OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Project Aspire Update - April 2024
Project Aspire Update - February 2024
BPR/WCQS Interview - February 14, 2023
WLOS Story - February 13, 2023

Campus Mission Plan: Project Aspire

First Baptist Church of Asheville, YMCA of WNC partner to build workforce housing, new YMCA, and more to benefit community

Asheville, Feb. 13, 2023 – First Baptist Church of Asheville (FBCA) and the YMCA of Western North Carolina (YMCA) are uniting on a bold and unprecedented project to develop their neighboring properties as a walkable urban village that helps meet community needs for affordable workforce housing, early childhood development and education, health and well-being, and more.

Between them, the church and the YMCA own approximately 10 acres in downtown Asheville at the eastern gateway of the central business district. With the working name “Project Aspire,” these mission-based organizations hope to transform their shared landscape for the next 100 years of community service.

The design will prioritize sustainable building systems, public green spaces, and pedestrian connectivity, ensuring that the development is environmentally responsible and accessible to all. It will feature:

  • affordable and market-rate housing options 

  • new state-of-the art YMCA

  • business incubation space

  • green spaces and outdoor gathering areas

  • hospitality with meeting space

  • office buildings

  • community-oriented retail shops

  • restaurants

  • ample structured parking

“We understand the importance of designing a community that reflects the diversity of Asheville and creates a sense of belonging for all residents. Our commitment to inclusiveness and our passion for excellence has led us to numerous points of outreach and will guide us as we work towards realizing this vision,” said Mack Dennis, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Asheville.

These plans are consistent with community goals identified in the Living Asheville Plan and are in line with the charitable missions of FBCA and the YMCA. Both organizations are nonprofits with common values, including community engagement and seeking to help Asheville flourish. Both are concerned about issues of justice, equity, and healthy living. As neighbors for more than five decades, they believe working together will help them serve for generations to come.

“Our goal is to create a dynamic and inclusive environment where people can live, work, and play in downtown Asheville, making it a destination not just for guests and visitors, but for the residents of the greater Asheville community as well,” said Paul Vest, president and CEO of the YMCA of Western North Carolina. “This plan also allows the Asheville YMCA to stay open during construction of a new state-of-the-art YMCA.”

The lead real estate development partner is the Furman Co. from Greenville, S.C. Together the partners have presented a conceptual masterplan in a conditional zoning application to the City of Asheville. 

“The final design will be the result of careful consideration of community feedback, regulatory requirements, and best practices in urban planning,” said Steve Navarro, president of the Furman Co. “Our commitment to excellence and our commitment to the residents of Asheville will guide us as we work towards realizing this vision.”

The development plans will address many community issues and has been conceived in partnership with leaders from the City of Asheville, Buncombe County, and non-governmental organizations to align with the Living Asheville plan. The church and the Y have been discussing their plans with a variety of neighborhood and civic groups, potential partners, and other nonprofits to gain valuable insight and to ensure the plan meets community needs. These discussions will continue as the project moves forward.

The site will be developed in two phases over the next 10 years. The soonest construction would start is the end of 2024 to the beginning of 2025. Phase 1 would involve the development of the area between the church’s side entrance and College Street, including building the new YMCA, hotel, parking deck, green space/park, office space, and retail. Phase 2, projected to begin in at completion of Phase I, will develop the property between the front doors of the church and the current Asheville YMCA. That area will become a mixture of affordable, workforce, and market rate housing, offices, retail, parking, and green space.

First Baptist Church of Asheville’s historic structure will not move or be altered in any way. The new Y will be built between Charlotte Street, Oak Street, and Woodfin Street, and the existing Asheville Y on Woodfin Street will remain open during construction.

Project Aspire FAQ

What’s being planned?
First Baptist Church of Asheville (FBCA) and the YMCA of Western North Carolina (YMCA) are uniting on “Project Aspire,” a bold and unprecedented plan to develop their neighboring properties as a walkable urban village that helps meet community needs for:

  • affordable workforce housing

  • early childhood development and education

  • new state-of-the art YMCA

  • business incubation space

  • healthy food distribution

  • green space

  • outdoor gathering areas

  • hospitality with meeting space

  • office buildings

  • retail shops

  • restaurants

  • ample structured parking

These plans are consistent with community goals identified in the Living Asheville Plan and are in line with the charitable missions of FBCA and the YMCA. Both organizations are nonprofits with common values, including community engagement and seeking to help our city flourish. Both are concerned about issues of justice, equity, and healthy living. As neighbors for more than five decades, they believe working together will help them serve for generations to come.

The YMCA of WNC has been researching options for improving the Asheville Y since 2008. When FBCA began working on its current Campus Mission Plan, it quickly became apparent that the neighbors’ goals were aligned. The church and the Y entered into a cooperative partnership five years ago, and have been working on a mutual development plan for their adjacent downtown properties ever since.

Where is the project?
The 10-acre site is bordered by I-240, Charlotte Street, College Street, Oak Street, Woodfin Street, and Central Avenue. It sits at the gateway into downtown Asheville from Tunnel Road.

What will the urban village look like?
The goal is to create a welcoming, walkable gathering place for locals and visitors alike. The developers are sensitive to the unique architectural heritage of downtown Asheville, and plan a complementary design that incorporates outdoor spaces, green building, and modern amenities. Designs are preliminary and subject to change, and citizens of Asheville will continue to have input.

How many affordable housing units are planned?
Our hope is that a substantial amount of the mixed-use housing will be dedicated to affordable housing. Our hope is that at least 100 units of the mixed-use housing will be dedicated to affordable housing.

What’s the projected timeline?
The site will be developed in two phases over the next 10 years. The soonest construction would start is the end of 2024 to the beginning of 2025. Phase 1 would involve the development of the area between the church’s side entrance and College Street, including building the new YMCA, hotel, parking deck, green space/park, office space, and retail. Phase 2, projected to begin in at completion of Phase I, will develop the property between the front doors of the church and the current Asheville YMCA. That area will become a mixture of affordable, workforce, and market rate housing, offices, retail, parking, and green space.

How will the project be funded?
In addition to private investment, community fundraising, philanthropy, public/private partnerships, and economic development incentives, grants and tax credits are essential to the success of this innovative development plan. Because both the church and the Y are tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, developing this property creates more opportunities for community investment that will increase the local tax base.

How is community input being considered?
The development plans will address many community issues and has been conceived in partnership with leaders from the City of Asheville, Buncombe County, and non-governmental organizations to align with the Living Asheville plan. The church and the Y have been discussing their plans with a variety of neighborhood and civic groups, potential partners, and other nonprofits to gain valuable insight and to ensure the plan meets community needs. These discussions will continue as the project moves forward.

Will the church be altered?
First Baptist Church of Asheville’s historic structure will not move or be altered in any way.

Where will the new YMCA be built? 
The new Y will be built between Charlotte Street, Oak Street, and Woodfin Street.

Will the current Y be open during construction?
The existing Asheville Y on Woodfin Street will remain open during construction. 

How big will the new Y be, and what amenities will it have?
The new Y will be similar in size to the current Y, approximately 65,000 to 70,000 square feet, but with a much more efficient footprint. There will be more room for programming than the current facility has. At minimum, there will be two pools, a gym, ample group exercise studio space, and rooftop workout areas, in addition to spaces for youth development and community gatherings. Other details are in the planning stages.

Do you have details about the hospitality partner?
The proposed hotel site is located in District A of the City of Asheville’s 2021 Hotel Development Study, an area zoned for hotels, and will conform to ordinance standards. First Baptist Church of Asheville owns this site and is in discussions with several potential partners. The emphasis is on high-priority public benefits such as living wages and green building.

How will this project affect traffic?
It’s too soon to say to what degree traffic will be affected, although it will increase. A traffic study will be completed per city requirements and all city and NCDOT requirements and recommendations will be followed. It is important to note that the development plan contemplates structured parking, an important objective identified by Asheville citizens.

Who are the development partners?
The lead partner is The Furman Co., a real estate development firm based in Greenville, S.C. Furman specializes in urban adaptive reuse projects that drive the revitalization of communities and neighborhoods. The church and the YMCA engaged Perkins & Will, an 80-year-old global architectural firm, for master planning. The YMCA has also engaged Gro (Gro-Dev) to help plan its new facility.

The FBCA Journey
First Baptist Church of Asheville is poised to become the heart of a thriving new downtown neighborhood.

On May 1, 2022, our congregation approved a concept for bringing back the Oak Street Neighborhood  — a proposal that would bring much hope for the future of our congregation and for downtown Asheville.

The proposed development would transform our city block into a flourishing new neighborhood with a missional focus on affordable housing, childcare, wellness, hunger relief, the arts, and small business opportunities. Our church will have an opportunity to discern how revenues generated from the project can support an array of missional opportunities for our community and congregation.

At this point in the conceptual process, there are several possibilities for our shared space, and it would be premature to speculate on the final plans. 

But first and foremost, why have we undertaken this journey?

In 2018, the Deacons issued a charge to a dozen of our fellow church members to

  • Study the future of the One Oak facility and the options of renovation and/or additional development of the site

  • Explore new ways to meet Asheville’s needs by collaborating with community partners

  • Increase revenues to help sustain FBCA’s long-term mission outreach objectives, including upgrades to facilities we share with the community

  • Expand parking options

As the initial evaluation began, we learned that our next-door neighbor, the Asheville branch of the YMCA of Western North Carolina, was already discerning development options for their downtown property. Subsequent discussions and dreaming resulted in a cooperative partnership between our organizations, culminating in this extraordinary plan to address the needs of the church, the YMCA and downtown Asheville.

The plan, which is consistent with community goals identified in the Living Asheville Plan, holds the potential for both the church and the Y to expand our respective missions to the community through affordable housing and other community-minded initiatives. The plan allows our congregation to respond to Jesus’ call to “love your neighbor as yourself,” and to seek the common good of our beloved hometown.

A few key points to pique your interest

  • Affordable housing is a central, missional part of the plan, and housing for several hundred families would be a centerpiece of this planned neighborhood

  • FBCA incurs little risk and no permanent debt during the development

  • FBCA would sell just 1/2 acre from our 7+ acre property

  • Two parcels on either side of our facilities (adjacent to the atrium entrance and sanctuary entrance) would go under a long-term, income-generating ground lease, with potential over time to achieve sustainable long-term revenue growth to help us address our own facility needs and further expand our ministry programs

  • The well respected and experienced Furman Company of Greenville, SC, would be our partner to manage the development and leasing activities.

The project, as it is currently proposed, will take approximately seven years to fully realize and is generally thought of in two phases.

PHASE I

  • The property beyond the current first row of parking near the Atrium entrance could be redeveloped to include a new facility for our partners at the YMCA, a parking deck, office and retail space and housing.

  • On the 1/2 acre sold, a commercial structure that would include significant housing could be constructed under approved uses already allowed by the City.

PHASE II (which would begin only after the new facilities for the YMCA have been completed and are available for their occupancy)

  • Includes development of property beyond the Sanctuary entrance down through and including the current YMCA property.

  • Features the majority of affordable housing units, office buildings and retail (possibly including entrepreneurial and business incubator spaces), wrapping around the base of a second parking garage and green space in a walkable, village setting.

Other thoughts

Bricks and mortar are only one part of the overall plan. In our assessment of the possibilities, we have discovered that the Y and FBCA are effectively kindred spirits in ministry. We have several common interests that could be combined or expanded to provide new, life-changing programs. These might include childcare, hunger relief, the Academy for the Arts and the proposed First Shine Learning Center. We believe the opportunities to partner with other downtown churches to share resources and programming can reach a broad swath of our historically disenfranchised and marginalized neighbors.

So, you can see why we are using words like bold and historic.

This project would be the single largest infusion of affordable housing ever proposed and built in our city. The use of space would enhance the lives of our nearest neighbors and would be a truly affordable residential community, centrally located, and designed for residents to live, work and enjoy all that downtown Asheville has to offer.

Step out in faith and imagine our beloved and beautiful sanctuary right in the midst of a new community of residents, workers, shoppers, walkers and visitors. What we see is a restored and thriving community, one that is akin to the title and message of Samuel Wells’ inspiring book, A Future That’s Bigger Than the Past; Towards the Renewal of the Church.