GRAND CENTRAL MALL opened, in August 1972, with 800,000 leasable square feet and forty-two stores. Eventually, there were eighty-three. The complex featured a "highly modern" interior and provided free parking for over 4,000 autos. GRAND CENTRAL opened as the largest shopping center in the Mountain State, a distinction it held until 1981.

GRAND CENTRAL MALL TENANTS 1972:

THE DIAMOND (with The Diamond Cafeteria) / J.C. PENNEY (with Coffee Shop, Beauty Salon and freestanding Auto Center) / SEARS (with Coffee House and attached Auto Center) / G.C. MURPHY 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / Breslers 33 Flavors ice cream / Brooks Fashions / Butler Shoes / Candy Bar / Casual Corner ladies' wear / Cinema I & II / Community Room / Creations Unlimited / Der Dog Haus / Dil's River Packet men's wear / Doc Williams Country / Dudley's Florist / Embees ladies' wear / Fashion Bug ladies wear / Foxmoor Casuals ladies' wear / GNC / Hanover Shoes / Hickory Farms of Ohio / Hoffheimer Shoes / Horner & Harrison men's wear / House of Toys / Jo-Ann Fabrics / Kard Korner / KinderPhoto children's photographer / Kinney Shoes / Lane Bryant ladies' wear / Lang's / Lerner Shops ladies' wear / Magnet Bank / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Morrow's Nut House / Motherhood Maternity / My Cousin & I Cards & Gifts / National Record Mart / Naturalizer Shoes / Nobil Shoes / Orange Julius / Pappagalo Shoes / Petland / Pizza Inn / Pizza Place / Posin's Jewelers / Richman Brothers men's wear / Seddon's Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge / Shaw's Jewelers / Singer Sewing Center / Size 5-7-9 Shops ladies' wear / Spencer Gifts / Stern Brothers apparel / Stride-Rite Bootery / The Brass Razor barber shop / The County Seat men's wear / The Fireplace Store / The Limited ladies' wear / The Parasol / The Pretzel Oven / The Smokin' Bowl / Thrift Drug (with luncheonette) / Thom McAn Shoes / United National Bank / Waldenbooks / Walden Hallmark / Zidel's Sports Shop 


The shopping hub was anchored by a Charleston-based The Diamond department store. The 2-level structure encompassed 105,000 square feet.
Photo from Mike Kalasnik


The Diamond presided over the center of the center. The store included The Diamond Cafeteria, which was a self-service smorgasbord.
Photo from Mike Kalasnik