CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Commission is asking the federal bankruptcy court for a hearing and an update on the status of the Crossings Mall bridge near Elkview.
The culvert bridge was destroyed in the June 23rd flood. The mall hasn’t been fully opened since then.
The replacement of the bridge has been tied in in U.S. District Court and now, most recently, to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Clarksburg where the motion was filed Friday.
In a news release Monday, Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said, “I am hopeful a resolution is near and I am requesting that the Court and the parties involved provide clarity to the citizens of Kanawha County on this very significant issue.”
Carper said in the motion he recognizes and understands the protections the property owner Tara Retail Group has during the court proceedings, but felt it was “necessary to reiterate to the honorable Court the devastating impact the loss of the bridge has had on the Elk community.”
More than 500 people were left without jobs because of the closure.
Tara Retail Group delayed the sale of the mall back in January. The commission said the cost of building a new bridge could be about $1 million.
Carper said the commission needs answers about when a new bridge will be built.
“It has been more than nine months since the flood destroyed the bridge at the Crossings Mall. The community has suffered tremendous pain,” Carper said in the release. “Hundreds are without jobs and are desperately seeking information on when the shopping center will reopen.”
The Crossings Mall is located off Interstate 79 in Elkview.