JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — St. Johns Town Center, The Avenues Mall and St. Augustine Premium Outlets opened back up for business Monday as the state of Florida launches phase one of re-opening the state.
However, things at the mall aren’t looking quite as they used to before the coronavirus hit, and people are still being cautious as the city re-opens.
Though the reopening of malls and restaurants will hopefully re-boot Florida’s economy, not everyone is in a rush to dine out or shop till they drop.
One local said he has mixed feelings.
“I want to be cautious," he said. "I want people to be cautious because the virus is still here, but we need to come back to some normalcy.”
Some of that pre-pandemic normalcy could be seen Monday at the Town Center, like people dining outside Maggianos. But for Jacksonville resident Bill, he’s not sure about dining in just yet.
“I’ll probably do shopping having a mask, having gloves," he said. "Dining in, I’ll probably wait a little while."
Bill also pointed out that not every store was open at Town Center, a sign that it will take time to bounce back from shutting down.
As Jacksonville slowly returns to normalcy, signs at Town Center telling people to remain six feet apart are a reminder that we aren’t out of the woods yet.