Poag center receives bio-risk accreditation from sanitation association

The Avenue Viera, a 600,000-sq.-ft. outdoor shopping center in Viera, Fla., has become the first center in America to win the Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s GBAC Star accreditation, awarded to facilities using the most stringent protocols for disinfection and disease protection.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the retail real estate industry, we recognized the need to go above and beyond previously accepted standards to ensure the safety and cleanliness of our centers, said Dean Shauger, senior VP of management and marketing at Poag Shopping Centers, the operator of  Avenue Viera. “We have plans to roll the accreditaion program out to our entire portfolio.”

To win the Star, a facility must demonstrate compliance with 20 core elements that range from standard operating procedures to risk assessment, use of protective equipment, and response measures.

GBAC and its Star program are administrated by the International Sanitary Supply Association, a worldwide cleaning industry association founded in 1923.