Karen Cragnolin Park

On September 27, 2024, Western North Carolina became ground zero for the cataclysmic impacts of climate change. A storm expected to weaken inland instead unleashed catastrophic rainfall and winds. Hurricane Helene brought 1,000-year flooding, more than 1,400 landslides, and tornadic winds that devastated forests. Infrastructure was overwhelmed, communities were destroyed, and the region’s sense of safety was changed forever.

The French Broad River—central to the Asheville community—rose 15 to 25 feet, submerging the River Arts District and inundating nearby parks with mud, sand, and debris. Karen Cragnolin Park was no exception. While its natural plantings fared better than some areas, the meadow now requires complete re-seeding and replanting to return to a functioning wildflower ecosystem.

With the Restoration Initiative grant funds, RiverLink will lead replanting and expansion efforts in partnership with the French Broad River Garden Club and Patchwork Meadows. Karen Cragnolin Park will become a flagship example of a riverside park: a haven for native species, a resilient community asset, and a landscape designed to absorb floodwaters and endure future climate impacts.

Hazardous waste sites—or “brownfields”—can offer unique opportunities for green redevelopment. That vision has long guided the transformation of the park site from a former junkyard into vibrant greenspace. In 2009, the French Broad River Garden Club received a $25,000 Founders Fund award from the Garden Club of America to help develop a master plan for this new riverside park.

RiverLink and the Garden Club have a longstanding partnership centered around Karen Cragnolin Park, united by a shared commitment to environmental restoration and community revitalization.