BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The proposed Skate Central development in Beckley has been placed on hold, according to a statement provided by project representative Jonathan Schmier following recent questions about the project’s status.
The response comes after LOOTPRESS reached out regarding several concerns, including the disabling of the Skate Central Facebook page, an announcement that the project is no longer considering Beckley as a location, and the absence of a business registration under “TJ Entertainment” with the West Virginia Secretary of State.
Organizers had previously identified TJ Entertainment as the business entity behind the project when it was first announced.
In a statement to LOOTPRESS, Schmier said:
“After careful consideration, we have decided to pause moving forward with the Skate Central project in Beckley, West Virginia, at this time. This decision stems primarily from a lack of necessary support from city officials, which is vital for a development of this scale and community impact.”
“Regarding the status of TJ Entertainment, we would like to clarify that we were in the process of finalizing the formal business registration with the West Virginia Secretary of State. However, once the decision was made to put the Beckley project on hold, we paused those filings as well. It is standard practice to finalize specific entity registrations once a location and lease are secured, and since we are not currently ‘conducting business’ or operating within the City of Beckley, there is no active registration at this time.”
“Furthermore, we have temporarily unpublished the Skate Central Facebook page. This was a deliberate step to prevent the influx of negative comments and to manage the overwhelming volume of private messages and emails we have been receiving. We want to be clear: receiving inquiries from local residents does not constitute being a registered business in Beckley.”
“We remain committed to bringing family entertainment to Southern West Virginia and are focusing our efforts where the logistical support and community enthusiasm align with the project’s needs. We will provide further updates as they take place.”
Schmier’s statement attributes the decision to pause the project primarily to what he described as a lack of necessary support from city officials, while also addressing questions about the project’s organizational and online presence.
LOOTPRESS has reached out to the City of Beckley regarding the claim of insufficient support from local officials and is awaiting a response.
At this time, the future of Skate Central in Beckley remains uncertain.
