$900K Townhomes Set to Break Ground on Asheville’s Charlotte Street by End of Year

$900K Townhomes Set to Break Ground on Asheville’s Charlotte Street by End of Year

ASHEVILLE, NC — After years of delays and neighborhood frustrations, developers are now preparing to break ground on a set of $900,000 townhomes along Charlotte Street in Asheville by the end of 2025.

The project, led by RCG-Killian Chestnut Residential Properties, has secured reservations on its first six townhomes and obtained updated building permits. The long-vacant lot sits between Chesnut and Baird streets, where 12 historic homes were demolished in 2022.

A Controversial History

While plans for a much larger mixed-use apartment project were initially proposed, that concept was scrapped. The current plan involves a phased buildout of 18 townhomes, reduced from a previous 19-unit design after an earlier permit expired.

Residents, like Vikki Silverman, who lives across from the lot, say they’ve watched the land sit unused for years — often overgrown and occasionally visited by utility trucks.

“Right now snakes and other wildlife can get in there,” Silverman told WLOS. “This is a children’s park right here, it’s not a safe situation.”

The new building permit issued in September 2024 is valid until December 2027, giving the developers a longer timeline to complete the build.

Frustration Over Delays and Public Nuisance

While some residents welcome the construction, others have grown weary of the long timeline and lack of upkeep.

“With weeds growing, people dropping trash — it’s a public nuisance,” said Gina Trippi, co-owner of Metro Wines nearby. She criticized the city’s hands-off approach, noting that Asheville lacks enforcement mechanisms compared to cities like San Francisco, where stalled development is more aggressively handled.

Trippi isn’t alone. The area includes several other vacant or underutilized lots, including the former Fuddruckers site and a lot near I-240, both of which remain untouched.

Developer Cites Market Pressures

Payne Kassinger with Kassinger Group, another stakeholder involved in local real estate, explained that while original conditional zoning was approved over four years ago, the timeline lapsed in October 2023.

“Due to rising interest rates and increasing costs, we’ve decided to postpone,” Kassinger said in a statement, but added that they hope for improvements by late 2025 or early 2026.

Despite the delays, interest in high-end Asheville housing remains strong, and developers believe the Charlotte Street project will attract buyers looking for proximity to downtown and a modern aesthetic.

Are long-delayed projects like this helping or hurting Asheville’s neighborhoods? Drop your take in the comments — and stay informed with more North Carolina updates at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *