ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Asheville City Council on Tuesday approved a contract with Exterior Diagnostic Services, LLC, for the next phase of the city’s Parking Garage Capital Improvements project.
The work will require temporary closures of the Rankin Avenue and Wall Street parking garages, which will be shut down one at a time to allow for critical repairs and upgrades. City officials said the sequential closures are the safest and most efficient approach, allowing the project timeline to be cut from 10 months to about 10 weeks, with each garage closed for about four to six weeks.
The closures are expected to significantly impact parking availability in downtown Asheville. City officials acknowledged the disruptions for visitors, residents, businesses and employees, but emphasized the importance of the repairs in extending the lifespan of the city-owned garages and minimizing future operational interruptions.
Construction is expected to begin in August. The city said it will release more detailed scheduling information as it finalizes the project timeline with the contractor and will work to limit disruption during the busy fall and holiday seasons.
Stay informed
The project team will provide updates throughout the work via the project page and through direct email to subscribers and stakeholders, including downtown businesses, residents and monthly parking passholders. Updates will include the order of work, specific closure dates and associated impacts as details are confirmed.
General parking information
Each of the city’s four downtown garages is open for public parking 24/7 (when not under construction) and offers hourly, daily and monthly parking. To learn more about downtown parking, visit the city’s web page.
Continuing improvements to city-owned garages
The upcoming work will address “high priority” updates in the Rankin Avenue and Wall Street garages, focusing on structural repairs including waterproofing, joint seal replacements and mechanical, electrical and drainage repairs. These repairs were identified in a 2023 Comprehensive Parking Facility Assessment and will prolong the life of the parking facilities and improve the customer experience.
The $11 million, multi-year repair and improvement project started with immediate priority repairs and accessibility upgrades, both completed in 2024. Following the high priority phase, the fourth and final phase of the project will address medium priority improvements, including replacement of HCCA stairwells, replacement of framing at Wall Street elevator landings, guard rail replacements, signage and wayfinding improvements.