CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The chief of staff to Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin says the city has plans to attract people to West Virginia’s capital city and address dilapidated structures.
Mattew Sutton, appearing on Monday’s “580 Live,” said information will be released “real soon” about a partnership between the city, the Charleston Area Alliance and the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau regarding a program to attract former residents back to Charleston. Sutton also noted state efforts to increase interest in Charleston.
“We’re in a unique position where a lot of people are starting to look at this bigger city life with COVID and everything, and say ‘Maybe this isn’t for us,'” he said. “I think the way Kanawha County and the entire state of West Virginia has handled COVID — and we’re now getting vaccinations into arms — it puts us in a prime position as a place where people are going to come and live.”
Sutton noted the effort would first focus on people originally from Charleston who left for other cities. Sutton said he understands the urge in wanting to get family back to the Charleston area, sharing his siblings have moved to larger cities.
“The person who would every convince my brother to come back is my mother,” he said. “That’s who is going to do it.”
Sutton said the Goodwin administration is also focused on removing dilapidated buildings; the city provided the Department of Public Works an extra $1 million for demolishing structures, and officials work with the property owners on taking the land.
“If they don’t want it, give it to somebody who does want it,” he said. “We can’t just take it from them.”