On the first day in Chicago to ease the coronavirus restrictions on city businesses, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Police Superintendent David Brown expressed hope that the civil unrest surrounding the death of George Floyd was calming. But, they said, the city remains on the lookout for COVID-19 disease and looting.
Lightfoot’s decision means that local restaurants can reopen with outside dining, retail stores can accommodate customers, personal service businesses such as salons and hair salons can open, and other businesses such that hotels can start operating. All companies will be subject to reduced capacity and strict rules in place designed to prevent COVID-19 cases from escalating.
Access to downtown Chicago was also restored on Wednesday. Metra, which has been out of service since Monday morning, resumed a modified timetable on most lines and the CTA restarted bus and train service to the city center, although some train stops located inside or close to the city center will remain closed, depending on the city.
The city-wide curfew for all residents and visitors from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. remains in effect until further notice.
Here are the latest developments on NMMC properties:
5:05 p.m .: Looted and vandalized shopping centers to reopen next week
Sandy Sigal, President and Chief Executive Officer of NewMark Merrill Companies, said he believed that most stores in NewMark Merrill’s shopping centers that were not already open as key businesses will delay reopening following the unrest in Chicago.
“No one wants to have a false reopening,” he said. “In the normal scheme, we would promote tenants through our own social networks. This does not seem appropriate, and we cannot, in good conscience, encourage people to go to areas where curfews can change from one minute to the next. “
At most two of NewMark Merrill’s shopping centers in the Chicago area suffered minor damage. At Stony Island Plaza, 14 of the 20 stores have been burglarized and vandalized, from a Jewel-Osco that had just been renovated last year at Foot Locker to H&R Block, he said. Winston Plaza in Melrose Park had a few broken windows.
Neighborhood groups helped clean up on Monday, and in the meantime, Sigal said stores in its malls were closing windows and blocking entrances and exits to make it more difficult for those wishing to do damage to enter. and get out quickly.
“It was not good for our momentum this week,” said Sigal. “I hope we can focus more on the reopening next week.”
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