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<br />
<br />In 1997, the City of Asheville, in partnership with the NCEMD, proposed to acquire
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<br />seven commercial parcels, totaling 7,25 acres, and eight buildings, all located in the
<br />
<br />floodway, Using $2,1 million in HMGP funds, the proposal is to demolish and
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<br />remove 114,653 square feet of commercial space and add the property to the City's
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<br />green infrastructure of parks and green ways, The project is a mitigation success for
<br />
<br />several reasons:
<br />
<br />. A cost-benefit analysis performed bJ: the NCOl1D determined that each dollar
<br />invested \.vill result in more than (V\,'O dollars in savings from damages
<br />avoided.31
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<br />It sets a precedent for the acquisition of commercial
<br />structures as a viable mitigation strategy.
<br />
<br />. The project demonstrates that commercial acquisition
<br />can be an integral feature of a !ong~term mitigation
<br />strategy. and that impacted businesses should be active
<br />partners.
<br />
<br />. Public and private functs will be leveraged to support other acquisitions
<br />necessary [Q meet the RiverLink vision of linking natura] and man-made
<br />systems to celebrate the historic and ecological values of the French Broad
<br />River.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />the French Broad River \-vas referred to as an "open se\-ver." Pollution was so ex~
<br />treme that the river was considered virtually dead, with several native species of fish
<br />having become extinct.
<br />
<br />A Move to Revitalize the Riverfront, During the 1970s, there was a groundswell
<br />of interest and support (0 revitalize the riverfront. With the legislative support of
<br />the federal Clean Water Act of 1972, which established nationwide water quality
<br />goals, the Land-of,Sky Regional Council secured local government and Tennessee
<br />Valley Authority funds to institute a river improvement program, French Broad
<br />River Week, an annual September festival. was started in 1977 to promote the
<br />fIVer. The festival and associated activities have galvanized support, including the
<br />development of greenway systems to encourage public usage of riverfront ameni,
<br />ties.
<br />
<br />Following a series of studies, the Riveljront Plan was adopted in 1989, with the goal
<br />of forging a successful interaction of the French Broad River's naturai resources and
<br />Asheville's riverfront. The vision calls for a series of greenways to link parks with
<br />other nodes of activities along the river. Underway since 1995, an ambitious
<br />regional approach is set forth in RiverLink, The approach will connect Asheville's
<br />riverfront with businesses, neighborhoods, the Swannanoa River, the Biltmore
<br />Estate, and the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pedestrian bridges, satellite parks, and
<br />greenways will radiate out from the rivers to link all of Asheville, Buncombe County,
<br />and western North Carolina,
<br />
<br />Commercial Acquisition to Support Riverfront Revitalization, One of the
<br />impediments to implementation of the Riverfront Plan and RlverLink has been the
<br />presence of industrial warehouse and light manufacturing buildings along the
<br />riverfront, Most of the buildings are in the flood way, where floodwaters generally
<br />are deepest and fast,flowing,
<br />
<br />Part Two: Mitigation Success Stories
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