Historic Biltmore High School receives preservation award

Here’s the press release from the Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina:

At its annual meeting held in Edenton, NC, the Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina presented one of its eleven prestigious Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit to Historic Biltmore School for the work done to preserve this 86-year-old Asheville landmark. Receiving the award on the behalf of the building’s owner, Historic Biltmore School, LLC., was Ronald L. Thomas, Chief Operating Officer of Biltmore Property Group, Alan McGuinn, Principal of ARCA Design, and Allen Peele and Chris Smith, Senior Project Managers for Beverly-Grant Construction . Of the eleven recipients that were recognized at this year’s event, the Historic Biltmore School in Asheville was the only project not located on the eastern side of the state of NC.

The Carraway Award is presented annually to qualifying recipients who have contributed significantly to the preservation of historic structures in the State of NC.

The classical revival styled school had stood vacant for more than a decade as previous attempts to restore this grand old structure had failed until investors bought the property and began an extensive renovation. Respect for historic integrity was highly important to the investors. “We tried to preserve the building’s character as we adapted it to newer technologies. “ According to one of the architects, Brian Moffitt “It was a great opportunity to work with clients that were committed to preserving the character instead of doing something as radical as tearing it down and preserving only the façade.” After 2 years and an expenditure of $12 million dollars the project was completed and is now being leased to a variety of business and professional medical service’s. This renovation came at a time when office space in the Asheville area was at a premium in the surrounding area and as a result, Historic Biltmore School is now 100% occupied. This restoration gave the investors an opportunity to give back to the community by providing first class accommodations to the business community while saving a vital piece of history.

About Biltmore Property Group:

Based in Asheville, NC, Biltmore Property Group is the management arm of

Biltmore Property Group Real Estate Trust, a fully–integrated privately held company with offices in Asheville and New Orleans. It has more than 15 properties across several real estate platforms: retail, warehouse, office, mixed-use and multi-family. BPG is one of the most active developers in the Southeast and the largest real estate owner in Historic Biltmore Village (Asheville).

About Beverly-Grant, Inc.

Beverly-Grant provides development and construction services in the Southeastern United States and is headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina. In business since 1955, Beverly-Grant is the largest general contractor based in Western North Carolina and specializes in medical, commercial, residential and industrial construction. More information at www.beverly-grant.com .