Council to Vote on Riverside Drive Nature Preserve Lease
Asheville City Council will consider a 15-year, $1-per-year lease of the vacant Ice House property to RiverLink.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Commercial
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Asheville City Council will vote on Nov. 10 on a 15-year lease of 91 Riverside Drive to RiverLink, which would convert the vacant acre into a nature preserve with art installations. The property was previously targeted for affordable housing.
Why it matters
The Ice House site faced major development obstacles, including a brownfields agreement, a nearby railroad right-of-way, and required smokestack preservation. The lease reflects uncertainty about flooding risk in Asheville's 100-year floodplain after Tropical Storm Helene.
The 1-acre site was bought by the city for $625,000 in 2012 and later targeted for at least 80 housing units under a $52,000 plan. The proposed lease would charge RiverLink $1 per year for 15 years, and the final decision remains pending the Council vote.
The players
RiverLink
RiverLink is a Asheville-based nonprofit focused on the French Broad River and river park development.
Asheville City Council
The Asheville City Council is the municipal governing body that owns the property and will vote on the lease.
The details
RiverLink would take over site maintenance and remove invasive species to establish a resilient urban forest and meadow on part of the property. The concept includes art installations, and work would begin by early 2027 if Council approves the lease.
Timeline
2012: City purchased the Ice House site for $625,000.
2014: City commissioned the Riverside Drive Redevelopment Plan.
2018: A study flagged the site as the preferred location for creative workforce housing.
September 2019: Asheville passed an affordable housing policy for city-owned land.
Nov. 10: Asheville City Council will vote on the RiverLink lease.
Seasonal Patterns
The proposal marks a departure from Asheville's September 2019 affordable housing policy for city-owned land, which had prioritized housing on this same parcel. The shift toward a conservation use reflects how flood risk assessments after Tropical Storm Helene are reshaping decisions about the River Arts District.
Residents near the River Arts District may see a conservation preserve replace a vacant lot if the lease is approved. The lease would keep the site in public use without a city capital outlay for development over its 15-year term.
The takeaway
Long-term public land decisions in flood-prone areas often hinge on hazard evaluation as much as development goals. Readers following the River Arts District should watch how the Council weighs these risks at its Nov. 10 meeting.
What happens next
The Asheville City Council will vote on the RiverLink lease on Nov. 10, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more Commercial real estate coverage for context on how city-owned property decisions are made.
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