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City finalizes McKinley Junior High lease terms; insurance reduced and council vote expected
Summary
Mayor Scott James said city and Kanawha County Board of Education attorneys resolved lease concerns for McKinley Junior High, dropping an insurance demand from $1,000,000 to $500,000 and avoiding roughly $14,000 a year in extra premiums; the agreement will go to council if the signed copy is available.
Mayor Scott James said attorneys for the city and the Kanawha County Board of Education resolved outstanding issues in the McKinley Junior High lease and brought the city’s insurance requirement down to $500,000 from an originally requested $1,000,000. The mayor said the higher coverage would have cost the city about $14,000 more per year.
"They wanted $1,000,000, and they came down to $500,000," James said on the podcast, noting the agreement must be finalized on paper with signatures before the council votes. He said if a full copy is available, the city council would vote that evening.
Why it matters: the McKinley property is being repurposed for community recreation and administrative uses. The mayor and host described a large gymnasium, a stage and other spaces that Parks & Rec and community groups could use, which would expand local recreation capacity.
Additional context from the discussion: County officials are considering consolidating St. Albans and South Charleston bus garages at the McKinley site; uses for the older Weimer building are undecided. No formal vote outcome was reported on the podcast—the mayor said the lease would be placed on the council agenda once signed documents are available.
