Collegiate Times

Many Virginia Tech students have taken notice of the taped off ?construction areas? both within and outside of the New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg.

Within the next year or so, mall patrons will not only see a new interior to the mall, but also the addition of a larger Regal Cinemas, food court, a Dick?s Sporting Goods Store and a new shopping center.

?These renovations have been long overdue,? said Mike Poldiak, general manager of the NRV Mall. ?The mall hasn?t really seen any significant change since it was built in 1988 and with the mall being under new ownership, we felt it was time for some other changes as well.?

The Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust bought the NRV Mall in November 2003.

The interior of the mall will consist of new wall-to-wall carpeting, ceramic floor tiling, a working fireplace, various skylights and a new Hokie Stone entrance to welcome Tech students. The center stage that has been used for a winter holiday displays in past years, will be removed and replaced with new sitting areas for mall shoppers. The interior renovations are to be completed by November 2006.

?None of the current tenets are expected to have to close as a result of the renovations,? Poldiak said. ?We do expect to fill three or four new stores and there will probably be some turnover of tenets with leases expiring in the next few months.?

Tenets agreed that the mall construction is likely to be beneficial in the long run.

?I think the renovations taking place at the New River Valley Mall will make our business thrive,? said Jamie Gibson, sales associate at Victoria?s Secret. ?The new stores and the new look of the mall will draw people in, and I think our business can only get better because of it. We look forward to the renovations being completed?.

American Eagle Outfitters, Aeropostle, and the Deb Shop declined to comment on the effect that the renovations would have on their business.

Outside of the mall, construction is also taking place in the parking lot, which will be the future sight of the new and improved Regal Cinemas. This theater will house 14 different screens, as well as 23, 000-square-feet extra that will be used for classrooms and auditoriums for New River Community College.

The current mall theater will also become a 9,000-square-foot food court, after the new theater opens.

Students are looking forward to the changes coming to the closest mall to Tech.

Freshman communication major Sarah Giles said, ?I am excited about the new stores opening at the mall. Hopefully this will save students a trip to Roanoke every couple of weeks. I hope they get more stores that interest college students instead of just older adults.?

Other changes coming to the exterior of the mall are the addition of Dick?s Sporting Goods and a 175,000-square-foot ?power strip? of more stores adjacent to the mall.

PREIT recently bought the extra 15 acres next to the mall, which are going to be used for the power strip and plan to announce the new tenets next month. The power strip is not expected to open until September 2007.

Poldiak said he is optimistic for the success of the mall renovations.

?We are extremely excited about the renovations taking place here at the New River Valley Mall,? Poldiak said. ?We hope that this $50 million investment will provide for good things to come.?