A taste of what’s to come on Black Mountain Avenue
WNC Outdoor Collective Gear & Beer gives new life to old building
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
December 16, 2020
Lincoln Walters prepares to open a Black MTN Adventure Apparel pop-up shop in a building that will be home to the WNC Outdoor Collective in the spring of 2021. Photo by Fred McCormick
When a Black MTN Adventure Apparel pop-up shop appears on the corner of Black Mountain and Vance Avenues this weekend, customers will not only get a chance to shop for locally crafted goods, they will also get a glimpse into the future of the old building on the corner.
Renovations that began in January are breathing new life into 110 Black Mountain Avenue, which will be home to the WNC Outdoor Collective Gear & Beer when work is completed in the spring of 2021.
Lincoln Walters founded Black MTN Adventure Apparel, which began with Black MTN T-Shirt, in 2019. His vision was to make “well-crafted outdoor apparel for the Appalachian Mountains,” and it quickly became apparent the company would need a physical home.
A unique stone and brick structure on one of the oldest streets in the town caught his attention. The building is owned by John Pomeroy, who owns several pieces of property the block south of the railroad tracks that has experienced dramatic revitalization in recent years.
A building currently under renovation on Black Mountain Avenue will open as the home of WNC Outdoor Collective in the spring of 2021. A Black MTN Adventure Apparel pop-up shop this weekend will give shoppers a sneak peak at what’s in store. Photo by Fred McCormick
“I knew John had been working on this building, and I approached him about the possibility of leasing the space,” Walters said. “I was fortunate to come to him early enough that I could work with him on what we needed as it was being renovated.”
Work on the building, which according to county records was originally built in 1915 before the construction of multiple additions in the decades that followed, is being done by Swannanoa-based Old North State Building Co. The structure was once home to the Williams Brothers Oil Co. and served as a laundry facility, and eventually a retail space, but it has been vacant for more than a decade.
“A lot of the initial work we did was getting rid of everything that had accumulated in the building,” Old North State Building Co. contractor Will Nicholson said. “And, John had already spent a lot of time clearing it out. At some point this place was an industrial laundry service and a lot of that equipment was still here, so that involved quite a bit of work.”
The remodeling process, which was temporarily interrupted at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, includes removal of roofing structures that were tied into the original roof, the removal of interior walls and creating a “minimal, modern, organic feel,” according to Walters.
“The building had been in disrepair for a while, so we wanted to define the heated space and courtyard space,” he said. “We wanted to keep the important elements that give it so much character. The brick walls and exposed rafters give it this organic and industrial vibe.”
The Black MTN Adventure Apparel pop-up shop, which will be open Friday, Dec. 18 - Sunday, Dec. 20, will provide a glimpse into a future that will feature locally produced outdoor gear from more than 15 area businesses and a courtyard bar.
Lincoln Walters, left, and Randy Giles meet to discuss plans for WNC Outdoor Collective Gear & Beer, which will open on Black Mountain Avenue in the spring of 2021. Photo by Fred McCormick
“We’ll have our production facility and merchandise here, but retail space will be subleased to local crafters,” Walters said. “Outdoor Gear Builders is an association of local crafters, ranging from gigantic like Eno and Astral, to small companies like us and Milk and Honey, which manufactures toddler sleeping bags. Milk and Honey will be one of the crafters here, and we anticipate other members of the Outdoor Gear Builders will be represented here.”
The collective model of the space not only promotes the work of area crafters who make products for the growing outdoor market, Walters added, it reduces the risk and overhead of brick and mortar spaces in a post-pandemic world.
“Being in commerce has changed,” he said. “This creates a situation where everyone can sort of share that risk in a cooperative environment, while establishing a community of people who can come together around something they share. If you’re into outdoor activities, then this is the place you’ll want to be.”
WNC Outdoor Collective will also be a place where cyclists, trail runners, hikers, campers and others can come into town and have a local beer. For that, Walters is partnering with Randy Giles, who tapped into the craft beer scene when he opened BAD Craft on Cherry Street in 2017. Giles will continue to own and operate his ‘Beer, Art, Dessert’ shop downtown while establishing a separate identity for the courtyard bar in the Outdoor Collective building.
Black MTN Adventure Apparel will host a pop-up shop at 110 Black Mountain Avenue from Dec. 18 - 20. The event will offer a look inside the future home of WNC Outdoor Collective Beer & Gear, which will open next spring. Photo by Fred McCormick
“It’s going to be a nice outdoor bar, full of life, with an outdoor activity in an adjacent space for bocce ball or something similar,” Giles said. “We’ll have local craft beer on tap and offer wine, cider, kombucha and non-alcoholic options. My existing business is based on locally crafted merchandise, and this feels like an extension of that.”
Giles was impressed with Walters’ vision of a collective community space in a unique building.
“You have this outside space that’s inside the walls, and it’s really cool,” he said. “I think it’s going to be another great place for people to get together and bond over some of the things that make this area so special.”