Christiana Mall reopens today

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Christiana Mall  reopened  today at 11 a.m. with three of its four anchors and a handful of other stores. 

The Monday reopening was postponed as civil unrest was reported in Wilmington and around the nation.

“As a safety precaution, we’ve made the decision to postpone our reopening. We look forward to welcoming back our community soon,”  a posting on the mall’s website stated over the weekend.

The mall’s website reported that Target (which remained open through the closing of the enclosed section of the mall), Norstrom and Macy’s will be open, along with a selection of other stores. Target, thanks to a pharmacy and grocery section, was considered an essential business under federal and state guidelines. 

The Apple Store, which draws heavy traffic throughout the year remains closed for now.

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Concord and Dover malls opened on Tuesday with shortened hours.  Looting was reported at one Dover Mall store during a day of protests that led to a   curfew that remains in effect.

One of Christiana Mall’s anchors, JCPenney remains closed as the retailer undergoes Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Penney has other stores in  Prices Corner, and Dover Mall.

The number of shoppers is limited to 30 percent of total occupancy under Phase 1.

Christiana Mall attracts shoppers from throughout the region, thanks in part to the lack of a sales tax in Delaware. Health officials and residents  here and elsewhere worry that crowds not observing social distancing and shopping indoors can lead to community spread of coronavirus. 

The essential designation for Target and Walmart drew fire from smaller merchants that offered clothing, home goods, and other items that remained available at Target. However, those stores were barred from reopening and were limited in recent days to appointments or curbside service.

Management of the mall, owned by real estate giant,  Brookfield Properties, indicated that more reopenings are in the works and advised shoppers to log on here for updates. 

Traffic at the mall will be closely watched since it is considered one of the nation’s top malls in terms of sales per square foot.

Boscov’s opened its free-standing store at Christiana Town Center near the mall of the same name. The Boscov’s at Dover and Concord malls are also slated to open. 

Tanger Outlets has been largely closed in Rehoboth Beach, although the Columbia Care medical marijuana store remained open.

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