05 October 2007

Manchin Intervenes in Lottery HQ Search

West Virginia's Lottery Commission had just gotten the green light from an environmental assessment for land in Kanawha City it was eyeing for its new headquarters. Then came the call from the Department of Administration, the landlord of all state real estate, scratching the site.

The reason: Gov Joe Manchin, who instead wants Lottery to relocate near the Capitol and on the other side of the river, The Charleston Gazette reports.

"Manchin said Thursday it was his order that halted the purchase of a Kanawha City site for a new Lottery Commission headquarters, and that environmental tests done at the site had nothing to do with the decision," the Gazette article said.

The governor "envisions a new office building constructed along Washington Street and California Avenue adjacent to the state Capitol Complex, with adequate parking. He hopes to bring most of the Department of Revenue, which includes the Lottery Commission, into the structure."

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