MARTINSVILLE (WSLS) - Liberty Fair Mall will get a new name and a new look soon.
The mall will be called the Village of Martinsville and be turned into a shopping center with exterior entrances. The change is one some people say has been needed for years.
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The current owners, Hull Storey Gibson, had plans to revitalize the mall when it bought it two years ago. The company specializes in renovating malls and was up for a new challenge in Martinsville.
"The older mall when you came inside it wasn't very inviting again we had a lot of vacant spaces it wasn't succeeding as an enclosed mall," says Coles Doyle, Hull Storey Gibson.
In addition to a new look, the company is also working to attract more retailers like Dunham's, a new sporting goods store and Hull Storey Gibson is being selective in the process.
"We wanna make sure that there's a demand for the stores here and that they can succeed and customers are gonna support the stores here," says Doyle.
Dunham's in Martinsville created 50 new jobs while the other Dunham's in Danville created 100 new jobs.
City and Henry County leaders believe the new and improved mall could help Martinsville. Not only will it create jobs but also attract people to shop here and keep them from going elsewhere.
"The hope is that businesses move in there will be more children and families that come in and hopefully coming to our business also," says Hugh Gerlach, who owns a gymnastics academy in Martinsville.