McCormick Field Renovation Nears Finish With Mural, Signage Awaiting Council Approval

The 18-month Centennial Restoration of McCormick Field is down to its finishing details, and those details now sit with Asheville City Council. A proposed mural and updated wayfinding signage are pending formal council approval in April, the last significant municipal hurdle before the renovated ballpark at 30 Buchanan Place opens for the Asheville Tourists' 2026 season.

The restoration has been described as one of the largest public-private projects in recent Asheville memory, with funding drawn from a multi-million-dollar pool that includes contributions from Buncombe County and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. The City of Asheville owns the stadium; the Asheville Tourists operate it under an arrangement that underpins the ballpark's long-term financial model.

City and team officials have been coordinating the art and wayfinding plans through the project's final phase. The signage proposals, which shape how fans and first-time visitors navigate the venue, will be formally presented to Council for a vote. The timing of that approval carries real weight: a delay could push back the stadium's ability to host larger non-baseball programming, including concerts, community events, and private rentals that city and county leaders have cited as central to the venue's year-round value.

McCormick Field's restoration has always been about more than baseball. Officials have framed the renovation as a strategy to convert the historic ballpark into a downtown neighborhood anchor that generates economic activity across the calendar, not only on game days. The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority's involvement underscores that calculation: the venue's appeal to visitors is tied directly to the county's broader tourism revenue.

The mural, once approved, will become one of the most visible public art installations near downtown Asheville. Its design and placement, alongside the new signage system, represent the project's final design decisions before what amounts to a century-defining renovation of one of Minor League Baseball's most storied parks reaches its conclusion.