Charles Owens

Jun. 30, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- BLUEFIELD -- City officials have put several long-time flea market vendors on notice of a possible move.

The city, which is still hoping to bring the Social Security offices to downtown Bluefield, may need to relocate the popular weekly flea market to a new location later this summer if an agreement can be reached with the U.S. General Services Administration, City Manager Mark Henne said.

"We have been pursuing the location of Social Security, or some other federal entity, on the avenue next to the parking building," Henne said. "We continue to be hopeful that we will be able to locate either. Anyway, not knowing when or how this is all going to turn out time wise, we thought before we started out the flea market this year, we would notify by letter all of the folks who are there every week, and all of the new people who wanted to use it, and the fact that we are pursuing a development adjacent to it. And that we would probably need to relocate them to a new area, or another area of the city."

If Social Security, or another economic development project, is agreed upon for the Princeton Avenue location, Henne said the parking building will have to be renovated and used for parking for the development. As a result, the weekly flea market would have to be moved to another location.

"We have been working and looking at alternative sites should that occur," Henne said.

Henne said the city receives frequent calls flea market vendors wondering if they will have to move. If the flea market has to be relocated to another location, it will be a site within the city limits, Henne said.

The Social Security project would require the use of the first floor of the Princeton Avenue Parking Garage to accommodate parking for employees and visitors.

A final decision on whether to relocate the Social Security office from its current site on Cumberland Road to the downtown is still pending with the U.S. General Services Administration.

The city Board of Directors hope the Social Security project will help to bring new foot traffic back to downtown Bluefield, which in return would help existing businesses and assist with the development of new businesses.

-- Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

Newstex ID: KRTB-0353-26344348