Gurnee Mills Closes Amid Coronavirus Concerns

GURNEE, IL — Gurnee Mills joins a growing list of public places closing as a precautionary measure meant to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. Gurnee Mills, which has more than 200 stores, closed its doors starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

The mall, located at 6170 W. Grand Avenue in Gurnee, is expected to reopen on March 30, according to a statement posted on the mall's website.

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"After extensive discussions with federal, state and local officials and in recognition of the need to address the spread of COVID-19, we will be temporarily closed," according to the statement. "The health and safety of our shoppers, retailers and employees are of paramount importance and we are taking this step to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community."

Gurnee Mills is owned by Simon Property Group, which owns malls across the U.S. Simon will has temporarily closed all of its retail properties, including malls, premium outlets and mills in the United States, according to a news release.

Other local Simon Property Group malls include: Woofield Mall in Schaumburg, Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora, Orland Square in Orland Park and Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets in Pleasant Prairie, Wis.

• Woodfield Mall Closes Amid Coronavirus Concerns

Malls across the country are facing what could be one of the scariest times in recent retail history as companies and governments race to protect shoppers from the ongoing new coronavirus outbreak.

Across the United States, businesses are closing at a rapid pace. In some cases, companies choose to close individual stores or entire shopping centers for a period of weeks. In others, state governments are mandating that malls and other facilities close to the public.

This was the case Tuesday in New Jersey when Gov. Phil Murphy ordered all malls in the state to close by 8 p.m. New Jersey, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers, is the first state to order all malls to close.

"This is how we will be able to stay strong," Murphy said during a Tuesday news conference.
Malls, and the retailers within them, may have a tougher time staying strong.

Bigger mall owners such as Simon have more tools to cope with fallout. Simon said Monday it has already secured an amendment to an existing $4 billion credit facility to $6 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Mall closures now, however, could spell certain defeat for struggling smaller malls that have lost one or more anchor department stores and where spaces have remained vacant, analysts told the Wall Street Journal, adding retailers could now face the kind of financial distress that may "push them over the edge," according to Lisa Pendergast, executive director for CRE Finance Council.

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