Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza reopened to shoppers this morning at 11 a.m. Monday, but with protocols in place to maintain social distancing as the COVID-19 outbreak continues.
Simon Property Group had planned to reopen its malls on May 1, but delayed until May 4. While Simon didn’t offer an exact reason for the delay, the controversial decision to reopen the Buckhead shopping malls was widely panned on social media and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said it was “too soon.”
Both Phipps and Lenox will have the same business hours for now – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. This will give crews a chance to clean the malls overnight, and Simon said there would be regular sanitizing of high-touch areas like food court tables, escalators, door knobs and electronic directories. Simon is encouraging its retailers to do the same in their stores.
Simon is leaving it up to individual retailers if they want to reopen. Customers should call ahead to see if a specific shop has reopened. Macy’s sent out its on press release stating it would be open on Monday, while touting its safety measures and contactless curbside pickup for those not brave enough to venture into the stores just yet.
Simon has also posted its list of safety protocols online, including limiting the number of shoppers, temperature testing, hand sanitizing and mask packets, limiting food court seating, and employees are being required to wear masks.
Perimeter Mall, Cumberland Mall and Northlake Mall are set to reopen tomorrow, May 5.
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