A major health care proposal could reshape part of west Asheville in the years ahead.

UNC Health has filed plans with state regulators to build a 92-bed acute-care hospital in Buncombe County near Westgate and Patton Avenue. The proposed hospital, called UNC Health West, would include services such as emergency care, intensive care, labor and delivery, neonatology, cardiology, gastroenterology, radiology, psychiatry, speech pathology, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.

The proposal comes as reports surface that UNC Health has acquired Westgate Shopping Center, although the health system did not confirm the property sale in its announcement. 828newsNOW reported that at least one Westgate business owner said tenants had been informed of a sale, while also saying their understanding was that there were no immediate plans to change the shopping center’s current use.

For Asheville-area residents, the proposal matters for two reasons: health care access and neighborhood change. A new hospital could bring more care options to Buncombe County and surrounding communities, but any major development near Westgate would also raise practical questions about traffic, nearby businesses, future land use, and how the area around Patton Avenue may evolve.

UNC Health says the hospital would serve patients across the region, including Buncombe, Clay, Graham, Madison, and Yancey counties. The project would be developed in partnership with UNC Health Pardee, based in Hendersonville.

The hospital is not a done deal yet. The proposal must go through North Carolina’s Certificate of Need review process, which evaluates whether major health care projects meet demonstrated community need. UNC Health is also appealing a 2025 Certificate of Need decision involving Buncombe County, and the system says it would develop only one acute-care hospital in the county if it receives approval through either process.

Local takeaway: UNC Health’s proposed 92-bed hospital near Westgate is a major story to watch for health care access, west Asheville development, traffic, and the future of one of the city’s best-known shopping areas.