By Matthew Young
For HDMedia
With the primary election in West Virginia just more than a month away, candidates for Charleston At-Large City Council gathered at the Clay Center’s Walker Theater on Wednesday to discuss their visions for the city’s future.
Hosted by Charleston Urban Works, in partnership with WCHS-TV and Fox Appalachia, the “Capital Conversation” candidate forum featured 10 Democratic candidates and one Republican. Two Republican candidates — Will Pack and Fred Joseph — were not in attendance, nor was Democrat Patrick Salango.
With five at-large council member seats contested, the top five vote-getters in the Democratic primary will serve as their party’s nominees. With only three declared Republican candidates, all will appear on the November ballot.
The forum was separated into two candidate groups and moderated by WCHS-TV’s Jacob Peklo and Ric Cavender of Charleston Urban Works.
Group One: Charleston Town Center mall
The first group consisted of six candidates: incumbents Jennifer Pharr, Joe Solomon and Caitlin Cook; and challengers Kitty Lindsay, Linda Bodie and sole Republican Da’Ron “Scooby” Parks.
Candidates were asked four questions, ranging from homelessness to economic growth and support of local businesses; however, discussion surrounding the possible acquisition of the Charleston Town Center mall and what it could become dominated much of the panel.
Caitlin Cook:
“I would love to add a natatorium in that space and have it in conjunction with the Capitol Sports Complex. I grew up as a swimmer. So yes, that is a dream of mine, but it’s also something that would serve our city well. It’s a revenue generator.”
Joe Solomon:
“There is a desire for more affordable senior downtown living. I hear that again and again at different events. And potentially affordable child care, or even free child care, downtown.”
Kitty Lindsay:
“I think it could be an educational hub, and I also really like the idea of affordable senior living. And … child care — having an affordable child care center in downtown to support the people that work in downtown … it would be incredible. The more people have support to work, the more they can work. We definitely need to dream bigger with that space.”
Linda Bodie:
“Nothing should move forward without a [public] discussion about where this property could go. I think it’s probably bigger than what we think it is and can house a lot more things than we think it can. Another issue for Charleston is housing — it desperately needs housing. And this would be the perfect opportunity and perfect place to have that downtown housing in at least part of the mall.”
Da’Ron “Scooby” Parks:
“We should look beyond traditional retail and aim for mixed-use development — housing, small businesses and community space — that keeps people downtown. We already have momentum in the New Triangle District where community leaders are raising funds for the skating rink and for the multi-generational activity center. That kind of investment brings energy, creates safe spaces for youth and helps redefine how people experience our city.”
Jennifer Pharr:
“We need to make sure that we pay homage to history. That particular area was bustling. There needs to be some type of historic monument that’s placed there so that people understand that folks that look like me [a person of color] were very displaced. It needs to be something that is reflective of our history, but it also needs to be the perseverance and the progress that we need to move forward in order for our city to attract those that want to live here, as well as those that want to stay here.”
Group Two: The Charleston Municipal Auditorium
Group two consisted of five candidates: incumbents Emmett Pepper and Shawn Taylor; and challengers Patricia Smith, Jason Gibson and Gina Grigoraci.
The second group was presented with four different questions ranging from diminished police presence to the city’s improved responsiveness through the creation of a business liaison position. The currently closed Municipal Auditorium, however, garnered lengthy conversation.
Emmett Pepper:
“We hear from Ticketmaster … that they need a configurable space. They want it to be flat. They want it to be a big, box venue. But then there are people that we hear from in the community saying ‘we want to … restore the history. We also want to have this place that we know from growing up.’ I agree with both of those things. We need to have a venue that is workable, that we can do modern shows in.”
Patricia Smith:
Editor’s note: Smith used her time to discuss Charleston’s schools, which was not a topic of the group.
Shawn Taylor:
“It’s not going to reopen as it is. There are significant structural and mechanical problems as it exists that simply don’t allow it. It’s going to be rebuilt one way or the other, and what I find from the few people that ask me about it in the community is there is only one significant objection … the art deco facade. Attempting to maintain that facade invites significant possibility of extreme cost overruns.”
Jason Gibson:
“If you read the report, there’s a lot of things at play here. The most notable one to me was the fire suppression system. The facade [should be saved], so I would love to see it preserved. If you ever go to Capital High School, you know that in the parking lot, they have the facade, or doorway, from the original Charleston High. Why don’t we do something like that?”
Gina Grigoraci:
“I love the nostalgia of it, but I understand it’s not functional. We are losing out on tourism and revenue with the event space being closed. I would love to see the facade preserved or restored, but the rest of the building demolished and a new modernized building that can house any number of different events effectively.”
What’s next
The deadline to register to vote in West Virginia is April 21. Early voting begins April 29 and the primary election is May 12.
Read more from HDMedia, here.