Charleston, Kanawha County to host listening sessions on Capital Sports Center

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – The City of Charleston and the Kanawha County Commission is hoping to receive community feedback about the proposed Capital Sports Center during three listening sessions.

Largest indoor sports complex in West Virginia to be built in Charleston

The City of Charleston and the Kanawha County Commission announced plans to establish the Capital Sports Center on August 24, 2022. The project will be the largest joint venture between the County and City and will have the capacity to host major regional and national events.

The Capital Sports Center will be the largest sporting complex in West Virginia and one of the largest in the Eastern United States, leaders say.

The new facility will be situated near and around the Charleston Town Center Mall property.

Some main features of the facility include an Olympic-sized aquatic center with 10 lanes, a state-of-the-art fitness center, an indoor turf field, six indoor basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts, eight pickleball courts, a 30-foot rock wall and a wrestling ring.

Below are the dates, times, and locations for the listening sessions:

• September 20, 2022 at 6 p.m. at Ball Toyota Event Center (1905 Patrick Street Plaza, Charleston, WV)
• October 8, 2022 at 11 a.m. at City Center at Slack Plaza (Rain Location – MLK, Jr. Community Center | 314 Donnally Street, Charleston, WV)
• November 1, 2022 at 6 p.m. at Roosevelt Community Center (502 Ruffner Avenue, Charleston, WV)

“It is incredibly important to engage our community on projects, like the Capital Sports Center,” said Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin. “In addition to sharing our plan, we want to hear from folks – what recommendations do they have, and how can we improve our plan. Through this collaboration, we will ensure the needs of our communities are met and be better able to develop a robust final plan.”

Commissioner Salango stated, “From the moment we announced the plans for the Capital Sports Center we said it would be important to hear from the public. I took these same steps with Shawnee Sports Complex and the public input made the Complex even better than we could have imagined. These listening sessions will help us better understand the needs of the community and further develop plans for a successful sports center. I look forward to hearing the ideas that are brought to us.

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