The three largest malls in Rochester have filtration systems that meet state guidelines for reopening on Friday.

The doors at Eastview Mall in Victor last saw customers on March 18 as things shut down in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think it’s a long time coming, because I always wondered why they would shut down a mall when they would operate a Home Depot, a Target, other places like Walmarts, all with the same type of air conditioning that a mall might have,” said James Rockell of Rochester.

Mall owner Wilmorite says their systems meet the HVAC filtration guidelines set by the state, and have a MERV rating of 11 — an upgrade the mall says happened months ago.

Eastview management says the company has spent tens of thousands of dollars on the ventilation system, touchless amenities, sanitation stations and plenty of social distancing signage throughout the mall.

Mike Kauffman, General Manager of Eastview Mall said, “we’re really making a great effort to ensure that are customers feel safe when they come onto the property and we want to make sure that they feel safe and therefore will continue to come back and we’re confident they will.”

While safety upgrades for the malls have happened, some people are still not ready…

“I think it’s great for the businesses because they need to be open, but I personally am not ready for to go in the mall," said Amy Fisher.

Fisher is worried about the crowds and people not social distancing. She says she will stick to curbside pickup, outside eating, and shopping online.

The mall says the state has not set guidelines for mall capacity, but it will make those changes if guidance is given. Aside from the mall, some stores throughout the mall have signs posted about the maximum capacity allowed.

The mall says cleaning is a top priority with reopening July 10.  

"We have 24-hour housekeeping staff in place, we'll be doing deep cleaning everyday and then throughout the course of the day we'll be hitting all of the major touchpoints," said Kauffman.

The mall has adjusted its hours to allow for thorough cleaning overnight – the temporary hours are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday Noon to 6 p.m.

Although the mall will reopen Friday, some stores will not open due to short notice given by the state.

The mall is expecting some to come back in a week or two to allow for their staff to come back and prepare.