A proposal to build a massive Duke Energy substation at 57 Rankin Avenue towering above Lexington Avenue in the heart of downtown Asheville is moving ahead.

On Thursday, July 21 at 12:15 pm the City of Asheville’s Design Review Committee will conduct an “informal design review” of Duke Energy’s “Rankin Street Substation” proposal. Later this year the Asheville City Council will vote to swap 11,000 square feet of urban forest and 53 public parking spaces to Duke Energy to allow the expansion. Construction will begin in 2023.

Please attend the virtual meeting with us: the Friends of Lexington Avenue. Attending the meeting will demonstrate to elected officials that trading trees for transformers is a bad idea. 

The public can access this remote meeting by any of the following means:

• Watch live through the Engagement Hub at publicinput.com/AVLDRC
• Watch live on the City’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/CityofAsheville
• Listen live by calling 855-925-2801, then entering code 9410
• Submit a voicemail comment – call 855-925-2801, then enter code 9410 (closes at 5:00 p.m. day before the meeting)
• Submit a written comment – email AVLDRC@publicinput.com (closes at 5:00 p.m. day before the meeting)
• Live comments during meeting – call 855-925-2801, then enter code 9410 and press *

Note: Voicemail and written comments submitted before 5:00 p.m. the day before the meeting will be provided to committee members prior to the meeting.