The Asheville City Council approved on April 28 a conditional zoning request for two County-owned properties at 50 and 52 Coxe Avenue, allowing plans for a new affordable housing development to proceed. The rezoning changes the property from Central Business District to Central Business Expansion Conditional Zone.
This decision is an important step toward increasing affordable housing options in the area. The project will add a seven-story multifamily and mixed-use building with a pedestrian plaza, aiming to address local housing needs.
The next steps involve Harmony Housing, the project’s developer, and Buncombe County entering into a development agreement and completing permitting before construction can begin. More information about the history of this project is available at the official county website.
Education data shows that in Buncombe County school districts during the 2022-23 school year, only about one-quarter to less than half of high school students were considered ready for college based on ACT test results. Among senior students taking the science portion of the ACT, 573 out of 2,010 (28.5%) met college readiness benchmarks according to state education data. For juniors taking science, 582 out of 1,931 (30.1%) were deemed ready according to state education data.
Reading scores showed that among seniors, 827 out of 2,010 (41.1%) reached college readiness levels on the ACT reading section according to state education data, while among juniors it was slightly higher at 835 out of 1,931 (43.2%) according to state education data. Math results indicated that only about one-fourth of seniors—514 out of 2,010 (25.6%)—were considered ready for college math work according to state education data, compared with nearly one-third of juniors—631 out of 1,931 (32.7%) according to state education data.
As planning continues for new affordable housing projects like this one on Coxe Avenue, local leaders and community members are expected to monitor how such developments may impact broader social factors such as educational outcomes.
