Press Release:
June 5, 2020
We are releasing the following statement in response to questions and comments from the media, tenants, customers and employees looking to return to work. The following statement can be attributed to Pyramid Management Group:
Over the last several weeks we have worked with hundreds of businesses to ensure a safe and responsible re-opening consistent with the detailed phasing plan released by New York State.
Our collective investment of time and money into safely and responsibly re-opening Poughkeepsie Galleria was considerable. What's more, our retailers and their employees are anticipating the scheduled Phase Two re-opening next week as a way to get back to work and begin supporting their families and our local economies. That now appears to be in jeopardy based on our properties not being able to broadly re-open under Phase Two in other regions throughout the State. Simply put, re-opening is key to the survival of these retailers, many of which are locally owned and are now in grave danger of never being able to open their doors.
What’s more, we believe our very large open spaces easily facilitates social distancing and will lessen the density in stand-alone stores that would be allowed to re-open in Phase Two. Additionally, not all of our tenants will be reopening in Phase Two. Restaurants (indoor seating) and entertainment venues, which comprise a good portion of our facilities, will remain closed until subsequent phases. By design, this will further lessen the density of guests in our centers.
Our extensive safety protocols put into place over the past two months meet or exceed State, CDC and national health guidelines to protect the health, safety and well-being of everyone. And our tenants and their employees are anxious to get back to work.
We hope the State will re-consider its surprising decision over the coming days and urge it to allow Poughkeepsie Galleria and enclosed shopping centers to open alongside other retailers in Phase Two in the Mid-Hudson Region. Thousands of jobs, businesses, livelihoods and regional economies are depending on it. We are ready to open with the health and well-being of our guests, retailers and their employees a top priority