Buncombe County is moving forward with plans to convert its former General Services Building at 40 McCormick Place into a new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) station, filing a permit application with the city on March 6.
The project addresses a documented surge in emergency calls and aims to improve response times by strategically placing a new base near downtown Asheville and Mission Hospital. This conversion is a key part of a larger county initiative to expand its EMS footprint, which officials say is critical for saving lives and improving patient outcomes in a rapidly growing community. The new station is one of three currently in development to modernize the county's emergency response infrastructure.
What We Know So Far
- Buncombe County is converting its former General Services Building at 40 McCormick Place into a new regional EMS station, one of three new EMS stations being developed.
- A permit application for the $500,000 project, which includes new parking facilities, was filed March 6 with the City of Asheville and will require a staff-level review.
- This expansion responds to a 2022 county study that identified a significant lack of EMS infrastructure amid rapidly increasing call volumes.
Buncombe County EMS Station Conversion Project Details
The new EMS station at 40 McCormick Place, located off South Charlotte Street near Mission Hospital, will place a fully equipped EMS base in a high-demand corridor. Converting the former county General Services building is a move officials believe is essential for public safety, bolstering Buncombe County's emergency response capabilities.
The renovation process formally began with the March 6 permit application. The initial phase, estimated at $500,000, focuses on site preparation and new parking facilities. The project's adaptive reuse of an existing county-owned building streamlines permitting to a staff review, allowing the county to bring the new station online more quickly and cost-effectively than constructing a new facility from the ground up.
Buncombe County Emergency Services Director Taylor Jones told the Citizen-Times the new station should mean “quicker response times” for residents, a critical factor in medical emergencies where every second counts. Asheville resident Maddy Westphal told WLOS.com, "I think that's great. We love healthcare workers. If that's what they need, that's what they need." Officials state the primary goal is to improve service delivery for all residents.
How Will the New Buncombe County EMS Station Improve Response Times?
Emergency call volumes in Buncombe County have climbed steadily over the past decade, increasing by 37% from 28,336 in 2016 to 38,828 in 2022, according to the Citizen-Times. A separate 2022 county study highlighted a more recent spike, identifying a 6,681 call volume increase between the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 fiscal years alone, placing significant strain on the existing infrastructure.
The sustained increase in demand means "our current footprint really doesn’t meet the operational needs of the call volume,” Buncombe County Emergency Services Director Taylor Jones explained to the Citizen-Times. The current system, which often co-locates EMS stations with fire departments, has struggled to keep pace with concurrent calls, particularly in densely populated areas like downtown, West Asheville, and Swannanoa.
The new stations are designed to reduce ambulance travel time by placing resources in strategically identified coverage gaps. “What we had problems doing is having the trucks in the right place at the right time,” Jones told WLOS.com. He added, “These stations will make an immediate impact to being able to get emergency medical care assistance quickly. We hope to have better patient outcomes. It's all about saving lives.” This strategy was supported by a 2022 study from North Carolina Fire Chief Consulting, which specifically identified West Asheville as needing a new EMS site and recommended a total of 12 new stations across the county to meet future demand.
What Happens Next
While the permit for the McCormick Place station is under review, it is just one component of a broader, county-wide EMS enhancement plan. Two other major station projects are also moving forward, indicating a coordinated effort to modernize the system. The most advanced of these is the EMS East Base facility, currently under construction in Swannanoa.
The Swannanoa project, a nearly $10 million facility, held its groundbreaking ceremony in November. Construction is progressing, with a slated completion date in February and an anticipated move-in for EMS crews in the spring. This station is expected to significantly improve service in the eastern part of the county.
In addition to the east and central stations, the county is also in the early stages of planning a west station. According to reports, the county is collaborating with an architectural group on the design for a new facility to be built on Brevard Road in Asheville. Together, these three projects represent a substantial investment in public safety infrastructure, designed to create a more resilient and responsive emergency medical system for all Buncombe County residents. Further details on the timeline for the McCormick Place conversion and the Brevard Road project are expected as planning and permitting processes advance. For more information on county projects, residents can consult this guide on how to navigate local government services.
