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BUNCOMBE COUNTY TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY EXPEDITES $2.65 MILLION IN INVESTMENT FOR
TWO SPORTS FACILITIES THROUGH THE
TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FUND
Two critical projects fast-tracked to restore community recreation and tournament revenue following Hurricane Helene
ASHEVILLE, NC (May 28, 2025) — The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority approved $2.65 million in expedited funding through its Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF) for two essential sports facility projects. The investment is aimed at restoring Buncombe County's competitive position as a premier sports destination following the significant disruption caused by Hurricane Helene, which damaged key tournament infrastructure and reduced the county’s field capacity.
The expedited investments will support the restoration of the John B. Lewis Soccer Complex and parking improvements at Bob Lewis Ballpark, both of which are previous TPDF-funded projects with proven track records of driving visitation to our area. Both projects are anticipated to be completed by this fall, enabling Buncombe County to recapture tournament revenue during the upcoming season.
"These strategic investments are essential to our community's economic and recreational recovery," said President and CEO of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority and Explore Asheville Vic Isley. "By fast-tracking these projects, we're ensuring that Buncombe County can welcome athletes and their families back this fall and restore the visitor spending that supports our local businesses.”
John B Lewis Soccer Complex Restoration - $2,155,000
The John B Lewis (JBL) Soccer Complex is a model public-private partnership between Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association (ABYSA), the City of Asheville, and the tourism development authority. For more than 20 years, JBL and Buncombe County Sports Park (BCSP) have served as flagship tournament venues, delivering consistent growth in overnight visitation and strong returns on investment.
Over the past five years, all major tournaments have required full field capacity at JBL and BCSP. Prior to Hurricane Helene, JBL accounted for more than 57% of the county’s artificial turf fields with lighting. Restoring JBL is essential to preserving Buncombe County’s competitive position as a premier soccer and field sports destination.
In addition to its tourism impact, JBL is a key community resource, supported by $2.4 million in TPDF investment. In FY24 alone, it provided essential practice and game space for nearly 7,000 youth and 2,000 adult soccer players, as well as lacrosse and ultimate frisbee programs. The facility is central to both ABYSA’s ability to host successful sports tourism events and the county’s recreational needs.
The loss of JBL had a huge impact on not only local sports participants, but also on the sports tourism industry that we have worked tirelessly to grow over the years,” said Executive Director of ABYSA and Highland Football Club Mike Rottjakob. “We are ready to hit the ground running to make sure the grant funding we are being awarded has the desired impacts as quickly as possible."
Bob Lewis Ballpark Parking Improvements - $500,000
This award supports the paving and striping of the gravel parking lots at Bob Lewis Ballpark, to improve efficiency, safety, and allow the facility to operate at full capacity. Since its opening, parking has relied on gravel lots and overflow spaces along nearby roads. However, with the recent opening of a new bridge and an increase in traffic, roadside parking is no longer a viable option, and local businesses can no longer accommodate overflow visitors.
Without the proposed parking improvements, the capacity for weekend tournaments would need to be reduced from 45 teams to 25 teams, which would result in the loss of approximately 640 teams over the course of a year, with 75% of those teams originating from outside the area. This decrease translates to nearly 39,000 fewer visitors from outside the region, resulting in a significant decline in tourism revenue for local hotels, restaurants, and small businesses.
Additional TPDF Funding Available
The TPDF Committee also advanced eight additional projects totaling approximately $14.5 million in requests for Phase II of the TPDF review process. With $15.8 million projected to be available for the 2025 grant cycle and $2.65 million allocated through expedited funding, approximately $13.1 million remains available for award in October 2025.
The Tourism Product Development Fund is funded entirely through occupancy taxes paid by visitors staying overnight in Buncombe County commercial lodging facilities. Since its inception in 2001, TPDF has invested more than $80 million in 61 investments across 40 community projects throughout Buncombe County.
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Media Contact:
Ashley Greenstein
agreenstein@exploreasheville.com
828.318.8960