ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County commissioners agreed Tuesday to partner with Appalachian Mountain Health on a $480,000 state grant supporting a new health center serving Black Mountain and Swannanoa.
The grant from the N.C. Department of Commerce would help Appalachian Mountain Health renovate a medical facility into a comprehensive health center offering primary care, dental and behavioral health services.
The center is expected to serve about 16,000 to 18,000 residents in the Black Mountain-Swannanoa corridor. County officials say the project would help fill a health care access gap created when a medical practice in the area closed in October 2025.
Appalachian Mountain Health, a federally qualified health center, purchased the East Buncombe County facility and is renovating it. The organization currently serves patients in Buncombe, Cherokee, Graham and Jackson counties.
Appalachian Mountain Health plans to invest $2.5 million in renovations at the Black Mountain-Swannanoa facility as part of a $14 million overall investment. The project was awarded a $480,000 Building Reuse Grant through the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Buncombe County Intergovernmental Relations Director Josh Hollingsworth said the facility could improve access to care in the Swannanoa Valley and reduce reliance on emergency services.
“They are looking at developing a site in our community that would improve health outcomes, reduce reliance on emergency services and really level up our health care delivery opportunities in this area,” Hollingsworth said.
The state’s Building Reuse Grant Program requires a local government to participate in the project. Buncombe County will serve as the applicant and direct recipient of the grant, with the money passed through to Appalachian Mountain Health under an economic development agreement.
The grant requires a 5% local match, or $24,000. Dogwood Health Trust has agreed to provide that money, meaning the county will pay nothing for the project, according to the county.
Commissioners on Tuesday authorized the county manager to coordinate with Appalachian Mountain Health and participate in the state grant program.
The project still has another step before the county formally accepts the grant. Commissioners are scheduled to hold a public hearing Oct. 20 and vote on the economic development agreement with Appalachian Mountain Health and a budget amendment accepting the $480,000 award.
County materials list different job-creation figures for the project, so I left the number of jobs and average wage out of the copy pending clarification. Page 2 lists 48 jobs, while page 5 lists 38 full-time positions.