Walton Street Park

In collaboration with the Southside community, the City of Asheville aims to revitalize and preserve the historic character of Walton Street Pool by retaining key architectural elements and honoring its legacy through a vibrant reimagined use that integrates modern amenities while respecting the pool and bathhouse's historic fabric to serve the surrounding neighborhood and be enjoyed for generations to come.

Renderings created based on your feedback for the next exciting phase of revitalizing Walton Street Park are ready for your review! This phase encompasses repurposing the historic pool area, building on previous phases that brought a new playground, paved walking loop, additional lighting and safety enhancements, and mural on the rebuilt basketball court to honor this special space’s continued legacy for modern use and future generations.

Now it’s your turn to take a look. As you scroll through the concepts below, imagine how you would utilize spaces found within each of them. The goal isn’t to choose one idea over the other, but to combine preferred elements from each of them to refine the final design.

Idea #1 emphasizes active recreation and historical commemoration with a performance stage, outdoor fitness equipment, hopscotch and foursquare courts, chronological timeline along the pool’s depth progression highlighting key events and people in Southside’s history, outdoor kitchen with large community dining table, food truck and vendor space, and gathering areas. A full renovation of the pool house will provide modern flexible event and programming space with the entrance on the south side of the building.

aerial rendering of design with sample images to represent activities

artistic renderings of the concept emphasizing shade and historical commemoration

Idea #2 emphasizes passive recreation and historical commemoration with outdoor gallery space for artwork display, trick ramps for skating and skateboarding, covered open air classroom and instructional area, a plaza with water art and commemorative columns invoking the space’s former life as a swimming pool, outdoor kitchen with large community dining table, food truck and vendor space, and gathering areas. A full renovation of the pool house will provide modern flexible event and programming space with the entrance on the north side of the building.

aerial rendering of design with sample images to represent activities

artistic renderings of the concept emphasizing recreation and historical commemoration

Thank you for your continued engagement on the revitalization of Walton Street Park! Your valuable insights from the community survey have already helped shape the ideas above.

As you imagine yourself in the different spaces, please let us know which ones you're most drawn to. We welcome any additional feedback you would like to provide on the ideas. This is a direct opportunity to provide essential input to ensure the project stays focused on your community’s vision to repurpose the space for modern use and honor its rich legacy for future generations. The goal isn’t to choose one idea over the other, but to combine preferred elements from each of them to refine the final design.

Previous Updates

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Project Prioritization

Balancing the historical significance of Walton Street Park and the neighborhood’s need for modern recreation opportunities and community spaces, the Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) recently completed a number of park enhancements include resurfacing the basketball court, replacing and modernizing the playground, converting the ballfield to an open area that can be used for multiple sports and activities, and installing a lighted paved walk and roll loop while advocating for funding for the pool and bathhouse area.

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Determine Funding Sources

Asheville voters overwhelmingly approved a general obligation (GO) bond referendum in November allocating up to $20 million for parks and recreation improvements throughout the city including improvements to Walton Street Park.

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Community Engagement and Visioning

Driven by a Southside United Neighborhood Association steering committee, community members, City of Asheville staff, and design professionals work together to define expectations and develop a realistic vision for pool and bathhouse area.

View the Walton Street Park Community Engagement Report (2025).

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Project Design

Professional project managers translate community engagement and visioning into a design that incorporates environmental compliance, building codes, cost estimation, and other requirements. The goal is to reflect the community’s views in balance with feasibility with an emphasis on preserving the legacy of Walton Street Park.

This is the most technical phase and may include complexities such as right of way acquisition, utility relocation, and multiple levels of review, which can cause setbacks to the original timeline.

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Project Construction

Upon design approval, the City of Asheville advertises and selects a construction firm. Once the construction contract is approved by City Council, construction can begin!

City staff stay in touch with community members about what to expect throughout construction. Projects often experience delays during the construction phase due to weather, unexpected discoveries, or supply chain and labor shortages.

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Project Completion

The community's vision becomes reality.

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Maintenance and Operation

APR executes a maintenance and operation plan to protect this new community asset for years to come.

Contact Information

Rebecca Cipriano, Project Manager

Capital Management

rciprinao@ashevillenc.gov

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