It was a not-so-cool 83 degrees inside the Aldo shoe store at Newport Centre mall in Jersey City Monday morning.
“It feels a lot cooler than (Sunday), at least,” said store employee Angelique, who didn’t provide her last name.
Sunday was the fourth consecutive day without air-conditioning, which coincided with a North Jersey heat wave that featured temperatures in the upper 90s each day.
There was good news by the end of the day, however. The AC system had been repaired and is now working, even if workers and shoppers couldn’t feel it Monday.
“We were told it’ll take a few days for the whole mall to cool down,” Angelique said.
Stevan Stankovich, general manager of Newport Center, released a statement:
“We value our guests’ health and safety at Newport Centre. Unfortunately, amid the excessive heat wave and extreme temperatures in New Jersey this past week, there was a mechanical failure with the air conditioning. While a few retailers remain closed, a majority of our property is open and has air conditioning, including Macy’s, Kohl’s, JCPenney, Sephora, Panera Bread and The Cheesecake Factory to name a few. Necessary repairs have been made, temperatures have started to come down considerably, and we will return to full operations (Tuesday) with all stores open.”
The two employees The Jersey Journal interviewed said the food court on the third floor had been closed because of the heat (although the Popeyes remained open) and some stores were closed or only stayed open until the heat became too much.
An employee at women’s clothing store Charlotte Russe, on the second floor, was still feeling the heat Monday morning.
“It feels a like a lot more than 83 degrees (in here),” she said, noting that because hot air rises, the conditions on the second and third floors were more sauna-like than the first floor.
The employee, who declined to give her name, said none of the stores on the second floor opened Sunday, and that it has been difficult to work under these conditions.
“A lot of workers are calling out,” the woman said.
Other stores, like Uniqlo, Zara, H&M, and Victoria’s Secret, remained closed Monday because of the sweaty conditions — not exactly optimal for trying on clothes and then putting them back on the rack.
Yet, Angelique said that foot traffic was surprisingly good, and that mall officials have done everything they could to make it more comfortable — including providing a portable air-conditioner.
Asked if she thought mall officials did enough for the stores during the heat wave, the Charlotte Russe employee had one word, “No.”
