The coronavirus may have temporarily closed a number of businesses along the Route 1 corridor, but even with all the uncertainty, there’s one thing that’s moving forward as planned.

Longtime Beltsville interior decorating shop Wills Decorating is continuing with renovations to the landmark TESST building in downtown Hyattsville, which it plans to move into later this year.

Co-owner Michael Richards told the Hyattsville Wire that they have had to make some changes to how the work is done to the building, which will have a 5,000-square-foot showroom on the first floor and 5,000 square feet for professional offices on the second.

“Due to the virus we will only have one contractor inside and one outside,” he said.

As a home improvement store, Wills Decorating is considered an essential service in Maryland, although they have had to curtail some services and customers aren’t allowed to come inside the store. Construction-related workers are also considered essential.

Contractors have already laid new pavement and striped the parking lot, installed a new sidewalk and put up three layers of drywall with new plumbing and electrical.

The building, which housed the TESST College of Technology, a for-profit vocational school, from 1957 to 1998, has long been seen as a potential anchor for the downtown Hyattsville core.

As a home improvement store, Wills Decorating remains open for curbside pickup during Maryland’s stay-at-home-order, and will do free delivery on paint and flooring orders of $200 or more within seven miles of its Beltsville location.

Richards said business has slowed because many people don’t want contractors to come into their homes right now, and Wills can’t do some common projects like installing window treatments or blinds under the stay-at-home-order has been lifted.

But while many aren’t tackling any projects during the stay-at-home-order, he said that won’t last, as people will be ready to change up their homes after spending so much time in them.

“I do believe that there will be a huge response after this is over,” he said. “Three months stuck inside will be great for business.”

For anyone starting to think about projects, Richards said he can mail samples of fabrics, wallpaper, paints and flooring, and he’s happy to Facetime with potential customers to give suggestions about their interiors and show them options available at his store in Beltsville.

Wills Decorating is also giving away free fabric to anyone along the Route 1 corridor who is making homemade cloth face masks for themselves, their family or others in the community. Richards said he had both cotton and polyester fabric available, though the CDC recommends face masks be made of cotton. To learn more and arrange curbside pickup, call Richards at (301) 937-6100.