At the May 27, 2025 meeting, Asheville City Council approved a contract with Exterior Diagnostic Services, LLC, for the next phase of the Parking Garage Capital Improvements project.
Sequential garage closures planned for critical repairs and improvements:
In order to complete necessary repairs and improvements to the City’s parking garages, temporary disruptions to parking availability are necessary and are expected to be significant during this phase of the project.
To mitigate the overall impact and maintain some parking availability, the Rankin Avenue and Wall Street garages will be fully closed, one at a time, in order to complete work in a sequential manner. The project team has determined that this approach is the safest and most efficient way to complete the upcoming work at each location. By sequencing the closures, the construction timeline will be significantly reduced – from 10 months down to an estimated 10 weeks total (4 to 6 weeks per garage).
The City recognizes the impact this will have on downtown visitors, businesses, residents, and employees. Completing this work is crucial to extending the useful life of City-owned garages and reducing future negative impacts to daily operations. Construction is anticipated to begin in August, and additional schedule details and updates will be shared as the project schedule is finalized with the contractor. The City intends to accommodate the busy fall season and holidays as much as possible.
Stay informed:
The project team will continue to provide updates throughout the duration of work via the project page and through direct email to subscribers and stakeholders, including downtown businesses, residents and monthly parking passholders. Updates will include the order of work, specific closure dates, and associated impacts as details are confirmed.
General Parking Information: Each of the City of Asheville’s four downtown garages is open for public parking 24/7 (when not under construction) and offers hourly, daily, and monthly parking. To learn more about finding parking in a downtown garage or parking lot, visit the City’s web page.
Continuing improvements to City owned garages:
The upcoming work will address “high priority” updates in the Rankin Avenue and Wall Street garages, focusing on important structural repairs including waterproofing, joint seal replacements, and mechanical, electrical and drainage repairs. These repairs were identified in a 2023 Comprehensive Parking Facility Assessment and will prolong the life of the parking facilities and improve the customer experience.
The $11 million, multi-year repair and improvement project started with immediate priority repairs and accessibility upgrades, both completed in 2024. Following the high priority phase, the fourth and final phase of the project will address medium priority improvements, including replacement of HCCA stairwells, replacement of framing at Wall Street elevator landings, guard rail replacements, signage and wayfinding improvements.