Photo courtesy of Cross County Shopping Center
Indoor shopping can resume at Westchester’s malls, but only under particularly stringent guidelines. To help, here’s where every major mall in the county stands.
Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that shopping malls would finally be permitted to resume operations as an extension of the state’s Phase Four reopening plan. Initially, malls were excluded from Phase Four due to concerns that they constituted a “high risk indoor activity.”
As of July 10, all local malls can reopen their indoor spaces — stores with dedicated entrances/exits were permitted to reopen at reduced capacity back in June. However, very specific requirements have to be met before any of these locations can actually open to the public: In addition to mandatory masks, sanitization, and reduced capacity, malls must maximize external airflow and utilize specialized HVAC systems.
COVID-19 particles are approximately 0.125 microns wide and are thought to be sufficiently filtered by air filters with a Minimum Efficient Report Value (MERV) of 11 or higher, like a HEPA filter. Shopping malls which have or are installing these systems and following strict usage guidelines may finally reopen for consumers. Here’s where that’s happening.
Read More: Westchester’s COVID-19 Reopening Phase Four: What You Need to Know
Cross County Center
8000 Mall Walk, Yonkers
Since Cross County is an open-air shopping center, its shops have been reopening slowly since June 9 and its restaurants since June 23. (Santa Claus even stopped by to welcome shoppers back for the reopening of its final shop with giveaways and complimentary hand sanitizer for “Christmas in July!”) Shoppers can find a full list of open shops as well as their current hours of operation at the center’s handy online directory. For a comprehensive look at what management and shoppers can do to help curtail the spread of COVID-19, click here.
The Galleria White Plains
100 Main St, White Plains
The Galleria officially began reopening on July 11, though not all stores have reopened themselves yet. Mall hours are currently 11 a.m.-6 p.m. every day, with a dedicated “Golden Hour” upon opening on Mondays and Wednesdays where elderly, expectant, or otherwise vulnerable shoppers can visit more safely. The Galleria has increased sanitizing protocols, amped up its HVAC system, and has even added “nano-septic skins” over high frequency points of touch throughout the indoor mall. You can see everything the mall is doing to keep people safe here.
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Jefferson Valley Mall
650 Lee Blvd, Yorktown Heights
Though smaller, this north county mall has been going through a bit of a renaissance over the last few years, transforming itself into a community space and getting both a major facelift and indoor renovations. Most recently, the JV Mall has installed fully compliant air systems and is planning a grand reopening ceremony with town and local officials for Monday, July 20. Mall hours will be 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sundays. In the interim, the mall has been partnering with local food initiatives and has even used its parking lots to host graduation parades, drive-in movies, and outdoor fitness classes almost every day. Guests should call ahead for opening hours/dates of specific stores.
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Ridge Hill Shopping Center
1 Ridge Hill Blvd, Yonkers
Westchester’s other entirely outdoor shopping center has also had many retailers open for at least curbside pickup since late May. Ridge Hill’s online directory can help shoppers determine if their favorite stores have reopened for pickup and/or in-store shopping, as well as what is in progress and even which stores are holding sales!
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Read More: Major Updates Coming to Ridge Hill Will Help Social Distancing
The Westchester
125 Westchester Ave, White Plains
The Westchester jumped on reopening strategies early, outlining a comprehensive plan of sanitization, employee screening, shopper education, and filtration protocols that allowed the mall to reopen on July 10. The online directory can inform shoppers of which shops are currently open in-store and for pickup.
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