Grand Central Mall

Infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name = Grand Central Mall


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location = Vienna, West Virginia, USA
address =
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opening_date = 1972
developer = Eugene Lebowitz [cite web |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4D20250890E29&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=Eugene Lebowitz, Turnberry Isle Developer |accessdate=2008-10-06 |last=Gehrke |first=Donna |date=1995-06-11 |work=The Miami Herald]
manager =
owner = Glimcher Realty Trust
architect =
number_of_stores = 70
number_of_anchors = 5
floor_area = convert|908238|sqft|m2|sing=on
floors = 1
parking =
website =

Grand Central Mall is a convert|908238|sqft|m2|sing=on regional shopping mall in Vienna, West Virginia, near the larger city of Parkersburg. The mall opened in 1972 and is the only enclosed mall within seventy miles of its region. It features more than seventy tenants, including a food court, a movie theater and four anchor stores: Belk, Elder-Beerman, JCPenney, and Sears. A fifth anchor, occupied originally by Phar-Mor and later by Steve & Barry's, closed in September 2008. The mall is owned by Glimcher Realty Trust.

History

Grand Central Mall opened in 1972 as the only enclosed mall within the Mid-Ohio Valley region. At the time, the mall included The Diamond (a branch of the Associated Dry Goods chain), JCPenney, Sears, and a G.C. Murphy dime store among its anchors. The Diamond closed in 1983 and was later converted to Stone & Thomas, which in turn became Elder-Beerman after the Stone & Thomas chain was acquired. Phar-Mor, a discount pharmacy chain, was later added to the mall.

Glimcher Realty Trust acquired the mall in 1993. Three years later, the company invested in an $8 million expansion, which brought a food court and a new movie theater.cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1995_May_3/ai_16896600 |title=Major expansion and renovation planned for Glimcher's Grand Central Mall, Parkersburg/Vienna, West Virginia; $8 million to be invested in Phase 1. |accessdate=2008-10-06 |date=1995-05-03 |work=Business Wire] Phase 2 of the expansion comprised a Proffitt's (now Belk) anchor store, which was also added to Glimcher's Morgantown Mall in Morgantown, West Virginia the same year. These two stores were the first Proffitt's stores in West Virginia. [cite web |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18004106.html |title=Proffitt's to anchor Glimcher Realty Trust's West Virginia malls; new anchor stores are continuation of redevelopment projects that total $25 million. |accessdate=2008-10-06 |date=1996-01-12 |work=Business Wire] Phar-Mor was closed in the late 1990s, and eventually became Steve & Barry's, while a Goody's was briefly added to the mall as well.

In early 2003, the mall was evacuated for the first time in its history when an electrical panel behind the food court exploded. Although this explosion caused the power to go out at the mall, there was no structural damage. [cite web |url=http://www.wtap.com/news/headlines/208396.html |title=Grand Central Mall Suddenly Closes |accessdate=2008-10-06 |last=Alex |first=Denise |date=2003-02-05 |work=WTAP News]

Steve & Barry's closed on September 24, 2008, along with all other Steve & Barry's stores in West Virginia. [cite web |url=http://www.herald-dispatch.com/business/x1769601157/Steve-Barrys-at-Huntington-Mall-starts-liquidation-sale-today |title=Steve & Barry's at Huntington Mall starts liquidation sale today |accessdate=2008-10-06 |date=2008-09-19 |work=The Herald-Dispatch]

References

External links

* [http://www.grandcentralmall.com/ Grand Central Mall] — official site