The site had suffered from a fire started by the Persians and lay in ruins for more than 30 years.
In the years following the closure the site lay abandoned.
The site lay spread out before them, monochrome in the moonlight.
At the western end lay an open site that was probably used as a marketplace.
The venture failed and the site lay abandoned for years.
The site lay closed and derelict for several years, before being demolished.
The site of Blacksburg lay just within this disputed zone.
But the project failed to gain city approval and the site lay fallow.
The site laid off 24 people, or about 10 percent of its work force, in February, after the holiday shopping season.
The last awards were given in 1998, after which the site lay dormant until being sold.