Wilmorite, the company that owns the major shopping malls in Rochester, said that after comments by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday, it is ready to reopen Eastview, The Mall at Greece Ridge, and The Marketplace Mall on Friday.
Cuomo said that the malls can reopen on Friday, provided certain HVAC filtration measures are in place. So malls will be allowed to open in regions that are in the 4th phase of reopening, which includes the Finger Lakes-Rochester area.
Greg Hogan, Vice President Operations, Wilmorite, said that, “Shoppers should feel comfortable visiting our properties. The malls have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, and a solid plan has been put in place for maintaining a safe environment moving forward. We have all the required MERV filters already in place. The large square footage of the malls naturally lends itself to social distancing. The width of the common areas ranges from 20 to 30 feet wide, which is about three times the width of the aisles in grocery and hardware stores.”
Wilmorite said that not all stores are able to re-open immediately due to the short notice given by New York state. The company said that some stores need to bring their staff back and make final preparations before they can re-open and it may take some retailers 1-2 weeks before they are ready to fully re-open.
The malls have been closed since March. Some stores have had curbside service, and stores that have their own outside entrances have been able to do some business.
Wilmorite said that mall hours have been adjusted to allow for thorough overnight cleaning and less staffing.
The temporary hours will be:
Mondays-Saturdays: 11:00am-7:00pm, Sundays: Noon-6:00pm. (no early admittance)
(Pittsford Plaza retailers and restaurants’ hours may vary)
