Asheville's Salvage Station to lose property to eminent domain; commits to rebuilding

ASHEVILLE - The iconic Western North Carolina music venue Salvage Station announced the 2024 season would be its last at the Riverside Drive location as the North Carolina Department of Transportation acquires the property through eminent domain for the I-26 Connector project, the venue announced May 23.

Salvage Station was founded on the 466 Riverside Drive property in 2016 and has since brought in acts like The Beach Boys, Billy Strings, Mavis Staples, Sierra Ferrell, Goose, Wilco and others to the venue that has the French Broad River as its backdrop. KC and the Sunshine Band will play at the venue on May 24.

Salvage Station Marketing Director Katie Hild told the Citizen Times on May 23 that the updated timeline for the I-26 Connector, which they recently received, came as a surprise to staff, but it wasn't a surprise that the project would eventually force the venue to close. Salvage Station is now looking for a new location, Hild told the Citizen Times.

"We're committed to rebuilding," Hild said, "we're exploring options."

"We're working with some commercial real estate agents to help us identify some possible places that would be appropriate for a venue our size," she continued.

The venue will bring Doug E. Fresh to perform on May 25 for GRINDfest, the annual festival presented by Black Wall Street AVL, a business incubator for the local Black, Indigenous and people of color community.

Hild said the venue remains committed to staff and the community, noting the venue's dedication to the "family we've built."

"We're still feeling all the feels of what this means," Hild said. "And for all of the work that we've put in and the Riverside location has been our home."

Salvage Station's owners are in "legal negotiations regarding the property and future use for the I-26 Connector North Section," NCDOT spokesperson David Uchiyama said in a statement May 23.

"NCDOT will provide property owners and business owners relocation assistance as we do for all owners and businesses," Uchiyama continued.

The music venue announced it will finish out the 2024 season before leaving the property. The company also said it is "committed to rebuilding" after vacating the property at the end of the year, issuing the following statement on Instagram and Facebook:

"Hello, to all of our dear supporters! We have some sad news to share with you regarding the latest information from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. By eminent domain, they are acquiring the property we lease at 466 Riverside Drive and have given us an official timeline. We have until the end of this year to finish our 2024 season and then must vacate the property to make way for the I-26 Connector project.

Revitalizing the now gorgeous 7 acre riverfront property, that was once a dumping ground and salvage yard, was no small feat. Danny McClinton, the owner and founder of Salvage Station, had a vision to clean and transform the property to the venue we all have come to know and love. The birth of Salvage Station has been a catalyst for growth in Asheville’s thriving music scene and a safe space for our community to gather.

We are heartbroken to pack and relocate what we have built, but our Salvage Station family is strong, and we are committed to rebuilding. Where we go is unknown, but for sure, if a salvage yard can become a nationally recognized music venue, we will certainly figure out this next chapter.

What we ask from our supporters is to check out our 2024 lineup, buy tickets, and help us make this the best year yet! Ultimately, it is the energy you bring that makes Salvage Station so incredibly special."

This story will be updated.

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: Asheville's Salvage Station to lose property for I-26 Connector