The owners / operators of Eastwood and Southern Park malls are complying with the state’s order to temporarily shutter nonessential businesses to protect against the spread of the coronavirus, but some at the retail centers fall into the essential category and will remain open.

“There have been people, not necessarily in this area, but customers who say, ‘why are you staying open?’ Our merchants want to feed their families. It is important to stay in business so we are going to do everything we can to help them stay in business,” said Joe Bell, spokesman for the Cafaro Company, which owns the Eastwood Mall.

“With so many people working from home, their home office, they are going to need supplies, ink, toner, paper, what have you. That is why Best Buy is open, that sort of thing,” Bell said.

Eastwood Mall in Niles closed 6 p.m. Sunday. Southern Park Mall in Boardman closed 7 p.m. Monday.

STATE ORDER

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Sunday put into place a statewide stay-at-home order to the public and ordered closed nonessential businesses.

Businesses identified as essential are health care and public health workers; law enforcement, public safety and first responders; food and agricultural; energy employees; waste and wastewater; transportation and logistics; public works; communication and information technology; community-based government operations; critical manufacturing; hazardous materials; financial services; chemical workers; and defense-industrial base.

Essential businesses will have guidelines to provide for social distancing, hand sanitizer and special hours for vulnerable populations.

EASTWOOD MALL

Bell on Monday provided a list of businesses and restaurants at the sprawling complex that remain open.

Open are Best Buy, Bloomberg Eyecare, Chase Bank, Home Depot, Home Savings Bank, Huntington Bank, Pet Supplies Plus, Residence Inn by Marriott, Save-a-Lot supermarket and Target.

Restaurants open for delivery or carry-out are Applebee’s, Bob Evans, Chipotle, DQ Grill and Chill, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, Hot Head Burritos, McDonalds, Mizu, O’Charley’s Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Panera Bread, Primanti Bros., Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar, Red Lobster, Rise Pise, Steak n’ Shake, Texas Roadhouse and Wendy’s.

For more information on individual restaurants and delivery options, go to www.eastwoodmall.com and click on “See our stores”.

SOUTHERN PARK

Mall owner Washington Prime Group announced Monday it would temporarily close its “enclosed assets with an indoor common area” that haven’t closed already.

Exceptions for enclosed centers include exterior facing restaurants with carry-out and / or delivery services, and other tenants with exterior facing entrances that may remain open to offer essential goods and services.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse outside the mall is open, according to Washington Prime spokeswoman Kim Green. She was not sure what / if any other businesses were open. The company providing restaurant tenants with carry-out or delivery social media support and community engagement.

Southern Park is the only Washington Prime owned / operated mall in the Mahoning Valley.

Washington Prime has offered to governmental agencies its properties to serve as potential distribution centers for emergency medical supplies, outdoor designated areas to perform COVID-19 testing, food depository stations and other services that may be required by communities in need.

“For instance, our assets might be used as distribution centers with respect to medical supplies or as a temporary facility to administer COVID-19 testing … we could work with local school districts to make certain children have suitable supervision as well as being fed a nutritious meal or two. I’m sure there are a lot of other ways we can do our part and look forward to everybody’s input,” Lou Conforti, CEO of Washington Prime, wrote in a letter to local, state and federal agencies.

rselak@tribtoday.com