Ohio Valley Mall
A one-story enclosed shopping mall serving the Ohio Valley region from Richland Township near St. Clairsville, Ohio.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Ohio Valley Mall is a one-story enclosed shopping mall in Richland Township, just outside St. Clairsville, Ohio. Developed by Youngstown-based Cafaro Company, the mall opened on October 4, 1978, and remains owned and managed by Cafaro. Its trade area includes communities in eastern Ohio and nearby parts of West Virginia and the wider Ohio Valley. The property began with five traditional department-store anchors: JCPenney, Kaufmann's, L.S. Good, Montgomery Ward, and Sears. Over time, the original department-store configuration changed substantially as regional chains disappeared, relocated, consolidated, or were replaced by new retail concepts. L.S. Good was replaced by Stone & Thomas in the early 1980s; Montgomery Ward became Kmart; Kaufmann's was converted to Macy's; and JCPenney ultimately moved to a location in Triadelphia, West Virginia. Levin Furniture later occupied the former JCPenney site before Boscov's opened there in 2013. The mall has also adapted its entertainment and specialty-retail space. Its original Cinemette Theatres operation became Cinema World in 1988 and Carmike Cinemas in 1994. Carmike was subsequently converted to AMC Theatres in 2017. After AMC closed in September 2024, Golden Ticket Cinemas was announced as a planned replacement. Specialty and value-oriented tenants have included Burlington, Steve & Barry's, Crafts 2000, Pat Catan's, Marshalls, Dunham's Sports, Michaels, and Five Below. As of the latest available descriptions, the mall has more than 60 stores and services. Its open anchor lineup includes Academy Sports + Outdoors, Boscov's, Burlington, Dunham's Sports, Marshalls, and Michaels, while the former Macy's anchor is vacant in the established operating description. The center combines enclosed-mall shopping with exterior-facing retail areas and nearby hospitality uses, including the Hampton Inn & Suites developed on part of the former Kmart footprint. Ohio Valley Mall's history illustrates the evolution of a regional shopping center from a department-store-led format toward a diversified mix of off-price, sporting-goods, arts-and-crafts, furniture, entertainment, and specialty retailers. Rather than relying solely on traditional department stores, Cafaro has repeatedly subdivided, renovated, or repurposed large spaces to accommodate changing retail demand. The property continues to function as a regional commercial and gathering destination, although its tenant mix and future anchor occupancy remain subject to ongoing redevelopment.
History
Ohio Valley Mall opened on October 4, 1978, in Richland Township outside St. Clairsville, Ohio. The project was developed by the Cafaro Company, a Youngstown-based shopping-center developer that continues to own and manage the property. The original enclosed mall was organized around five department-store anchors: JCPenney, Kaufmann's, L.S. Good, Montgomery Ward, and Sears. The first major change came in the mall's entertainment offering. Cinemette Theatres opened in July 1979. It was converted to Cinema World in January 1988 and later became Carmike Cinemas in April 1994. The cinema operation was eventually converted to AMC Theatres in March 2017. AMC closed in September 2024, after which Golden Ticket Cinemas was announced as a planned replacement. Anchor turnover began early. L.S. Good closed in March 1982, and Stone & Thomas took over the location that summer. Montgomery Ward closed in April 1983; Kmart replaced it in November of the same year. Stone & Thomas moved to a larger mall location in 1996, allowing Burlington Coat Factory to occupy its former space. Stone & Thomas was converted to Elder-Beerman in October 1998. Burlington later closed in 2001, and Steve & Barry's opened in the former Burlington space in 2004. Kaufmann's became Macy's in September 2006 as part of the broader consolidation of the Kaufmann's chain under the Macy's brand. JCPenney moved to Triadelphia, West Virginia, in 2007. Its former mall location was subsequently occupied by Levin Furniture, which opened in 2009. Steve & Barry's announced a closure in 2008 amid the retailer's bankruptcy, and Crafts 2000 moved into the space in 2009. Levin Furniture closed in 2012. That year, Cafaro announced plans to renovate the mall interior and add another anchor. Boscov's was announced for the former Levin location in February 2013 and opened in October. Crafts 2000 closed in 2015 and was replaced later that year by Pat Catan's. In January 2017, closures were announced for Elder-Beerman and Kmart, both scheduled for March. The former Elder-Beerman space was subdivided and renovated for Marshalls, which opened in September 2017. Pat Catan's later announced its closure in 2019 after Michaels said it would convert the store; Michaels opened in the space in August. The former Kmart footprint was also redeveloped. In March 2019, Dunham's Sports was announced for a subdivided portion and opened in October. The remaining portion was demolished for a Hampton Inn & Suites, which opened in April 2021. Sears announced its closure in April 2019, with the store leaving in July. The former Sears building subsequently hosted Spirit Halloween seasonally from 2019 through 2024, a Hickory Farms holiday operation in 2021, and a COVID-19 vaccination clinic from February through May 2021. Macy's announced in January 2020 that its Ohio Valley Mall store would close in March as part of a nationwide store-reduction program. The remaining exterior-facing portion of the former Kmart area was renovated for Five Below, which opened in June 2020. Later redevelopment announcements identified additional potential uses for former anchor space, including Boot Barn, Burlington, Academy Sports + Outdoors, and Ferguson's House of Furniture. The mall's established open-anchor lineup includes Academy Sports + Outdoors, Boscov's, Burlington, Dunham's Sports, Marshalls, and Michaels, alongside more than 60 stores and services. The property therefore represents a continuing shift from a traditional department-store mall toward a diversified regional center combining value retail, sporting goods, home-related uses, specialty stores, services, and entertainment.
- 2024
AMC Theatres closes
[1]The AMC cinema operation closed in September.
- 2021
Hampton Inn & Suites opens on redeveloped mall land
[1]A hotel developed on part of the former Kmart footprint opened in April.
- 2020
Five Below opens
[1]An exterior-facing portion of the former Kmart area was renovated for Five Below, which opened in June.
- 2019
Dunham's Sports opens in former Kmart area
[1]A portion of the former Kmart footprint was redeveloped for Dunham's Sports, which opened in October.
- 2017
Marshalls opens in former Elder-Beerman space
[1]The former Elder-Beerman location was subdivided and renovated, with Marshalls opening in September.
- 2013
Boscov's opens
[1]Boscov's opened in the former Levin Furniture space in October.
- 2006
Kaufmann's is converted to Macy's
[1]The Kaufmann's anchor was rebranded as Macy's in September.
- 1994
Cinema World becomes Carmike Cinemas
[1]The mall cinema was converted to Carmike Cinemas in April.
- 1983
Kmart replaces Montgomery Ward
[1]Montgomery Ward closed in April, and Kmart opened in the location in November.
- 1982
Stone & Thomas replaces L.S. Good
[1]L.S. Good closed in March, and Stone & Thomas opened in the former anchor space that summer.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center serving eastern Ohio, nearby West Virginia communities, and the broader Ohio Valley, with a tenant mix centered on value retail, sporting goods, home-related merchandise, specialty stores, and services.
Retail property · 1978
Enclosed shopping mall
Ohio Valley Mall provides an enclosed regional-shopping environment containing more than 60 stores and services. Its tenant mix spans apparel, sporting goods, home furnishings, arts and crafts, discount merchandise, beauty, seasonal retail, and consumer services, supported by a combination of interior mall units and exterior-facing stores.
Department and specialty retail · 1978
Anchor retail portfolio
The mall's current established open anchors are Academy Sports + Outdoors, Boscov's, Burlington, Dunham's Sports, Marshalls, and Michaels. These operators provide a mix of sporting goods, department-store merchandise, off-price apparel, arts and crafts, and general lifestyle products.
Entertainment · 1979
Cinema and entertainment space
The property has hosted several cinema operators over its history, beginning with Cinemette Theatres, followed by Cinema World, Carmike Cinemas, and AMC Theatres. AMC closed in 2024, and Golden Ticket Cinemas was announced as a planned successor.
Brand decisions
2025
Planned replacement cinema announcedOtherBackground
AMC Theatres closed the mall cinema in September 2024, leaving the entertainment space without its established operator.
Action taken
Golden Ticket Cinemas was announced as the planned operator for the former AMC space, with an expected November 2025 opening.
2019
Redevelopment of former Kmart footprintStrategyBackground
Kmart's closure created a large vacant anchor area requiring a mixed redevelopment approach.
Action taken
One portion was subdivided and renovated for Dunham's Sports, while another portion was demolished for a Hampton Inn & Suites. An exterior-facing section was later renovated for Five Below.
Aftermath
Dunham's Sports opened in October 2019, Five Below opened in June 2020, and Hampton Inn & Suites opened in April 2021.
2017
Subdivision of former Elder-Beerman spaceStrategyBackground
Elder-Beerman was scheduled to close in March 2017, leaving a large former department-store space available for reuse.
Action taken
The space was subdivided and renovated for Marshalls.
Aftermath
Marshalls opened in September 2017, replacing a department-store footprint with an off-price specialty anchor.
2012
Plan to renovate the mall and add an anchorStrategyBackground
Changing department-store occupancy and the closure of Levin Furniture prompted Cafaro Company to pursue a mall renovation and new-anchor strategy.
Action taken
Cafaro announced plans to renovate the interior and add a new anchor, later resulting in the announcement and opening of Boscov's.
Aftermath
Boscov's opened in the former Levin Furniture location in October 2013.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Trinity Health System becomes sponsor of Ohio Valley Mall's Kidz Zone[3]
Trinity Health System became the sponsor of the children's Kidz Zone at Ohio Valley Mall, replacing the former sponsors, Ohio Valley Medical Center and East Ohio Regional Hospital, which had closed.
Sources3 sources
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