The Town of Hot Springs Board of Aldermen met on July 13, 2026, and conducted routine board business before turning to the main item on the agenda: a public hearing on three projects the town is preparing to submit for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding through the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
Hot Springs Volunteer Fire Department Resilience Shelter Station
The first project presented was a new facility for the Hot Springs Volunteer Fire Department, designed to also serve as a community shelter during floods, snowstorms, and other emergencies. The proposed building would be 145 feet long by 40 feet wide, located on U.S. Forest Service property near the fire department’s current site.
The design includes an apparatus bay sized to let crews walk fully around parked vehicles, equipment lockers, a day room for training, and space that could convert to short-term emergency shelter housing approximately 20 people for up to 48 hours, per North Carolina shelter standards. The plan also calls for laundry and shower facilities and, longer term, one and two-bedroom living quarters if the town is able to hire fire department staff in the future. A generator is planned to keep the space operational during power outages.
The project would be funded through the CDBG Community Infrastructure Program, which allows applications of up to $15 million per project. Town staff noted the final requested amount will depend on cost estimates still being developed with the project’s engineering firm, and that the program requires no local matching funds.
The Board of Aldermen voted to adopt a resolution authorizing the town to submit a formal application for this project.
Second Floor of Town Hall
The second hearing covered a proposal to renovate the second floor of Town Hall, which has been unused aside from occasional community events. The plan would create three rentable office or small business spaces, along with a second bathroom, repairs to water-damaged areas of the roof and ceiling, and other structural updates needed to bring the space up to code.
Town staff estimated the full project, including asbestos testing and an optional accessibility lift, at approximately $1.6 million. Board members discussed whether the lift would be required for accessibility compliance and asked town staff to look further into the applicable requirements. The goal of the project is to generate enough rental income to help cover the building’s ongoing upkeep while making use of space that would otherwise sit empty.
This project would be funded through the CDBG Commercial District Revitalization Program, which also allows requests of up to $10 million. The application for this project is due August 4, 2026.
The Board of Aldermen voted to adopt a resolution authorizing the town to submit a formal application for this project.
Community Center and Old Jailhouse Building
The third hearing centered on new design concepts for the Community Center and adjoining old jailhouse building, both damaged during Hurricane Helene. Erin Marcino and Dennis, volunteer architects with the Appalachian Design Center, a program of MountainTrue, presented a concept called the Healing Pavilion.
The design would open the existing structures into a single, largely open-air community pavilion spanning both buildings, while preserving the original stone facade. Because updated flood studies raised the site’s design base flood elevation, an enclosed, heated renovation would have required raising the finished floor several feet and adding ramps or a lift. The open pavilion design instead keeps the floor at its current grade, allowing the space to flood, be hosed down, and reopened rather than sustaining lasting damage.
The concept includes two public restrooms, a storage and maintenance room, and an outdoor patio for gatherings, farmers markets, or food trucks. Board members asked the design team to look into adding garage doors or similar closures so the space could be used in colder months, and raised the idea of a stone fireplace as a possible future addition.
This project would also be funded through the CDBG Commercial District Revitalization Program. Town staff noted the funding round for this project is expected to open in the fall of 2026, and additional public input sessions are anticipated once that happens.
The Board of Aldermen voted to adopt a resolution authorizing the town to submit a formal application for this project as well.
Share Your Feedback
Residents have until July 23, 2026 to share comments on any of these three projects. Comments can be emailed to the town or dropped off at Town Hall.