The project has now received a total of $12,780,335 from the TDA’s Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF), making it the second largest investment in a single facility in the fund’s history.
Enka Recreation Destination establishes a dynamic recreation, sports, and greenway destination, merging tournament-quality baseball and soccer fields and creating connectivity between surrounding amenities and Buncombe County Sports Park (BCSP), which welcomes around 1.4. million visitors each year.
This new award and previous TPDF investments will be used to:
Add an ADA-compliant walking path.
Replace BCSP’s outdated playground with a universal playground that will allow people of all abilities to participate.
Renovate the existing shelter into a lighted pavilion.
Turf and light multiple fields.
Restore the park ranger office and contact station.
Complete resiliency improvements throughout BCSP.
Master Plan map and improvements for Buncombe County Sports Park
Phase II of the project is expected to be completed by June 2027. The Enka Recreation Destination Phase I, which includes the Enka Heritage Trail, is still in progress. More information abouth the trail:
Greenways
A greenway is a multi-use path located within natural corridors that is typically 10 feet wide and paved.
Buncombe County Parks & Recreation is working closely with other municipalities to develop a regional greenway system of open pathways to provide safe, equitable access to parks, schools, and communities.
Buncombe Greenways Logo
Due to the location of the greenway projects along waterways, Tropical Storm Helene impacted most of our ongoing greenway projects, the degree to which is still being determined.
In October 2024, NCDOT paused all work on the greenway projects funded by the Division 13 Locally Administered Program (LAPP). This pause allowed NCDOT to better understand the financial impact of Helene. Then, in late January 2025, Buncombe County was informed that we could proceed with the Preliminary Engineering phase of all NCDOT-funded greenway projects.
Buncombe County has obtained cost estimates from our primary consultants on the additional services required to address the impact of Helene, and we are working with NCDOT to get these additional services contracts approved and to identify funding sources for these services.
Find updates below on our ongoing greenways projects.
Woodfin Greenway: Riverside Drive/Highway 251
The Riverside Drive/Highway 251 section of the Woodfin Greenway starts at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Broadway Street and travels down the French Broad River, north to the Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD) office building at the confluence of the French Broad River and Beaverdam Creek.
This section of the greenway will be approximately 3.4 miles of paved, multi-use path.
Status Overview
Prior to Tropical Storm Helene, the 65% design plan sets were submitted and approved by NCDOT for two of the three segments of this section of the greenway. For the third segment, Buncombe County has been coordinating with the landowner (MSD) on an agreeable greenway alignment through their property. However, the approved 65% designs are being revisited to incorporate changes created by the passing of Helene through the project area. The design team was approved by NCDOT to resume work, which will start with conducting a new topographic survey.
Image: Buncombe County Government