Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department

Asheville Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts (APRCA)- Home

Below you will find our “How to links” - designed to guide you to the most requested information.  You may also use the Index or Site Map or Search the City of Asheville
websiteto find the information you need.

How To Links | APRCA Index | APRCA Section Map

Department Overview

Open spaces, parks, recreation and cultural arts provide opportunities for living, learning and leading a full and productive life. Parks and recreation benefit individuals and neighborhoods while having a positive impact on economic growth and environmental preservation.
Asheville Parks and Recreation maintains 54 public parks, 6 miles of greenways, 11 community centers, numerous programs for youth, seniors and outdoor enthusiasts, a comprehensive athletics program, and many facilities that provide resources for a range of activities.

Speakers Bureau
Some department staff are available to speak to community groups on a variety of topics. These may include: Park Planning and Development, Public Art, Recreation Programs, and Senior Programs, to name a few. To request a speaker, call Frank McGowan, Superintendent of Business Services, at 259-5811 or send an e-mail to fmcgowan@ashevillenc.gov
Please be specific in your request and provide at least a month of lead time for staff to adjust their schedules accordingly.

Public Comment

The Asheville Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department invites comment on City related issues that impact our Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts community.  Please check this page periodically  for topics that concern your neighborhoods and our community at large.

News & Current Events

Outdoor Event In-Kind Support Proposals Now Being Accepted for FY 2010-2011
The City of Asheville is committed to delivering an excellent quality of service to enhance the community’s quality of life.  As part of this commitment, the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department has established a procedure to request in-kind support for community events that provide a recreational, community-focused activity that the City does not currently provide to its residents.

The Request for Proposal is open to all organizations and individuals who wish to receive in-kind support from the City of Asheville for an event occurring between the dates of July 1, 2010 and
June 30, 2011, and whose event meets the minimum eligibility requirements.

Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 23, 2009. Click Here  for more information.

Bid Requests and RFP's

Recreation Center at Livingston St. Park

Advertisement for Bids for Construction of Foundation and Basement for Oakley Modular

Advertisement for Bids for Transporation and Setting of Oakley Modular

Municipal Golf Course Back 9 Irrigation System

Contact Information
Roderick Simmons, Director
Main office location: Asheville City Hall, Fourth Floor, 70 Court Plaza
Mailing address: P.O. Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28802
Phone: (828) 259-5800
E-mail:parks@ashevillenc.gov

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Department History

The City of Asheville began park and recreation services in the late 1890s with the construction of Riverside, Montford and Aston Parks. Shortly after, Recreation Park, McCormick Field and the Municipal Golf Course were added to the system. With a growing park system, the City developed the Parks and Playgrounds Division under the Public Works Department.

Augusta L. Barnett was appointed the first director of the Parks and Recreation Department in 1956. Although Barnett made significant improvements to recreation programs, she did not have the luxury of having quality facilities, and was forced to use schools and YMCA facilities to house programs.

After Barnett's retirement in 1971, Ray L. Kisiah became the director. During his tenure, Parks and Recreation experienced tremendous growth due to the abundance of federal funds to support public parks and recreation facilities throughout the United States. In all, over $5.2 million of non-city funds renovated existing facilities and built new ones.

Kisiah retired in 1995 and Irby Brinson was named director. In 1994, Parks and Recreation became the first municipal recreation department to receive national accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies and was re-accredited in 2004.

In 1997, Parks and Recreation began upgrading Asheville's parks and recreation system by developing the first long-range comprehensive master plan, the Asheville Parks and Recreation 2015 Comprehensive Master Plan and the Asheville Greenways Master Plan in 1998. Both serve as the guide to improvements to existing facilities and addition of new, greenway development, land acquisition, expansion of services and staff, and development of funding opportunities.

The National Recreation and Parks Association named Asheville Parks and Recreation the Gold Medal winner in 2002. Top-notch departments from around the country vie for the award each year in four different categories based on population size.

In 2005, the City of Asheville received significant recreation facilities from Buncombe County as part of the water agreement negotiations. The Municipal Golf Course, Nature Center, McCormick Field, Aston Park and Recreation Park joined the Asheville Parks and Recreation family.

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Vision & Master Plan

The City of Asheville Parks, Recreation, Cultural Arts and Greenways Master Plan was completed in 2009 to guide how the City provides these services over the next several years.

For information about the master plan contact the City of Asheville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Art Department at (828) 259-5800 or parks@ashevillenc.gov.

Master Plan Documents

• Asheville FINAL Report
• Asheville FINAL Executive Summary

Appendicies:

• Appendix I Demographics and Trends
• Appendix II Focus Groups Summary
• Appendix III Cost Recovery Pyramid Methodology
• Appendix IV GRASP History and Methodology
• Appendix V Asheville Park and Facility Inventory and GRASP A
• Appendix XI.Description of Parks
• Appendix VII Alternative Funding
• Appendix VIII Sample Partnership Policy
• Appendix IX Sample Sponsorship Policy
• Appendix X Example Park Development Menu List and Walkability

Maps:

• Map A Asheville Regional
• Perspective A Neighborhood Access to Components
• Perspective B Walkable Access to Components
• Perspective C Neighborhood Access Indoor Facilities
• Perspective D Neighborhood Access Parks & Outdoor Facilities
• Perspective E Neighborhood Access Trails
• Recommendation Map
• Resource Map B System Inventory Map
• Resource Map C Sub Area Map
• Greenways Recommendation Map

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