Asheville approves $682,000 temporary rink after Carrier Park flood damage

Asheville City Council approved a $682,157 contract on June 23, 2026, to build a temporary skating rink at 50 Asheland Avenue, a city Transportation department parking lot. The project gives Buncombe County families, youth hockey players and recreational skaters a place to return while the damaged Carrier Park rink is replaced, and the temporary facility will stay open until a permanent rink is built.

The vote also moved $526,569 in Community Development Block Grant money into the General Capital Projects Fund to help pay for the rink. Asheville City Manager D.K. Wesley was authorized to approve a change order of up to 15 percent, which would push the project’s maximum cost to $784,482 if unforeseen construction issues arise.

B. Allen Construction, Inc. won the work after the city opened bids on April 23, 2026. B H Graning Landscapes, Inc. had initially been the low bidder at $496,473, but city staff disqualified that proposal after a qualifications review. The contract now moves the project forward as part of the French Broad Riverfront Parks Recovery project, with the temporary rink planned for a municipal lot next to the ART Station.

The rink is designed for recreational skating, inline hockey and other skate-related programs.

The Asheville Hockey League was formed in 2000 as the Asheville Inline Hockey League. The Carrier Park rink, built in 2001, served the community for more than 20 years before Helene flooded and severely damaged the site in September 2024. Since then, league teams have been playing in Greenville, South Carolina.

Before the storm, Carrier Park was more than a hockey venue. It also hosted monthly Skate Nights from May through October.