Municipal Building Capital Repairs & Restoration
Municipal Building Capital Repairs & Restoration
The Municipal Building Capital Repairs & Restoration project is a structural repair project to demolish and replace the elevated slab floor of the Fire Station 1 apparatus bay. The existing slab is structurally insufficient to bear the load of modern day fire trucks. As a result of the slab replacement, interior spaces underneath the slab will be impacted and require renovation.
Happening Now
Construction began in September 2026. Here's what to expect:
Construction materials and equipment staging will be located in City parking spaces along Market/Eagle/Spruce streets.
There will be no impacts to special events.
Noise and minimal short term traffic impacts are limited to weekdays 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Fire and police operations will remain in service, and the police station will be open to the public.
Next Milestone: Project completion, expected in mid 2027.
Background
The Municipal Building is located at 100 Court Plaza. The two-story structure faces Pack Square Park and sits between the Jackson Building and Pack’s Tavern on the northern edge of the historic Black business district known as The Block. The Municipal Building was built in 1925 and has since been home to AFD headquarters, Fire Station 1, and Asheville Police Department (APD) headquarters. The most recent renovations to the Municipal Building were completed in 2000 and consisted of a complete renovation of the building’s interior layout and some structural reinforcement in Fire Station 1.
Now more than twenty years later, the 2023 Comprehensive Facility Study found that the Municipal Building’s major systems are in poor condition and that the Fire and Police Departments have outgrown the building. The current Municipal Building Capital Repairs & Restoration project, in addition to other planned system replacement projects, will address needed condition improvements, while the City’s Facility Master Plan will address the space constraints and operational efficiency of the building.
As part of a phase 2 of this project, the City plans to install a solar photovoltaic system at this building to support its 100% renewable energy goal.
No Interruptions to Emergency Services
Throughout construction, the Municipal Building fire and police operations will remain in service, and the police station will be open to the public. At construction start, Fire Station 1 will continue to maintain their standard of coverage with one truck still running calls from the downtown station while the other two trucks will respond from nearby stations. Community members seeking car seat installation assistance from AFD should contact the fire department through email or phone.