Voorhees Town Center

Voorhees Town Center

Location	Voorhees, New Jersey, U.S.
Coordinates	39°51′00″N75°00′08″W / 39.8500°N 75.0023°W / 39.8500; -75.0023
Opening date	1970 (as Echelon Mall) 2008 (as Voorhees Town Center) [1]
Developer	The Rouse Company
Owner	Mason Asset Management and Namdar Realty Group
No. of stores and services	25+
No. of anchor tenants	2
Total retail floor area	664,380 sq ft (61,723 m2) [1]
No. of floors	2
Parking	Parking lot
Public transit access	NJ Transit bus: 451, 459
Website	www.voorheestowncenter.com

Voorhees Town Center (formerly Echelon Mall) is a regional shopping mall and a residential area located in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. It was built in 1970 and named after Echelon Airfield which was located where the mall stands today. ^[2] The Echelon Mall was renamed Voorhees Town Center in 2007. ^[3] Boscov's and Modax Furniture Outlet serve as the anchors of the mall.

Property history

The site on which the Echelon Mall was built began as an airfield; nearly 200 acres (0.81 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, and included three grass runways, a gift shop, a small café, and a 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 charter flights. ^[4]

In 1950, Rogers Smith died in an airplane accident. His wife leased the airfield to Hugh and Kay Hamill, who operated it until she sold the property in 1962. The new owners renamed the field Delaware Valley Airpark, and ran it for three more years, until it closed in 1965. ^[5] In 1969, groundbreaking occurred to construct the Echelon Mall, which was the centerpiece of a 470-acre (190 ha) planned community named "Echelon" consisting of apartments, condominiums, single-family homes, office space, and civic space that included a YMCA, and the new Camden County Library. ^[6] Developed by The Rouse Company at the cost of $80 million, the mall opened in 1970 as part of a vision for "a new kind of downtown" located in suburbia. ^{[7] [8]}

Mall history

Old Echelon Mall signage along Somerdale Road

Until redevelopment began in January 2007, the Echelon Mall had a gross leasable area of 1,127,308 sq ft (104,730.3 m²). ^{[9] [10]} This made it the second-largest mall in southern New Jersey after the Cherry Hill Mall. Echelon was developed in 1970 at the center of a residential and commercial center in Voorhees. In October 1992, the Echelon Mall housed 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. The Exhilarama center had a General Cinema movie theater, which also closed a few years later. The building was demolished and the land was used to provide parking for the mall.

Decline

Food Court inside the mall in 2017

Lower level looking from Boscov's towards the food court

Echelon was a popular mall up until around 2000, when the mall began to struggle, and by 2005, the vacancy rate was nearly 75%. ^[11] Echelon had several problems that contributed to its high vacancy rate, including over expansion. It had four anchors which included Sears, built in 1998 but closed three years later. The remainder of the mall lacked renovations. JCPenney exited shortly after Sears, with the national chains gradually following suit. Much of the upper level is vacant, most noticeably in the section near Macy's.

Numerous other malls are located nearby, including Cherry Hill Mall and moderately-sized malls in Moorestown and Deptford. While Echelon competed with these centers for years, the advent of newer centers such as The Promenade at Sagemore in Marlton, and a significant renovation of the Deptford Mall, with the addition of a JCPenney, have provided more attractive shopping alternatives in the area. Also, whereas most U.S. shopping malls are located near an Interstate highway or at least a principal thoroughfare,^{[ citation needed ]} Echelon is located at the intersection of Somerdale and Burnt Mill Roads in Voorhees.

In August 2021, Brooklyn Pizza, formerly Lorenzo's Pizza and Scotto's Pizza, was the final eatery to close inside the mall. ^[12] The food court remained vacant until Eephee's Kitchen, a local Nigerian restaurant, opened in the former Burger King in October of the same year. ^[13] Also in August, LensCrafters moved to The Promenade at Sagemore. It had been operating in the mall since the early 1980s. ^[12]

As of 2023, the only national retailer operating inside the mall, aside from the Boscov's department store, is Bath & Body Works.

In April 2024, a two-alarm fire broke out in the food court, which spread to the second floor and roof. ^{[14] [15]}

First redevelopment plans

Former Macy's sign at one of the mall's entrances

After its proposal for a Walmart 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 65,000-square-foot (6,000 m²) supermarket and 130,000 square feet (12,000 m²) of retail stores along a landscaped boulevard. PREIT renovated the downsized mall to house 253,000 square feet (23,500 m²) of small specialty shops along with anchor stores Macy's and Boscov's.

The mall was officially renamed as Voorhees Town Center. The groundbreaking ceremony on the redevelopment project was on January 30, 2007. ^[16] The former Sears and JCPenney buildings, and the mall corridor between Macy's and the former JCPenney were demolished.

In December 2007, work was completed on the mall portion of the town center. Condos and new office complexes were also built around the same time. In spring 2008, the Voorhees Town Center held its grand opening. In May 2011, the Voorhees Township 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. ^[17]

Former Macy's storefront in May 2017, a couple of months after Macy's shuttered their store

Future redevelopment

In October 2015, PREIT sold the Voorhees Town Center for $13.4 million to Namdar Realty Group after Macy's announced the closure of 36 unspecified stores. ^[18] However, when Macy's later released a statement announcing the stores to be closed, Voorhees Town Center was not mentioned. ^[19]

On January 4, 2017, it was announced that Macy's would be closing in spring 2017 as part of a plan to close 68 stores nationwide which left Boscov's as the only remaining anchor. ^[20]

Throughout 2017 and 2018, many national merchants left the struggling mall. At the time, the vacancy rate at the mall was 40 percent.

In March 2018, Voorhees Township officials moved forward with a plan that declared the mall a "redevelopment area" proposing that parts of the mall face eminent domain. ^[21] The plan called for the township acquiring most of the mall and the shuttered Macy's anchor store for redevelopment.

By June 2018, the town began accepting offers from potential redevelopers to prevent an eminent domain situation. Some of the proposed ideas included "adding microbreweries and making it more like an Xfinity Live-type atmosphere or like a Dave & Buster's." ^[22]

By September 2018, township officials had selected Brandywine Financial Services Corp. to "transform the largely vacant mall into a mixed-use center with housing and entertainment attractions." ^[23] Township officials indicated that some parts of the mall may be razed during the redevelopment.

By January 2019, plans began to solidify further, which "includes beer courts instead of food courts, laser tag, sports bars and outdoor movie nights when weather permits." ^[24] Also included in the plan are more town homes and apartments that could be built in and around the former Macy's.

Citing the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brandywine terminated its sales agreement with Namdar in April 2020. ^[25]

In November 2023, Modax Furniture Outlet opened on the former Macy's. ^[26]

Anchors

• Boscov's (opened November 1992); formerly Stern's ^[27]
• Modax Furniture Outlet (opened 2023); formerly Macy's

Former anchors

• Stern's (opened 1986; closed March 1992); ^[27] formerly Gimbels, now Boscov's
  • Gimbels (opened 1977; closed 1986); formerly Lit Brothers
    • Lit Brothers (opened 1970; closed 1977); original anchor
• Macy's (opened 2006; closed 2017), formerly Strawbridge's, now Modax Furniture Outlet
  • Strawbridge's (opened 1970; closed 2006); original anchor
• JCPenney (opened 1976; closed 2003; vacant 2003–2007; demolished 2007)
• Sears (opened 1998; closed 2001; vacant 2001–2007; demolished 2007)

References

1. "Voorhees Town Center Fact Sheet" (PDF). PREIT. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 9, 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
2. "PREIT Announces Construction to Begin on Voorhees Town Center: Demolition of former Sears Building at Echelon Mall Tuesday, January 30, 2007 at 11:00 AM Redevelopment will transform Echelon Mall into Voorhees Town Center", PREIT press release dated January 29, 2007. The property has been sold to an unknown owner in October 2015. Accessed February 28, 2008.^{[ dead link ‍]}
3. "Echelon Mall: Voorhees, New Jersey". deadmalls.com. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
4. Duhart, Bill. "Their high-flying love story created one of N.J.‘s first airports and later a mall", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 24, 2019. Accessed June 30, 2020. Accessed January 9, 2025. "At the drop of a hat, Rogers and Jeannette Smith would hop into their single- or double-wing aircraft and fly around New Jersey airfields for popup dinners beginning with hors d'oeuvres and ending several courses later.... The Smiths named their airfield Echelon, denoting a flying formation in parallel rows with the end of each row projecting further than the one in front. The name stuck and eventually identified an area beyond the 200-acre airfield in the Ashland section of Voorhees Township, about 15 miles southeast of Philadelphia. A heartbroken Jeannette Smith sold the field to commercial real estate developer Willard Rouse in 1963, 13 years after Rogers was killed in a tragic plane crash in western Pennsylvania."
5. Misenko, Rachel. "Echelon Airfield will be focus of Voorhees tribute", Courier-Post , September 9, 2009. Accessed January 9, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "The airfield gradually grew to include three grass runways, a gift shop, luncheonette and eventually a T-hangar that housed six planes.... The airfield, official incorporated in 1944, was primarily used for recreational flights, flying instruction, crop dusting and charter flights.... About a year later, the airfield was leased to Hugh and Kay Hamill, who ran the property until it was sold in 1962.... The airfield was renamed the Delaware Valley Airpark under the new owners, who kept it running until 1965."
6. Prokop, Judy (July 9, 1972). "New Communities Springing Up Fast in South Jersey". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
7. Ott, Dwight (October 19, 1986). "The Easy Way Out Of South Jersey". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
8. Riordan, Kevin. "With former Echelon Mall property up for sale, Voorhees still hopes for a renewal", The Philadelphia Inquirer , October 15, 2024. Accessed January 9, 2025. "The Echelon Mall’s developer predicted in 1970 that the $80 million, 400-acre expanse of retail, housing, office, and recreation facilities could prove to be a prototype for 'a new kind of downtown' in the suburbs.""
9. "Directory of Major Malls: Echelon Mall". International Council of Shopping Centers. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
10. "ICSC Shopping Center Definitions: Basic Configurations and Types" Archived June 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , International Council of Shopping Centers. Accessed August 16, 2007.
11. Wither Echelon?, Tom Lorenz's Blog. March 4, 2005 ^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
12. "THE BIG "e" / Echelon Mall Memories on Facebook". Facebook . August 5, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
13. "Voorhees Town Center on Facebook". Facebook . October 14, 2021.
14. "Municipal offices re-open, but what's closed at fire-damaged Voorhees Town Center?". Courier-Post. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
15. Walsh, Jim. "At Voorhees Town Center, repairs from April fire keep 'fright site' creator in limbo", Courier-Post , August 18, 2024. Accessed September 24, 2024.
16. Grzyboski, Lisa. Town Center project under way in Voorhees, Courier-Post , January 31, 2007.^{[ dead link ‍]}
17. "Voorhees moves town hall to new mall". NJ.com. May 17, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
18. Adelman, Jacob (October 30, 2015). "PREIT sells Voorhees Town Center after learning an anchor store will close". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
19. Adelman, Jacob (January 9, 2016). "Anchor Stores at Voorhees Town Center seem set to stay put". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
20. Parmley, Suzette (January 4, 2017). "Four Philly-area Macy's will close this spring". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
21. Walsh, Jim (March 27, 2018). "Former Echelon Mall in Voorhees could face condemnation". Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
22. Walsh, Jim (June 26, 2018). "Entertainment options proposed for former Echelon Mall". Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
23. Walsh, Jim (September 18, 2018). "Is a mixed-use development in the future for Voorhees mall?". Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
24. Duhart, Bill (January 29, 2019). "Plan to resurrect dying mall features a 'beer court' and drive-in movies". Archived from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
25. Shinkle, Matthew (April 10, 2020). "Potential town center buyer terminates purchase and sale agreement". The Sun Newspapers.
26. "Voorhees Town Center on Facebook". Facebook . November 2, 2023.
27. Van Allen, Peter. "Boscov's opening this weekend", Courier-Post , October 31, 1992. Accessed January 9, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "Boscov's Department Stores opens its doors in South Jersey this weekend with store openings in Moorestown, Voorhees and Willingboro.... A Boscov's store at the Echelon Mall in Voorhees opens in space formerly occupied by Stern's, which closed in March."

External links

• Voorhees Town Center website
• PREIT press release
• International Council of Shopping Centers: Echelon Mall