In the ten years since the Beacon Mill fire, the 40+ acre site has remained vacant, leaving a literal and figurative hole in the heart of the Swannanoa community. But all of that may soon be changing.

At the end of June, the County announced that it had awarded a $75,000 grant to Mountain Housing Opportunities, to fund a master plan for re-development of the Beacon Mill site. The site is currently owned by former Ingles executive Gordon Myers and the estate of Bob Ingle.

The re-development project is in its preliminary stages, but could ultimately include a mix of affordable apartments, condominiums and single-family homes, along with retail shops and light industrial businesses. Public input and participation will be sought during the planning process.

According to an article in the June 27 edition of the Black Mountain News, the County grant “calls for preserving mill history and possibly turning a stream once under the factory into a greenway . . .” To read the full text of the Black Mountain News article, click here.