New Yorkers who feel safe and ready to head back into local malls are being asked to sign a petition urging Governor Cuomo to finally unlock their doors.

The Let NY Mall Employees Get Back To Work! petition at Change.org was started by Apex Entertainment - who has properties located at Destiny USA in Syracuse, and in Albany, among others - and says business owners and employees in state malls are being treated unfairly with the state sidelining storefronts who are located within malls of 100,00 sq, ft. or larger, but who don't have their own store entrances.

Destiny USA and Sangertown Square in New Hartford are among those still mostly dark centers.

''NY mall properties and venues are as safe, or safer,'' than many free standing competitors who are open, the petition reads.

''Our local economies need this in order to have a fighting chance to survive and rebound after COVID-19'', with some five-thousand businesses and their 50-thousand employees still unable to offer in-store shopping and transactions, they are ''being left behind for no apparent reason,'' the petition said.

On Monday, Gov. Cuomo said before any large mall in New York would reopen, it must have an air ventilation system capable of filtering out COVID-19.

''They have different filters that filter out different sized particles,'' the governor explained, and although not mandated, said he is encouraging all businesses in New York to at least explore the possibility of adding or changing to a HEPA filtration system that can snag the quick spreading virus.

The petition had 1,240 signatures as of late Thursday night, two-days after its launch.

''You’re ready. We’re ready.
Let New York State malls re-open!,'' the petition said.

The cost to bring still-closed malls into compliance, and the extent of potential renovations some would be need to achieve the mandate, is not known.

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