The Cafaro Co. has expanded its property line.

The company, which plans to move its headquarters from Youngstown to its Eastwood Mall Complex next year, announced that one of its subsidiaries, Eastwood North LLC, is looking within the next five to 10 years to develop property behind Eastwood Field.

“There’s a lot of potential for that property. It’s all preliminary and conceptual at this point, but we’re looking at the possibilities,” said Joe Bell, Cafaro Co.’s director of corporate communications.

Cafaro Co. already owned 25 acres close to Eastwood Field when the company learned there was an adjacent 80 acres that had been put on the market. The company started the process of buying the land in January and finalized the transaction in May. Cafaro Co. purchased the property for $675,000 from Howland Green Development Inc., according to the Trumbull County Auditor’s Office website.

Bell said the land will be a mixed-use development and the company is considering constructing multi-family dwellings like apartment buildings or condominiums, office space and retail sites that will eventually be marketed for lease. He said a medical park is one option.

Most of the property is in Howland, but a portion is in Niles and one side reaches to Warren’s city limits. Bell said the company is talking to Howland officials about zoning and infrastructure requirements.

The land is now zoned as one of Howland’s commercial districts and any development there has to go through a township approval process.

The plans are among several taking shape in the mall complex area.

It’s been a year since Cafaro Co. made official its decision to move its headquarters from Youngstown to the mall. At the time, Anthony Cafaro Jr., company co-president, said the move was another step in the strategic plan for the mall complex that was initiated by his grandfather, William Cafaro, more than 45 years ago.

On Thursday, Bell said work on the new corporate offices is on track and they are expected to be ready for occupancy of the three-story high structure as planned in May. The company also is preparing to announce the addition of a new restaurant near the mall.

Meanwhile, several projects are progressing at the complex:

• Bell said work is on schedule for the new Hampton Inn & Suites. The four-story, 100-suite facility being constructed at the former Eastwood Expo Center is expected to open during the latter half of next year. Events previously at the Expo Center will be held in other facilities in the mall complex, including the Eastwood Conference Center, slated for opening late next year.

• Expansion work at Gander Mountain store also is progressing. The store, which leases property from the Cafaro Co., is expanding its business from its site at state Route 46 and Mines Road SE to the adjacent structure, which formerly housed a Circuit City, resulting in a 61,320-square-foot space.

• Earlier this year, the children’s play area inside Eastwood Mall was renovated and re-opened Aug. 1 as the Very Orthodontics Smile Cove.

• Additionally, several new stores inside the mall have opened, and the Victoria’s Secret and Forever 21 stores underwent summer renovations.

vshank@tribtoday.com