Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies, and the real answers:
Question: Hey, Answer Man, if you haven’t seen it, ACE Hardware on Hendersonville Road has moved to the old Harbor Freight location. Much bigger and nicer, with what seems to be a whole new staff, but it is hidden from drive-by view, though, which will likely hurt business. So the question is, why did they move, and do you have any other details on the new bigger store?
My answer: Here in Asheville, our blame options are: 1. City of Asheville. 2. Hotel/apartment development. 3. NCDOT. Just please commit this formula to memory.
Real answer: And the winner is … NCDOT!
That’s not totally fair, as people have complained vigorously about this intersection of Hendersonville Road and Mills Gap Road for years, and the Department of Transportation has plans to make it better. But in the meantime …
“You may not be aware that the old building has been condemned,” said Bill Young, owner of the Ace Hardware in question. “The North Carolina Department of Transportation has been for several years now working on widening Mills Gap Road, and it is actually going through the eminent domain process to acquire land going all the way out Mills Gap.”
Young said the store is open at the new location, in the former Harbor Freight hardware store, which moved to a new building a little south on Hendersonville Road.
“There’s still a few things getting done, and that’ll go on for a few months, actually,” Young said. “We are in business here and ready to serve as customers.”
Young was happy in the former location, which originally was a drug store but converted nicely to an Ace Hardware. The Youngs — Bill works with his sons, Erik and Karl Young — opened that location in 2012.
Young agrees that they’ll have less visibility up on the hill, although a large Ace Hardware sign that’s already up should help.
“We would have loved to stay there forever, but we found a spot,” Young said. “Harbor Freight wanted to move, so that’s how we got here.”
The road project in question will widen Mills Gap Road from Hendersonville Road to Concord Road, according to David Uchiyama, spokesperson for the NCDOT’s western territory.
“NCDOT is currently in right of way negotiations for the Mills Gap widening project, with construction currently scheduled to begin in the fall of 2025,” Uchiyama said via email. “NCDOT assisted ACE Hardware in relocating ahead of this project.”
While the project doesn’t cover a large distance, it is sizable, with a projected cost of $26 million, including construction and the right of way.
“The project consists of adding turn lanes to Mills Gap intersections at both Sweeten Creek and Hendersonville Road,” Uchiyama said. “Also, it will widen Mills Gap to a three-lane road to Concord Road.”
From Concord Road to Weston Road, “the typical section will be two lanes with wider shoulders and guardrail,” Uchiyama added. “Sidewalk will be added to both sides of the road within city limits and continue on the south side to the end of the project at Weston Road.”
This area has seen a lot of growth in recent years, particularly with the addition of several apartment complexes. NCDOT improved the Sweeten Creek intersection about a decade ago, adding turn lanes, but it still gets jammed up during rush hours.
A larger project for Sweeten Creek widening — 5.4 miles from Hendersonville Road in the south to an area near Rock Hill Road — remains on the books, with a $195.3 million estimated cost, according to the NCDOT website, which was last updated in June 2023. The projected start date is 2027, the completion date “to be determined.”
But back to Young Ace Hardware. Bill Young said the store’s new space is 25-30 percent bigger than the old store, albeit with a little bit different layout. They’ve been doing an upfit on the building and lot for several months.
“It’s a pretty good size lot, but we’ve got a lot of stuff, too,” Young said. “So I think we’re going to find a home for all of our straw trailers and mulch (outside). We’ve got a propane setup — it’s a little different than the old store. It’s right there in front of the store. And I think we’ll expand our garden center eventually, a little bit, over time.”
The Youngs did not own the previous site. They did buy the new location and are leasing it back to the hardware store. Located at 1900 Hendersonville Road, it’s listed in county property records as being 19,681 square feet, with 2.13 acres of land and a $2 million appraised value.
And regarding staff, Bill Young said they’re keeping their employees and “are hiring to grow slightly.”
The old store, at 1888 Hendersonville Road, has an appraised property value of $3.3 million, including the 2.47-acre lot and the 11,421 square foot building. The owner is listed as The Big Giant LLC. I left a message with the registered agent but didn’t hear back.
Question: I seem to remember a few years back there was talk of requiring businesses to display their street numbers prominently. But driving on Merrimon Avenue, Biltmore Avenue and Hendersonville Road, I see many places without street numbers. Can something be done to encourage more cooperation?
My answer: As a former pizza delivery driver in my youth, I can tell you this should be a felony.
Real answer: The numbers are supposed to be displayed, but clearly some businesses and residences don’t comply.
“During inspections, Asheville Fire Department inspectors will check for address numbers,” department spokesperson Kelly Klope said via email.
The part of the North Carolina fire code that addresses “premise identification” states, “New and existing buildings shall be provided with approved address identification. The address identification shall be legible and placed in a position that is visible from the street or road fronting the property.”
The same applies to the county.
“We can’t speak to anything inside the city limits, but in the county, businesses are required to post 6-inch street numerals that are visible from the road,” county spokesperson Lillian Govus said via email. “This is enforced on periodic inspections. Many of these are posted as ‘stick-on’ numbers affixed to doors. It is a code violation not to post your numeric address.”
So come on, folks. Get some stick-on numbers and make life easier for delivery drivers, not to mention ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks that could save your lives.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Got a question? Send it to John Boyle at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org or 828-337-0941. His Answer Man columns appear each Tuesday and Friday. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/donate.
Thank you John, for using lives instead of life correctly in your last sentence. Your English teachers are surely proud!
How many people remember the roller rink that was on that Harbor Freight site, maybe even in that same building?