T-L Photo/CARRI GRAHAM Construction crews hang Five Below’s new signage Monday afternoon at the Ohio Valley Mall. The store will open its doors next month.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Ohio Valley Mall will welcome its newest addition next month — Five Below will open for business in June.

As the mall prepares to reopen its doors to the public May 12, Five Below is making final preparation to welcome customers. Joe Bell, spokesman for the Cafaro Co., the mall’s parent company, said the store still has some interior work left to complete but plans to be open by late June.

“They probably have about another six weeks of work. They aren’t quite ready to open their doors yet,” Bell said.

Construction crews began hanging the store’s exterior signage up Monday afternoon.

Mall officials announced the store’s commitment to the mall in late January. Construction has been underway ever since and was set to be completed by summer or early fall.

Five Below is known for selling all of its products for under $5. It is located in a portion of the former Kmart store, next to Dunham’s Sporting Goods.

Additionally, progress is being made on the new Hampton Inn & Suites.

“They’re moving full speed ahead,” Bell said.

The four-story hotel will include 113 rooms and suites. Although no official opening date has been released, Bell said the hotel is set to open sometime in the fall.

After two months of being closed, Bell said the mall is preparing for its reopening next week. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses March 13.

“Everyone is getting geared up right now. You’re going to see a lot of preparations in and around the mall,” he said.

Bell said the mall is taking all precautions to ensure the safety of its employees and customers. In addition to the mall’s stringent cleaning standards, social distancing will be encouraged and employees will don face coverings in accordance with state and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Bell said officials also are working on a new way of shopping for its retailers and customers called “Mall to Go.” Many of the mall’s retailers will offer the curbside pickup of merchandise at various designated mall entrances.

“It’s an idea we’ve put together, and we’ve got initial good feedback from a variety of retailers. … We’re ready to facilitate that,” he said.

Customers will be able to call the retailer, order merchandise over the phone or online and pick up the items curbside.

“People can call the store and order their merchandise, pay for it online or over the phone and then they park at these designated spaces and store employees will bring out the goods,” he said.

Bell said the program is currently in its early stages and a list of participating retailers is not yet available.

While the mall is set to open next week, he said he does not expect all of the mall’s more than 80 stores to open on the first day.

“There is going to be a lot of cleaning issues, restocking issues, restaffing issues. Sometimes it’s a matter of getting the right inventory in. … I think what we’re probably going to see is a reopening with a certain number of stores and then every day it will probably grow,” he said.

For a complete list of merchants and phone numbers, visit www.ohiovalleymall.net/directory.