Azalea Parks and Infrastructure Recovery
Azalea Parks and Infrastructure Recovery
The City of Asheville is restoring parks and infrastructure assets on Azalea Road that were damaged in September 2024 by Hurricane Helene.
Open House: French Broad and Azalea Riverfront Recovery Projects
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet both of the project teams, learn more about each project’s goals, and provide input that will guide design principles moving forward. Activities for children, light refreshments, and Spanish language interpretation will be provided.
Happening Now
The City of Asheville invites the public to share input that will help shape the trajectory of two significant riverfront recovery projects: the French Broad Riverfront Parks Project and the Azalea Parks and Infrastructure Project.
Join us at our drop-in Open House:
When: Wednesday, December 10, 2025, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Where: Asheville Middle School Cafeteria at 211 South French Broad Avenue
Parking: Free parking is available at the meeting location, which is accessible on the S4 ART bus route.
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet both of the project teams, learn more about each project’s goals, and provide input that will guide design principles moving forward. Activities for children, light refreshments, and Spanish language interpretation will be provided.
Can’t Make It?
Those unable to attend the open house can still provide feedback and meet members of the project team:
Take the Online Survey: An online survey is available November 24 through December 19.
Community Gathering Spots: Find project team members at community events in December
Saturday, December 13, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.: Wilma Dykeman Greenway pop-up
Saturday, December 13, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.: WNC Nature Center pop-up
A Transparent Approach to Building Back Resiliently
The City of Asheville is committed to keeping residents informed about this community investment every step of the way. Open communication is key to a successful project, and progress should be celebrated together as neighbors. We encourage the public to provide input in the current planning stage for these important park and infrastructure improvements. Input opportunities at this initial stage are intentionally designed to capture a wide understanding of public needs. The project teams will report back what they heard in early 2026. Future input opportunities will be more refined as the project progresses through later design stages.
Next Milestone: Construction to kick off in 2028
Using a phased approach, public access will be maximized throughout the duration of the project, allowing as many amenities as possible to be open for public use.
See the Neighborhood Access tab on this page for information about the temporary Gashes Creek Bridge replacement and any traffic control measures related to traffic volume in the area.
Project Background
On September 27, 2024, Tropical Storm Helene caused catastrophic damage to the region. Areas closest to the waterways were hardest hit with flooding, including the area historically dubbed as “Asheville’s Playground” that is home to recreation facilities and important transportation infrastructure along the Swannanoa River and Azalea Road. City-owned assets addressed in this project include but are not limited to:
Gashes Creek Bridge and Dam
Recreation Park (including public swimming pool and bathhouse)
Outdoor Recreation Facility (formerly Mama T’s)
John B. Lewis (JBL) Soccer Complex Building
Azalea Road East
Project Area Map
Funding and Overall Recovery Strategy
The City of Asheville is sequencing recovery projects strategically to ensure an efficient and effective rebuilding process.
Cost recovery through federal disaster relief funding programs is essential in making this project possible. The City of Asheville seeks to accomplish this primarily through the FEMA Public Assistance Program, with significant supplemental funding from the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) program. Additional funding sources may include the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, grants from other agencies or partners, and local capital fund dollars. The kick off of the Azalea Parks and Infrastructure Recovery project follows RFQ postings for rebuilding the French Broad Riverfront, repairs to the Municipal Golf Course, and a project to improve water treatment plants. Alongside these relatively complex projects, smaller repairs are being made to other City-owned parks, streets, and facilities. Active examples include roof repairs to the Municipal Building and Thomas Wolfe Auditorium and an assessment of Historic Biltmore Village street lights damaged by the storm.
In conjunction with storm recovery efforts, the City continues to advance its Capital Improvement Plan as well as bond projects. The integration of these initiatives ensures a coordinated effort to strengthen Asheville’s infrastructure and economic stability.
For more information on storm recovery in Asheville, visit ashevillerecovers.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using a phased approach, public access will be maximized throughout the duration of the project, allowing as many amenities as possible to be open for public use. Depending on the severity of the damage, some parks and greenways facilities may be cleaned and stabilized enough to allow temporary reopening.
JBL Complex: Under the City’s current lease agreement with Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association (ABYSA), ABYSA is responsible for maintenance and repair of fields at the JBL Complex. The City continues to work with ABYSA to provide quality fields for recreational and tournament soccer. It is anticipated that the athletic fields will open for use well before the Azalea Parks and Infrastructure Recovery project is complete.
Cost recovery through federal disaster relief funding programs is essential in making this project possible. The City of Asheville seeks to accomplish this primarily through the FEMA Public Assistance Program, with significant supplemental funding from the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) program. Additional funding sources may include the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, grants from other agencies or partners, and local capital fund dollars.
All proposed replacement or improvement components of this project will need to comply with the current state, local and federal codes and standards.
Public input and community collaboration will be essential for project success. The City of Asheville will work with the selected design team to map out public engagement opportunities and determine how input will be incorporated into the project. Please stay tuned for updates on public involvement opportunities, and subscribe to this project to receive project-related news via email.
Previous Updates
November 13, 2025: JBL Programming to Remain at Reduced capacity Through Mid-January
October 31, 2025: Programming to Restart Nov. 2 at JBL Complex at a Reduced Capacity
October 15, 2025: City Council Approves Azalea Parks and Infrastructure Recovery Project Phase 2 of Design Contract
September 10, 2025: Azalea Parks and Infrastructure Recovery Project Moves into Phase 1 of Design
Aug. 27, 2025: City of Asheville partners with NCDOT to build temporary bridge next to storm-damaged Gashes Creek Bridge
Contact
Pete Wall
Assistant Parks and Recreation Director
pwall@ashevillenc.gov
Dustin Clemens
Capital Projects Division Manager
dclemens@ashevillenc.gov