ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — A controversial $700 million development project in downtown Asheville has been paused.
Kimberly Collins grew up in Asheville. Her mother built a home in the historic East End/Valley Street community, a historically Black neighborhood just a few blocks from downtown. She is part of a group of residents in the community who have been fighting against Project Aspire, a development proposal in their neighborhood that includes construction of a 20-story hotel.
“Our main angst against this whole project was the hotel,” said Collins. “A 20-story hotel looming over our community as if we don’t have enough hotels in this community.”
Collins said she and other residents were pleased to learn Friday, May 24, that Project Aspire, a development proposal with a 20-story hotel along Charlotte and College Streets, has been put on hold.
A spokesperson for the YMCA of Western North Carolina associated with the project confirmed the news to News 13.
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“I think that a pause is great,” said Collins said Friday of the 10-acre development that also included a proposed 19-story office building. “We hope the pause will give us all an opportunity to come back to the table.”
Last September, Collins and other community members spoke out against the project just days before Asheville City Councilors green-lighted it for Greenville-based developer Steve Navarro.
Navarro was emphatic during hearings that the project wasn’t financially viable without the high-rise hotel.
Kimberly Collins disagreed.
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“He didn’t have to have a 20-story hotel. He could have built a hotel reconfigured with the same amount of rooms to bring in the income to fund the project,” Collins said. “The developer wanted it to be the tallest building in Asheville, so that’s really what that was about.”
Navarro was selected by the two property-owning entities, the downtown YMCA of Western North Carolina and First Baptist Church, to develop the site. As part of the project, the YMCA was going to get new facilities and a new building. The hotel was going to go on property owned by First Baptist Church.
Maryo Ratcliffe, YMCA’s vice president of marketing, said in a statement to News 13 that the pause on the project developed after an inability to fund a parking deck.
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“After mutual review, our organizations are pausing to re-evaluate our options to ensure that we maximize our opportunities for the greatest impact on our members and the community at large,” wrote Ratcliffe.
Below is the full statement:
“First Baptist Church of Asheville and the YMCA of Western North Carolina have worked together for over five years on a bold plan to reimagine our neighboring properties for greater community benefit, a concept that came to be known as Project Aspire. Since announcing our plans, we have been encouraged by the community’s support for our audacious goal to create a space where local people could afford to live, work, and play in the heart of Asheville.
A project of this scope requires extraordinary due diligence, careful planning, and public-private partnerships, all of which take time. After many months of work on a PPP agreement, a strategy to fund parking has proven elusive. After mutual review, our organizations are pausing to re-evaluate our options to ensure that we maximize our opportunities for the greatest impact on our members and the community at large.
First Baptist and the Y are still determined to be a catalyst for local community benefit and economic development. The values and priorities we share – including health and wellness services, childcare, affordable housing, and other essential amenities – are unchanged.
In the meantime, both of our organizations are moving forward. First Baptist is committed to maintaining and preserving its national historic landmark and related facilities, and the Y is committed to the idea of building a state-of-the-art wellness facility to serve all.
Our future plans will adapt and evolve as we continue to explore funding strategies and have further discussions with neighbors and community members about their needs. The friendship our organizations have developed is strong, and we are confident we will continue to work together for positive change for years to come.
We have no further statement at this time.”
