One of the larger retail operations in Manhattan will reopen Wednesday.
Manhattan Town Center shifted its hours in mid-March only to shut down when stay-at-home orders went into place. Marketing Manager Jeff Sutton says reopening will happen with a cautious approach.
“We’re taking a definitely good, phased approach which we’re currently working on,” he told News Radio KMAN Tuesday morning, when the mall was still working out final details of its reopening plans.
The mall will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday beginning Wednesday. Sunday hours will be noon to 6 p.m. Hand sanitizer stations have been installed throughout the mall with extra attention on public safety.
“We advise our guests to take the proper precautionary steps when visiting the property as recommended by government authorities, including wearing facial coverings, frequent hand washing, and practicing social distancing measures of maintaining six-feet distance from others and avoiding groups of more than 10 people,” said Brad Simonson, Manhattan Town Center General Manager.”
The mall has been shut down for more than a month, just one piece of the economic hardship the city’s tax rolls have taken during the pandemic.
“The mall is a big piece of the economy. The city relies on those tax dollars. We employ about 1,000 people at the mall and many of those people were furloughed,” he said.
Sutton says the mall isn’t aware of any permanent closures. He remains hopeful all of the businesses will be able to reopen. Only one mall business, Mrs. Powell’s applied for the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce’s Emergency Assistance Loan Program, receiving $5,000.
Not all businesses will be reopened right away. AMC Theatres remains closed, likely until June, though the company has not detailed how that might look. HuHot Mongolian BBQ experimented with curbside pickup in mid-March, but remains closed due to its specific business model, which is largely grab and go, buffet style, a violation of the current Riley County Health Department phased reopening policy.
Events will not be taking place until further notice. Sutton says many have been outright canceled or adjusted.
“This is the first year in 32 years we couldn’t host Manhattan High School Prom. We were supposed to host the Boy Scout Pinewood Derby this past weekend,” he said.
The mall’s Mother’s Day Make & Take craft table, which had been planned originally for this weekend, has been moved online. More details on that can be found at manhattantowncenter.com.
