Some shopping malls in Puget Sound offering reprieve from the heat
The Outlet Collection, Westfield Southcenter Mall, and some malls in Bellevue are welcoming people to come in and get cooled off this weekend.
AUBURN, Wash. — People looking for options to stay cool during the weekend heat wave along Puget Sound have the trusty shopping mall to rely on.
Malls are among the few larger-scale air conditioned places where people can stay, hang out, or shop and eat if they would like to.
The City of Auburn tweeted that the Outlet Collection in Auburn and Westfield Southcenter Mall are available destinations to stay cool.
A spokesperson for the Outlet Collection said the mall will follow current CDC guidelines that say people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear a mask. However, individual stores may adhere to different policies regarding masks and social distancing.
The City of Bellevue, as part of its excessive heat watch, also suggested shopping malls as cooling centers. Bellevue Square and the Marketplace at Factoria will also welcome people needing to escape the heat.
Auburn resident Chris Langlois said he plans to stay cool inside his air conditioned home and cool off at the lake with his family. He said the mall is a thrifty option to stay cool when temperatures soar.
“It’s always free to go to a mall,” Langlois said.
