News

City to build police station in Seventh Avenue District

City is moving ahead with plans to acquire property for a new police headquarters on Ashe Street between Four Seasons Boulevard and Seventh Avenue East.

By Bill Moss, Published: April 6, 2018

The Hendersonville City Council moved on Thursday to buy property on Ashe Street for a new police station and at the same time make a major investment in the revitalization of the Historic Seventh Avenue District.

After a closed session, the council voted unanimously to buy three parcels of land, for a total of $225,000, and initiate condemnation proceedings to acquire three more parcels. The city already owns three parcels of the nine-parcel rectangle that covers three-quarters of a block between between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Seventh Avenue East.

“The direction from the council from the get-go was to get a good deal and also they wanted to treat the property owners fairly,” City Manager John Connet said after the council acted. Of the six parcels the city needs for the project, only one was an owner-occupied house. One parcel contained a rental house. The rest were vacant.

“We were able to reach an agreement (with the homeowner) that they could stay” until they built a new house. “They found a piece of property and they’re going to build,” Connet said.
The City Council has been talking for two years about building a police headquarters, giving it a standalone presence outside of city hall. The council has earmarked $4 million in capital spending in the 2018-19 budget for the facility, although city officials say that figure is likely low.
“The new police station is dependent on acquiring the rest of these parcels,” Connet said. Once that’s done, the city can move ahead with design, bidding and construction.

The City Council on Thursday night authorized the purchase of property from Bone Yard LLC for $99,000, Lottie F. and Jimmie Maxwell for $56,000, and Cynthia N. Featherstone (Lynch) for $70,000. It also authorized the city attorney to initiate eminent domain proceedings to purchase parcels from Hall F. Sams, E.A. Henderson Land Company LLC and Robert M. Garren, Carole G. Kitchen and Kathy G. Wells. Connet said he hoped the city through continued negotiations could reach an agreement to buy those properties without having to condemn them under state law.

The property is bounded by Ashe, Jonas, Pace and Beech streets. The project would clear a block of dilapidated housing and replace it with a new modern police station. Microbreweries, restaurants and coffee shops have fueled the start of a revitalization of what was once a bustling strip of commerce centered on the railroad depot. Putting the city police headquarters in the middle of it all could be a catalyst for more renewal.