Asheville invites public input on French Broad and Azalea riverfront designs

City officials are asking Buncombe County residents to weigh in on new design concepts for two major riverfront recovery projects as the city moves from initial outreach into a design phase. The French Broad Riverfront Parks Project and the Azalea Parks and Infrastructure Project are presenting visual plans shaped by earlier public feedback ahead of a drop-in community workshop on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.

“following a robust and productive first wave of community engagement, the City of Asheville is moving into the next phase of the French Broad Riverfront Parks Project and the Azalea Parks and Infrastructure Project,” city materials say. A community design workshop will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at A-B Tech Community College, Ivy Building, 9 Genevieve Circle, with short presentations at the top of each hour for the French Broad area and at the half hour for the Azalea area. The city says, “This event offers a first look at how the project teams have translated the community’s priorities into visual plans for a more resilient riverfront.”

The French Broad project area includes Carrier Park, French Broad River Park, Amboy Riverfront Park and Jean Webb Park, plus connected greenways and trails. The Azalea Parks sit along the Swannanoa River in East Asheville. Early public engagement included a drop-in open house on Dec. 10 at Asheville Middle School and a Riverfront Park Recovery Survey that remained open through Dec. 19, 2025. The city plans a digital presentation and online feedback survey that will be available on the project pages beginning Feb. 28 and running through March 16, 2026, along with smaller pop-up engagement stations and focused topic meetings in early March.

Parks and recreation director D. Tyrell McGirt cautioned that the work will take time and money. “It's going to take a while to get all the public engagement and get all the design elements incorporated in these really expensive build back projects,” McGirt said. “We’re talking several years.” The parks system suffered an estimated $25 million in damage from Hurricane Helene, and the projects are expected to rely on federal funds including FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the $225 million CDBG-DR grant the city received from HUD.

Community groups have pressed the city to prioritize trails and bicycle infrastructure as part of recovery. In a Dec. 5, 2025 letter to McGirt, Asheville on Bikes wrote, “Dear Mr. McGirt, On behalf of Asheville on Bikes, I want to express my appreciation for the work you and your team have done to reopen Asheville’s parks and recreation facilities following the recent devastation from Hurricane Helene.” The group has urged residents to support trails, greenways, bike parks, traffic gardens and fix-it stations when commenting.

Practical details for residents: the Feb. 28 workshop offers free parking, is accessible via the S4 ART bus route, and complimentary ART transit vouchers are available by emailing neighborhoods@ashevillenc.gov. The Asheville Buncombe Riverfront Commission will continue advising on riverfront policy and may meet as needed through June 30, 2027, for Helene-related matters.

Residents should review the designs beginning Feb. 28, take the online survey through March 16, and watch the project pages for early March pop-up dates. The feedback collected now will shape multi-year rebuild plans and funding priorities for riverfront parks and trails across Asheville.