WQYU – Blog

Last year around this time Sears Holdings announced that the Sears location at the Newmarket Fair Mall also known as The Net Center located in Hampton, Virginia was going to close, which if I’m correct they had to be out of the building by January 12, 2019. 

The rumor isn’t so much a rumor it’s reality.

I heard rumor that the Kmart located off of Victory Boulevard, in the Tabb area of York County, VA was supposedly going to be closing but nothing in the news paper, on TV or even online about them closing the store, no sign posted out side of the store will be closing or going out of business, six months latter still noting but sadly on or about after September 1, 2019 the announcement went out that the Kmart on victory Boulevard in the Tabb area of York County, Virginia announced that they would be shutting their doors.

Here’s a little history, according to the Daily Press a newspaper article published on November 14, 1993, they say that the Super Kmart in the Village Square at Kiln Creek in York County, VA is peninsula’s biggest discount retail store, square feet is 192,800. Also according to the Daily Press, this would have supermarket, an optical shop, a full-service florist, a hairdresser and a video rental store. (Source 1) They also had a mechanic shop.

Today, the Kmart is no longer 192,800, as the supermarket part is now home to Kroger, as fair as the others like the an optical shop, a full-service florist, a hairdresser and a video rental store, they all have since closed long before this store was on the chopping block.

Here’s some fun facts (Source 2)

• Open to the public on Monday, November 15, 1993 @ 9AM
• Replaced the Kmart at the Warwick Village Shopping Center, possibly is now home to Dollar Tree. (Kmart closed their old store on Sunday, November 21,1993)
• About 425 employees were working the first shift, wow, that’s a lot.
• 36 registers open.
• Peninsula’s biggest discount retail store and also in the state.

Who will occupy the former Kmart?

So fair I have not heard anything about anyone wanting to go into the former Kmart space once they are gone, so I’m curious to see after Kmart vacates the space what new retailer would be interested in the former Kmart space? The space is large, it has an outdoor fenced in area, a garage. I can only make a few predicting assuming the space is not divided up.

A few retailers that I am predicting that may be interested in the space because it is large enough for them it’s maybe Planet Fitness, the outdoor garden center could be a basketball court, the former home and garden center could be where treadmills could go and other parts of the store for weightlifting, jogging etc.

On the corner of Warwick Boulevard and Oyster Point Road I believe where Planet Fitness is currently and Care-A-Lot Pet Supply I believe it’s a former Farm Fresh witch is divided up into two places. Care-A-Lot Pet Supply is on the left side and Planet Fitness is on the right side.

Another retailer that probably would be interested in the space because it’s large enough for them is possibly Ollies Bargain Outlet. Ollies Bargain Outlet is in the former location of Toys “R” Us space, in Hampton, Virginia.

Sources:

• Background image and images on this page is taken by WQYU.COM/Andy
• Source 1: https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-19931114-1993-11-14-9311140145-story.html
• Source 2: https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-19931116-1993-11-16-9311160045-story.html