Count ’em: 6 new rooftop venues on the books for Asheville

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Last October, I wrote that rooftop venues would be a hot up-and-coming trend in Asheville. With today’s press release announcement of a new rooftop “speakeasy” called the Montford Rooftop Bar and Lounge atop the hotel going up at the corner of Haywood Street and Montford Avenue, I count seven big projects on the books.

Everyone, it seems, wants to offer a great view of the surrounding mountains of Asheville. Here’s a quick look at what’s planned:

-Montford Rooftop Bar and Lounge: Will be located atop the new seven-story Hyatt hotel going up at the corner of Haywood Street and Montford Avenue. A press release calls the venue a “speakeasy.” A “modern rustic look is a small backdrop to stunning panoramic mountain views of the very best of all things Appalachian.”

-New Mountain AVL: Details are sketchy. Folks at the music venue say they’re still in the planning phase. Meantime, New Mountain is adding a new outdoor stage and food truck lot.

-95 Roberts St.: Architest Jesse Plaster tells me the rooftop venue is going to be a big feature on this building under renovation in the River Arts District. There will be a 13,500 square foot concrete roof deck 65 feet above grade with fantastic views of the RAD. The rooftop should be able to handle 200 to 300 people, he said.

-Highland Brewing: Highland Brewing was awarded a $850,000 Buncombe TDA grant “for expansion and improvements that will enhance the guest experience, including roof top access, event space and upgraded tour amenities.” I haven’t seen plans yet of the rooftop venue that’s planned.

-Green Man Brewing: Dennis Thies, owner of Green Man Brewing, told me last year that a rooftop beer garden with south-looking views of the mountains would be a key feature of his major expansion on Buxton Avenue. The addition is well underway on the Beer Slope.

-AC Hotel: Owner John McKibbon has said there’s a new rooftop venue planned atop his new hotel under construction at the corner of College Street and Broadway. I haven’t heard details.

Notes:

-I think we can expect every one of the new hotels planned in downtown Asheville to offer some sort of rooftop venue.

-New Belgium Brewing, which early on announced plans for a rooftop venue on top of a section of its new brewery under construction on Craven Street, currently has no plans for such a venue, according to Jay Richardson, NB’s general manager, who has delivered several updates on construction over the past year. I wonder if that will change.

Here’s a look at the existing rooftop venues in Asheville.

The image above is a view of the mountains surrounding Asheville from the third-floor pool deck at Asheville’s Aloft Hotel.