Simon Property Group plans to open malls across the country in the next few days.
CNBC, citing an internal memo it obtained, said Simon would reopen 49 shuttered malls across the country, including 10 in Indiana.
The Indiana locations are slated to reopen on Saturday, May 2, according to the memo.
- Castleton Square Mall, in Indianapolis
- Circle Centre Mall, in Indianapolis
- College Mall, in Bloomington
- Fashion Mall at Keystone, in Indianapolis
- Greenwood Park Mall, in Greenwood
- Hamilton Town Center, in Noblesville
- Indiana Prime Outlet, in Edinburgh
- Lighthouse Place Prime Outlet, in Michigan City
- Tippecanoe Mall, in Lafayette
- University Park Mall, in Mishawaka
Governor Eric Holcomb was asked about the opening during his press conference yesterday afternoon and said he sought input from Simon on how to reopen Indiana’s non-essential businesses, but Simon does not know when the executive order will be lifted.
“I have spoken to the Simon Mall Corporation, CEO, David Simon, but he does not know,” Gov. Holcomb says. “he weighed in like we asked every other sector in our state.”
Gov. Holcomb has not said whether he will begin to lift Indiana’s stay-at-home order after it expires May 1.
Holcomb says malls will be included in future economic guidance from the state.
Simon announced temporary closures of its locations on March 18 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the U.S.
According to their tentative plans, business hours will be limited to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The malls will close early so they can be cleaned overnight.
Simon plans to regularly sanitize high-touch areas like food court tables, escalators, and doorknobs. Retailers are encouraged to do the same.
Workers will be required to wear masks while customers will be strongly encouraged to wear them. CDC-approved masks and hand sanitizing packets will be available for shoppers by request.
Simon will take several steps to maintain social distancing, including taping over every other sink and urinal, putting down stickers to direct foot traffic flow, limiting seating in the food court and closing play areas, and drinking fountains.
Locations will have a limited number of entrances and customer-traffic-measuring technology will monitor the number of people inside.
While the malls themselves plan to reopen, it will be up to individual retailers to decide if they want to follow suit.
Other malls around the country will reopen starting Friday with locations in Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
Three Missouri locations are expected to open Monday.
