Malls in the Hudson Valley will be allowed to open on Friday.

Business owner Julene Finley says it's the best news she's heard since the start of the pandemic.

"I was down over 100%. I had to refund a birthday party that they couldn't have because of the shutdown, and I never made that money back so I was in the negative in June. I desperately need to reopen," she says.

Finley owns Color Me Mine, a paint-your-own pottery studio in the Palisades Mall.

She and other business owners in malls across the mid-Hudson region are ready to make a comeback.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says this can only happen under one condition - the malls must have air filters that remove coronavirus particles from the air.

Pyramid Management Group owns the Palisades Mall, In a statement, the CEO said,"With proper precautions in place and health and safety a top priority....We look forward to re-opening our properties on Friday across New York State."

Stepping foot in a mall again will look a little different. The Palisades Mall has issued guidelines like wearing a mask, social distancing and keeping with one-way traffic arrows while shopping.

Stores are also shifting their business models to ensure the safety of their customers.

"We're going to be keeping everything on a to-go basis for the most part. We're only going to be keeping a maximum of 12 people in at a time," says Finley.