Summary: This proposal would convert an industrial property on Sardis Road into a 180-unit market-rate apartment development, which city staff recommend approving. Because the project does not replace existing housing, it poses relatively low displacement risk. However, it also does little to address Asheville’s housing affordability crisis. This underscores the need for the City to adopt a clear anti-displacement strategy to guide future development, so that we can strategically address the growth patterns that benefit some while increasing pressures on others.

The Facts: At their March 10th meeting, City Council will consider a request to rezone approximately 9.2 acres at 230 Sardis Road from Industrial to Residential Expansion–Conditional Zone to allow construction of a four-to-five story apartment building with 180 units. The site currently houses a plastics manufacturing facility and would be redeveloped into a multifamily residential complex with parking, sidewalks, and amenities including a pool, playground, and dog park.

City planning staff recommend approval of the rezoning, noting that the project aligns with goals in the Living Asheville Comprehensive Plan to increase housing supply and encourage denser residential development. The site sits near existing multifamily housing and another recently approved apartment project.

You can read the staff report here and see the presentation slides here.

Our Assessment: From a displacement standpoint, this project appears unlikely to cause direct displacement. It does not involve demolishing existing housing, and the surrounding area has not been identified as one of Asheville’s higher displacement-risk neighborhoods.

However, the proposal also illustrates the limits of Asheville’s current approach to housing development. The project would add 180 market-rate apartments with no affordability requirement. In today’s housing market, developments like this are generally priced well above what many working households in Asheville can afford. While increasing housing supply is important, projects like this do little to address the affordability crisis facing many residents.

This proposal highlights a larger policy gap. Right now, Asheville evaluates projects like this one by one, without a consistent framework for addressing displacement risks or ensuring that new development contributes to housing stability for current residents. Without a clear anti-displacement strategy, the city risks continuing a pattern where growth occurs but the benefits of that growth are unevenly shared.

Things to Do: We don’t think any action is necessary for this item, but would encourage you to email City Council about the need for an overarching anti-displacement policy (if you haven’t already).