With the dawning of the new year, the town of Old Fort is looking forward to continuing the rebuilding efforts from Hurricane Helene, which got underway in 2025.
In 2026, the streetscape project for Catawba Avenue will be completed. The goal of the streetscape plan is to upgrade Old Fort’s downtown corridor with new crosswalks, bump-outs, pedestrian signals and more bicycle and pedestrian facilities that will better protect downtown patrons from vehicular traffic. Workers are now busy on Catawba Avenue putting in the improvements.
An $850,000 grant for Old Fort is supporting Phase 1 of the town's downtown streetscape project. Phase 1, North Catawba Avenue, is a two-block improvement plan aimed to improve Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility and connectivity from the downtown to the Fonta Flora State Trail and the Pisgah National Forest located nearby. The work to implement this new streetscape has already begun. Workers are now busy on Catawba Avenue putting in the improvements.
Destination by Design, an economic development firm, was contracted to design and execute the streetscape revitalization project for Old Fort. The firm created this rendering of what it will look like.
Gov. Josh Stein (right) and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Secretary Reid Wilson (left) recently visited Old Fort to talk about how the new funding of $15 million is strengthening the town’s long-term resilience. They met with Old Fort Mayor Pam Snypes (center).
The town will be working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to get Orchard and Commerce streets repaired, said Mayor Pam Snypes. “We have street paving in flood-damaged areas that will take place,” she said. “We will also be working with them on our maintenance shop and sewer plant repairs.”
In 2026, the streetscape project for Catawba Avenue will be completed. The goal of the streetscape plan is to upgrade Old Fort’s downtown corridor with new crosswalks, bump-outs, pedestrian signals and more bicycle and pedestrian facilities that will better protect downtown patrons from vehicular traffic. Workers are now busy on Catawba Avenue putting in the improvements.
An $850,000 grant for Old Fort is supporting Phase 1 of the town's downtown streetscape project. Phase 1, North Catawba Avenue, is a two-block improvement plan aimed to improve Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility and connectivity from the downtown to the Fonta Flora State Trail and the Pisgah National Forest located nearby. The work to implement this new streetscape has already begun. Workers are now busy on Catawba Avenue putting in the improvements.
Destination by Design, an economic development firm, was contracted to design and execute the streetscape revitalization project for Old Fort. The firm created this rendering of what it will look like.
Gov. Josh Stein (right) and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Secretary Reid Wilson (left) recently visited Old Fort to talk about how the new funding of $15 million is strengthening the town’s long-term resilience. They met with Old Fort Mayor Pam Snypes (center).
The town will be working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to get Orchard and Commerce streets repaired, said Mayor Pam Snypes. “We have street paving in flood-damaged areas that will take place,” she said. “We will also be working with them on our maintenance shop and sewer plant repairs.”
