Cabell County Schools finishes career center demolition in Huntington Mall

HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) — Just months after the Cabell County School District decided to take over the old Sears building in the Huntington Mall, the demolition process is complete.

The $40-million project will provide students with more space for different hands-on courses as well as providing aspects the community can utilize as well.

“We anticipate having a large conference room that could be utilized by different entities if they want to come to us and ask for a conference room that will sit 200-250 individuals, and we’ll be able to provide that space along with a cafeteria that could even serve dinners or some type of banquet,” said Tim Hardesty, the Deputy Superintendent for District Operations and Support.

Some schools in the district that would typically have to drive to Huntington for the career center said this new facility will save them time.

“Before students would get on another bus at 7:30, and they would drive down to the career center, and with the construction on I-64, you can imagine that sometimes they were delayed, and it delayed their instruction,” said Kelly Daniels, Associate Principal of Cabell Midland High School. “But with them being so close to us now at the mall, that trip is going to be cut in half — if not more than that.”

Daniels also said that with a much larger center, she looks forward to incorporating the new courses and opportunities that will be available for students.

Now that the demolition process is complete, the district is finalizing the design phase before putting out a bid package, and construction is expected to start next winter.