CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Construction on a new recycling center in Kanawha County could begin later than expected.
Members of the Kanawha County Solid Waste Authority got a look at design plans earlier this fall for the new facility that would replace the former Slack Street building in Charleston. The expectation was to start the work in a few months, but SWA Executive Director James Young said they needed to make some changes that required a new sketch of the plan.
“We’re trying to incorporate the drop site closer to the building. Right now, it’s a pretty big distance to get the material to where the building would be, so we’re trying to make it convenient not only for residents, but also for us as we’re processing it to be more efficient,” Young said prior to a Tuesday board meeting in Charleston.
Architect John Michael Sakoian of Sakoian International is ahead of the project with plans to design a 16,000 square foot facility. The building would be made of metal frame and covered with durable fabric.
Young said the authority is currently in the process of getting geotechnical, mechanical, electrical and plumping reports for the new facility.
“We’re going to put out an expression of interest and qualifications for that,” he said. “I think we were hoping for a very aggressive timeline in the beginning, but since then we’ve kind of realized that we have a lot of work to do.”
Preparations could take up to six months before construction can start, but Young said the reports are the last piece the authority needs before announcing how much the building is going to cost.
The SWA plans to form a committee that will soon conduct interviews for engineering companies interested in the project.