Tony Kiss

tkiss@gannett.com

ASHEVILLE - A new bus shelter will be built near the entrance to the New Belgium brewery in West Asheville, and the public is being asked to pick the design.

The shelter, at the intersection of Haywood Road and Craven Street, will be created jointly by New Belgium, the Asheville Design Center and the city of Asheville. Parking at the brewery is limited, and the city bus service is a good way to travel to New Belgium, especially during busy times.

The Asheville Design Center has developed four designs for the future bus shelter.

The brewery was built on the site of the old Asheville Stockyards, and the designs utilize material salvaged from the property. Design options are reclaimed wood slats, reclaimed metal, a collage of bottle caps or a mix-and-match option, with one material on each of the shelter's three back panels.

Voting is open online at ashevilledesigncenter.org through Aug. 10.

The shelter will serve transit patrons traveling into Asheville from West Asheville, as well as anyone taking public transportation to the Craven Street area.

According to a statement from the design center, the project "also contributes to the place-making efforts for this West Asheville and new greenway gateway by drawing inspiration from the cultural history of the site and surrounding neighborhoods. A panel with historical information will be included as part of the final design."

Designers "used a community-driven design process to engage transit users in a series of outreach events, listening sessions, and design workshops that have informed a selection of designs for the shelter," the center stated.

Pending greenway completion, the goal is to install the bus shelter by Aug. 27, in time for New Belgium’s 25th Birthday Bash at the Asheville brewery. Learn more about that event online at newbelgium.com