ST. CLAIRSVILLE - Preparation work for a major renovation has started at the Ohio Valley Mall.
Rolls of plastic serving as "blinds" have been placed over storefronts in the Sears wing of the mall, and these blinds will be dropped at night to prevent debris from coming inside stores as demolition work takes place in the mall concourses.
Construction is set to happen both inside and outside the mall, according to Property Manager George Diab.
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Photo by Joselyn King
The ceiling “umbrella” in the center court at the Ohio Valley Mall will be among the first areas demolished once a renovation project starts this month at the mall.
Inside work will happen only during overnight hours and shouldn't affect shopping, he noted. Meanwhile, external work at the mall will take place in the daylight.
"We will really be seeing the start of demolition over the next couple of weeks," Diab said. "Right now we're still in the preparatory stage."
Inside, new skylights are going to be placed at each end and at the center of the mall, he said. These three "umbrella" areas of the ceiling will among the first to see demolition, he continued.
Additional electrical outlets will be placed in the floor, requiring cutting and trenching of the flooring, according to Diab. Plans call for the mall's hallways to be covered with red carpeting when renovations are complete.
Outside, sidewalks and curbs will be replaced and new lighting installed, he added.
"Within a month, people should start seeing some changes," Diab said.
The Ohio Valley Mall is owned by the Cafaro Co. based in Youngstown, Ohio. The company is not revealing how much it plans to spend on what it terms a "multimillion-dollar" renovation of the 1.2 million-square-foot shopping center.
B&B Contractors and Developers of Youngstown is the general contractor for the project, although Diab noted a number of local subcontractors will be utilized. He mentioned Erb Electric of Wheeling, LM Construction of St. Clairsville and Karras Painting of Wheeling.
