Outdoor eating area near the food court entry at Grand Central Mall. (Photo by Jeffrey Saulton)

VIENNA – In 1972, West Virginia’s first enclosed mall, Grand Central Mall opened for business. Today Grand Central Mall is owned by the Cafaro Company, based in Niles, Ohio. Cafaro is one of the largest privately owned shopping center developers in the United States.

According to the Cafaro Company website, Grand Central Mall is the only enclosed regional mall within a 75-mile radius, featuring more than 30 tenants in the 729,700 square foot shopping center.

When it opened, the mall was anchored by J.C. Penney, Sears and The Diamond, which later became Stone and Thomas, later followed by Elder-Beerman and most recently H&M. Today the center is anchored by J.C. Penney, Dunham’s and Belk Outlet, along with what the company calls a redeveloped power center, the former site for Sears. That space is the location for Ross Dress for Less, HomeGoods, T.J. Maxx and Pet Smart.

According to the company web site, Grand Central Mall covers a trade area with a population of 226,017 in 93,016 households.

Ethan Faatz, regional marketing director for Cafaro Company, said Grand Central Mall is similar to the other 13 shopping centers they own. It is one of three they own in West Virginia, along with the Meadowbrook Mall in Bridgeport and Huntington Mall in Barboursville.

Samples of new flooring are displayed recently at Grand Central mall. (Photo by Jeffrey Saulton)

They also have properties in Ohio, Iowa, Kentucky, Oregon, Virginia and Washington.

“We were attracted to this market because it is very similar to all the markets our properties usually sit in,” he said. “It’s a great middle market; we have great relationships with the tenant mix at Grand Central Mall.”

Faatz said the mall was well leased when the company made the purchase.

“We thought it would be an easy transition into our portfolio,” he said.

But Cafaro always looks for ways to improve the tenant mix in their shopping centers, Faatz said.

“We have great relationships with all sorts of retailers and dining options throughout our portfolio,” he said. “So you could expect to see some good additions coming as we move forward with this mall.”

Faatz said since Cafaro is privately owned, they have more leeway with how they manage their properties.

“We are long-term players. We are not looking to purchase and sell quickly,” he said. “If we are going to invest in a market, it’s because we believe in the market and we believe there is a lot of long-term potential in the market. We get those benefits as well.”

As for changes to Grand Central Mall, Faatz said an announcement will be made soon.

“There will be a lot of exciting changes coming soon,” he said. “But, you’ll have to stay tuned to that in the next coming weeks.”