and everything." she said. "And I feel that this project is going to be transformational for that community.”
Thacker said this year’s awards emphasize three priorities for the county: large entertainment and cultural venues; sports facilities; and family-friendly experiences.
“Together, these projects represent a balanced mix of downtown expansions, outdoor recreation, sport complexes and cultural enhancements that will advance our strategic investment priorities and will generate new overnight stays, attract national events and provide long-term amenities for visitors and residents,” she said.
This year’s other awardees include:
- John B. Lewis Soccer Complex: $2,155,000. The grant was distributed in May. The East Asheville soccer complex sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Helene.
- Enka Recreation Destination: $1,975,920. The project was previously awarded funding in 2023; Buncombe County requested additional funds due to increased costs and the need for additional resiliency features after Hurricane Helene, according to the TDA.
- Warren Wilson College Aquatics Center: $1,606,000. The project will help address the shortage of indoor swimming facilities after recent pool closures in Asheville and Buncombe County.
- White Horse Black Mountain Community Patio Project: $736,537. The project will expand the multi-purpose venue’s capacity for hosting music, dance and other events.
- UNCA On-Campus Tennis Complex: $500,000. The project is aimed toward replacing tennis Asheville Racquet Club courts downtown that will be lost to demolition due to the I-26 Connector project.
- Bob Lewis Ballpark: $720,000. The funding for the baseball and softball facility in Enka will go toward new synthetic turf, fencing, parking lot improvements, new entry gates and other features. Part of the funding was expedited in May.
- Asheville Museum of Science Downtown Expansion: $189,500. The museum is doubling its footprint with an expansion into the adjacent former Wells Fargo location. The project includes demolition, site preparation, new exhibit and classroom spaces and more.
