West Ridge Mall facing challenges amid COVID-19 Pandemic
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Fred Meno, President and Chief Executive Officer with Woodmont Company, explains how West Ridge Mall is handling the COVID-19 issues.
Meno responded to these questions on Wednesday, May 6th.
What impact has COVID-19 had on the mall: “This has been a very unusual and challenging time worldwide, and our stores are no exception. We have witnessed their tenacity and creativity as they have adapted to this temporary setback. Additionally, we have been impressed with their positive messages of hope to their customers as well as their generosity to our community”.
When does West Ridge Mall plan to open: “Deemed essential, the mall and several of our businesses have continued to be open during the “Safer at Home” order and on Monday, we started to welcome back more businesses permitted to open in Phase 1 of the State and County plan”.
What steps will the mall take to open safely: “For at least the next 30 days, we will be operating with reduced hours of 11am-7pm Monday – Saturday and 12pm-6pm on Sunday. Our team has completed a deep clean of the property these last few weeks and the reduced hours will help us maintain a safe and clean environment for our customers. Additionally, to promote social distancing we have taken several steps including, but not limited to rearranged our food court and soft seating areas as well as blocking off every other sink and other common area fixtures. We also added enhanced signage at key entrances and throughout the property to effectively communicate social distancing, frequent hand washing, and other helpful safety measures. Our team, tenants, and shoppers health and well-being is essential as we ease off the Governor’s restrictions, therefore we are recommending anyone not feeling well to follow the CDC guidelines before coming into work or shopping at the mall”.
Will Penney’s and Dillard’s (anchor stores) open first: “We are excited to say that Furniture Mall of Kansas reopened on Monday. Dillard’s and JC Penney are still finalizing their reopening dates, however we expect to welcome them back soon”.
Will all stores open at the same time: “We do have set, reduced mall hours, however decisions will be left to the individual stores as some may need additional time to meet the guidelines set for them by the State/County”.
Have any stores in the mall gone out of business because of Covid-19: “We are presently not aware of any West Ridge Mall stores that have or will close due to Covid-19, however it is a very real challenge for many retailers whose corporate structures might have not been in the best position prior to COVID-19”.