Good Question: Why is morning mall walking a problem?

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC)— Been to Eastview Mall recently?

People have noticed signs saying “Starting Nov. 1 mall doors will open to the public when the mall opens.”

That’s 11 a.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. every other day of the week. It’s disappointing news for people who like to use the mall as a place to exercise.

Check out these emails sent to News10NBC’s Brennan Somers: I am wondering why the early morning mall walking is being suspended at Eastview Mall. It was a great safe place for seniors to walk. With winter approaching, it seems poor timing.

And another: This means no mall walking for many of us who love this safe, warm venue in the winter months. Their reason was that they can’t plow and shovel that early to ensure our safety, but there are deliveries being made and store personnel coming in from at least 8 AM every day! We aren’t in the way, and there are seldom more than 15 – 20 of us in there at any one time. Why is this a problem, and where else can we go! We are walkers in the morning, but we are also shoppers the rest of the day. Hoping they will change their mind. We love Eastview Mall!

Somers reached out to Wilmorite, the group that runs our malls, and got this response below:

“Mall walkers are always welcome at the Wilmorite malls. We encourage walkers to come during mall operating hours so that no additional staffing or expenses are incurred. Opening early requires extra staff, particularly during the winter months. There have been no issues or complaints at The Mall at Greece Ridge or The Marketplace Mall where this policy has been in place for more than a year. We understand that the senior citizens that walk at Eastview would prefer the mall open early for them but staffing is an issue that every business is facing now and we hope that the community continues to support our efforts to provide a safe and free place for them to walk.”

-Wilmorite Spokesperson

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