Echelon Mall
Encyclopedia
Voorhees Town Center is a small regional shopping mall and a future residential area located in Voorhees Township
, New Jersey
, United States
. It was built in 1970, and was named after an airfield called Echelon Airfield, that used to be where the mall stands today.
Rogers Smith died in a flying accident in 1950, and his wife leased the airfield to Hugh and Kay Hamill, who ran the airfield until Mrs. Smith sold the property in 1962. The new owners renamed the field Delaware Valley Airpark, and ran it for three more years. Five years after that, the mall was built on the site.
of 1,127,308 square feet (104,730 m²). This made it the second largest mall in southern New Jersey after Cherry Hill Mall. Echelon was developed in 1970 as the center of a residential and commercial center in Voorhees. In October 1992, the Echelon Mall opened a family entertainment center called Exhilarama, which was owned and operated by Edison Brothers Stores. Exhilarama was a popular indoor amusement center throughout the mid-1990s until it closed in 1996. According to Andy Halliday, the president of Edison Brothers Mall Entertainment (EBME) division, Exhilarama was the first of a new generation of family entertainment anchor centers in shopping malls. In the same building next to Exhilarama, was a movie theater, which also closed a few years later. The building was demolished to make additional parking for the mall.
, even though the surrounding area is not considered to be in decline. By 2005, the vacancy rate was nearly 75%. Echelon has had several problems contributing to its high vacancy rate including its overexpansion with four anchors. Sears, which was built in 1998 closed just three years later. The rest of the mall also did not get a much needed renovation to stay competitive and attractive. J.C. Penney
left the mall shortly after Sears. There has been a gradual loss of national chains since.
In addition, there are numerous other malls close by in South Jersey, including moderately-sized malls in Moorestown
, Cherry Hill and Deptford
. While Echelon competed with these centers for years, the advent of newer centers such as The Promenade at Sagemore
in Marlton
, and significant renovation of the Deptford Mall
, with the addition of a JCPenney, have provided more attractive shopping alternatives in the area. Also, whereas most United States
shopping malls are located near an Interstate highway or at least a principal thoroughfare, Echelon is relatively difficult to get to, located at the somewhat obscure intersection of Somerdale and Burnt Mill Roads in Voorhees.
store was rejected by residents, PREIT submitted plans to demolish the abandoned anchor stores and adjacent mall space to make way for a mixed-use "town center" featuring a 65000 square feet (6,038.7 m²) supermarket and 130000 square feet (12,077.4 m²) of retail stores along a landscaped boulevard. PREIT renovated the downsized mall to house 253000 square feet (23,504.5 m²) of small specialty shops along with anchor stores Macy's
and Boscov's
.
The mall has been officially renamed as Voorhees Town Center. The groundbreaking ceremony on the new project was on January 30, 2007. The former Sears and JCPenney buildings, and the mall corridor between Macy's and the former JCPenney had been demolished.
As of December 2007, work has been completed on the mall portion of the town center. Condos and new office complexes have been built.
In May 2011, the Voorhees municipal offices relocated to the town center. According to PREIT, the Voorhees Town Center is only the third mall in the United States to be anchored by municipal offices.
Voorhees Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,126 people, 10,489 households, and 7,069 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,424.0 people per square mile . There were 11,084 housing units at an average density of 955.2 per square mile...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was built in 1970, and was named after an airfield called Echelon Airfield, that used to be where the mall stands today.
Property history
The site on which the Echelon Mall was built began as an airfield: nearly 200 acre (0.809372 km²) of farmland bought by flying enthusiasts Rogers and Jeannette Smith in 1939. The Echelon Airfield was incorporated in 1944 and went on to house 20 planes. The development included three grass runways, a gift shop, a small café and hangar capable of housing six planes. The airfield was mostly used for recreational flying, flying lessons, and a take-off point for crop dusters and chartered flights.Rogers Smith died in a flying accident in 1950, and his wife leased the airfield to Hugh and Kay Hamill, who ran the airfield until Mrs. Smith sold the property in 1962. The new owners renamed the field Delaware Valley Airpark, and ran it for three more years. Five years after that, the mall was built on the site.
Echelon Mall
Until redevelopment began in January 2007, the Echelon Mall had a gross leasable areaGross leasable area
Gross leasable area in the retail development industry is a term applied to shopping malls, lifestyle centers, outlet malls and other retail centers to indicate the amount of floor space available to be rented...
of 1,127,308 square feet (104,730 m²). This made it the second largest mall in southern New Jersey after Cherry Hill Mall. Echelon was developed in 1970 as the center of a residential and commercial center in Voorhees. In October 1992, the Echelon Mall opened a family entertainment center called Exhilarama, which was owned and operated by Edison Brothers Stores. Exhilarama was a popular indoor amusement center throughout the mid-1990s until it closed in 1996. According to Andy Halliday, the president of Edison Brothers Mall Entertainment (EBME) division, Exhilarama was the first of a new generation of family entertainment anchor centers in shopping malls. In the same building next to Exhilarama, was a movie theater, which also closed a few years later. The building was demolished to make additional parking for the mall.
Decline
Echelon was a very popular mall up until around 2000, when the mall began to struggle to the point where some are preparing to consider it a dead mallDead mall
A dead mall or greyfield is a shopping mall with a high vacancy rate or a low consumer traffic level, or that is dated or deteriorating in some manner. Many malls in the United States are considered "dead" when they have no surviving anchor store or successor that could serve as an entry into or...
, even though the surrounding area is not considered to be in decline. By 2005, the vacancy rate was nearly 75%. Echelon has had several problems contributing to its high vacancy rate including its overexpansion with four anchors. Sears, which was built in 1998 closed just three years later. The rest of the mall also did not get a much needed renovation to stay competitive and attractive. J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
left the mall shortly after Sears. There has been a gradual loss of national chains since.
In addition, there are numerous other malls close by in South Jersey, including moderately-sized malls in Moorestown
Moorestown Mall
The Moorestown Mall is a shopping mall in Moorestown Township, New Jersey, owned by Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust.Originally opened for business in 1963, Moorestown Mall underwent a partial renovation in 1986 and was totally renovated in 1993 and 1994 after a fire in the northeast...
, Cherry Hill and Deptford
Deptford Mall
The Deptford Mall is a major shopping destination in Deptford Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. It is the seventh largest mall in the state of New Jersey and the largest in the state's South Jersey region. Owned and managed by The Macerich Company, it is the county's only...
. While Echelon competed with these centers for years, the advent of newer centers such as The Promenade at Sagemore
The Promenade at Sagemore
The Promenade at Sagemore is a large regional shopping mall located in the Marlton section of Evesham Township, in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, leased by Kravco Simon. Opened in 2001, The Promenade is an open-air lifestyle center with high-end stores and a selection of casual and...
in Marlton
Marlton, New Jersey
Marlton is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Evesham Township in Burlington County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population of Marlton was 10,260.-History:...
, and significant renovation of the Deptford Mall
Deptford Mall
The Deptford Mall is a major shopping destination in Deptford Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. It is the seventh largest mall in the state of New Jersey and the largest in the state's South Jersey region. Owned and managed by The Macerich Company, it is the county's only...
, with the addition of a JCPenney, have provided more attractive shopping alternatives in the area. Also, whereas most United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
shopping malls are located near an Interstate highway or at least a principal thoroughfare, Echelon is relatively difficult to get to, located at the somewhat obscure intersection of Somerdale and Burnt Mill Roads in Voorhees.
Redevelopment plans
After its proposal for a Wal-MartWal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
store was rejected by residents, PREIT submitted plans to demolish the abandoned anchor stores and adjacent mall space to make way for a mixed-use "town center" featuring a 65000 square feet (6,038.7 m²) supermarket and 130000 square feet (12,077.4 m²) of retail stores along a landscaped boulevard. PREIT renovated the downsized mall to house 253000 square feet (23,504.5 m²) of small specialty shops along with anchor stores Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
and Boscov's
Boscov's
Boscov's is an American department store founded by Solomon Boscov in 1911. The first store was in Reading, Pennsylvania, and today 40 stores are spread throughout the Mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Delaware....
.
The mall has been officially renamed as Voorhees Town Center. The groundbreaking ceremony on the new project was on January 30, 2007. The former Sears and JCPenney buildings, and the mall corridor between Macy's and the former JCPenney had been demolished.
As of December 2007, work has been completed on the mall portion of the town center. Condos and new office complexes have been built.
In May 2011, the Voorhees municipal offices relocated to the town center. According to PREIT, the Voorhees Town Center is only the third mall in the United States to be anchored by municipal offices.
Anchors
- Boscov'sBoscov'sBoscov's is an American department store founded by Solomon Boscov in 1911. The first store was in Reading, Pennsylvania, and today 40 stores are spread throughout the Mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Delaware....
(173,000 sq ft.; originally Lit BrothersLit BrothersLit Brothers was a moderate priced department store based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Samuel and Jacob Lit opened the first store at Eight and Market Streets in 1893....
, later Gimbels and then Stern'sStern'sStern's was a regional department store chain serving the U.S. states of New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The chain was in business for more than 130 years, prior to its 2001 integration into Macy's and Bloomingdale's...
) - Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(224,000 sq ft.; formerly Strawbridge'sStrawbridge'sStrawbridge's was a department store in the northeastern United States with stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. In its day a gracious urban emporium, the downtown Philadelphia flagship store added branch stores starting in the 1930s and together they enjoyed annual sales of over a...
)
Former anchors
- Sears (built and opened in 1998, closed 2001, demolished 2007)
- JCPenney (closed December 2003, demolished 2007)