MID-HUDSON – Indoor shopping centers in the Mid-Hudson Valley were allowed to reopen on Friday with the three Pyramid malls welcoming customers after being shutters for months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Palisades Center in West Nyack, Galleria at Crystal Run in the Town of Wallkill and Poughkeepsie Galleria all reopened.
The Newburgh Mall in the Town of Newburgh was expected to reopen on Monday, said Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus.
He went shopping at the Crystal Run facility saying it was clean and safe.
On Friday afternoon, Rockland County Executive Ed Day joined Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann at the Palisades Center.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Day, who praised the management’s “meritorious” plan for operating safely during the pandemic, while expressing frustration with Governor Cuomo’s guidelines for reopening the economy. “There has been a lot of unnecessary regulation thrown at this place,” said Day. The mall was shuttered for more than two months after the initial outbreak of COVID-19 and some of the businesses will remain closed despite the general reopening.
“This is a successes for everybody, a positive day for this county and the town of Clarkstown,” said Supervisor George Hoehmann. “Having the mall shut down for an extended period of time was certainly problematic to the local economy; reopening will be a great boon.”
The 225 businesses located in the mall employ more than 5,000 people and generates $40 million annually in sales and property taxes.
Darrin Houseman, the mall’s general manager, joined Hoehmann and Day to detail all the steps the Palisades is taking to ensure customer safety during the pandemic. Management has placed one-way directional traffic markers to enforce social distancing, installed hand sanitizing stations throughout the shopping center, and will require all customers to wear a mask.
The mall is also utilizing electrostatic sprayers to routinely sanitize high traffic areas such as food court tables and bathrooms.
“From day one, the Palisades management has put forth a safety plan second to none,” said Day, who urged Rocklanders to come out and enjoy the shopping center while practicing social distancing and personal hygiene. “If we partner with each other to do those things we will defeat the virus.”
