Asheville Unveils Design Concepts for Riverfront Park Rebuild Projects

Community input sought on plans to restore flood-damaged parks and improve recreation, connectivity, and resilience.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 7:09pm

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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. The projects, led by landscape architecture firms OLIN and Sasaki, focus on respecting the river, balancing recreation with nature, and celebrating Asheville's arts and culture. The public is invited to provide feedback on the design concepts through online surveys to help shape the final plans.

Why it matters

These riverfront park rebuild projects are crucial for Asheville's recovery from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, which caused significant damage to the city's recreational spaces. The designs aim to not only restore the parks but also enhance their resilience, connectivity, and community value, positioning them as important assets for Asheville's future.

The details

The French Broad Riverfront Parks project features three design concepts, each with a different focus: respecting the river, activating Asheville, and creating a community canvas. The Azalea Parks and Infrastructure project has two concepts, one centered on restoring and protecting existing structures, and the other on repositioning and elevating certain elements to better withstand future flooding. Both projects incorporate feedback from the community, recovery boards, and Asheville Parks and Recreation's Recreate Asheville plan.

  • The design phase for both projects is planned to last into early 2027.
  • The public is invited to provide feedback on the design concepts through online surveys until Monday, March 16, 2026.

The players

OLIN

A global landscape architecture firm leading the design of the French Broad Riverfront Parks project.

Sasaki

A global landscape architecture firm leading the design of the Azalea Parks and Infrastructure project.

Asheville Parks and Recreation

The department responsible for the Recreate Asheville plan, which informed the design concepts for the park rebuild projects.

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What’s next

The public is invited to take the online surveys through Monday, March 16, 2026 to provide feedback on the design concepts. The design phase for both projects is planned to last into early 2027, with construction timelines to be determined.

The takeaway

These riverfront park rebuild projects represent a critical opportunity for Asheville to not only recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene but also enhance the city's recreational spaces, connectivity, and resilience to future natural disasters. By incorporating community input, the final designs aim to create parks that better serve the needs and values of Asheville residents.