UNC Health Expands in Asheville with $20 Million Shopping Center Purchase
UNC Health is making a significant move to enhance its healthcare services in western North Carolina. The healthcare organization has acquired the Westgate Shopping Center in Asheville, a strategic location off Interstate 240, for nearly $20 million. This acquisition marks a crucial step in UNC Health’s plan to establish a new medical facility in the region.
The nonprofit hospital system has already applied for state approval to construct a 92-bed hospital on the newly acquired site. According to property records, this development is part of UNC Health’s broader mission to advance healthcare access for all residents of North Carolina. View property records.
Alan Wolf, a spokesperson for UNC Health, emphasized the importance of the new hospital, stating that it is a “key part” of the organization’s efforts. “This effort builds upon our initial comprehensive commitment to the area where we are already proudly serving in our work at UNC Health Pardee,” Wolf noted in a statement. He also mentioned that more details will be shared as the project progresses. UNC Health Pardee is their existing facility located in Hendersonville. Learn more about UNC Health Pardee.
The move to expand healthcare services in the area is not without competition. Three other major healthcare providers — Novant Health, AdventHealth, and HCA Healthcare’s Mission Hospital — have also submitted applications through North Carolina’s “Certificate of Need” process. See the list of proposals. More information about the Certificate of Need process is available here.
A public hearing to discuss the proposals from all four hospital systems is scheduled for 10 a.m. on August 19 at A-B Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium, allowing community members to voice their opinions and concerns about the proposed healthcare expansions.
The Westgate Shopping Center is currently home to various businesses, including Earth Fare, the Village Potters, and Second Gear. These businesses had previously relocated to Westgate due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene at their former sites. Read more about their relocation and Westgate’s role in their recovery.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from the tenants regarding how the new hospital plans might affect them. Similarly, UNC Health’s Alan Wolf did not provide comments on the future of these businesses in the shopping center.
