Super Fresh/Farmer Jack, Hampton, VA (closed 1999)

{Original Post}

Sculpture Leftover from NEI Cinemas/Riverdale Cinemas

{Original Post}

I can’t believe that this sculpture is still intact considering that the theater closed in the late 90’s, and tried to reopen like in I dunno, 2004, 2005 and closed again.

Freedom Plaza (Dead April 2008)

We all remember my post last year about FREEDOM PLAZA?

It’s dead. The tornado that ripped through Suffolk yesterday demolished this place.

{photos from The Daily Press, and AP}

Kitchen’s Mini Mart, Ivor, VA (closed March 2008)

This place stopped providing gas months ago (the last price for gas there was 2.02).

In the last days this place was open, there was ALL sorts of old coke and pepsi stuff, like shelves and signs on the side of the store. I didn’t get a chance to get any.

Question: The Shortest-Lived Stores in Your Area

What do you think was the shortest lived [chain] store(s) in your area? A store that seemed to open and then close months or a year or two later?

My three off the top of my head would have to be:

• Hills in Hampton, VA. Lasted from late 1995 to January of 1997. Still vacant, save for that one time the Salvation Army used it for a drop off place during the holidays.
• Frank’s crafts and nursery also in Hampton, actually not even a mile away from Hills. I think this place was seriously only open for a few months in late 2000. It was across from Coliseum Mall. I think the building is now a skate shop and a Panera Bread.
• FX electronics storein Virginia Beach, Hampton, and somewhere else probably. Apparently only lasted for a nanosecond in 1989.
• Now I don’t know, since I was a little kid (around six) when the chain left the Hampton Roads area, but how long did Bradlees stay in Hampton?

WAVY News Report on A&N going out of Business

I didn’t know one of the local news chains had a YouTube.

Bill’s Flea Market (former FX), Virginia Beach, VA

I can’t believe I never brought this place up in here … and now its gone, well, in the process of being gone, its on fire (or at the very least suffering smoke damage) right now as I type this.

This was my original Flickr description of the photo when I took it this past Summer (a friend works nearby, and she took me to the building afterwards):

FX was a very very very very very (I mean VERY! like only a few months) futuristic looking electronics store owned by the big local furniture store, Haynes.

I have the opening week ads somewhere in my house from 1989. The only reason why we have them is because it was also the same week of the San Francisco earthquake. I need to try to scan those sometime.

This is now a flea market called Bill’s.

I think I was originally going to do a big article about FX, and dig up those old newspapers of my dad’s, but I never got to it, and now I don’t know WHERE those newspapers are since we moved back in December.

I don’t know where the other FX locations were at the moment. There was one in Hampton, at Todd’s center where Big Lots, Office Max (and I think) the Northern Tools (formerly Paul’s Arts & Crafts and before that Service Merchandise) building is at today. I swear I think I may of zipped through the opening day coverage in the Daily Press or VA Pilot microfilms I was looking at last year when I was doing Newmarket Fair Mall research.

I recorded the news tonight, but I recorded it on a DVD so I don’t know when I’ll be able to make screen caps since the DVD is not finished. It was something seeing smoke circle around that FX tower.

Armory Drive Cinemas (Closed, January 2008)

{Photo I took in May of 2007. When I added this photo to Flickr back then, I put a note on the “Delta Farce” marquee, and in the note I said, “We can imagine what movie most of Franklin will be seeing.”}

I read in the paper a couple of days ago that this place closed unexpectedly. I’m not surprised. I went there to see The Simpsons Movie in July, and the place was falling apart, and the movie was out of focus for 20 minutes.

Franklin’s only movie cinema closes

By Paul McFarlane/Editor/paul.mcfarlane@tidewaternews.com
Tuesday, January 15, 2008 10:46 AM EST

FRANKLIN-Armory Drive Cinemas, the last existing movie house in the Franklin/Southampton area, has closed its doors.

The final weekend of showings was Jan. 12-13. The last movies playing were “I am Legend,” “National Treasure” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”

A greeting left on the business’ answering machine states: “We would to thank you for supporting our Armory Drive Cinemas during the last few years. We are now closed. Thank you for your efforts and time that you spent. And I hope you enjoyed your movies.”

See Wednesday’s print edition of The Tidewater News for more details.

Franklin, VA KFC Bucket Found

A few weeks ago, I posted about the KFC/Taco Bell that was torn down in Franklin. I found the bucket near my house in this carwash nobody wishes will open soon:

All That is Left of Coliseum Mall (September, 2007)

I took this picture in the new JC Penney parking lot.

Everything was sold and moved out in early August, and the new JC Penney down from it was opened in late August. This one will be torn down. After this is torn down, the only building standing from the old Coliseum Mall days will be the Macys.