Fashion District Philadelphia

Last updated

Fashion District Philadelphia
Fashion District Philadelphia entrance at 9th Street and Market Street.jpeg
Fashion District Philadelphia entrance at 9th and Market streets
Fashion District Philadelphia
Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Address9th & Market streets
Opening date1977;49 years ago (1977) (as The Gallery)
September 19, 2019;6 years ago (2019-09-19) [1] (as Fashion District)
Renovated2015–2019 (Fashion District Renovation Project)
Closing dateAugust 2015;10 years ago (August 2015) (original Gallery mall)
DemolishedAugust 2015–June 2017 (original Gallery mall, partial)
Previous namesThe Gallery at Market East (1977–2019)
Developer The Rouse Company (original)
Macerich and PREIT (Fashion District Renovation Project 2019)
Management Macerich
Owner Macerich
Stores and services55 (230+ at peak)
Anchor tenants 4
Floor area 1,080,002 sq ft (100,335.5 m2) [1]
Floors4, including basement level
Parking2 parking garages
Public transit SEPTA.svg 8th Street: SEPTA B3 icon.svg B3
  PATCO Speedline
SEPTA L icon.svg L SEPTA.svg 11th Street: SEPTA L icon.svg L SEPTA.svg Jefferson Station: SEPTA Regional Rail
Aiga bus trans.svg SEPTA.svg SEPTA bus: 17, 23, 33, 38, 44, 45, 47, 47m, 48, 61, 62, 78
Aiga bus trans.svg NJT logo.svg NJ Transit bus: 313, 315, 316, 317, 400, 401, 402, 404, 406, 408, 409, 410, 412, 414, 417, 551, 555
Website fashiondistrictphiladelphia.com
galleryatmarketeast.com (2014 archive)

Fashion District Philadelphia, referred to by some locals simply as Fashion District, is a shopping mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, located in Center City along Market Street. It opened in 2019 on the site of a previous mall known as The Gallery and later renamed The Gallery at Market East.

Contents

The Fashion District Philadelphia anchors currently include Burlington, Primark, AMC Theatres, and Round One Entertainment.

History

Fashion District Philadelphia near 10th Street entrance Fashion District Philadelphia 4.jpg
Fashion District Philadelphia near 10th Street entrance

Prior to the Fashion District Philadelphia redevelopment, the mall originally opened in 1977 as The Gallery, which was developed by The Rouse Company.

Pre-construction and development

In the mid-20th century, Market Street was home to the "Big Six" department stores: Strawbridge & Clothier (now Macy's), Gimbel Bros., Lit Bros., N. Snellenburg & Co., and Frank & Seder. These stores were central for Philadelphia's urban life and drew shoppers from across the region. [2]

However, in the 1960s and early 70s, the post-World War II migration, along with the rise of suburban shopping malls, drew shoppers away from Philadelphia as new malls opened in Pennsylvania, such as Exton Square Mall, King of Prussia Mall, and Plymouth Meeting Mall. [2]

As a result, urban planner Ed Bacon proposed a massive redevelopment to bring the "suburban mall experience" into the heart of the city. [3]

Unlike Bacon's open-air shopping centers, he wanted this mall to be enclosed for a climate-controlled, suburban mall experience. [3]

The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority (PRA) and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) partnered to develop this mall. The Gallery was approved in 1964, and a commitment was to develop an underground mall specifically on the north side of Market Street. [4]

The Rouse Company, founded by James W. Rouse, who also developed Pennsylvania's Exton Square Mall and Plymouth Meeting Mall, was officially selected as the developer for the project in 1974. Construction began the same year. [4]

The Gallery had its grand opening in 1977. It was later renamed to The Gallery at Market East to avoid confusion from The Gallery at Harborplace in Baltimore, Maryland, also developed by Rouse. [4]

After opening

The mall was later expanded with the construction of The Gallery II, which opened in 1983. PREIT acquired The Gallery in April 2003 from The Rouse Company and Gallery II in the third fiscal quarter of 2004 from the state's Public School Employees' Retirement System. The total complex measures approximately 1,100,000 square feet (100,000 m2) of retail space and at its peak had over 130 stores.

The space was originally anchored by Strawbridge & Clothier department store at 8th Street and Gimbels (previously Gimbel Bros) department store at 9th Street.

It later became part of the entrance to access SEPTA's Regional Rail Lines with the opening of the Market East Station, later rebranded for Jefferson University as Jefferson Station. The mall also provided access to the underground concourse that connects to the Market-Frankford Line, PATCO Speedline to New Jersey, Broad Street Subway Line, the SEPTA subway–surface trolley lines, and others.


Decline and closure

In September 2008, the developers of Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia changed their proposed casino location to The Gallery at Market East after receiving opposition from residents near the original proposed site in South Philadelphia. The new proposal was endorsed by both Mayor Michael Nutter and Governor Ed Rendell. The original proposal for the Foxwoods Casino at The Gallery at Market East was for a 3,000-slot-machine casino on two floors that were occupied by Burlington Department Store (formerly Burlington Coat Factory) which would have necessitated moving the store. However, on February 26, 2009, it was announced that the developers had instead decided to locate their new casino on three floors of the former Strawbridge's building. [5]

In January 2014, it was announced that Kmart would be closing its Gallery store in late April. [6] At the time, it was announced that there were plans to turn the former Kmart space into multiple street-facing stores centered on an atrium, and to redevelop the mostly vacant top level of the mall in other ways. [7] In April 2014 Century 21 Clothing announced that it would open an anchor store at the mall, which has since closed. [8]

Redevelopment as Fashion District Philadelphia

Pre-construction and development (Fashion District)

In July 2014, Macerich acquired a 50% stake in The Gallery at Market East and invested $106.8 million to redevelop the mall as part of a joint venture partnership with PREIT. When the developers were planning redevelopment, they once considered demolishing the entire mall. [9] [10]

As of June 19, 2015, the $325 million remodeling of The Gallery had been officially approved by the city council, and the legislation had been approved by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.

The Gallery closed its doors in August 2015 and began demolition of the interior and some exterior elements, with construction expected to last two years and a grand opening sometime in 2017. [11] According to the website for the Fashions Outlets of Philadelphia, the Burlington and Century 21 anchor stores would remain open during reconstruction.

Fashion District Philadelphia bridge over Filbert Street. Mall is directly to the right. Fashion District.jpg
Fashion District Philadelphia bridge over Filbert Street. Mall is directly to the right.

In August 2017, the developers announced that outlets plan has been abandoned and the mall would instead feature a mix of retail, entertainment, and dining venues, much to that of a traditional shopping mall. The mall would effectively be renamed Fashion District Philadelphia. It was initially slated to reopen in the spring of 2018. [12] However, the decision to move Burlington and add an AMC Theatres multiplex led PREIT to delay opening most of the revamped complex until 2019. [13] [14] The grand opening for Fashion District Philadelphia took place on September 19, 2019, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held. [15]

After opening (Fashion District)

The AMC Dine-In Fashion District 8 dine-in movie theater opened on November 4, 2019. The opening of this movie theater marked the first time since 2002 that Center City Philadelphia had a multi-screen movie theater; Philadelphia had previously been the only major city in the United States without a multi-screen movie theater in the downtown area. [16] [17] On December 21, 2019, a Round One Entertainment bowling and entertainment center opened at Fashion District Philadelphia. [18]

In October 2019, it was announced that Primark would open a 34,200-square-foot (3,180 m2) store at Fashion District Philadelphia at the corner of 11th and Market streets. [19] The store opened on September 16, 2021. [20] [21] Century 21 closed in 2020 as a result of the chain filing for bankruptcy and closing all stores. [22] [23]

Re-opening the mall in September 2019 was unfortunate timing, as the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused the mall to shut down temporarily after just a few months of operation as Fashion District.

After PREIT filed for bankruptcy in 2020, PREIT relinquished its primary control of Fashion District Philadelphia on January 1, 2021, with Macerich taking over management of the mall. Macerich made a $100 million payment on a $301 million loan backed by Fashion District Philadelphia. [24]

On December 16, 2021, a Giant Heirloom Market grocery store opened in the ground level of the former Strawbridge's department store at 8th Street. [25] The store later closed on December 28, 2024, citing poor performance and other problems at the location. [26]

On July 21, 2022, the Philadelphia 76ers, the city's NBA franchise, announced its plans to build a new arena, 76 Place at Market East, on part of the site, costing at least $1.3 billion. [27] The plans later fell through due to opposition and the 76ers agreeing to a deal with Comcast Spectator to instead seek to build a new arena in South Philadelphia Sports Complex. [28]

On April 17, 2023, Fashion District Philadelphia implemented a curfew for people under the age of 18 after 2:00 pm, in which they must be accompanied by a person over the age of 23. This curfew was implemented as a response to disturbances caused by crowds of teenagers in the mall. [29]

On December 11, 2023, PREIT filed for bankruptcy a second time and sold its share of Fashion District Philadelphia to Macerich, giving Macerich full ownership of the mall. [30]

In 2025, Forever 21 closed its store in Fashion District because the company announced that it was liquidating all of its stores in the US after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. [31]

Transit connections

Entrance to Jefferson Station from Fashion District Philadelphia Jefferson Station entrance from Fashion District Philadelphia.jpeg
Entrance to Jefferson Station from Fashion District Philadelphia

The following rail stations are connected to Fashion District Philadelphia:

Besides the SEPTA rail connections, various SEPTA city bus routes and NJ Transit bus routes have stops next to Fashion District Philadelphia.

Anchors

Former anchors

References

  1. 1 2 "The Gallery at Market East Property Overview". PREIT. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  2. ↑ Lin, Jennifer (February 26, 2009). "Another casino shift possible in Phila". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved February 27, 2009.[ dead link ]
  3. ↑ Van Allen, Peter (January 23, 2014). "Kmart Closing 2 Philly Stores; 289 Workers Affected". Philadelphia, PA: WCAU-TV. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  4. ↑ Saffron, Inga (May 3, 2014). "Changing Skyline: Bringing more life to the Gallery". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Archived from the original on May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  5. ↑ Hepp, Chris (April 25, 2014). "Discount-apparel retailer Century 21 coming to the Gallery". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Archived from the original on May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  6. ↑ DiStefano, Joseph N. (July 31, 2014). "Mall developer Macerich Co. to invest $106.8M in Gallery revival effort". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  7. ↑ Russ, Valerie (January 22, 2015). "Gallery Mall stores close for planned renovations". Philadelphia Daily News . Archived from the original on January 31, 2015. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  8. ↑ Carrion, Angelly (June 19, 2015). "The Gallery Redevelopment Is Officially a Go". Philadelphia Magazine . Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  9. ↑ Adelman, Jacob (August 16, 2017). "Outlets are out, H&M and movies are in, as Gallery redevelopers retool". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  10. ↑ Suzette Parmley (December 7, 2017). "Fashion District Philadelphia's opening is delayed until November 2018, PREIT CEO says". The Philadelphia Inquirer .
  11. ↑ "Fashion District Philadelphia adds to the mix". September 26, 2017.
  12. ↑ Scott, Katherine (September 19, 2019). "Fashion District Philadelphia opens in Center City". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  13. ↑ Staff (November 4, 2019). "Dine-in theatre opens Monday at Philadelphia's Fashion District". Philadelphia, PA: WTXF-TV. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  14. ↑ Silver, Stephen (October 30, 2019). "Philly's Fashion District is ready for its big-screen debut with new movie theater opening Monday". PhillyVoice. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  15. ↑ Cummings, Sinead (December 18, 2019). "Round1 with bowling, arcade games opening at Fashion District Philadelphia". PhillyVoice. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  16. ↑ Cummings, Sinead (October 29, 2019). "Primark is opening in Fashion District Philadelphia". PhillyVoice. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  17. ↑ Arvedlund, Erin (September 1, 2021). "Primark opening in Center City on Sept. 16". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  18. ↑ Vitarelli, Alicia (September 16, 2021). "Irish retailer Primark opens at Fashion District Philadelphia in Center City". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  19. ↑ Fickenscher, Lisa (September 10, 2020). "Fashion retailer Century 21 files for bankruptcy, to shut all stores". New York Post. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  20. ↑ Department Store Century 21 Files Bankruptcy, Will Shut Down Bloomberg. 10 September 2020.
  21. ↑ "PREIT to Relinquish Primary Control of Fashion District Under Bankruptcy Deal". Philadelphia, PA: WCAU-TV. December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  22. ↑ Tanenbaum, Michael (December 16, 2021). "Giant opens Heirloom Market in Center City's Fashion District". PhillyVoice. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Giant Heirloom Market at Strawbridge's building in Center City to close in December". Philadelphia, PA: Philly Voice. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  24. ↑ DiStefano, Joseph N. (July 21, 2022). "The Sixers want to build a new $1.3 billion arena in Center City". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Officials: Sixers abandon Center City arena plan, will stay in South Philly".
  26. ↑ Kent, Maggie; Staff (April 17, 2023). "The Fashion District in Center City imposes afternoon curfew for people under 18". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  27. ↑ Perez, Walter; Davis, Corey; Staff (December 12, 2023). "Philadelphia-based mall owner files for bankruptcy, relinquishes ownership over Fashion District". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Forever 21 store closures in Philadelphia and New Jersey". PhillyVoice. March 2025. Retrieved January 4, 2026.

39°57′07″N75°09′24″W / 39.952076°N 75.156612°W / 39.952076; -75.156612

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.