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Grand Central Mall to raze shuttered Sears to make way for new addition

Photo by Brett Dunlap The demolition of the former Sears location at Grand Central Mall will begin in early March as the mall is planning to build an open-air component to the local shopping venue.

VIENNA — The demolition of the former Sears location at Grand Central Mall will begin in early March.

Washington Prime Group Inc., owner of the mall, said the redevelopment plans for the former Sears space will add an exterior facing element to the mall featuring first to market national big box retailers, according to a press release from the company.

“This new open air component will further the transformation of Grand Central Mall from a traditional enclosed mall into a hybrid town center,” the press release said.

The company will announce the new retailers in the near future.

“Our objective of transforming our assets into dominant town centers is no better illustrated than with the scheduled renovation of Grand Central Mall located in Parkersburg, West Virginia,” said Lou Conforti, CEO and director of Washington Prime Group. “Capturing an expansive catchment which includes the Parkersburg, Marietta and Vienna MSA, Washington Prime Group has solidified its premier positioning via an exciting array of tenancy including H&M (the first in West Virginia), Ulta Beauty, Big Lots, Five Below, Dunham’s Sports and Hibbett Sports as well as with renovated and/or newly constructed inline and outparcel space.

“Several new tenants replace space formerly occupied by Sears, Elder-Beerman (Bon-Ton Stores) and hhgregg.”

It was recently announced that the mall’s Payless ShoeSource will close, but mall officials have not been given any timeline on this.

Grand Central Mall’s General Manager Jody Hopkins said their commitment to deliver an expansive merchandise mix, family friendly events and popular dining options for their guests will keep the community center the best location for all their customers’ needs for years to come.

“We’re proud of the four new store openings that occurred last year and the upcoming Sears redevelopment is going to take Grand Central to the next level,” he said.

A 46,000-square-foot Big Lots will replace the former Toys R Us location at Grand Central Mall and will open later this year. The company replaced a former Elder-Beerman space with H&M, which opened last fall.

Ulta Beauty and Five Below recently replaced a former hhgregg location. Hibbett Sports, a national chain of athletic goods, joined Grand Central Mall in 2018.

Mall officials said a barrier will be built at the entrance of the former Sears store while the demolition work is being done.

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