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Council to revisit former junior high property; mayor says housing and park options remain under debate
Summary
Mayor Scott James said the city has received public input about the former junior high site and that council will revisit the matter at its March 3 meeting; options discussed include creating green space/park or developing new housing.
Mayor Scott James said the city tabled a decision on the former junior high property and that the issue will return to the City Council for a vote at the March 3 meeting.
“We tabled it till then,” James said. He described two “schools of thought”: creating green space or parkland, which he estimated could cost “$350, 400,000” to grade, seed and maintain at a basic level, or pursuing housing development to add newer housing stock to a land‑constrained city.
James said he personally favors housing, citing research he said shows new housing brings population and economic growth. He also noted a series of public meetings had been held to gather input and that council representatives will vote on the property when it returns to the agenda.
Why it matters: The decision will determine public use of a centrally located parcel and could influence housing supply in St. Albans. The mayor framed the choice as balancing lower-cost park creation and longer-term economic development through new housing.
What’s next: Mayor James said the City Council will reconsider the item on March 3 and that additional details and potential investor meetings are ongoing; no final selection or contract was announced on the podcast.
