For Immediate Release:
July 8, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Aiden McGuire, 315.422.7000, [email protected]
Malls in NY Still on Hold:
New York Residents Traveling to Adjacent States.
Another Day of Jobs Being Lost.
Despite Having Just 0.9% of COVID-19 Tests Returning Positive in the Hudson Valley, Thousands of Workers Continue to be Sidelined by New York State’s Refusal to Allow Stores, Restaurants and Entertainment Venues to Reopen in Malls
Retailers, food businesses and entertainment venues at Poughkeepsie Galleria continue to be treated unfairly as freestanding competitors move through reopening phases,
despite being fully prepared to follow published guidance
Local Government Sales Tax Revenue is Lost
Poughkeepsie, NY – With eight of New York State’s ten regions officially in Phase Four of a Four-Phase reopening process today, entertainment, retail and food businesses at Poughkeepsie Galleria continue to be left behind despite having just 0.9% of all COVID-19 tests returning positive in the Hudson Valley. Tenants continue to call for equal treatment and be permitted to open at the same time as other businesses in the local market and in neighboring states.
Gene Gold of Pearle Vision publicly urged New York State, “Let us open. We are ready. We have thoroughly prepared to reopen our businesses under the State’s safety guidelines, and the mall’s management has done its part as well.” He continued, “It has now been four weeks since we were blindsided by removal from the phased reopening process. We really need to re-start our businesses and provide jobs to our workers immediately. We are being treated unfairly and there is no logical reason to force us to remain closed.”
Nearly all of Poughkeepsie Galleria tenants remain in limbo waiting for the State to allow them to reopen. The property needs to fully open sooner rather than later in order for tenants to have a fair shot at salvaging their businesses and keeping people employed in the local communities that they serve. The impact on local sales and property taxes are substantial. In the meantime, New York residents are flowing across state borders to shop at malls in neighboring states, with no adverse health consequences documented.
This comes as Poughkeepsie Galleria tenants have taken extensive measures to ensure the safety of shoppers and workers, which include but are not limited to:
- Enhanced cleaning and sanitizing
- Proactive touchless disinfecting
- Face masks required to worn by all guests
- Social distancing prompts & signage
- Directional prompts & signage for foot traffic patterns
- Hand sanitizer stations
- Ongoing curbside pick-up options
- Increased air circulation, air filtration and the amount of fresh air pumped into the center
- A “Safety First” PSA awareness campaign; and
- Covid-19 guidance for visitors and store employees.
In addition, on-site security teams will have been tasked to enforce all of the state guidelines.
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About Poughkeepsie Galleria
Poughkeepsie Galleria is Dutchess County’s largest, most dominant shopping destination for over 30 years. Anchored by Macy’s, Target, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Poughkeepsie Galleria offers 120 retail shops including Regal Cinemas and RPM Raceway. Additional information can be found at www.PoughkeepsieGalleriamall.com and you can find Poughkeepsie Galleria on Facebook (Facebook.com/PoughkeepsieGalleria), Twitter (@PokGalleria) and Instagram (@Poughkeepsie_Galleria).
About Pyramid Management Group, LLC:
Pyramid Management Group is one of the largest, most innovative, privately-held real estate developers in the northeast. Headquartered in Syracuse, New York, Pyramid’s portfolio of dynamic shopping, dining and entertainment destinations and expanding hospitality presence dominate the northeast with 14 properties located throughout New York and Massachusetts. For 50 years, Pyramid has built its reputation on being first, fast, ahead of the curve and always what’s next, leading the industry in combining the best elements of traditional retail with world-class dining and entertainment, all under one roof. For more information, visit www.pyramidmg.com.