FLEA MARKET IN MILTON, WEST VIRGINIA REOPENS!

The flea market in Milton, West Virginia has reopened seven months after a fire destroyed the original buildings. The new complex will house about 250 vendors, inside and out.

About 35 vendors at the Milton Flea Market opened for business Friday; nearly seven months after a fire destroyed the complex.

"Saturday is the big day," said Boyd Meadows, owner of the flea market and the Halfway Market About 75 percent of the original vendors who ran booths inside the complex have returned, Meadows said.

"I don't think it'll be too long before we're back on track," Terri Dodd said. "Just being here now, I feel like it's going to be OK." She and her husband, Stephen, ran Trailer Connections for nine years before they lost their booth in the fire on Sept 10, 2008. The fire destroyed about $50,000 worth of merchandise and forced the couple to file for bankruptcy.

They've come back to try again. Together, with Stephen's father, they've purchased about a third of their original inventory. "It can be lucrative," Terri Dodd said, "and it has worked for us."

No one was hurt in the blaze, but only one freestanding building on the northwest corner of the flea market grounds and outside pavilions escaped damage.

The new complex will consist of three building and outside pavilions. Construction crews are still working on a second building that is scheduled to open May 15.

Before the fire, the market housed booths for 300 vendors and spanned nearly a mile, Meadows said. When complete, the new complex will house up to 250 stalls inside and out, he said. Inside vendors will have about two more feet of space, but rent has gone up from about $39 to $49, he said.

The new structures include sprinkler systems, more insulation and are about three feet above the flood plane, Meadows said. Meadows said his insurance covered only about 25 percent of the cost to rebuild.. "My kids' trust money [went into] the buildings," he said. "Most people didn't think we could do it."

The market has drawn thousands of bargain hunters to Milton since 1988. "We've had a lot of people looking to see what's new, but no buyers," said Donna White owner of the County Front Porch. White is a new vendor to the Milton market. She owns a store, the County Front Porch, in Boone County. "There are a lot of good deals here," she said.

Meadows said he would consider continuing construction and connect the buildings depending on the traffic and the number of vendors who show interest in renting space. "Time will tell," he said.

The market is open Friday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (304) 743-1123.