ELKVIEW, W.Va. — Sixty-nine workers who were employed at the Crossings Mall Kmart in Kanawha County have received their pink slips, according to Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper.
“I have been contacted by a number of people including employees of Kmart,” Carper said.
The store closed shortly after the June 23 flood after the access bridge leading to the mall was wiped out by the high water. The bridge has yet to be rebuilt.
Some of the employees had been working at other Kmart locations in the area, Carper said.
“They had been allowed to travel to various other Kmarts and work but that opportunity no longer exists. My understanding is they’ve all been fired,” he said.
Carper said it’s likely a combination of the bridge being out and Kmart’s corporate issues have caused the layoffs. Kmart and Sears announced last month the companies are closing 150 stores nationwide.
In a statement, Kmart confirmed the firing of the employees, adding the company plans on reopening at the location after construction of an access bridge is completed.
The building of a new bridge remains up in the air. The interested parties were in U.S. Bankruptcy Court Wednesday for a hearing in connection with mall owner Tara Retail Group’s filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month. Carper said Tara and its owner Bill Abruzzino told the judge they have a financing plan to rebuild the bridge.
“They are actually now wanting to do a financing plan where they will build the bridge themselves and take the property back over,” Carper said. “My question there is–why didn’t they do that to begin with?”
U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston put the property in receivership last December after Abruzzino and property mortgage holder U.S. Bank could not reach a settlement on who should pay for the bridge. Under the judge’s order, the bank, which holds a $13 million note on the property, would pay for the bridge, but the bankruptcy filing put everything on hold.
Carper said he hopes the bankruptcy judge will agree with Johnston’s order. Another hearing is scheduled for Thursday, March 2.
The Kmart decision is another blow to flood victims, Carper said.
“Some of these people got hit three times–they lost their house, they lost their job and in some cases their spouses and family members have been hit too. It’s been a terrible thing for these families,” he said.
There were approximately 500 workers at the various businesses in the Crossings Mall at the time of the flood.