Madison Park

Simon temporarily closing all domestic properties. They own Concord Mills, SouthPark Mall and the Charlotte Premium Outlets. Effective 7 PM tonight.

Simon Property Group, the largest owner of shopping malls in the nation, is closing all of its malls and retail properties because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The closings start at 7 p.m. local time Wednesday and are expected to end March 29, the Indianapolis-based company said in a news release.

The closings come after several department stores from Macy's, J.C. Penney to Nordstrom and other mall brands including Gap, Victoria's Secret and Sephora, have announced they are also temporarily closing locations.

In a statement, the company said the decision came after "extensive discussions with federal, state and local officials and in recognition of the need to address the spread of COVID-19."