Asheland Avenue Development
Asheland Avenue Development
***UPDATE: The City Council vote originally scheduled for February 23rd regarding the sale of the land to the Haywood Street Congregation has been pulled from the agenda. Please see the City's press release for more information***
On February 23, 2021, Asheville City Council will hear Haywood Street Congregation’s proposal to build 42 permanently affordable apartments on a 1.09 acre, city-owned site located on Asheland Avenue in the South French Broad neighborhood. Council will be asked to vote on whether the City should enter into a contract to sell the land for $1.00 to Haywood Street Congregation for this affordable housing development.
Haywood Street Congregation’s proposal is to build a 42-unit apartment building with 24 one-bedroom, 12 two-bedroom, and 6 three-bedroom apartments, with an additional 5,500+/- square feet of community space. These apartments would be permanently affordable for people making 80% and below of the Area Median Income (AMI).
It's important to acknowledge that the land on the Asheland site was obtained by the City through urban renewal. The City also holds a number of other parcels associated with urban renewal. Recognizing the harm that urban renewal did to the Black community, City Council passed a resolution (20-184) that committed to holding on to these properties until the future Reparations Commission could direct the City on the most just and equitable way of dealing with them. However, the Asheland Avenue site and another site were excluded from the resolution. The Asheland site was excluded because the proposal was under staff review for the purpose of affordable housing. The City wants to hear from you on this issue, and we encourage comments on this survey that can help expand the discussion on this property and its connection to urban renewal.
There are three upcoming City Council decisions that are required for this project to be approved:
- Land Sale – scheduled at Council for February 23, 2021 (upcoming meeting agenda)
- Housing Trust Fund $1 million – schedule TBD, Spring/Summer 2021
- Requires additional review with a full application by the Housing and Community Development Committee before City Council
- Conditional Zoning / Zoning Approval – schedule TBD, Spring/Summer 2021
- Requires review by the Technical Review Committee and the Planning and Zoning Commission before City Council
The City of Asheville appreciates your input on this project. Please answer the questions in the survey below to help guide staff in their decision-making. For more detailed information on this project, please visit the Asheland Avenue Development project page on the City website.