Martinsburg Mall

A planned redevelopment of a Martinsburg Mall anchor location will add ambiance and activity, with new restaurants and shops, as well as an open-air courtyard for special events, the mall's owners said in a news release. “We're really excited about all the possibilities this project presents,” General Manager Robert Gardner said in the release. “We're already in negotiations with several national retailers that would blend well with our current tenants and enhance the mall's overall shopping experience.” Mountain State University, which owns the mall, filed proposed project plans with the Martinsburg Planning Commission on Aug. 30. The documents, which revise the mall's long-term master plan for enhancements, are expected to be considered by the planning commission at its October meeting.

The Eastern Panhandle Home Builders Association's 16th Annual Home Show will be March 11-13 at Martinsburg Mall. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. The show will include more than 200 exhibits featuring all types of products and services related to the home. There also will be a silent auction with a large selection of unique items available for bidding throughout the weekend, and Bob the Builder, always popular with children, will attend the show.

The Martinsburg Mall is negotiating with a Florida company to open an Olive Garden restaurant along Foxcroft Avenue, according to mall General Manager Robert Gardner. “We're hoping to sign a deal in the near future,” Gardner said Tuesday. The mall is currently negotiating a property lease agreement with GMRI Inc., which is affiliated with Orlando-basedDarden Restaurants Inc., according to Gardner. While no agreement has been reached, Gardner said a letter of intent has been signed, which allowed for the negotiations to proceed.

More than 230 exhibitors are slated to take part in the Eastern Panhandle Home Builders Association's 16th Home Show when the three-day event kicks off Friday at the Martinsburg Mall. Of the exhibitors, about 200 companies are expected to participate in the sold-out show, which opens at 10 a.m. on Friday and continues through 6 p.m. Sunday, according to Home Builders Association Executive Officer David Hartley. More than 200 items are expected to be sold in a silent auction, which Hartley said has grown in popularity each year.

Martinsburg Mall is in negotiations with a prospect interested in the former Sears location, and Robert Gardner, the mall's general manager, said the possibility of signing a deal to fill the anchor space appears promising. Deals to replace Sears and develop an outparcel of the 79-acre property at 800 Foxcroft Ave. for a fine-dining establishment could be announced in the near future, Gardner said. "I would love to mention the name of (the restaurant)," Gardner said. "It will be a fine-dining establishment, something the Martinsburg market doesn't have.

Police in Martinsburg are asking for the public's help in solving the Friday morning theft of more than $20,000 in mobile phones from two kiosks in the Martinsburg Mall. A representative with the AT&T kiosk in the mall told police that more than $12,000 in cell phones were stolen about 8:10 a.m. from cabinets where they were stored. The theft happened before the business opened, police were told. Surveillance video footage obtained by police shows a suspect breaking into the cabinets, police said.

The Martinsburg Planning Commission on Wednesday night approved changes to Martinsburg Mall's concept plan that propose redevelopment of the former Sears location to make way for two free-standing restaurants and new, but smaller, retail spaces. No one spoke for or against the revisions proposed by Mountain State University Building Co., in a public hearing held in coordination with the planning commission's review, but mall officials did hear concerns about the project's potential impact on traffic along Foxcroft Avenue from planning commissioners.

It was easy to tell a home show was in progress Friday afternoon because people were walking around Martinsburg Mall carrying yardsticks. Friday was the first day of the three-day show organized by the 210-member Eastern Panhandle Home Builders Association, Inc. David Hartley, association executive director, said this year's 17th annual show drew more than 235 vendors, compared with the 2011 show that had slightly more than 200 vendors....

With more than 230 exhibits, the 17th Home Show slated for this weekend at Martinsburg Mall promises to be one of the largest yet, Eastern Panhandle Home Builders Association Executive Officer David Hartley said Wednesday. The variety of exhibitors for this year's show, which opens Friday at 10 a.m., is probably greater than previous years and coincides with some improvement in the housing market where prices are stabilizing, Hartley said. “We've got a long ways to go,” Hartley said.

Unique Boutique will be hosting its first bridal-themed fashion show on Saturday in the gazebo area of the Martinsburg Mall. The event will showcase the wedding, bridesmaid, flower girl and attendee dresses available at the store. The show begins at 2 p.m., and is free. There will be giveaways and coupons for use that day only. The store is at entrance 4 of the Martinsburg Mall, across from guest services. Unique Boutique has been open since Feb. 15.

An 18-year-old woman is accused of embezzling more than $1,000 in cash and merchandise from the Bon-Ton store at Martinsburg Mall, according to Berkeley County Magistrate Court records. Samantha Bowie, of 107 Autumn Leaf Drive in Martinsburg, was arraigned Friday on one felony count of embezzlement by Magistrate Betty Jo Hersh, according to court documents. Martinsburg Police Patrol officer C.M. Richmond said in a complaint that Bowie provided a written statement admitting she took $600 in cash and $435.12 in merchandise, according to court documents.

Monday, May 13 - American Red Cross, 1131 Conrad Court, Hagerstown, 1 to 7 p.m. Monday, May 13 -  Maugansville Ruritan, 18007 Maugans Ave., Maugansville, 1 to 7 p.m. Monday, May 13 -  Paw Paw Fire Hall, 44 Moser Ave., Paw Paw, W.Va., 1 to 7 p.m.  Tuesday, May 14 -  St. John's United Church of Christ, 215 E. Cumberland St., Clear Spring., 1 to 7 p.m.  Wednesday, May 15 - American Red Cross, 1131 Conrad Court, Hagerstown, noon to 6 p.m.  Wednesday, May 15  - Mather Training Center, 51 Mather Place, Harpers Ferry, W.Va., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Friday, May 17 -  Williamsport High School, 5 S. Clifton Drive, Williamsport, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Friday, May 17 - Knights of Columbus, 108 W. Stephen St., Martinsburg, W.Va., 1:30 to 6 p.m.  Tuesday, May 21 - Martinsburg Mall,  800 Foxcroft Ave., Martinsburg, W.Va., noon to 6 p.m.

Shepherd University to open center in Martinsburg SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - Shepherd University has received approval from its regional accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, to open an additional location in Martinsburg, W.Va., according to a news release from the school. The Martinsburg Center is anticipated to open June 16. “With the formal approval of the Higher Learning Commission, Shepherd will provide working adults convenient opportunities to obtain bachelor's and master's degrees at its new center at 261 Aikens Center in Martinsburg,” Shepherd President Suzanne Shipley said in the news release.

Martinsburg businessman P.J. Orsini was feeling a lot of “good energy” at the Eastern Panhandle Home Builders Association's Home Show Friday at Martinsburg Mall. “I'm getting a lot of good questions,” said Orsini, standing among several sleek and shiny appliances on display from Orsini's Appliances Sales & Service. The Home Show continues at 10 a.m. today. Admission is free and home-related seminars, which also are being offered Saturday at no charge, begin at 10:30 a.m. On Sunday, the show opens at noon and continues through 6 p.m. Bidding in the show's silent auction ends at 4 p.m., Sunday.

Despite the recent winter snow, spring is right around the corner and that means it's time for the 30th annual Franklin County Builders Show. “The builders show is a rite of spring. When the builders show is here, you know spring is not far behind,” said Tom Hanks, president of the Franklin County (Pa.) Builders Association. The builders show starts Friday at the Waynesboro Mall off Pa. 16. There's plenty of free parking, Hanks said. With 147 vendors on tap, there's something to pique everyone's interest at this year's show, he said.

Name of business: A Little Off The Top Owner: Marleen Mason Address: Martinsburg Mall, 800 Foxcroft Ave., Suite 417, Martinsburg, W.Va. Opening date: Oct. 1, 2012 Products and services: Haircuts, perms, colors and waxing Target market: Children and adults How did you get into your business, and what motivated you to start it? Great opportunity at the Martinsburg Mall Previous business experience: I owned three other beauty shops in the past, not concurrently, in Pennsylvania.