ASHEVILLE - A long-awaited new bridge, access roads and an industrial building opened Feb. 12 at Enka Commerce Park, capping a decade of infrastructure investment in the park by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, according to a news release from the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County.
County investments totaling more than $10 million supported construction of the bridge overpass and recently completed Enka Heritage Parkway, as well as Bob Lewis Sports Park and design planning for the Hominy Creek Greenway.
Enka Commerce Park in western Asheville, off of Smokey Park Highway and partially located in both the city and county, was established in 2000 by Fletcher Partners following its acquisition of about 200 acres.
It was the site of rayon manufacturer American Enka Co., which spanned some 2,200 acres and employed over 7,000 residents until its closure in 1985.
Now, it is home to 15 major employers, including the Freudenberg Group, Haakon Industries, Magnera, New Belgium Brewing, Southeastern Container, TSA Choice and Wicked Weed Brewing.
The newly completed bridge and access roads "represent critical infrastructure improvements that will divert commercial freight and truck traffic from nearby Sand Hill Road while addressing traffic congestion and enhancing accessibility for workers, residents, emergency services and local schools," the release said.
The bridge itself was built in 2016, but without the interior access roads to tie into the park, it languished. Some referred to it as the "bridge to nowhere."
"It was a long time coming is probably the best thing to say about that connection," Clark Duncan, executive director of the Economic Development Coalition, told the Citizen Times.
Asheville City Council approved a conditional zoning request for the property in January 2023. Greensboro-based Samet Corp. heads the development of the 45.5-acre parcel, which includes construction of three industrial buildings totaling over 600,000 square feet and a commitment to preserve the site's iconic brick clock tower.
The clock tower is a 14-story, nearly 100-year-old feature of the region, part of the original rayon factory, Duncan said. While in "significant disrepair," Samet has committed to restore it and "make it an architectural feature of their development," he said.
The first of the three buildings is available for lease.
"Our challenge, to state the obvious in Western North Carolina, is we just can't continue to grow in concentric circles on flat land. So, identifying acreage for high-wage advanced manufacturing has always been a challenge, and seeing the revitalization of a brownfield and a former manufacturing site like Enka is hugely important," Duncan said of the park's continued expansion.
The first of Samet's buildings was a "speculative build," meaning it was constructed without a formal commitment from an end user, though Duncan said they are actively entertaining leases.
Some of the land at the commerce park is being used temporarily as a storm debris management site.
This infrastructure improvement project was made possible through the contributions of several funding partners, including Buncombe County, the N.C. Department of Transportation, the Appalachian Regional Council, and the Fletcher Partners, the release said.
Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email [email protected] or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.