ST. CLAIRSVILLE - Upon taking office in early 2009, Belmont County Commissioner Ginny Favede said people were telling her to give up on the Ohio Valley Mall because all retail would soon head for The Highlands in Ohio County.
However, the mall got a shot in the arm Thursday, as officials with the facility's parent firm, the Cafaro Co., announced a multimillion-dollar renovation project set to begin by March 1. A new main entrance, carpeted floors and skylighting through the concourses are among the improvements Cafaro officials said should be complete by the first week of November.
"We made a commitment to this community in 1978. We don't walk away from these commitments," said Joe Bell, director of corporate communications for the Cafaro Co.
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Photo by Casey Junkins
Belmont County Commissioners Chuck Probst, left, and Matt Coffland stand behind an artist’s rendering of the planned new front entrance to the Ohio Valley Mall during a Thursday press conference. The mall plans millions of dollars in renovations.
Noting the status of the mall has served as a barometer of Belmont County's economy since its opening in the late 1970s, Favede, along with fellow Commissioners Chuck Probst and Matt Coffland, thanked Cafaro officials for their commitment to the retail center during a Thursday press conference at the mall.
"We went to Youngstown to meet with the Cafaros. We told them, 'We want you - we need you,'" said Coffland. "Anthony Cafaro Jr. has got his heart in Belmont County."
Cafaro now serves as the co-president of the company that bears his name. He told the crowd of about 75 community leaders, business leaders and interested shoppers gathered in the mall's center court that he appreciates the patronage so many have shown the mall.
"We are here to thank you for supporting us for so many years," he said.
Cafaro also recognized the economic growth potential Belmont County has because of the Marcellus and Utica shale natural gas rush. As local property owners gain lease money and royalty payments and others get jobs in the industry, there is sure to be more commerce conducted throughout the local area, he said.
Bell said nearly all of the renovation work will take place at night, so as not to disturb the day-to-day activities of customers and employees. Although he would not give a specific dollar amount for the cost of the renovations, Bell said they would cost "several millions of dollars."
The project will also see improved signage and restrooms. Work on the mall exterior will include repaving of parking areas, improved landscaping and lighting upgrades.
As the improvement project begins, Cafaro knows the mall is not without problems, as he said, "There are too many empty storefronts."
Bell said mall officials hope to make an announcement regarding a "nationally recognized store" soon to be on its way. Although he would not be more specific, Bell described the retailer as an "anchor store."
At this time, Sears Holdings Corp., parent company of both Sears and Kmart, is still planning to announce the closure of at least 20 more stores, but Bell remains confident the stores anchoring the north and south ends of the mall will remain in service. The Sears at the south end is one of very few original stores remaining from when the mall opened, while the Kmart at the north end has been in place since replacing Montgomery Ward in 1983.
Other current anchor stores inside the mall include Macy's, Elder-Beerman, Crafts 2000 and Levin Furniture, which now fills the space formerly home to J.C. Penney. Once J.C. Penney moved to The Highlands in late 2007, some local residents believed stores like Sears and Macy's would soon follow. However, Belmont County and Cafaro officials hope this renovation project will help keep the mall attractive to both current stores and potential new ones.