Indoor Malls Can Reopen Friday With HVAC Tweaks

Our local malls have been eagerly anticipating the go ahead from the state to reopen.

UPDATE 7/8/2020 1:50 p.m.: In a press release today Crossgates Mall's parent company Pyramid Management Group did confirm their malls across New York state will reopen this Friday, July 10th "...with proper precautions in place and health and safety a top priority."

This afternoon they finally got the answer they have been looking for. Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted that indoor malls can reopen this Friday, July 10 "...as long as they have enhanced HVAC filtration systems & measures in place."

The Governor has talked a lot over the last few weeks about filtration and the role HEPA filters can play in reducing the spread of COVID-19 indoors. The idea being as air is recirculated through HVAC systems, the required filters can remove any virus particles from the air.

Watching most businesses reopen, including some with outside access at malls, has certainly been a point of frustration for our local malls like Crossgates and the Colonie Center that have been in a holding pattern. This will certainly be welcome news to finally have a plan and a set time when they can reopen their doors so all mall businesses can reopen and get folks back to work.

While we are not all the way open yet, with malls getting the go-ahead the list of businesses still closed continues to dwindle, which is progress forward. Plus, one would have to guess the use of these HEPA filters may be implemented at other indoor business to help curb the spread of the coronavirus and hopefully help to keep them all open.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that forward momentum continues so we can get more Capital Region residents back to work.