Adjusted McCormick Field site plans heading to Asheville City Council for approval - WLOS

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — New site plans for the home of the Asheville Tourists baseball team provide a first look at where some facilities will be located.

On Wednesday, Asheville city’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved traffic and parking plans, as well as construction procedure plans for McCormick Field.

“Our site team put these plans together as part of our conditional zoning process which required some adjustments on parking, landscape and setbacks,” said Chris Corl, director for regional entertainment facilities.

Corl is overseeing McCormick’s upgrades. The overhead view site plans for the estimated $37.5 million upgraded stadium show McCormick’s entrance highlighting (main pdf has an image with green and zoom in on the front area to see this) ADA accessible seating, a new concourse ramp, player field access and the proposed new clubhouse at the field’s entrance. Much of the space’s upgrades won’t be seen by the public but were required by Minor League Baseball for coach and player amenity upgrades.

“The new site plan shows where the outfield wall is moving to,” said Corl. “And it shows some new picnic areas that we’ll be adding in, in left field.”

Plans show a proposed retaining wall with a maximum height of 20 feet. Another map shows the approved traffic and parking plan city staff said has thousands of off-site spaces available within a 10 minute walk to the field. The front parking lot is limited for an approved 34 spaces, plus handicap parking spaces for the new stadium.

Placards in front of the field invited the public to come to the conditional zoning meeting but no one showed. Commission members did say people from the adjacent neighborhood emailed concerns about how renovations will happen in a year’s time when the project is set to start. Commission members asked city staff to work to make sure 30% of the new higher walls going up at the back of the field have green, such as non-invasive vines.

“Part of the request to have 30% of the retaining walls covered with vegetation is to create a more Asheville feel in the stadium and to help cover that look of a retaining wall,” said Corl.

One Planning and Zoning Commission member expressed concerns about the front façade of McCormick Field, describing it as a huge brick wall. He told city staff he hoped that aesthetically the new stadium would be visually more inviting.

Corl said renderings are still being drawn up but that the façade would have windows where front offices would be housed. The plans are expected to get officially approved next Tuesday, Oct. 24 by Asheville City Council where the public can also come to speak at a public hearing on the field project.

Construction is set to start September 2024.

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