Reopening: San Francisco's Massive Westfield Centre Opens To Shoppers
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco's once vibrant retail scene took a major step toward reawakening Monday as the large downtown mall -- the Westfield San Francisco Centre -- was preparing to open to shoppers for the first time since the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed heralded the reopening as a sign that the city was moving into Phase 2B of the reopening timeline.
"San Francisco retail businesses and residents have been waiting for a while to get to this next phase, and we're committed to continuing to make progress on reopening so people can get back to work and regain some sense of normalcy in their lives," Breed said. "As we do reopen, we want to make sure that we do so carefully and safely, and that we're ready to adjust if we see a spike in cases. Our success depends on each person doing their part, taking precautions and being mindful."
Curbside retail sales have been allowed for several weeks, but Westfield Centre's reopening marked a major reawakening of retail.
"Westfield is looking forward to welcoming back our San Francisco guests as we reopen our doors and begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic," said Leah Heil, VP of Shopping Center Management. "We are committed to providing the best experience possible for the community and for our teams, and are working closely with local officials and civic groups to ensure a safe and clean environment as businesses resume operations."
The Centre would begin with modified hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Westfield officials will also implement new practices focused on the health, safety, and convenience of all guests, as well as retailer and center employees. They include:
- Increasing the frequency of cleaning measures following CDC and local health department guidelines, with a focus on high-touch areas such as restrooms, play areas, dining areas, and water fountains
- Monitoring and controlling the number of customers entering the centers and crowds in dwell areas and queuing lines
- Implementing and enforcing relevant policies related to social distancing, face masks and other preventative measures; and providing an increased number of hand sanitizer stations.
Officials will also be launching LINE PASS -- a proprietary digital queue system that offers a safer shopping experience for both customers and retailers. LINE PASS is available via the Westfield app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
They also advised customers to check online if their favorite stores in the massive mall will be open.
