View Designs & Share Your Feedback

Help our community move from “ideas” to “action” with your expertise in the next phase of community feedback on the Azalea area and French Broad Riverfront projects, redesigning and rebuilding these spaces heavily impacted by Helene’s floodwaters in 2024.

Community Design Workshop on February 28

• When: Saturday, February 28 from 11am to 2pm (drop-in format)
• Where: A-B Tech’s Ivy Building on 9 Genevieve Circle
• Format: Drop-in; come whenever it's convenient for you. Short presentations will occur at the top of each hour for the French Broad area project and at the half of each hour for the Azalea area project. 
• Parking: Free parking is available at the meeting location, which is accessible on the S4 ART bus route. Complimentary transit vouchers are available to attend via ART buses. Please contact neighborhoods@ashevillenc.gov to request one.
• What to Expect: Activities for children, light refreshments, and Spanish language interpretation will be provided. This event offers a first look at how the project teams translated community priorities into visual plans for a more resilient riverfront:

• Refine Details: Tell project teams what you like (and don’t like) about multiple proposed layouts and features to refine in a final unified design
• Identify Red Flags: Point out potential hidden challenges like barriers to access, emerging trends, longtime wants and needs, economic concerns, and other info only a local would know
• Create a Cohesive System: Ensure the Azalea and French Broad recovery projects work together as a cohesive, resilient riverfront to best serve our city
   

Additional Ways to Participate

• Online Feedback: Digital presentations of the concepts and feedback surveys for each project will be available on the official Riverfront Parks Recovery page from February 28 to March 16
• Focused Discussions: Register for detailed group discussions on March 2 focused on topics of Environment & Recreation and Community & Economy
• Pop-Up Events: Project teams are bringing info booths to community events and gathering spaces in early March
  • March 1, 11am-1pm: Info Booth at JBL Soccer Complex
  • March 3, 10:30am-12pm: Watch Presentation to Infrastructure Recovery Board on the City of Asheville's YouTube channel (you can also access the recording on the channel after the meeting)
  • March 7, 9-11:45am: Info Booth at SoCon Downtown Dribble + Kids Fest at Pack Square Park
  • March 9, 5:30-7:30pm: Info Booth at Music Trivia at Hi-Wire RAD
  • March 11, 1-3pm: Info Booth at Community Engagement Market at Pisgah View Apartments
  • March 12, 5-7pm: Info Booth at Ruff ‘n’ Roll at Riverbend Park

Reflecting the Community’s Voice

The design concepts being presented are the direct result of input gathered during the initial engagement phase in late 2025. During that period, residents shared their needs regarding park amenities, accessibility, and environmental restoration following catastrophic flooding from Tropical Storm Helene in 2024. See the full engagement summary from 2025 engagement here. 

View Presentation Boards from the Asheville Riverfront Recovery Open House held on December 10, 2025:

• French Broad Riverfront Recovery Project Open House Presentation Boards - A
• French Broad Riverfront Recovery Project Open House Presentation Boards - B
• French Broad Riverfront Recovery Project Open House Presentation Boards - C
• Asheville Riverfront Recovery Open House Open House Intro Presentation Boards
• Asheville Riverfront Recovery Open House Activity Presentation Boards

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
• Azalea Dog Park

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.