At its March 11 meeting, Asheville City Council gave the green light to a new 11-story condominium development planned for South Asheville.

Asheville firm Alexander-Regan LLC got the go-ahead to build Zona Village North One on what is currently a gravel parking lot on Buxton Avenue. The building would be constructed after the company’s 15-story Zona Loft being planned for 150 Coxe Ave.

Council unanimously approved the building, which will include 54 condominiums starting at $169,000 as well as first-floor businesses and a number of energy-saving designs, such as rainwater collection for toilets.

The area currently is dominated by warehouses and empty buildings. The only issue of contention was the question of whether the city should require developers to provide parking for the new residents.

Developers said they plan to provide offsite parking for one car per household, but did not include specific details in the current plan. Parking is to be included in a larger plan along with future Zona buildings, they said.

Vice Mayor Jan Davis raised the issue of parking, noting that the city does not currently require developers to provide parking for new downtown buildings.

But Councilman Brownie Newman said that less parking would encourage more pedestrian-centered development.
Among the environmental features of the building are bamboo woodwork and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning that should cut utilities to a half or third, developers said.