T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA The newly erected Ohio Valley Mall entrance sign stands 44 feet tall, towering over drivers passing through the mall exit off of Interstate 70.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — A new beacon will soon beckon people traveling on Interstate 70 through Belmont County to visit the Ohio Valley Mall.

In April 2023, high winds thrashed the area, destroying the mall’s marquee sign. Its glass panels were removed and traffic was restricted around the leaning frame of the sign for a few days until it could be removed. The sign had long served as a bright welcoming to the mall for customers.

The sign was not replaced until the mall contracted City Neon Inc. of Morgantown, W.Va., to fabricate and erect a new sign. Once completed, the sign will be hard for Ohio Valley residents and vehicles traveling on Interstate 70 to miss.

“The new sign is 44 feet tall, which is considerably taller than the previous sign (26 feet),” Cafaro Co. Director of Corporate Communications Joe Bell said.

He added that it was necessary to install a new sign to continue the upkeep of the property. The sign was erected on Aug. 22.

Although the new sign is in place, the project has yet to have a completion date. The foundation of the sign still needs to be completed, as well as the electrical aspect of the sign that is yet to be installed. After the constriction is completed, the mall will start on minor landscaping to spruce up the surrounding area of the sign.

Once completed, the sign will light up nightly.

Ohio Valley Mall Marketing Director Candi Noble-Greathouse said she believes the process to finish the project won’t take long. She is waiting to hear when City Neon Inc. is able to return to complete the project.

“We still have some fine tuning, but we love it. I think it’s a good statement,” Noble-Greathouse said.

She added that after it was erected on Aug. 22, she received countless messages from Ohio Valley residents applauding the new sign that they noticed while they were at the mall for their weekend shopping.

The new sign displays several attractions available at the mall, ranging from department stores, and restaurants to the arcade and a hotel. Although every store cannot be included on the sign, the soon-to-close AMC movie theater, Boscov’s, Dunham’s Sports, Hampton Inn and Suites, Michael’s, Marshalls, Ulta Beauty, Tilt Studio, Harbor Freight, Five Below, Ferguson’s House of Furniture, Osaka Steakhouse and Coaches Burger Bar are featured.

“We’ve been waiting a little while for it, but we’re so happy that we held off and found a great contractor,” Noble-Greathouse said.