Water Tower Place imposes ‘parental guidance required' rules for teens

(Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Water Tower Place announced new rules Thursday that will require teenagers to be accompanied by adults while at the mall on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The “Parental Guidance Required” program, which starts on Friday, will require anyone age 17 and under to be accompanied by a “parent or supervising adult who is at least 21 years old” after 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, according to a statement from Water Tower Place’s parent company, Brookfield Properties.

“In an effort to eliminate disruptive behavior by unsupervised youth, we made the difficult decision to implement a curfew program at Water Tower Place,” Senior General Manager Mitch Feldman said in the statement. “The PGR program is intended to help provide a safe, peaceful experience at out shopping center.”

During the program’s hours, “trained public safety officers will be stationed at all Water Tower Place entrances to check IDs of visitors who appear to be 17 years old or younger,” mall officials wrote in the statement. One adult will be allowed to accompany up to four teenagers, although there will be no limit on the number of children 10 and under that can be accompanied by a single adult.

Adults who show their IDs at the entrance will be offered an “optional wristband,” but those who don’t wear it “may be asked for ID again by safety officers inside the shopping center,” officials said.

Announcements will be made throughout the shopping center starting at 3 p.m. ahead of the program’s start each Friday and Saturday.

“We are fully supportive of our community partner and commend their decision to enforce a PGR program,” Ald. Brian Hopkins (22nd) said in the statement. “We believe this will help benefit the entire community.”