Buncombe County Awarded $979,000 for Sidewalks in Swannanoa

As part of a recent round of grant awards from NC Department of Commerce, Buncombe County was awarded $979,000 from the Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program for sidewalks in Swannanoa.

Using the funds from the NC Department of Commerce, this project will repair the damaged existing sidewalk along Whitson Avenue and extend the sidewalk through the commercial area of Beacon Village.

Administered by the Commerce Department’s Rural Economic Development Division (REDD), the SmBIZ (Small Business) program is part of a $55 million initiative established by Governor Josh Stein in partnership with the General Assembly to support long-term small business recovery across western North Carolina.

The program provides grants of up to $1 million per project to local governments to rebuild damaged public infrastructure such as water, sewer, gas, telecommunications, sidewalks, and stormwater systems that are essential to the daily operations of small businesses.

“This is a big deal for our families, visitors, and small businesses,” said Daniel Lancaster, owner of Short Sleeves Coffee and a resident of Swannanoa. “Beacon Village is Swannanoa’s downtown, and as we rebuild, we’re seeing more and more folks coming to take advantage of what makes our part of the valley so special. We all know we need more sidewalks in Swannanoa to keep people safe, and this project moves us in the right direction. As a business owner, this is very exciting, and as a dad with little ones, it’s even bigger news.”

“We’re looking forward to working with the Department of Transportation on the management and construction of this project,” said Intergovernmental Affairs Economic Development Analyst E.B. Odderstol. “Improving Swannanoa’s sidewalk infrastructure will substantially contribute to the area’s recovery, revitalizing the economy and investing in the community’s future.”

Following the County’s grant management guidelines, this award will be accepted at a future public meeting of the Board.

Additional area awards from the SmBIZ Program, each no more than $1 million, also include:

• $871,649 to support the restoration of approximately 3,000 square yards of historic brick sidewalks in Biltmore Village to preserve its character and improve accessibility and flood resilience (awarded to City of Asheville)
• $968,622 to support the reconstruction of 36 ADA-accessible ramps throughout Biltmore Village to enhance pedestrian safety and access for residents, visitors, and local businesses (awarded to City of Asheville)
• $652,530 to support the replacement of approximately 2,231 linear feet (about 2/10 of a mile) of historic curbing in Biltmore Village to improve stormwater management and restore the district’s historic aesthetic (awarded to City of Asheville)
• $1 million to support the replacement of 710 linear feet of stormwater pipe along Sutton Avenue to reduce flood risk and improve community resilience and economic vitality (awarded to Town of Black Mountain)

In total, these grants to Buncombe County and three of its cities and towns come to $4,471,801, providing a well-needed addition to other Hurricane Helene recovery funds.