South Asheville residents can look forward to improvements at Jake Rusher Park this year as the Jake Rusher Park bond project moves into the construction phase.
At their Feb. 11 meeting, the Asheville City Council authorized the City Manager to move forward with a $975,274 construction contract with Carolina Specialties Construction, a Hendersonville-based company.
Located at 160 Sycamore Drive, in the Royal Pines neighborhood, Jake Rusher Park was formerly called Royal Pines Park & Pool, operated by Jake Rusher himself. Asheville Parks & Recreation acquired the 5.5-acre park in the early 2000’s.
Community input guided these planned park improvements which include new parking, accessible sidewalks, sport courts (pickleball and basketball), a pavilion and restroom building as well as new landscaping and improved lighting. The existing playground will remain and will be open during construction.
Look for construction to begin late spring and tentatively slated for completion in fall 2020. The park will remain open during construction, though portions of it may close temporarily as specific areas are renovated.
For more information, visit the Jake Rusher Park improvements project page. Or view the staff report and Council resolution at this link.
About the bond projects
The $74 million in bonds approved by voters in 2016 includes projects categorized in three areas: parks ($17 million), affordable housing ($25 million) and transportation ($32 million). From planning, projects move to design process and then into construction phase. Keep up with project phases, including money spent and other details, by visiting the City’s Capital Improvement Project and Bond Dashboard at this link.
Find more information about the City’s Bond initiative on the City of Asheville website.