Answer Man: Warehouses north of Salvage Station gone? What's the plan for the property?

ASHEVILLE - Two warehouses just north of Asheville's famed Salvage Station music venue were recently torn down. A reader asks: What's the plan for those lots? Wouldn't it be nice to have a space to enjoy the river right there?

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Question: We are wondering what the future plans are for the lots next to the Salvage Station. So nice to see those crumbling buildings being torn down and the lots completely cleared.

Answer: This property at 472 Riverside Drive has been the subject of several columns over the years, where readers have periodically reached out to express concern or interest about the clutter and dilapidated warehouses on the property.

The city of Asheville's legal department and Planning and Urban Design department got involved to administer the clean-up of the location, which had been full of old construction materials. A 2016 Answer Man declared "Halleluiah!" for the property clean-up, a process that had been on and off since 2003.

The warehouses, which had been rated as being of "unsound condition" by Buncombe County appraisers, were recently torn down by the new property owners — the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

The nearly 5-acre property was purchased by NCDOT from Mars Hill residents Bernard and Katheryn Coates in 2023 for a whopping $3.8 million, with the intent of developing the property as part of the I-26 Connector project.

Bernard Coates, 76, said he was "probably the first" to see his land purchased as a result of the I-26 Connector project for this section. Though he first believed the property was worth $1 million an acre, Coates eventually settled on what he said was a "fair price."

"I agreeably settled with them," Coates said of the property sale, which is tax appraised at nearly $1.6 million.

After purchasing the property in the late 90s, Coates had previously used the property's two tobacco warehouses, built in 1964, as storage for his business and said that he "didn't use it as a storage unit."

In the transaction, NCDOT states the property is to become part of the north route connecting to U.S. 19/23/70, which is part of "Section B" of the I-26 Connector project, though it also includes areas of "Section D."

Section B is the largest and most expensive part of the project that will connect I-26 in southwest Asheville to U.S. 19/23/70 in northwest Asheville — cutting out highway traffic from Patton Avenue and creating new connections over the French Broad north of the Bowen Bridge.

Section D is a subsection of Section B and includes adding improvements to Riverside Drive from Hill Street to Broadway Street, according to the NCDOT I-26 Connector Record of Decision.

I-26 Connector spokesperson Stephanie Johnson confirmed the location had been purchased as part of the project and also stated that NCDOT is "going through the eminent domain process" for surrounding properties, which will include Salvage Station.

Salvage Station Marketing Director Katie Hild agreed that the property north of the venue "most certainly looks nicer" since the warehouses were torn down.

Hild noted that NCDOT has been in touch, but expressed a sentiment similar to other businesses, such as Jackson's Western Store: NCDOT's timeline is unclear.

"All we can do right now is to continue being a music venue," Hild said, noting that several big names like The Beach Boys, Steep Canyon Rangers and Trombone Shorty are coming to the venue later this summer. The venue plans to continue operating as usual, with some booking dates up-to October currently available.

Hild also noted the venue has provided an outlet for several upcoming charity events in the community. Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh will also perform live at the venue later this month to support GRINDfest, an annual festival presented by Black Wall Street AVL, a business incubator for the local Black, Indigenous and people of color community.

"A lot of these are charity events that are happening, and they're great concerts," Hild said.

As the I-26 bid release gets closer, expect me to follow-up with NCDOT, Salvage Station and other property owners who might be impacted by the connector project.

More: Jackson's Western Store plans to move down Patton Avenue as Asheville I-26 bid progresses

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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Answer Man: Warehouses next to Salvage Station gone? What's the plan?