Business

Grand Central Mall celebrates renovations with grand reopening

VIENNA -- Grand Central Mall celebrated its grand reopening Friday with new flooring, lighting and food court furnishings, an expanded bookstore and a pledge from its owners to continue investing in the shopping center.

Community members, local officials and business representatives gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included performances by the Parkersburg and Parkersburg South high school bands and a $25,000 donation from the Cafaro Foundation to Wood County Schools.

The mall remained open throughout the renovations, with contractors working nights and weekends to accommodate shoppers and retailers, said Anthony Cafaro Jr., co-president of the Cafaro Company, the mall's parent company.

Cafaro said the work reflects his family's responsibility to maintain a place that holds memories for generations of Mid-Ohio Valley residents.

"Our job is to take care of it," he said. "Our job is to give the attention and the investment this mall deserves, and this community deserves."

Since purchasing the mall last year, Cafaro said, the company has heard from shoppers who remember visiting as children, business owners whose livelihoods depend on the property and residents eager to see improvements.

He thanked customers for continuing to shop through construction barriers, dust and detours, along with retailers, contractors and mall employees for their patience and work during the project.

Among the changes are new flooring and lighting, upgraded amenities and new tables and chairs in the food court. Cafaro also highlighted a Books-A-Million store that opened Thursday, describing it as three or four times larger than its previous location in the mall.

Early access for mall walkers will resume Jan. 1, allowing them to enter before stores open, he said.

Cafaro credited Vienna officials for helping move the project forward through permitting, inspections and meetings.

Mayor Chad Emrick said his first meeting with Cafaro included a discussion of what the mall could become. He said the company's work over the past year had reinforced his confidence in that vision.

"I know that the entire city is thankful for the renovations that have been done, the care that has been given, the love that has been put back into this building," Emrick said.

Jill Parsons, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley, said chamber records show the mall has been a member since at least 1990.

Parsons invited audience members to identify with memories of shopping at the mall in the 1970s, visiting Santa or the Easter Bunny, walking laps for exercise and leaving with more purchases than they intended.

"It's more than a shopping destination. It's part of our community's history and our everyday lives," she said.

Parsons said purchases at the mall support businesses, sustain jobs and contribute to the regional economy.

During the ceremony, William Cafaro, company co-president and a trustee of the Cafaro Foundation, presented a $25,000 check to Wood County Schools. Superintendent Christie Willis was invited to join the presentation.

Anthony Cafaro Jr. said the company plans to continue adding stores and experiences while listening to what residents want from the property.

"This is not the finish line. It's a new beginning," he said.

He encouraged residents to return for a Christmas tree lighting that evening, fireworks over the weekend and Santa's arrival the following week.