Gretna Outlet Mall Won't Be Open to Customers Friday

An outlet mall near Gretna won’t be open to customers this coming weekend, despite what the owner announced last week. Instead, he says they'll use the time to allow store managers and employees to get used to a new retail reality.

The Nebraska Crossing Outlet Mall’s owner says the soft re-opening on Friday won’t be open to the public, but some stores could be open for business in less than two weeks.

“I think you’ll start seeing some stores May 1 start to re-open,” said mall owner Rod Yates. “And then based on the individual store and their process to get open, you’ll kind of see rolling openings through the month of May.”

Strict health measures will be in place when stores do re-open, including a limit on the number of customers inside stores at one time, optional face masks for customers and employees and protective shields at cash registers. Stores will also use infrared monitors to check the temperatures of employees. Yates believes retailers across the country are watching to see how his mall handles the re-opening.

“What we figure out here in Nebraska, they’re going to apply in Des Moines, they’re going to apply in Kansas City, they’re going to apply in St. Louis,” Yates said. “All around the country, what we perfect and execute here gives retailers and landlords a template on how to open up in the new economy.”

Nebraska Crossing employs around 1,000 people. Governor Pete Ricketts has said he doesn’t plan to interfere with the re-opening and there’s nothing in the state’s directed health measures that prevents stores from doing business responsibly.