T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Waylon Ott spends his evening riding in one of the various children’s rides at the Ohio Valley Mall.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Although no deal is set in stone, the Ohio Valley Mall is in talks to bring in a new movie theater.

In September, AMC Theaters and the Ohio Valley Mall parted ways once the contract between the two entities expired. When AMC chose not to renew its contract with the mall, residents flocked to social media to vent their frustrations while expressing hope that a new theater would swoop in and utilize the space.

“We haven’t finalized any deal just yet, but our people are working diligently to make sure we locate the right kind of theater operator for that space,” Joe Bell, director of communications for the mall’s parent Cafaro Co., said.

He added that when it comes to that space, a new company could either come right in and start doing business immediately or remodel and update the theater to fit with its brand.

Bell also said that the mall is in talks with a potential tenant for the former location of Sears.

“There’s some discussions going on right now with a potential tenant of that space, and we don’t have the final agreement just yet so stay tuned, but something’s coming,” he said.

Bell added that he believes the sooner the better for both of those locations to be filled. But he said it isn’t wise for the mall to try and put a time limit on discussions because he’s seen negotiations last as long as years.

“Sometimes deals come together quickly, so you never know, but you’d be foolish to put a timeline on it right now. Deadline is sort of artificial in the real estate business, so we try not to say this deal must be done by this date because that doesn’t happen,” he said.

With stores opening and closing, it’s no secret that online shopping has changed the game of retail. To combat the ever changing dynamic, the Ohio Valley Mall has brought in non-traditional businesses to operate inside the mall. O.V. Crossfit and Just Flip Out are two locations some might not think would be successful in a mall but are.

“It makes sense to bring in a variety of retailers and other businesses,” Bell said. “Local business owners are very important. They’re part of the mix, and we think that makes for a more vibrant shopping center.”

He added that large retail stores moving out of the mall or closing in general is not unique to the Ohio Valley area.

“They’ve been going through their own type of metamorphosis, so to speak, and a lot of national chains in the past five to 10 years have gone away, based on changes in the industry or pressure from investors. We’ve seen a lot of corporate bankruptcies in that time frame,” Bell said. “That has caused an upheaval in the mixtures you’ll find in shopping centers around America. Sears have gone away. Chains like Yonkers and others have gone out of business, and that has a lot to do with the changing lineup you’ll find at shopping centers.”

He added that going out of business isn’t the only reason a large company may prefer to not renew its contract with a shopping center.

“There are other types of influences as well. We’re talking about businesses that want to do different types of things with their customers,” Bell said. “They want smaller footprints in shopping centers. They’ll do a lot of their business by using their physical location as a showcase of what they can sell and fulfill it through online delivery.”

He added that all of the examples he gave played a role in the change in shopping centers across America, which led to the Ohio Valley Mall innovating and adapting with the times.