The martinsburg mall, once a staple to Berkeley county and a place where kids could enjoy and parents could take they're children to see santa or go Black Friday shopping. Built only 20 years ago the mall had marble and many features such as real open skylights and pavilions as well as a large food court. It was a great place. Then came the lease hikes. The shops started leaving. Martinsburg started falling into a dark time. The mall stores lessened as it started to feel more like shopping in a third world country. Sears left and the mall took a huge hit. A temporary wall was left up years after the store was demolished with bars holding the wall up. Recently the mall closed and the plan was made to demolish for an open air shopping center. The outrage from the community immedietly after. People don't want the open air concept. They want a place to walk indoor that's climate controlled. They want the martinsburg mall culture back. The shops they once enjoyed. Seeing santa at the pavilion in front of penny's and bon ton. Getting pizza in the food court. Enjoying the place in general. They don't want to have to walk store to store in the cold or intense heat. The mall has tons of potential and if the right person had gotten it, this never would have happened. Bring back martinsburg. Make the mall a staple as it once was. With the right stores and initiative this can happen. Thousands of people have shown they're grief for the loss of the mall. It's not too late to change the plans for the better