The City of Marion has been awarded nearly $3 million in state funding to address safety concerns at the long-condemned Westwood Chateau condominium complex.
The $2.7 million grant comes from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality through the State Dam Safety Grant Fund. The funding will be used to permanently decommission the Lady Marion Dam and rebuild the drainage system at the former lake site.
The condo complex was condemned in 2019 after soil erosion caused the buildings to begin sinking. Engineers later determined that structural issues with the dam and drainage system contributed to the problem.
City officials say the new project will ensure water cannot collect in the drained lake area again, reducing the risk of further erosion, sinkholes, or damage to nearby properties — including the Lady Marion Plaza commercial strip mall located below the site.
The grant is part of a $10 million allocation approved by the North Carolina General Assembly to repair Helene-damaged dams across the state. More than 400 dams were inspected in western North Carolina, with eight projects receiving funding.