On March 19th, the Town of Hot Springs hosted a public forum to kick off conversations about the future of one of our most storied downtown properties — the Community Center and Old Jail on Andrews Ave N. It was an energetic morning full of ideas, memories, and a shared excitement about what these spaces could become.
A Building With History — and a Road Back
For decades, the Community Center served as the heart of downtown Hot Springs — a place for community dinners, birthday parties, classes, bingo nights, and everything in between. In the years leading up to Hurricane Helene, the building had been closed for needed repairs, leaving the community without that central gathering space. When Helene hit, the building took a hard blow along with the rest of downtown.
But the story didn’t end there. Volunteers rolled up their sleeves and helped bring the building back to a functional state, and it has since been serving as a temporary Town Hall while the main Town Hall continues its own restoration. Now, with that restoration nearing completion and town offices preparing to return to their original home, the community has a rare and exciting opportunity — to reimagine what this building can be next.
Who Was in the Room
The forum was facilitated by Julie Judkins of the Appalachian Design Center, a program of MountainTrue. Julie was joined by a volunteer team of local design professionals who gave their time to help shape the vision: Arthur Salido of the Three Notch Group, Michael Bowen of Riseroot Architecture and Design, Dennis Turner of D. Turner Landscape Architecture, and Erin Marceno of Legerton Architecture. Also in attendance were members of Town Council, Rebuild Hot Springs Area, the NC Department of Commerce Rural Planning Program, local business owners, and community residents — all with something to say about what Hot Springs needs.
Sharing Memories and Looking Forward
A highlight of the event was hearing what the building has meant to people over the years. Attendees gathered around presentation boards and added sticky notes sharing their memories of the space — potluck dinners, exercise classes, childhood birthday parties, family reunions, and community events that brought neighbors together. Alongside those memories, people shared their hopes for what the space could become: a place for family, a spot for local makers and entrepreneurs, somewhere to gather without having to spend money.
The group discussion that followed was lively and wide-ranging, with longtime residents and newer community members alike weighing in on what Hot Springs has been missing and what they’d love to see restored.
What People Are Hoping For
The conversation kept coming back to one big idea: Hot Springs needs a true gathering place. A space where people can come together without having to spend money — somewhere that fills the gap left by the absence of a community hub for far too long. Attendees talked about bringing back the kinds of things this space used to host: community dinners, birthday parties, classes, and programming for kids. There was also strong interest in after-school programs and carving out room for established community programs that are currently stretched thin on space.
On the economic side, ideas ranged from a business incubator and co-working space to a community kitchen and event rental programming — with the Spring Creek Community Center cited as an inspiring example of what’s possible when a community rallies around a shared space.
Thinking About the Building Itself
The design team is thinking carefully about the physical potential of the space. The Community Center side has more room than meets the eye — a drop ceiling conceals significant height that could open up the feel of the whole building. The Old Jail, while in rougher shape due to termite and fire damage, has a compelling character all its own, with original cell doors and tall ceilings that attendees were eager to see preserved and celebrated.
Flood resilience came up as a non-negotiable design priority given what happened during Hurricane Helene, and the team is committed to keeping that front and center throughout the process.
What Comes Next
This forum is just the beginning. The Appalachian Design Center team will be putting together conceptual designs and recommendations over the next few month, informed by community input. A community survey will be going out soon — keep an eye out for it and make your voice heard. The more input the design team has, the better the concepts will be.
No decisions have been made yet. This is still very much a community process, and there’s room for your ideas.