Woodland Mall to reopen June 1 for shopping appointments

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Woodland Mall will reopen its doors for in-person shopping by appointment starting June 1.

Two retailers at the mall with their own exterior entrances, Von Maur and Urban Outfitters, opened their stores for in-person shopping by appointment this week, and the June 1 opening will give retailers without exterior entrances the opportunity to do the same.

The number of customers inside a store cannot exceed 10.

“To say we are excited about Monday’s reopening is an understatement,” Woodland Mall General Manager Tony DeLuccia said in a statement. “We are truly thrilled to be opening our doors again and have spent significant time and energy to ensure we can do so safely."

PREIT, the Philadelphia-based company that owns Woodland, made the decision last night to reopen Woodland on June 1, said company spokesperson Heather Crowell. She said PREIT has not yet heard from any retailers that plan to reopen, but is “confident” that some will do so.

“We have a number of other properties in other states that have allowed reopening sooner,” she said. “A good handful of tenants, I would call it 40 to 50 percent, will typically open with us when we open the mall. Then it all builds from there.”

Woodland temporarily closed March 23, the same day Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced her stay-at-home order that required many businesses to suspend operations to reduce spread of the coronavirus.

She issued an executive order last week that permitted retailers to reopen for customers by appointment only. Retailers must follow social distancing guidelines and limit the number of customers allowed inside to 10 or less.

There are about 100 retailers and restaurants at Woodland.

The mall, which opened in 1968, completed a $100 million renovation last fall that included the demolition of the former Sears store. It was replaced with a new wing that is anchored by Von Maur, a high-end department store, and includes other retailers such as Urban Outfitters, Paddle North, Made in Michigan, Black Rock Bar and Grill and a renovated Williams Sonoma store.

Crowell said she’s confident that Woodland can reopen safely.

The maximum number of people allowed inside the mall at one time has been reduced to 750 people. The fire marshal lists the maximum occupancy of the mall at 9,405, according to Mary Ann Sabo, whose public relations firm represents Woodland Mall.

In addition to the reduced occupancy, the mall has bee cleaned with a “CDC-recommended disinfectant,” and a “rigorous” cleaning and sanitizing schedule has been established, according to a press release announcing the mall’s reopening.

Hand sanitizer stations have been placed throughout the mall, and all housekeeping, maintenance and security staff will follow health guidelines and wear masks and gloves.

In addition, the mall’s play area has been closed indefinitely, food court seating has been removed, and “common area furniture and other elements where physical distancing cannot be enforced has been removed.”

Calculations of how many people would be allowed inside the mall at one time are being finalized, Crowell said.

“We’re not asking people to come hang out at the mall,” she said. “We’re simply facilitating what the retailers are allowed to do.”

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit Michigan, one business at Woodland Mall, Celebration Cinema, has announced it would not renew its lease and close permanently. A spokesperson for Celebration Cinema said the company had been thinking about closing the 14-screen, second-run theater for close to a year because it had long operated at a loss.

Crowell said no other retailers at Woodland have announced they are shutting their doors permanently because of the pandemic.

“We really haven’t crossed that bridge yet,” she said. “We have tenants under lease obligations, so we do expect them to reopen. We’ve done a lot of work to try to support our tenants through this.”

Here’s a list from Woodland’s website showing the shopping services its retailers are offering:

Barnes & Noble - buy online for curbside pick-up Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Cheesecake Factory - take-out & delivery only, Saturday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Hallmark - open for same-day curbside pick-up Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Olga’s Kitchen - limited contact prepaid orders & delivery only, Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
On the Border - to-go, delivery and catering only, noon to 8 p.m.
Red Robin - to-go and delivery only, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Urban Outfitters - open by appointment only 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Von Maur - open by appointment only Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

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