‘It could turn into a big sinkhole:’ Storm drainpipe beneath former St. Albans school poses problems for repurposing land

ST. ALBANS, WV (WOWK) – A storm drainpipe beneath the former St. Albans Junior High School property has turned its future on its head.

According to Gerardo Deleonardis from the city Municipal Utilities Commission, the line runs five feet below the surface, right in the middle of the patch of land.

If the city builds on top of it, Deleonardis said it could have dangerous consequences.

“It can turn into a big sinkhole. There’s all kinds of things it could do. It could make a building fall in. It could be bad. You could have foundation problems if you’re building a building,” he said.

If the city opts to build a structure on the land, like townhouses or homes that the city proposed earlier this year, they would have to be built at least seven and a half feet in either direction. Deleonardis adds that the city could decide to reroute the line, but that it could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions.

Even if they replace the line altogether, it could be a problem again down the road.

“Whether it’s me working here or someone else 40, 50 years from now, they’re going to have to fix this problem. It’s going to be another problem if you build on top of it. That’s what we’re working on now,” Deleonardis said. “It’s always going to be a problem. Maybe not now. But 50 years from now, it might be”

For all these reasons, City Councilman David Rucker said the city created a committee to recommend the best use for the land. Based on the problems the drain line poses, they will recommend that the council vote to turn the land into a green space.

“I think the committee realized the community would like this property to be something the community can be something to enjoy for many years down the road,” Rucker said.

Longtime St. Albans resident and graduate of the former school, David Bailey, said a park wouldn’t be so bad.

“It’s going to require some effort. But a green space with some benches there…I think a park is the best option,” Bailey said.

Rucker said the committee will present its findings to the St. Albans City Council on Sept. 2, but he said it could be months afterward until they vote on the fate of the land.

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