MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The construction of the Mountaineer Center at Mylan Park had people talking at Saturday’s town hall meeting in Morgantown.
Deputy Mayor Mark Brazaitis expressed his concerns regarding the new $45 million facility, calling it a “tragedy” for Morgantown.
“When Mark Brazaitis speaks on any point, he is speaking as a member of council from his own experience and as a resident of the community,” Morgantown City Councilman Ryan Wallace said on WAJR’s Morgantown AM. “I like Mark, I think we might disagree somewhat on the value of the Mountaineer Center at Mylan Park.”
Wallace thinks the facility will benefit some Morgantown residents within certain niche groups and “bring good to various entities.”
“It will definitely be good for a lot of folks,” he said. “It is not what some have suggested as a solution to Morgantown’s overall need for a community health and wellness or recreation center.”
One of the issues of concern for City Council was the location of a facility, a 15 to 20 minute drive for some residents that may not have a car.
“I don’t think that getting in a car and going 15 minutes is an option for a lot of folks in town,” Wallace said.
Focusing on health and wellness for the city, Wallace said that he is looking into accessible wellness in town A YMCA was one of the wellness facilities mentioned.
“I don’t mean to denigrate that facility, I just need to find something better for Morgantown residents,” he said.
Wallace voiced no concerns over the facility other then the location and is confident that it will pose as no threat to the city’s current facilities.
“I don’t think that having a Mountaineer Center out here at Mylan Park is going to be a competitor to any kind of municipal wellness facility in town,” he said. “It’s far enough away and there are enough people that each one will probably be operating at capacity very nicely, thank you. I don’t think they’ll be fighting for customers.”
Story by Hannah Williams