ASHLAND -- New tenants including restaurants, a jewelry store, a sporting goods store and more small shops are being sought to locate in the KYOVA Mall on U.S. 60 west of Ashland this year, said Karen Dillow, general manager of the mall.

The mall, which is going into its 19th year, has four anchor stores: Sears, Elder-Beerman, Steve and Barry's and the Phoenix Theaters. The theater opened last year and is pulling 60 to 70 percent of the market, Dillow said.

"We have seen a tremendous increase in the mall traffic since the theater opened last May," she said.

The mall also has space for a fifth anchor for up to 135,000 square feet, at the back of the mall, she said.

"We're in the process of renegotiating leases with Sears and Elder-Beerman," Dillow said. Those two anchor stores have 18 months left on their leases at the mall while Steve & Barry's is two years into its 10-year lease, she said.

"We've hired a leasing agent to fill up the rest of the mall," Dillow said. "We have about three-quarters of the space leased. The mall has been under new ownership for two and a half years and has brought in two anchors during that time." Only about 21 percent of the small shop retail space is occupied, she said.

The mall has about 25,700 square feet of available retail space beside the 10-screen theater, which features stadium seating. The mall will build a new front entrance this year, including 40-feet-wide sidewalks outside the mall, she said.

"That will allow us to have outside events like they do at Pullman Square," Dillow said. "We plan to start that in the spring."

"We're trying to get a sporting goods store for the mall or for an outparcel," she said. "We're also looking for a jewelry store, a shoe store and a book store. We also hope to get a bank on an outparcel. We're also looking for outparcels for restaurants, a steak restaurant and an American cuisine type restaurant either for an outparcel or near the theater."

The mall helped push a change in the local option law allowing alcoholic beverages last year that officials hope will lead to the location of restaurants with seating of more than 100 near the mall.

Red's Country Barbecue opened inside the mall last fall, the first business outside downtown Ashland to allow legal beer sales, she said. "Red's has done well."

Tara Iams, co-owner of Red's, said the restaurant opened last Oct. 6.

"It's been going pretty well," she said. "We're starting to build a clientele."

The restaurant offers barbecue, salads, chicken, ribs, pulled pork, pulled beef and homemade desserts. It is open six days a week. It is closed Sundays.

"We've been working on the food court," Dillow said. A new floor and televisions have been added and new tables and chairs will be added by the summer, she said.

The food court has two new restaurants, The Steakery and Cheron's Pizza.