This is perhaps the last photo that will be taken of the Waynesboro Outlet Village mostly intact. I heard on WSVA on the way home from work that tonight at 7:00 (about at the time I’m writing this), area fire departments will be using the former Outlet Village as a training exercise. Thus instead of just straight demolishing the complex, they will be burning it down first. It will certainly serve our local fire departments well, as they will have the opportunity to train in how to fight a fire in a commercial building. And with the Outlet Village consisting of many buildings (17 according to the map, though #15 is already partly demolished), there will be no shortage of buildings to torch for training purposes. I’ll try to get pictures of the Outlet Village from the same vantage point tomorrow, after they’ve torched it.
The last time the local fire departments were able to do this was when the Super 8 Motel in Staunton was being demolished last year. A Martin’s is now located at the old Super 8 site, and it will be opening soon.
So there you go. I was wondering why the Outlet Village was still standing into August, with only minimal evidence of demolition going on (a few removed windows and columns on Building 1), despite the fact that news reports initially said that the buildings would be gone in June. So now, let’s make a little smoke.
And just so you know, the complex will be replaced by a new shopping center called “Waynesboro Town Center”, which the local newspapers have confirmed will house a Target and a Kohl’s. I’ve heard other names tossed around as possible tenants as well, but anything other than Target and Kohl’s is just speculation.