This week (August 6, 2019), it was announced that the Sears location at the Huntington Mall in Barboursville is slated to be closed. This leaves a major vacancy in the area's premier shopping location, both in terms of space and in terms of economic impact. This petition proposes that the soon-to-be-vacant space be redeveloped, in as cost-effective a manner as possible, into Cabell County's first permanent ice rink in 15 years.

At a minimum it will be a new and exciting attraction to the mall and the Huntington area at large, giving people of all ages a place to learn to skate and play hockey; if a significant seating capacity can be built into the plans (2000-4000 seats), it could host a new junior or minor pro hockey team, injecting more money into the area through ticket sales and increased mall traffic on gamedays as fans from as far out as Charleston and the Kentucky/Ohio suburbs come in to watch hockey games.

The investment would be significant, but worth the effort to bring something new and enjoyable that will help maintain the Huntington Mall as a desirable location for shoppers and families throughout the region.