Two years since Tropical Storm Helene, the City continues to work actively behind the scenes to restart construction on the first extension segment of the Swannanoa River Greenway.

Here is where the project stands today:

• The planned greenway route will remain unchanged from the initial alignment.

• FEMA has officially authorized funding to rebuild lost riverbanks, repair damages in Riverbend Park, and support resilient mitigation and riverbank restoration. This step is crucial given the proximity of the planned greenway to the riverbanks impacted by Helene. The project team is currently collaborating with a design team to scope the exact design and mitigation required for the restoration process. 

• Because significant design and permitting work for the riverbank mitigation remains, we cannot pinpoint an exact construction restart date just yet. However, the City remains fully committed to completing this priority greenway project.

Stay tuned for future updates on this project.