Neighbors elevate considerations for journey plaza at former Kmart

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Right off the West Virginia Turnpike in Kanawha City, the Kmart constructing has sat empty since 2020.

Kathy Slone used to get pleasure from Kmart, usually strolling there from her neighborhood.

“Get pop, bread, anything like snacks that we needed,” Slone mentioned. “We could just walk there and get it. Now, there’s nothing there.”

City Councilman Chad Robinson mentioned GoMart bought the property by a web based public sale, and the corporate hopes to construct a journey plaza.

“We have not seen plans for the construction, but we understand that there’s gonna be some restaurants in the facility, state of the art facility,” Robinson mentioned.

This information will not be precisely what neighbors hoped for after rumors circulated for months.

Charles Carpenter mentioned, “First off, I don’t want it, period. It’s going to depreciate our property value.”

Slone mentioned, “Other than the community center, we have nothing for kids at all in Kanawha City.”

Robinson mentioned there are considerations, however he’s asking the neighborhood to carry judgement till plans are official.

“It’s across the street from a church, there’s a residential area within a couple hundred yards across MacCorkle Avenue, so there are definitely concerns that GoMart hopefully will take into account,” he mentioned.

Robinson mentioned town can’t change what goes into the house, however he hopes to work with neighbors who say the realm is getting worse.

“That area is known for a lot of drug activity,” Carpenter mentioned.

“We’ve even had to put surveillance cameras up so that way we watch all around our house because we’ve had thieves come and steal stuff off my front porch,” Slone mentioned.

According to Robinson, crews have already began eradicating asbestos to tear down Kmart.

He’s hoping the funding helps the realm, eliminating an empty constructing. Robinson additionally shared that GoMart can be demolishing the prevailing location down the road and construct one other journey plaza on the opposite finish of the turnpike close to Winterplace.

Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.