The City of Asheville has unveiled design concepts for two major post-Helene park recovery projects along the French Broad River and in East Asheville, offering an early look at potential plans to rebuild while improving recreation, connectivity, and flood resilience.
The Azalea Parks and Infrastructure and French Broad Riverfront Parks projects are being led by global landscape architecture firms OLIN and Sasaki, respectively, and funded primarily through federal disaster relief programs.
Here’s a high-level look at what’s presented in each design:
French Broad Riverfront Parks recovery
The project’s guiding principles focus on respecting the river, balancing recreation with nature, and celebrating Asheville’s arts + culture, represented through three design concepts.
No. 1 | Respecting the River
This approach centers river restoration and nature, with more space dedicated to passive recreation programming.
No. 2 | Activate Asheville
With an emphasis on recreation, this concept prioritizes a wider variety of sports courts and fields (like futsal, a pump track, and a new velodrome), and spaces for activity.
No. 3 | Community Canvas
Connectivity is paramount here, with more gathering space, flexible activity areas, and elements like sculptures and an art market pavilion woven throughout.
Azalea Parks and Infrastructure recovery
Input from the community, recovery boards, and Asheville Parks and Recreation’s Recreate Asheville plan was used to design these two concepts, prioritizing flood resilience, connectivity, and both rebuilding and creating new recreation opportunities.
No. 1 | Restore, Protect, Connect
This approach focuses on recovery in place, repairing and rebuilding structures in their current locations while strengthening them to withstand future flooding. As additional funding becomes available, expanded trail connections and river access + restoration would be possible.
No. 2 | Reposition, Elevate, Connect
The more transformative of the two, this concept recommends moving some elements, like Recreation Park Pool, to higher ground and creating a new park hub south of the soccer fields. Like with the first concept, additional funding would allow for more amenities like new trails, a disc-golf course, and a new river access point.
Here’s where you come in
Take the online surveys through Monday, March 16, to communicate the elements most important to you in the restoration projects. The feedback will be used to create a more refined, single design for each project to present to the community later this year. The design phase for both projects is planned to last into early 2027 — construction timelines are TBD.
