Parking Garage Repair to Start with Closure Rankin Avenue Garage in August

Asheville --  Press Release City of Asheville:  Significant work is set to begin on the Rankin Avenue and Wall Street parking garages in early August. First, the Rankin Avenue garage will be closed completely for repairs for approximately one month.

Once that work is complete, the Wall Street garage will follow, also closing for repairs for about one month. The project team intends to complete work that requires closures and reopen both garages by early October. Work that does not require closures will continue through the remainder of the year.

The City recognizes the impact that parking garage closures may have on downtown visitors, businesses, residents, and employees. This approach is the safest and most efficient way to complete the necessary work at each location. Completion dates for construction are contingent on any unforeseen circumstances that may arise.

Parking availability during the closures
The City strives for minimal disruption during these closures. Parking options are available through the City of Asheville, Buncombe County, and privately owned decks and lots in the downtown area.

Other City-owned garages: While the Rankin Avenue garage is closed, drivers may use any of Asheville’s three other City-owned parking garages: Biltmore Avenue, Harrah’s Cherokee Center garage, and the Wall Street garage. These typically offer the first hour free. Once the Wall Street garage closes for repairs, the Rankin Avenue garage will be available. 
County-owned parking garages: Buncombe County has two public parking garages that provide over 1200 public parking spaces in the downtown area: the College Street Parking Deck and the Sears Alley Parking Deck. The hourly rate is $2 for the first hour, and $1 an hour after the first hour, with a daily max of $12.
On-street metered parking: Over 700 on-street metered spaces are available, generally for short-term parking (two hours or less).
Private lots: Various private parking lots are available throughout downtown.

Additionally, access cards for the City’s monthly parking accounts for the Rankin Avenue and Wall Street garages will be reprogrammed to allow access into any City-owned garage during construction. Monthly parking account holders have been notified via email.

Sequential garage closures promote safety and efficiency of the project
In May 2025, the City of Asheville announced its transition into the next phase of the Parking Garage Capital Improvements project, which will address “high priority” updates in the Rankin Avenue and Wall Street garages. These high priority updates are crucial to extending their useful life and reducing future negative impacts to daily operations. Initially the City planned to take a break in the work between garages to allow for a pause during the busy October season. However, after further developing the construction schedule, the goal is to complete the work by early October without the pause. If for any reason the work does not stay on schedule, the project team will consider a break for businesses to have a reprieve during the busy peak leaf season, if it is safe to do so. 

By sequencing the closures, the construction timeline will be significantly reduced – from 10 months down to an estimated 10 weeks total. 

Continuing improvements to City-owned garages:
The upcoming repairs and improvements are necessary to prevent further degradation of this important public infrastructure, according to the 2023 Comprehensive Parking Facility Assessment. The $11 million, multi-year repair and improvement project started with immediate priority repairs and accessibility upgrades, both completed in 2024. Following this high-priority phase, the fourth and final phase of the project will address medium-priority improvements, including replacement of Harrah’s Cherokee Center garage stairwells, concrete and waterproofing repairs at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center garage and Biltmore Avenue garages, guard rail replacements, signage and wayfinding improvements. 

Stay informed: 
The project team will provide bi-weekly updates throughout the duration of work via the project page and through direct email to individuals who subscribe on the project page, as well as stakeholders, including downtown businesses, residents and monthly parking passholders. 

More information about parking in Asheville can be found by visiting the City of Asheville Parking Services page, or find real time availability for City and County parking decks on the Asheville App.

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