Wichita’s Towne East mall is open; what shoppers need to know
Wichita’s big shopping mall — Towne East Square at Kellogg and Rock — reopened on Monday after an almost seven-week shutdown that started on March 18 amid coronavirus concerns.
But shoppers who are returning to the mall are finding it full of new safety protocols but light on shopping options. Only about 20 percent of the stores inside the Simon-owned mall were open as of Monday, though mall manager Stephanie Satrape says that number should steadily increase.
Among the biggies that remain closed are anchors Dillard’s and JCPenney, neither of which have shared reopening dates yet, Satrape said.
“We’re expecting a gradual increase in tenants until we get back to full capacity, with a few more open every day,” she said.
On Tuesday morning, mall staff offered a tour to the media and pointed out the many changes it’s made to increase safety.
Mall officials have posted signs all over the building to encourage social distancing, including arrows showing people which direction to walk and signs showing them which doors to use. Mall hours have been shortened to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.
Only four people will be permitted inside elevators at one time, and mall staff will be sanitizing “touch points” like escalator handrails and food court tables repeatedly throughout the day. In the restrooms, every other sink or urinal will be taped off.
Child play areas, drinking fountains and rent-a-strollers will not be in service for now. Mall walkers will be allowed inside, though not until 11 a.m., Satrape said.
Mall employees will be required to wear masks and will be informed that they should not report to work if they’re experiencing coronavirus symptoms. Those who return to work will have their temperatures taken before they can start. The mall is asking its tenants to follow the same protocols.
The mall will provide masks in the mall office for those who want them. It also has tested its indoor air quality and will be changing filters on its HVAC system regularly.
Towne East will be limiting for now the number of people who can be inside at one time, and the goal is to allow for 50 square feet for each person, Satrape said. The mall is so enormous, though, that “it’s highly unlikely we will have to cue people outside the building,” she said.
The food court is open, but so far, only four vendors are serving: Ricos Elotes y Mas, Master Wok, Athens Greek Cuisine and Nori Japan. Karmelcorn and Noodles and Company, though not in the food court, are also open.
Satrape said she personally will be monitoring crowds, as will her security team, and shoppers will be encouraged to adhere to social distancing practices and follow safety rules.
On Monday, the first day the mall was open, a steady stream of people came to shop, Satrape said.
“There were more people here than I thought would be,” she said. “I was happy with the turnout. It’s certainly less than we would see on a normal Monday, but for me, it was a promising turnout for what we’re going to continue to see.”
The mall is keeping the list of stores that are open updated daily under the “stores” tab on its website, Satrape said, and people should check there for updates. As of Tuesday, popular shops like Bath & Body Works, Auntie Anne’s, Build-A-Bear Workshop, H&M, Justice, PacSun, Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret and Pink remained closed.
Among the stores open: Von Maur, The Buckle, Rainbow, Shoe Dept. Encore and Journeys.
She said she’s not sure how long it will take the mall to return to its regular operations.
“Simon’s first center reopened on Friday, so I don’t really have any data from other places in the country to even estimate,” she said.
Towne West also open
Towne West Square, which is now owned by Kohan Retail Investment Group, also reopened on Monday.
It will have a “phased opening” and will open its doors only from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. It will remain closed on Sundays for sanitizing and disinfecting, according to a post on its Facebook page.
Shoppers will be encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing, the post said.
Towne West had been closed since March 25.
This story was originally published May 5, 2020 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Wichita’s Towne East mall is open; what shoppers need to know."
.jpg)