Business

Owner pursuing new ideas for Glen Cannon property

By Bill Moss, Published: August 16, 2014

BREVARD —A  Brevard developer said he is pursuing a number of options for the use of the former Glen Cannon Golf Course, which he acquired after the 150-acre property was sold at auction.

Leder Properties, a luxury home builder based in Brevard for more than 40 years, bought the former Glen Cannon property in May 2014 after an auction. The country club's owner said Glen Cannon needed $1 million to sustain its operations. After rescue attempts failed, the golf course and club closed in December.
Glen Cannon's new owner, Josh Leder, also bought the Brevard Lumber Yard and converted into the new Brevard Haen Gallery, featuring 20,000 square feet of sculpture and fine art and an indoor/outdoor event space that has been used for local charity fundraisers.
"We had a meeting on Thursday night with the homeowners," Leder, who lives in Pisgah Forest, said in an interview. "We had a great meeting. Over 200 people showed up."
He has a full-time worker to mow the grass and maintain the property, which is no longer used for golf.
Leder renamed the property Le Parc, which is French for "the park" and a nod to the French Broad River that runs directly in front of it. First opened as a private club and 18-hole course in the 1965, the property includes five tennis courts and a 6,000-square-foot swimming pool.
Leder has been in discussions with Brevard Academy about the possibility of moving onto the property. The charter school currently operates out of the Brevard Music Center.
"They made a pub statement in the Transylvania Times just recently," he said. "The board is going to do its due diligence to see what's required to transform it into a school. They have been looking for a school for about 2½ years."
With a pool, tennis courts, commercial kitchen and outdoor park setting, the property could make a good home for the charter school, he added.
In a news release, he said resurrecting the golf course is a possibility, although not a certainty.
"Golf is really going through some difficult times around the country and the leaders of this industry are struggling to connect with the younger generations," he said. "My hope is we can get golf back up and running, but we might need to make room for others to enjoy a wider range of outdoor activities."
The property could offer a wide range of recreational uses and host special events, Leder said.
"The economy is changing, and there's once again momentum in Transylvania County," he said in the news release. "It's important to create opportunities for new jobs and attract young, professional families. I believe a school in such a 'WOW' setting, connected to a recreational facility, could play into that attraction. I wish I went to a school like that."