Windsor's east end shopping mall will soon allow access to essential shops and services.
Tecumseh Mall will reopen select stores on Monday, the same day the province of Ontario allows certain businesses to reopen. The shopping centre follows the lead of Devonshire Mall, which reopened select stores Friday morning.
An emergency order issued by the city under a state of emergency required both malls to be closed back in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The order expired at midnight on Thursday.
Debra McVeety, the mall's general manager and leasing director, said the top priority of management is to ensure shoppers and employees are safe.
"At Tecumseh Mall, we want to assure our customers that we are taking every precaution as we begin to open our doors," said McVeety in a media release. "We will ensure that the centre is clean and sanitized with special attention paid to high-touch areas like tabletops and door handles."
Access to Tecumseh Mall will be restricted to one entrance, located near Marshall's and HomeSense. The mall will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and remain closed on Sundays until further notice.
The majority of businesses will remain closed for now. The food court area will be closed for seating. Shoppers will not be permitted to loiter in the complex. Mall walking, organized and otherwise, is also not allowed for the time being.
The businesses that will be open, and subject to strict physical distancing guidelines, include the following:
- Giant Tiger
- Shoppers Drug Mart
- LCBO
- Pet Smart
- East Side Mario's (takeout and curbside only)
- Smoke and Spice Southern BBQ (takeout and curbside only)
- Showcase
- Your Neighbourhood Credit Union
Shoppers also have the option of calling the business directly to verify whether it is open or closed.
The opening of additional businesses and any expansion of hours will happen only in compliance with public safety orders from the city of Windsor, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, and the Ontario Ministry of Health.
Mayor Drew Dilkens used his expanded authority under the state of emergency to order both Devonshire and Tecumseh Malls closed at the close of business hours March 21, to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. The order was extended twice.