Berkeley County is seriously lacking in the retail department. Thousands and thousands of homes are being built, the residential development in this county is among the most thriving in the county, but commercial development is missing.

Myself and probably most of this county have to travel to surrounding areas to fill our wants and needs (Hagerstown, Winchester, Frederick, etc). We need stores such as Sams Club, Target, Best Buy, Kohls, Home Depot, etc. here in Berkeley.


I have noticed in the last couple months that two signs of "Shopping Center Coming Soon" have appeared in Berkeley County.

The first being "Spring Mills Towne Center" at 901 & 11 at Exit 20 and the other being on Apple Harvest Drive south of town.

Has anyone heard when these centers will be developed and what tenants will occupy them?

Wow. You've got to be kidding me. They need to stop developing and building in Berkeley County period. Washington County too for that matter. I find it hard to believe that the existing stores aren't adequate for your shopping needs. What's wrong with driving 20 minutes to the next town once in awhile to shop at different stores?

I agree that theres too much development going on, but the majority is residential development. Housing development cost the area in having to upgrade roads, water, sewer, schools, public services, etc.

On the other hand commercial and industrial growth benefits because it creates jobs and tax revenue.

As a life long Martinsburgian, I wish they would put some type of moratorium on building period. It's getting so out of hand, so many of the orchards are disapearing by the day. I do, however, would like to see maybe a Target or something, but rather than see more building pop up I wish they would do more to make stores locate to downtown or use up the old buildings, i.e. the old Martins and CVS by the old outlets, and the old Lowe's by Kmart.

It would be great if more stores were downtown, but its just not as easily accessible, traffic and parking can be a nightmare.

As for the old buildings, It would be nice to see something fill the old CVS and Martins buildings on Raleigh Street, it might just happen after the Berkeley County offices are complete in the Old Blue Ridge Outlets.

I heard somewhere that the old lowes building next to Kmart is being leased as a warehouse? I'm all for using the old empty buildings. I think its great to see the 3 vacancies on Foxcroft are now filled or going to be filled, instead of tearing up more land to build new. The old Memphis Barbeque is now ChinaCity, the frazolis building will be Sprint and the old County Market will be a new center in itself with stores and eateries.

I totally agree, it seems that developers are taking the old buildings and revamping them. I'm anxious to see what the old County Market will be like.

As for downtown, with the addition of a parking garage it would be more accessible. Although, downtown has GREATLY improved in the past couple of years. I don't know how long you lived here, but when the mall opened in the early nineties downtown basically went vacant, now it seems many nice stores and restaurants are locating there.

Foxcroft Avenue is a nightmare.

As is Pleasant Valley Road in Winchester.

Why do these 'planners' feel compelled to concentrate
every new retail development on top of each other?

Why is the Home Depot in Winchester less than a
9-iron away from Lowes ?? How stupid is that?

About the only reason I go to Martinsburg anymore
is to go to Lowes. I can't wait for the new Home Depot
to open in Ranson.

As for future retail development in South Berkeley?
Inwood is next to impossible to navigate on the weekends
anymore. The state simply doesn't care about the traffic
and congestion. Putting another unneeded bank at the
Route 11/Route 51 intersection is the dumbest thing
I can imagine. Why didn't they take the opportunity
after Luweegee's shut down and extend Route 51 around
the core of Inwood and link it back up futher to the east?
So what if a few houses might be affected? More will
be torn down in the future anyway...mark my words.

Another problem is the tractor trailers (ie Swift). I'm sure
that at the time, Berkeley County bent over backwards to
lure this trucking firm into locating off of Route 11 behind
what was Corning. Now, however, traffic on Route 11,
Route 51, and Tabler's Station Road can't handle it. There
seems to be an accident every afternoon at the Tabler's
Station/Route 11 intersection. Why can't they get the
businesses there to cooperate and build an access road
that parallels I-81. It. would benefit the community and
the truckers. Guess it makes too much sense, though.

I could go on and on....

I agree that traffic is a nightmare in Berkeley County: Inwood, Martinsburg, and Hedgesville can get ugly. Our wonderful area doesn't plan for growth, instead they react to it and in some cases here, they are not evening reacting to it.



Wait until the developers start filling up the newly annexed west end of Martinsburg (On the other side of 81 between the 12 &13). Supposively in 10years that area will be a mirror to Foxcroft and all the traffic from that will dump onto the already over traveled Apple Harvest Drive.

Also I had heard that Walmart bought a piece of Land in Inwood off 51, like you mentioned that area cant handle the traffic now let alone having walmart traffic.

This county is in for a real treat in the comming years. It'll be quicker to walk.

What I think they should do is ban all building outside of the incorporated places; incorporate Inwood and Falling Waters, and then extend the boundries of Martinsburg. That way growth can be contained, and we don't lose our precious farmland. I, however, don't know if that's legal.

As for a Wal-Mart in Inwood, I don't see that happening any time soon. I really don't think there is enough people to support one, plus I think Wal-Mart would ruin some of the mom and pop stores in Inwood. I wish we could attract more upscale stores than Wal-Mart, I try not to go in there (don't like supporting a corporation that exploits it's workers), but when I do it's like going into deliverence country.

Walmart :shudder:

Gee! Sounds like Hagerstown and Washington County!