ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — During the Asheville City Council meeting tonight, a temporary skating rink was approved for construction in a $682,157 contract with B. Allen Construction, Inc. The temporary rink will be built on Asheland Avenue in downtown Asheville.
Following extensive damage to Carrier Park by Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024, Asheville has been without a public skating rink for over a year and a half. While Carrier Park undergoes restoration, Asheville City Council approved a temporary skating rink for construction at 50 Asheland Avenue, a surface parking lot owned by the city Transportation department. The rink will be used for hockey, public skating and other skate-related programs.
The project will require demolition, grading and paving to be completed at the site before the skating rink can be erected.
Bumpy bidding
However, according to a staff report, B H Graning Landscapes were disqualified from consideration after an investigation into their qualifications, which revealed that the company had previously been terminated from a City Public Works project on Sept. 3, 2025, on account of “a lack of work progress, poor quality work, improper equipment, failure to adhere to City standards and poor communication.”…