It’s not often you get a thrill from just driving over a bridge.
But I definitely got a little tingle Wednesday when I cruised over the newly opened span leading into the Enka Commerce Park from Smokey Park Highway.
The excitement came not from wondering if the bridge’s weird, metal-tube wrapped pillars would hold the weight of my pickup (and me), but from actually witnessing it in use, by real vehicles, in motion. After I spent about a decade looking at it, or taking pictures, perhaps you can understand my skepticism.
I’m going to estimate I’ve written about this bridge 5,312 times over the past decade. OK, that’s an exaggeration, but it sure feels like it.
Construction started in 2016, and of course readers asked me about it then, when I was writing Answer Man for the Asheville Citizen Times.
I drove out and took pictures of the construction back then and wrote it up. I interviewed Martin Lewis, a member of Fletcher Partners, which developed the site.
The partners bought the 200-acre site in 2008, right when the Great Recession hit, and while the city of Asheville approved site plans, development was slow to come. In fact, Lewis had a great line when I asked him then about when they hoped to build out the retail part of the project.
“About eight years ago,” he said. “This is going to be an overnight success 10 years in the making when it happens.”
He was joking, but, boy, was he prophetic.
I drove over the bridge Wednesday because the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a spec-warehouse building opening in the park, and because the bridge opened. The EDC pegged the event as a celebration of “a key infrastructure development designed to improve connectivity and facilitate future economic growth.”
Buncombe County’s investments in the bridge, as well as the roads inside the park, the Bob Lewis Sports Park and planning for the Hominy Creek Greenway, total more than $10 million, the EDC noted.
“The newly completed bridge and access roads represent critical infrastructure improvements that will divert commercial freight and truck traffic from nearby Sand Hill Road while addressing traffic congestion and enhancing accessibility for workers, residents, emergency services and local schools,” the EDC’s news release stated.
For the bridge and roads, the NCDOT has contributed about $2.5 million to the project, the federally funded Appalachian Regional Council $3.1 million.
Lewis told me Wednesday that Fletcher Partners also had skin in the game on the bridge.
“The county put $3 million towards it, and then the bridge ended up costing a little bit over $4 million, so Fletcher partners made up the rest,” Lewis said.
I asked him how it felt to see that rascal open.
“It feels great,” he said with a smile.
Plans at one point swirled around big box retail
Back when Fletcher partners bought the property, the plan was for a large retail development, possibly including a Walmart or Lowe’s. Rumors also swirled about Costco going in there, but that never happened, as Asheville is cursed when it comes to landing that big fish.
A few years back, Amazon was close to locating a hub on the property, although it never was identified, but the deal never happened. So Samet Corp. and Fletcher partners shifted to the current plan of three large warehouse spec buildings that will provide about 600,000-square feet of space for prospects.
It’s also worth noting that Enka Commerce Park already has 15 significant employers in it that support more than 500 jobs.
But let’s get back to the bridge.
Clark Duncan, executive director of the Economic Development Coalition, also had to reference the bridge’s long incubation period.
“This bridge access is going to divert some 250 trailers a week off of Sand Hill Road, and it is already in immediate use,” Duncan said. “I got a special kick over driving over that bridge — legally — for the first time.”
The new Enka Commerce Park bridge will take about 250 trucks a week off of nearby Sand Hill Road, officials said. // Watchdog photo by John Boyle
Amanda Edwards, chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, also made reference to the bridge and the development timeframe.
“That was a weird feeling today to be able to drive across that to this spectacular industrial building built by the Samet Corporation and the Fletcher Partners,” Edwards said.
Tim Anderson, division engineer for the NCDOT’s Asheville-based Division 13, got the best laugh of the day, after the crowd gathered in the new warehouse gave him a round of applause when he was introduced.
“I’m really not used to folks clapping for DOT,” Anderson said. “Normally when we come to a meeting like this, there’s a lot of angry people looking at us, wanting to know when we’re going to buy their property or whatever.”
In seriousness, Anderson said it was really a “great day.”
Samet Corp., which is developing spec warehouse buildings in Enka Commerce Park, has committed to preserving the historic Enka clock tower. // Watchdog photo by John Boyle
“I know for a lot of folks around here, it was like, ‘Somebody built a bridge, when are they ever going to do anything with it?” Anderson said. “But this bridge and the roadway is really a story of perseverance and partnership. And for folks who think sometimes government works in silos and we don’t talk to each other, this is proof that that’s not the case.”
The NCDOT had to permit the bridge, and the department had to coordinate with the developers and other federal funders on road construction. Also, the plans for Enka Commerce Park shifted several times.
“I kind of think of it as the old saying about a fighter — you’ve got a plan for your fight until you get punched in the nose, and then the plan goes out the window,” Anderson said. “That’s kind of what this entire project was. It got started, then the economic downturn. There’s a bridge. There’s nothing to go in here. Folks start scrambling, looking for things that can come here and be a vital part of the community.”
In the end, it worked out, and the bridge, roads, and buildings are going to lead to more jobs, a key goal, Anderson pointed out.
Edwards noted that Asheville City Council two years ago approved plans for the spec building and two others to be built. The iconic Enka clock tower will also be preserved.
“These things take vision, they take time, they take investment, and they require strong private- public partnership,” Edwards said, citing the county’s $10 million investment.
Enka’s long industrial history
Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley spoke about the site’s history as a major employer, noting that the American Enka Corp., a rayon manufacturer, first invested in Asheville in 1928. The enormous manufacturing facility spanned much of the current property.
Asheville Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley spoke about the Enka site’s rich heritage as an employment center for Asheville and Buncombe County. // Watchdog photo by John Boyle
“As a native of Asheville, I understand the historic importance of this land to the families of our region,” Mosley said. “The American Enka company once employed as many as 7,000 residents, and the company facilities once spanned some 2,200 acres, including buildings on this very spot that were demolished well over a decade ago.”
On a side note, I still have one of the large bricks from the smokestack that was demolished. Hey, who doesn’t like an industrial souvenir?
Mosley lauded the Enka Commerce Park and the spec buildings as a way to add to the city’s tax base and “to expand and reinvigorate the economic engine of the Enka Commerce Park.”
Josh Drye, development manager with the Samet Corp., said it plans to start the second spec building when the first is 50 to 75 percent leased. That first building is ready for leasing.
Samet also has committed to preserving the clock tower. Drye said the structure is in decent shape, other than minor vandalism.
I wouldn’t look for the actual clocks to be restored to functionality any time soon, though.
“There’s a tremendous amount of money to get the electrical in there — to get it run up to the top — and then get all the clock things working,” Drye said. “We’ve looked at it. I think we got a price for it, but it’s not even considering the electrical aspect. Very expensive.”
I suspect it might take a decade or so.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. John Boyle has been covering Asheville and surrounding communities since the 20th century. You can reach him at (828) 337-0941, or via email atjboyle@avlwatchdog.org. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.
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James “Jim” Jenkins had a profound impact on the game of baseball as a trailblazer known in the Carolinas.
SUMMARY: A scientist reflecting on the politicization of science warns that ideological influence undermines objectivity, breeds mistrust, and hampers public understanding. The FY2026 budget proposal cut NIH funding by about 40%, saving taxpayers $18 billion, but only 1.5% of the total federal budget, while increasing defense spending by 13%. These cuts severely impact states like North Carolina, where science drives $2.4 billion in tax revenue and thousands of jobs. The cuts target indirect costs vital for research infrastructure and diversity efforts, mistakenly seen as ideological rather than essential scientific practices. The author calls for unity to prioritize facts over politics and protect scientific progress for societal and economic health.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-15 02:01:00
North Carolina’s U.S. House members voted along party lines on two Republican-backed bills: the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (H.R. 1), which cuts \$1.6 trillion in government spending, and the “Rescissions Act of 2025” (H.R. 4), which eliminates \$9.4 billion from entities like USAID and public broadcasting. Republicans called it a purge of waste, citing spending on drag shows and foreign projects. Democrats criticized the cuts as harmful and symbolic, calling the effort fiscally irresponsible. H.R. 1 passed 215-214; H.R. 4 passed 214-212. No Democrats supported either. A few Republicans broke ranks and voted against their party on each bill.
(The Center Square) – North Carolinians in the U.S. House of Representatives were unwavering of party preference for two bills now awaiting finalization in the Senate.
Republicans who favored them say the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, known also as House Resolution 1, slashed $1.6 trillion in waste, fraud and abuse of government systems. The Rescissions Act of 2025, known also as House Resolution 4, did away with $9.4 billion – less than six-tenths of 1% of the other legislation – in spending by the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Corp. for Public Broadcasting (PBS, NPR), and other entities.
Democrats against them say the Department of Government Efficiency made “heartless budget cuts” and was an “attack on the resources that North Carolinians were promised and that Congress has already appropriated.”
Republicans from North Carolina in favor of both were Reps. Dr. Greg Murphy, Virginia Foxx, Addison McDowell, David Rouzer, Rev. Mark Harris, Richard Hudson, Pat Harrigan, Chuck Edwards, Brad Knott and Tim Moore.
Democrats against were Reps. Don Davis, Deborah Ross, Valerie Foushee and Alma Adams.
Foxx said the surface was barely skimmed with cuts of “$14 million in cash vouchers for migrants at our southern border; $24,000 for a national spelling bee in Bosnia; $1.5 million to mobilize elderly, lesbian, transgender, nonbinary and intersex people to be involved in the Costa Rica political process; $20,000 for a drag show in Ecuador; and $32,000 for an LGBTQ comic book in Peru.”
Adams said, “While Elon Musk claimed he would cut $1 trillion from the federal government, the recissions package amounts to less than 1% of that. Meanwhile, House Republicans voted just last month to balloon the national debt by $3 trillion in their One Big Ugly Bill. It’s fiscal malpractice, not fiscal responsibility.”
House Resolution 1 passed 215-214 and House Resolution 4 went forward 214-212. Republican Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky were against the One Big Beautiful Bill and Republican Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Nicole Malliotakis of New York and Michael Turner of Ohio were against the Rescissions Act.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article presents a straightforward report on the partisan positions and voting outcomes related to two specific bills, highlighting the contrasting views of Republicans and Democrats without using loaded or emotionally charged language. It neutrally conveys the Republicans’ framing of the bills as efforts to cut waste and reduce spending, alongside Democrats’ critique of those cuts as harmful and insufficient fiscal discipline. By providing direct quotes from representatives of both parties and clearly stating voting results, the content maintains factual reporting without promoting a particular ideological stance. The balanced presentation of arguments and absence of editorializing indicate a commitment to neutrality rather than an intentional partisan perspective.
