City’s Downtown Parking Garages to Undergo Accessibility Upgrades

Buncombe County -- September 16, 2024: Buncombe County Government Community News: The next phase of the Parking

Garage Capital Improvements project kicks off this week, focusing on accessibility upgrades in three of the City of Asheville’s downtown parking garages: Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville (HCCA) garage, Rankin Avenue garage, and Wall Street garage. This work is expected to take a total of six weeks to complete and does not impact the Biltmore Avenue garage.

The accessibility improvements phase is the second of four phases of the Parking Garage Improvements project and will create accessible parking spaces and paths of travel that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to the greatest extent feasible. The $11 million, multi-year repair and improvement project started with immediate priority repairs, which were completed earlier in 2024 and included repairs to stairwells, elevator landings and deck improvements. Following accessibility upgrades, the project will move into a high priority repairs phase, which will include waterproofing, joint seal replacements, mechanical, electrical and drainage repairs. The final phase of the project focuses on medium- priority improvements, such as replacement of HCCA north and south stairwells, replacement of framing at Wall Street elevator landings, guard rail replacements, signage and wayfinding improvements.

Construction Impacts during the Accessibility Phase (Mid September – Early November)

Accessibility work will start at the HCCA garage, followed by the Rankin Avenue garage and ending with the Wall Street garage. The City will work with the contractor to accomplish the work as quickly and efficiently as possible, while limiting disruptions to parking, sidewalk and street access with special attention to weekends and high traffic events. Communications regarding parking disruptions will be provided in advance to those impacted, including monthly passholders.

In the HCCA garage, the contractor will demolish the concrete planter at the first level exit, requiring the exit to be closed intermittently during the next couple of weeks. Detour signage will be posted directing customers to the exit at Vanderbilt Place. In place of the planter, an accessible path will connect to the sidewalk. Starting this week, the sidewalk in the immediate area adjacent to the exit onto Rankin Avenue will be closed. Pedestrian detour signage will be posted. Work will then continue to the fourth level of the HCCA garage, where several curbs will be demolished to make way for a pedestrian walk at the Vanderbilt Place entrance/exit. Leveling out the concrete adjacent to the elevators and striping for new ADA parking spaces and accessible pathways on all levels will complete the work at HCCA. 

At the Rankin garage, new accessible parking spaces will be striped, and a new accessible path and ramp out to College Avenue will be created. At the Wall Street garage, accessible parking will be relocated to the top level of the garage where the parking is the flattest and most level.