What’s up at the Capital Center?

As the picture indicates — and as any visitor to the Pritchard Park area can see — work is underway on the front of the Capital Center on Patton Avenue in Asheville, formerly the First Union Building. As previously reported, the building will contain office condos along with street-level and rooftop restaurants. Construction should be complete in December or January, says developer Chuck Tessier.

Construction on the front of the building follows an Asheville City Council decision in August that put an end to an airspace bidding war between developers and the local activist group People Advocating Real Conservancy. City Council candidate Elaine Lite has cited the experience as one of her reasons for entering the race.

Meanwhile, Tessier and architect John Rogers of Urban Capital LLC are touting their efforts to find new uses for scrap material removed from the building. Working with the Western North Carolina Green Building Council and Habitat for Humanity, the group has plans to donate the old windows for greenhouse construction and find new homes for office furniture still in the building, according to a press release by Urban Capital.

Brian Postelle, staff writer

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