SWANNANOA, N.C. (828NewsNow) — Beacon Park developers held a news conference on Nov. 9 at the 42-acre site, giving an update on the construction progress and the anticipated date of completion, which is now only months away.
Casey Watkins, the co‑founder of Beacon Village and the founder/board chair of the Beacon Foundation, told reporters that construction of the outdoor recreation facility was going smoothly, and it’s expected to be completed and open to the public by the spring of 2027.
The park is being built on the site that was formerly home to the Beacon Manufacturing Company textile mill site, which holds special ties to Watkins — his grandparents were once employees at Beacon Manufacturing. At one time, it was one of the world’s largest blanket manufactures. In 2003, a fire destroyed the mill site, which was left abandoned for more that 20 years.
“When the buildings were lost to the fire, it left behind much more than an empty piece of land. It left a whole in the heart of this community,” he said. “For a long time, we questioned what could become of this place that meant so much to so many people, and our answer is Beacon Park.”
Watkins and his team are bringing the site back to life with the multi-use park, estimated to cost $12 million. It will feature an 8 1/2-acre bike park, which Watkins said will be the largest paved bike park in the Americas. There will also be one-mile walking trail; climbing walls and an event lawn with artificial grass which can seat thousands of people for future concert events.
“I grew up here in Swannanoa and have really deep roots here in the Valley. So just being up here and getting to share with you guys a little bit more of a formal idea of what we’re doing is really meaningful to me,” he said. “We’re not trying to recreate what was
Prior to Watkins addressing the media, a video presentation talked about the history of the site. Firefighters talked about the devastation of the fire, and other community members talked about when Helene hit and how the community came together to help others.
Watkins talked about how Beacon Manufacturing supported families throughout the years and essentially “put Swannanoa on the map.”
The video presentation had a one-word title: “Revival.” That one word is what Watkins and his team want for this site, he said.
Watkins said the $12 million project is being backed by a $4.5 million grant from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. The funding comes from a combination of public tourism dollars and private investment, according to the Beacon Foundation.
More information about the park and the Beacon Foundation is available at the Beacon Foundation website.