Foxcroft Towne Center at Martinsburg
Former mall in Martinsburg, West Virginia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Foxcroft Towne Center at Martinsburg (formerly Martinsburg Mall) was a regional shopping mall in Martinsburg, West Virginia, located east of Interstate 81. Foxcroft Towne Center at Martinsburg was a retail hub for the Eastern panhandle of West Virginia. The property was redeveloped into an outdoor shopping center after the mall's closure.[3]
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.jpg) Entrance to Foxcroft Towne Center at Martinsburg, June 2016 | |
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| Location | Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States |
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| Coordinates | 39°27′2″N 77°59′9″W |
| Opened | October 2, 1991 |
| Closed | November 1, 2016 |
| Developer | Crown American |
| Management | Paramount Development Corporation |
| Owner | Paramount Development Corporation |
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| Floor area | 670,000 square feet (62,000 m2)[1] |
| Floors | 1 |
| Parking | 5000 |
Public transit |  EPTA bus: 10, 14, 25, 30, 35, 40[2] |
| Website | Archived 2016-04-02 at the Wayback Machine |
History
Early history
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Martinsburg Mall was developed and owned by Crown American.[4][5] The mall started construction in May 1990 with over 20 stores leasing the property.[6] Announced retailers were Brooks, County Seat, Foot Locker, Gemstone Jewelry, Jolly Time Arcade, Lerner New York, Payless Shoe Source, and Regis Hair-stylists.[4][6]
The mall opened on October 2, 1991, with almost 50 stores and a food court.[7] Space was available for up to 97 stores and 8 kiosks.[5] Anchor stores were Hess's, JCPenney, Sears, and Walmart, with space for a possible fifth anchor.[8] Attractions included "Par for the Course", an indoor mini-golf course,[5] a carousel, and an arcade.[9]
Hess's was renovated and converted into Bon-Ton Stores in 1995 after 19 of its stores were purchased by Bon-Ton the previous year.[10][11]
In October 1998, Walmart expanded its location from a discount store to a Supercenter, making it the largest in the Eastern panhandle and Hagerstown areas.[12]
Mall walkers
Foxcroft Towne Center held joint program with West Virginia University Healthcare for mall walkers called the “Healthy Start Mall Walking” program. Three laps around the mall equaled two miles.[13] The program started in 1991 and ended on October 5, 2016, due to the closure of the mall.[14]
Decline and closure
In 2004, Lightstone bought Martinsburg Mall from PREIT[a] in a transaction with four other malls.[15]
In 2008, Martinsburg Mall defaulted on a $80.9 million dollar debt, leading to receivership in January 2009 with Jones Lang LaSalle as the manager.[16]
In October 2009, Mountain State University signed an agreement to purchase Martinsburg Mall for $11 million,[17] which was completed in 2010.[16] The university planned to use existing vacant space inside the mall to create an integrated learning center.[17][18]
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Sears closed in 2011[19] and was demolished in 2014.[19][20]
In July 2012, MSU announced that it would be selling the mall help stay financially afloat in the wake of its accreditation issues.[21] On May 24, 2013, the mall was sold to Paramount Development Cooperation.[22][16]
Martinsburg Mall changed its name to Foxcroft Towne Center at Martinsburg, which went into effect on October 1, 2015.[23] On September 7, 2016, owners announced that the interior portion of the mall would close on November 1, 2016,[20][24] leaving The Bon-Ton, JCPenney, and Walmart.[25][24] They stated that the mall struggled due to vacancies and competing malls in Hagerstown and Winchester. Fifteen tenants resided in the mall among its closure.[20] JCPenney closed in the summer of 2017,[26] closing among other stores in the chain.[27][28] The Bon-Ton closed in 2018.[26]
Redevelopment
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In October 2012, Martinsburg city officials approved a plan to redevelop the former Sears.[16] This was part of phase one of Paramount's redevelopment plan to open several businesses in six new pad sites. This included Chili's, Firehouse Subs, Panera Bread, Mattress Warehouse, and some empty retail spaces.[20][23] Olive Garden opened on an outparcel in November 2012.[29]
In October 2016, phase two of the redevelopment plan was approved in conjunction with the demolition of the mall.[30] Before demolition, Martinsburg Mall's military memorial stone was relocated to War Memorial Park. Its flags were moved to the VA Medical Center in Martinsburg after Paramount got criticized for leaving them in the demolition site.[31] Five Guys, Great Clips, Kay Jewelers[30] (which relocated from the mall),[20] T-Mobile, and Wingstop opened on the mall's property.[30] In December, Angelo’s Pizza reopened on Foxcroft Avenue, previously closing alongside Martinsburg Mall.[32]
JCPenney became a Hobby Lobby on April 16, 2018,[26][33] and the former Bon-Ton became a Grand Home Furnishings on January 11, 2019.[34] The anchors are Walmart, Hobby Lobby, and Grand Home Furnishings.[3] Ross announced it would open on October 24, 2020[35] and Home2 Suites planned to open four days later,[36] both opened by December.[3] Onelife Fitness opened by April 18, 2024.[37] Walmart was renovated, completing on June 21.[38] On July 10, Tru by Hilton opened nearby the shopping center.[39]
Location
Foxcroft Towne Center at Martinsburg is at the center of Foxcroft Avenue in Martinsburg, with exit 13 immediately to the north and exit 12 to the south of the property off Interstate 81. To the south of the property lies Route 9[40] and Route 45.
See also
- Valley Mall (Hagerstown), a mall in Hagerstown Maryland
- Apple Blossom Mall, a mall in Winchester Virginia
- Frederick Towne Mall, a defunct mall in Frederick Maryland
