From Staff Reports

An update on area school construction was presented to the Council of Independent Business Owners on Sept. 11 during an issues meeting at Chick-fil-A in North Asheville. 

About 50 people attended the meeting.

The update, including Asheville city schools, Buncombe County schools and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, was presented by Assistant Buncombe County Manager Jon Creighton.

He noted that his “rundown” included “all the projects we’re participating with” in Buncombe.

On a separate matter, the CIBO also received a report on workforce development through a new program, N.C. Job Works, from former state Rep. Nathan Ramsey, who is now with the North Carolina Department of Commerce

Also, the CIBO heard of proposed changes to the county fire districts from Jerry VeHaun, director of Buncombe Emergency Medical Services; Tim Hinman of the Skyland Fire Department; and Thad Lewis of the Riceville Fire Department.

Specifically, VeHaun noted that the county is “streamlining” its fire districts for efficiency purposes.

In the school construction update, Creighton began with Isaac Dickson Elementary School on Hill Street next to I-240, which was built in 1952 and, he said, “is in bad need of repair.” He added that “city schools haven’t built anything since the 1970s....”

“I will start out with the project that is most challenging — $21 million” (budgeted) for the demolition of the old IDES — and construction of a new school of the same name on the site.”

“It was on a landfill, so it cost” much more to prepare the site — “and threw the project off its deadline” by about seven months, Creighton said. The original deadline was June 5, but he said the school is “anticipated to open in January” 2016. IDES will serve about 525 students.

Next, Creighton turned to Asheville Middle School, built in the early 1960s on South French Broad Avenue, and was designed to accommodate 900 students.

Construction recently began to replace the aging building with a new structure on a $41 million budget.

“We’re anticipating by mid-summer of next year for it to be completed” for students to attend classes in it, he said. “By February 2017, the project will be completed totally, Creighton added.

The county assistant manager also reviewed several A-B Tech projects, including the New Allied Health Building, noting that “we took the 800-seat auditorium out — it just became cost-prohibitive — and put it (the auditorium) in another building. Allied’s building budget is $32.2 million

“The project’s gone well. We had a rough winter,” but “all of the A-B Tech projects will be done by next month,” Creighton said.

A-B Tech’s Rhododendron building, which was constructed in the early 1970s, has a budget of $1.64 million, he said. “We anticipate starting on it in early February.”

Also, Creighton said, “We’re working on a (new) parking deck” that will include 650 parking spaces. “Basically, what we did was take the design of the (county-owned) College Street deck and put a skin on it. We anticipate it being finished in the middle of next month.”

In speaking of other county building projects that are not school-related, Creighton said, “We started building a parking deck on Coxe Avenue in the old Sears building... It’ll be seven stories high, with an eight-story parking deck. It’s a $48 million project. We expect it to be finished by February 2018.

He also mentioned an indoor shooting range for the sheriff’s department, noting that  “we anticipate the project in Woodfin to be finished next year.”

During a question-and-answer period afterward, a meeting attendee asked, “What are you finding in this market?”

“Steel is creeping up” in price,” Creighton replied. “I would like to say all of these projects are within or below budget, except for the elementary school.”

CIBO member Mac Swicegood asked, “What’s the total cost” of all of the school construction projects?

Roughly $160 million, Creighton answered. “Basically, the county financed it.”

Another attendee then told Creighton, “Out at the airport, you know the parking’s getting further and further away from the terminal. They’re probably going to have to put a parking deck out there.” Creighton agreed.

A woman asked, “Do you have any plans for A-B Tech Enka?”

“It looks like we might close that campus up.,” Creighton said evenly. “The buildings are old. It’s an expensive campus to run. I think the current president thinks they should grow south, versus trying to maintain that campus” to the west of Asheville.

More specifically, Creighton said that the Enka campus’ Haynes building was built in the late 1960s... The R&R building was built long ago. Those are very expensive buildings to run.”

Meanwhile, Ramsey said in his presentatiton that nearly a year ago the North Carolina Department of Commerce opened up N.C. Job Works.  It’s for employers and job-seekers. If you’re a job-seeker you can look for the kind of jobs you’d like.

“Employers say they can’t find the workers with skills they need, according to WRAL (a Raleigh television station) — and not just in high-tech skills,” Ramsey added.

In Buncombe and Asheville, “We consistently have one of the lower unemployment rates in the state. Asheville is currently the lowest jobless city in the state, with around 5 percent,” he said.

“At the end of the day, my job is to listen to employers. You tell us what you need and we’ll try to address that.”

Taking a philosophical bent, Ramsey said,  “The best time to plant a tree was 25 years ago. The next best time is today.”

He concluded his presentaiton by noting, “So all of these services are free. Of course, it’s supported by tax money.”