Asheville Historic Church Affordable Unit Conversion Heads to Council

East End Church Affordable Housing Conversion Project Gets Planning Board OK

ASHEVILLE – The plan to convert a nearly 100-year-old church to affordable housing in the historically Black East End neighborhood will soon be voted on by City Council after its adaptive reuse was unanimously recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission during its May 1 meeting.

The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe, in collaboration with the East End/Valley Street Neighborhood Association and Dogwood Health Trust, have proposed converting the inside of Cappadocia Fire-Baptized Holiness Church to three units of affordable housing.

The effort comes after the groups saved the church from demolition after a development company purchased the building in 2021. The PSABC bought back the property and with help from the neighborhood association hired the Asheville-based Native Forms Architecture and Davis Civil Solutions to develop plans that would convert the church into three units of affordable housing.

City Planner’s Perspective

During the meeting, city planner Clay Mitchell described the plan as a “really interesting preservation project.” Mitchell also discussed its background and history, how “Cappadocia” likely gets its name from a region of the same name in Turkey.

Mitchell said, “Here we have great architecture and urban design to enhance placemaking by adaptively reusing a building that has a significant and deep historic connection to the area of Catholic Hill.”

Community Support

Retired Rev. Jim Abbott, an East End resident and assistant treasurer for the East End Valley Street Neighborhood Association, spoke during the meeting, expressing the neighborhood association’s support for the project. Abbott noted the importance of the conversion in preventing further gentrification in the neighborhood.

The project is seeking a conditional zoning request to create a 20-foot buffer that would accommodate a retaining wall, garden plots, and new plantings.

Commission Discussion

All commissioners gave positive comments on the effort, with Commissioner Jared Wheatley noting the adaptive reuse of the building is “one of the most aligned things we can do” in relation to the Asheville comprehensive plan.

The unanimous recommendation of the conditional zoning request means the plan will move to City Council for review. A tentative date of May 28 has been set for the City Council review.