Effective March 20, 2020, the Stamford Town Center, a vital piece to the city of Stamford has closed much like other places in the area, due to the coronavirus. The coronavirus has turned many towns into ghost towns. Small businesses, restaurants, beauty parlors and more have closed all to avoid close contact between people. Social distancing has been a challenge for a lot of individuals. Social distancing is a major component that drives out business in public places but it’s a necessity to keep everyone healthy. Many of those individuals went to the mall frequently whether it was to hang out with friends on a Saturday, get a quick pretzel, or even work there, of which I did. 

The mall closing has created a negative chain cycle. The mall has already been on the verge of closing multiple times. Due to offers from UCONN, and other high-end malls from bigger cities nearby. Certain essential stores in the mall have already been closed such as The Apple Store, UNIQLO, H&M and a few more because The SoNo Collection had its debut opening in early October. With these store closures plus the coronavirus outbreak causing the mall to completely close, the fate of the mall is questionable. The mall has clothing stores, a food court, a nail salon, and even a massage place. All of these stores have been profitable to the community. With the mall not in business, this means people are out of jobs. With the quarantine in effect, people still need to provide whether it’s for themselves or for family. Not having a job in a time of need like this can be very stressful for many. The mall’s exterior restaurants such as The Cheesecake Factory, Plan B Burger Bar, Pieology Pizzeria and others are still in business for takeout and delivery which is a good thing for those who work there and even the community. Apps like UberEats are hosting free delivery fees to get people to order food from these restaurants still in business and keep them afloat.   

I’ve been working at the mall for a year now at Footlocker, and I know a few other students who work at the mall as well and have been affected by the closure. I have been fortunate enough that even as a part-time worker, Footlocker has put me on paid leave. Many students like myself have college to attend in the Fall. This means working now and in the Summer to save for further expenses which is what I’m doing with the money I am receiving. Senior Roger Sanchez, who attends Stamford High as well, works at Journeys in the mall and he was not put on paid leave. Coronavirus has caused a lot of chaos around the world. The fact that it hit Stamford the way it did cause the mall to close, depriving people of their jobs, other small businesses to close, causing a hoarding problem with toilet paper and other supplies in grocery stores. The Stamford Town Center is set to reopen April 30, 2020, with anticipation that the coronavirus will be gone by this time and things will be on back on track with Stamford.