Remodeling project to create a new look

A 350-seat food court highlights the upcoming mall renovation.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
NILES -- An upcoming renovation to Eastwood Mall will be the second-largest remodeling project by the Cafaro Co., which owns 19 malls across the country.
Anthony Cafaro Sr., president of the Youngstown-based company, said the project will cost several million dollars and be highlighted by the addition of a food court, skylights and carpeting.
"We think this area deserves this kind of treatment, this kind of investment," he said Wednesday at a ceremony to announce the renovation and the opening of a new store, Steve & amp; Barry's University Sportswear.
Ken Kollar, mall general manager, said he expects the work to be completed by October in time for the holiday shopping season. Construction barricades could appear by this weekend as work begins on the food court, he said.
The escalator, stairs and planters at the main entrance near Ruby Tuesday's will be removed so an open space can be created for 350 seats in the food court. An elevator and stairs for access to Kahunaville will be installed off to the sides.
Also, the walls of the units just inside the entrance will be removed as part of the open appearance. There will be six retailers in the food court, including Salvatore's Pizzeria, which is relocating from elsewhere in the mall.
Kollar said others in the food court will include a hot dog shop and restaurants that offer Mexican, Japanese and Asian food.
Investment in Valley
Cafaro said the project is much larger than others at the 37-year-old mall. He called past improvements face-lifts.
"This is a major, major project," he said.
He admitted being concerned about recent business troubles at Delphi Corp. and General Motors Corp., which both employ thousands in the area. No matter what happens with these companies, the community will always need shopping centers, and these improvements will help Eastwood position itself for the future, he said.
"If we didn't believe that the Valley was here to stay and going to get stronger over the long term, we would not make this kind of investment," he said.
Though Cafaro would not give the exact cost of the renovation, he said the only larger upgrade was at the company's mall in Fredericksburg, Va. That project was more expensive because it included adding what the industry calls a lifestyle center, which are upscale shops with individual, outside entrances.
What's not feasible
Cafaro said he doesn't think a lifestyle center is feasible at Eastwood because it is a concept that works best in warm-weather locations. He said he is watching how Legacy Village, a lifestyle center outside Cleveland, will perform over the long run.
Also, lifestyle centers typically are found in big cities, which have more shoppers interested in high-end stores, he said. The company's mall in Virginia has become part of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, so it fits this demographic, he said.
Cafaro's malls are located mostly in midsize markets, such as Sandusky; Erie, Pa.; and Dubuque, Iowa. The company also owns 30 shopping centers.
Even without a lifestyle center, Eastwood Mall already contains a large number of stores on property the company owns around the mall. The complex in Niles is the company's largest.
The latest development on the property is the North Commons Plaza near Home Depot. Kollar said Cici's Pizza will open in the plaza in May and Starbucks will open in June. Cafaro officials also are talking to the operator of a Mexican restaurant, he said.
shilling@vindy.com