Western New York is now in phase 3 reopening, and some local leaders are pushing for the state to reopen malls.

State Assembly member Monica Wallace and other local political and business leaders say that opening malls with safety measures will help preserve hundreds of small businesses and thousands of local jobs.

Right now, the only stores at malls allowed to operate are those with exterior entrances.

Stores inside the mall itself remain closed.

Store owners say they are struggling the longer their doors stay closed.

”We need to survive. We need to get these doors open so all of us can make it through this together,” said Marlene Gigliotti with Euphoria Salon. “Also our guests are waiting for us and we are so ready for them."

A group of stores at the Walden Galleria have come up with a 20 page plan for how to reopen safely.

That includes people wearing masks, reducing capacity by 50 percent, and plans for sanitation.