Council punts West Asheville APD resource center relocation
The Asheville Police Department will wait at least another month to relocate its West Asheville base from Haywood Road to the Tanger Outlets on Brevard Road. Asheville City Council removed a 10-year lease agreement for the new location from the consent agenda during its Tuesday meeting.
As outlined in a city staff report, the new police resource center would more than double the current 1,800 square feet facility at 970 Haywood Road. Tanger Outlets has also renovated the space at its own expense of roughly $1 million, offering APD greater security and capacity than officers have at the current building, which was originally built as a library in 1953. Asheville’s rent for the new base would start at $6,000 per month, with a total estimated cost of about $837,000 over the 10-year term.
Council had originally planned to vote on the lease last month but postponed the move after hearing concerns from West Asheville organizations. The area has been a locus of public safety complaints in recent months, particularly regarding panhandling and homelessness. Council members did not address the additional postponement during the meeting, although member Kim Roney subsequently told BPR that the city hoped to have more conversations with neighborhood groups…