Mall of America Postpones Today’s Reopening Amid Community Unrest

Samantha McDonald
·2 min read

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Mall of America has postponed its reopening date.

The largest shopping center in the United States — located in Bloomington, Minn., a suburb of the Twin Cities — announced that it has pushed back its reopening and suspended curbside pickup services as community unrest continues in the wake of the death of George Floyd. It was scheduled to open its doors on June 1.

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“We will announce a new reopening date in the coming days,” read a statement from the mall.

A number of shopping centers in and around the Twin Cities reopened last week following Gov. Tim Walz’s decision to lift restrictions that were put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, which has sickened more than 1.79 million people in the United States and killed at least 104,300 others. Mall of America, which houses more than 500 retail tenants, had opted to wait longer to make sure its property was “ready” and “safe” to accommodate employees and customers.

However, the state became the center of protests over the past week after the killing of Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of white police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25 in Minneapolis. Demonstrations and riots have are now taking place in many metropolitan regions across the country, leading to citywide curfews and clashes with law enforcement.

Thousands of retail storefronts and nationwide chains have also been vandalized or looted during the unrest. Still, dozens of business owners have taken to social media to voice their support for protesters. What’s more, boldface fashion and footwear firms have called out such injustices and pledged donations in the fight against racism.

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