Slowly but surely, Asheville is moving forward on repairing the parks that have remained out of commission for more than a year and a half due to Hurricane Helene.
On Sat., Feb. 28, the city will reveal three possible designs for the French Broad River Park system and two designs for Azalea Park at A-B Tech’s Ivy Building from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include presentations from city staff and have stations that showcase artistic and technical renderings of the various proposals.
Despite much asking, the city wouldn't share the designs with BPR in advance – but Peter Wall, Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation, said the plans are largely based on a community survey conducted at the end of 2025.
According to survey results, residents are eager to see the swimming pool at Azalea Park repaired, as well as the return of the Carrier Park Velodrome. There’s also a strong desire to see more flood-resilient facilities in both park systems.
Wall said he’s relying on the public to bring their best ideas to the event.
“You know, what do you like about some of these features, about their locations?” he said. “What don't you like? Are there things that maybe our consultant team missed that you were expecting to see?”
Helene caused $25 million in damage to the parks system in total. Most other parks, including Richmond HIll, have reopened already, but the riverfront parks are undergoing a lengthier recovery process due to their cost and complexity, said D. Tyrell McGirt, the city’s parks and recreation director.
To pay for repairs, the city will rely on a combination of federal funding, including FEMA’s Public Assistance Program and a $225 million Helene recovery grant.
Wall said the city has been communicating with FEMA regularly about getting funding for the repairs. “We feel like we're on an aggressive timeline to get obligations from FEMA to support the project,” he added.
Starting Saturday, the public can access the plans online. The city will accept feedback on park proposals through March 16, before compiling all of them into one unified plan. The design phase will go through early 2027.
