Buncombe County -- May 19, 2026: The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will hold its first formal public hearing Tuesday evening on a sweeping federal disaster recovery proposal aimed at pumping millions of dollars into storm-damaged commercial corridors.
The county is eye-marking a share of the state’s new $111 million Commercial District Revitalization (CDR) program. Funded through federal Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) dollars, the competitive grant program offers up to $10 million per project to help local governments and nonprofits rebuild business districts devastated by Tropical Storm Helene.
The first round of state funding unlocks $40 million statewide, and Buncombe County officials are wasting no time drafting plans for hard-hit, unincorporated areas.
The financial urgency behind the push is backed by stark data. According to a local impact survey conducted by Riverbird Research, 76% of Buncombe County businesses suffered physical damage during the storm, while a staggering 93% reported direct financial losses.
Because the grant is 100% federally funded, it requires a $0 local match from the county budget—making it a high-reward avenue for regional recovery.
Three Key Corridors in the Spotlight
County staff have prescreened three initial project frameworks designed to meet strict federal guidelines, which require that the funding primarily benefit low- to moderate-income (LMI) areas and show a direct connection to storm impacts.
Swannanoa Pedestrian Infrastructure: In a vital partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the county is proposing a major pedestrian safety overhaul along U.S. 70. The project would install sidewalks and accessibility upgrades between Warren Wilson Road and Whitson Avenue, reconnecting a commercial corridor that still faces severe post-storm mobility challenges.
Commercial Corridor Remediation: This initiative targets storm-damaged business clusters in unincorporated areas. Funds would go toward debris removal, structural stabilization, facade repairs, and code enforcement to directly eliminate storm blight and clear the way for small businesses to safely reopen.
Hazard Mitigation Property Reuse: The county is also exploring innovative ways to reuse commercial properties acquired through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program buyout process. Under tight federal guidelines, these buyout zones cannot feature permanent, non-compliant structures. Instead, the county plans to transform them into greenways, passive recreation spaces, agricultural plots, or natural flood storage basins to buffer the business districts against future storms.
How to Have Your Say
Because public engagement is a strict federal prerequisite for CDBG-DR funding, county leaders have emphasized that these initial project ideas are flexible, working concepts meant to be shaped by community feedback.
Recognizing the ongoing recovery struggles across the county, officials have expanded the public comment window far beyond the standard 10-day requirement. The comment period, which opened on May 8, will run through June 5, 2026.
The first public hearing takes place tonight, Tuesday, May 19, at 5:00 PM in the Commission Chambers at 200 College Street (Suite 300) in downtown Asheville.
A tentative second public hearing is slated for July 21, 2026, giving residents another opportunity to review the finalized application before it faces the state's hard submission deadline on August 4, 2026.
Public Comment Details: Residents can submit their feedback by mail to the Buncombe County Helene Recovery Office at 200 College St., Asheville, NC 28801. Comments can also be emailed to HeleneRecovery@BuncombeNC.gov or called in to 828-250-6100. Officials request that all submissions include the phrase “Commercial District Revitalization Comment.”