Ingles said this week it plans to demolish and rebuild its supermarket in Swannanoa, nearly 10 months after Hurricane Helene devastated the area.
For months, the grocery chain had declined to say whether it plans to rebuild its store in the heart of hard-hit Swannanoa. Community members have pushed the company for transparency, noting that the store had been a lifeline for many residents without access to a car. In the meantime, local nonprofits have been filling the gap.
On Tuesday, Ingles’ Chief Financial Officer Pat Jackson confirmed the company’s plans to BPR. She said Ingles will demolish the existing building, raise the site elevation and build a new store. There will also be space for smaller retail tenants.
“Plans are in the process of being approved for the new Ingles Swannanoa Valley shopping center,” Jackson said in an email. “We intend to get started as soon as we get final approval from the County.”
The site was previously home to the Swannanoa post office and an Ace Hardware store. It’s unclear whether those tenants will return to the shopping center.
Buncombe County Commissioner Jennifer Horton played a key role in encouraging Ingles to rebuild.
Horton, a Swannanoa native, said a site plan will be made public once the company submits its permit application, which should happen in the next month or two. No construction timeline has been set for the project.
“Ingles has met with our Buncombe County Planning Department and shared plans to rebuild their Swannanoa store on the existing site, which includes the spaces formerly occupied by the hardware store and post office,” Horton said in an email Monday. She added that Ingles has “been a foundational part of the Valley for decades, and their decision to stay and rebuild reflects a deep commitment to the people they serve.”
Editor’s note: Ingles is a corporate sponsor of BPR.
