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Asheville staff ask council to ratify Tanger lease for West Asheville police substation amid outreach concerns
Summary
City staff will ask council to ratify an October 2025 lease with Tanger Asheville for a West Asheville police substation; Police Chief Jackie Stepp said Tanger will upfit and host a staffed information desk, while the city attorney warned the city could be financially liable if the lease is not accepted.
City staff briefed council on Thursday about a consent‑agenda item to ratify a lease with Tanger Asheville that would create a staffed West Asheville police resource station at the Tanger Outlets.
Interim Chief Jackie Stepp told council the department has been searching for an improved West Asheville facility and that the Tanger location will offer parking, space for a staffed police information desk and amenities (including a small gym) that the current 970 Haywood Road resource center cannot provide. "We moved forward with, what we would say is expanding our services in West Asheville," Stepp said, and added that Tanger is paying for upfit work on the space.
Chief Stepp said officers remain assigned to the same geographic beats and that the Tanger station is intended to expand access and allow a dedicated professional staff member to receive walk‑ins during business hours rather than relying on officers who are often out on patrol.
Council members pressed staff about timing and process after learning the lease was signed in October 2025. "The lease was signed by the city manager's office in October 2025," Chief Stepp said. City Attorney Brad Branham warned of possible financial exposure if the city declined to proceed because Tanger is donating significant upfit dollars; Branham said the upfit value could be "upwards of perhaps $1,000,000." Staff also said the budget authorized entering into the lease and that first‑year lease costs are roughly $72,000, after which council authorization would be required to continue the lease.
Several council members said the decision had created a perception that the outcome was predecided and urged more front‑end community engagement; staff said they had conducted outreach (meetings with neighborhood associations and door‑to‑door outreach along Haywood Road) and committed to expanded engagement going forward. Stepp said the department will retain a footprint at 970 Haywood Road and pursue smaller capital improvements there to address security concerns.
The contract is on the consent agenda and staff said they will present the final documentation to council for ratification. No formal vote took place during the Jan. 8 briefing.
The briefing also included questions about operational details (how many officers will be assigned to the location, walk‑in hours, and whether supervisory staff will be based at Tanger) and staff reiterated that the resource center is intended to be an added access point, not a replacement of existing services.
