With the help of a $6,000 grant from Buncombe County Recreation Services, Swannanoa’s Grovemont Square will soon boast a new performance pavilion. The pavilion will provide a permanent covered space for educational and entertainment programming in Grovemont Square, including the popular Groovin’ on Grovemont summer concert series, and the new Cinema on the Square outdoor movie series.
Grovemont Square is part of the park facility that surrounds the Swannanoa Library. The large grassy area is perfect for outdoor events, and offers plenty of space for people to spread out with chairs, blankets, picnics and frisbees. The Square, along with Grovemont Park and Playground and the Swannanoa Library building, are owned by the Swannanoa Community Council (SCC), an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that has been serving the Swannanoa community since the 1940s.
The new performance pavilion was designed by Swannanoa resident and SCC board member, Bill Bauman, a retired architect and long-time community volunteer. The 15′ x 24′ covered stage will replace the temporary tent and aging wooden platform that has been used for Groovin’ on Grovemont performances for the past 15 years. The new pavilion is designed to be an aesthetically-pleasing structure that will blend into and enhance the existing park, with design features that include river rock masonry to match the historic rock wall surrounding Grovemont Square.
The total cost of the pavilion is expected to be $14,000. The project costs will be covered by the Buncombe County Recreation Services grant, matching funds from the Swannanoa Community Council and the Friends of the Swannanoa Library, and donations from Swannanoa Valley residents and businesses. This project is a true community effort; your support is needed and much appreciated. If you’d like to contribute, you can make a secure online donation at grovemontpark.org/donate, or mail a check to Swannanoa Community Council, PO Box 1008, Swannanoa, NC 28778, with “Pavilion Project” in the memo line.
Construction of the pavilion is expected to begin in April and be completed by late spring, just in time for warm weather and outdoor events!
