Malls in Phase 4 regions, including central New York, will be allowed to reopen on Friday, so long as they have enhanced HVAC filtration systems that can take COVID out of the air.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement on Wednesday. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon has cleared Destiny USA in Syracuse for reopening on Friday. In a statement, Stephen Congel, the CEO of the Pyramid Management Group, which owns Destiny, called it great news and said they are looking forward to re-opening their properties.
Read Congel’s full statement below.
“The Governor’s announcement was great news for Pyramid’s tenants, their employees, our own employees, and all of the people living in the communities where our properties are located. With proper precautions in place and health and safety a top priority, we look forward to restoring our centers to their dominant positions as the economic drivers of their respective regions. We applaud New Yorkers who have been adhering to social distancing guidelines under extremely difficult circumstances over the past four months. This has clearly driven the decline of COVID-19 cases across the State. We are ecstatic to welcome them back safely and responsibly to our properties, and pledge to continue to do our part moving forward. We look forward to re-opening our properties on Friday across New York State.”
5,000 employees work in Destiny and the mall generates more than $40 million in sales tax revenue for state and local governments annually.
