"ECHELON WAL-MART OR BUST"
PREIT is at a cross roads with the Echelon Mall, and Wal-Mart is their final option. Today's Courier-Post (can't find the article just pick up a paper its in the South Jersey section for more info!) reports that if the Wal-Mart falls through the mall will offically flat line sometime in 2007 at the latest.
As reported earlier on Tucker's World people of Voorhees known as Smart Action for Voorhees and Echelon were mighty upset about this large Wal-Mart coming to town and bringing in all these trucks. They also thought the store was too big and would look ugly. Of course it wouldn't be a breath taking as the IHOP that has been empty for several years, the empty salon, car place with graffiti all over the walls or an aging wharehouse retail store.
So, the people at PREIT have decied to nix the 24 hours drive through pharmacy, scale back the size, and make it so to Wal-Mart has less trucks coming in. They would have stright night time delveries. So, all hopefully the people wouldn't be haunted by those dreaded trucks.
That paper confirmed what I said (before they said it) that 3 stores are ready to go and jump into the grave of the empty Sears building. However, they will bail if the Wal-Mart deal falls through. One of the stores was described as Old Navy on steriods whatever that means. Another store would "offer goods more upscale than Wal-Mart" which, well could be anything. They won't reveal at this time who it will be yet.
In addition, a two resturants will share a liqour license. So, the mall will be nice it sounds. Not to mention a new opening will be made where J C Penny's stands now. Pennys will be torn down to make room for the Wal-Mart and a good deal of landscaping and redesigning will make the Mall have an EXTEREME MAKE OVER.
Some people still argue that the Wal-Mart will do more harm then good. However, how can they not take into account the dinning places and 3 other new stores? This could easliy create a domino effect. No to mention various stores that have pulled out like Gertrude Hall have an agreement that when the Mall is back and running they will return. With horrific traffic woes hampering Deptford and South Jersey's new obession with having stuff to do off the PATCO. I am confident that there is a real shot to keep this mall alive here.
PREIT delayed their plans a few weeks back. Likely to rework it since they figured it likely didn't have a shot to get through. That should happen by the end of the week. When PERIT bought the mall it was 76 percent filled now its dipped to 58 perecent filled. That likely includes the little stands. So, its clear its the people of Smart Action of Voorhees will be voting on more then if they want a Wal-Mart. The mall's death could be made offical. PREIT hopes the town will have a meeting in early April simliar to the one that he requested to be postponed. If the Smart Action of Voorhees people get their way, they won't have to worry about any more trucks. Anyone at all coming to that part of their town at all for that matter. Just empty run down forgotten buldings all in a row. No trucks! Perhaps they should vote on dropping the Smart off their name or not while they are at it. Thoughts?
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9 comments:
I know the a lot people of Voorhees think that they are above everyone else because they live in Voorhees but if this does fall through then Voorhees will likely go down hill. You are right there are a lot of Vacancies throughout the town and they need the mall to bring themselves back up.
Ah, how the plot thickens!
I now see the mall situation quite a bit differently than before, thanks to one point made in the article you cited: trucks.
It all comes down to my earlier point about there being no major roads near enough to the mall. That's because the mall sits in the middle of a residential area. Of course there are no major roads there. Who wants to live next to a highway?
Yet William Rouse or somebody else years ago thought that this was a great place to build a mall. Maybe it was back then, when the population density wasn't as great, traffic wasn't as congested, and malls were still fairly novel. Today there are more people driving more cars and expecting malls to be to a major thoroughfare or two (or more). By those malls, traffic naturally whizzes past, giving them great visibility, something that Echelon sorely lacks. They also are usually orbited by scads of other retailers and restaurants and such. Again, Echelon lags far behind.
Where am I going with this? Simple: if the major roads can't come to the mall, the mall will come to the major roads.
Let's say that Wal-Mart backs out and the mall finally dies. The residents will no longer have to worry about truck traffic. But, if Wal-Mart does move in and the mall does once again thrive, it'll bring even more businesses to the periphery. You'll see in Voorhees what happened to Deptford, Cherry Hill and Moorestown: businesses move in, residents move out.
Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is entirely your opinion.
The Eagle Plaza area and White Horse Road are already growing by leaps and bounds. Maybe it's a natural progression for the mall to rebound and for the area to go whole-hog commercial. We'll have to wait and see.
As for me, the mall I knew and loved is already long gone. If Wal-Mart is able to reinsert the mall's feeding tube, great. If not, well, as far as I'm concerned my Echelon Mall is already gone. It wouldn't be a great loss to me.
Mall area residents have a tough choice to make: keep it residential and watch the mall die, or deal with the trucks and the commercialization they bring. I don't envy them that choice. [TL]
Ah, how the plot thickens!
I now see the mall situation quite a bit differently than before, thanks to one point made in the article you cited: trucks.
It all comes down to my earlier point about there being no major roads near enough to the mall. That's because the mall sits in the middle of a residential area. Of course there are no major roads there. Who wants to live next to a highway?
Yet William Rouse or somebody else years ago thought that this was a great place to build a mall. Maybe it was back then, when the population density wasn't as great, traffic wasn't as congested, and malls were still fairly novel. Today there are more people driving more cars and expecting malls to be to a major thoroughfare or two (or more). By those malls, traffic naturally whizzes past, giving them great visibility, something that Echelon sorely lacks. They also are usually orbited by scads of other retailers and restaurants and such. Again, Echelon lags far behind.
Where am I going with this? Simple: if the major roads can't come to the mall, the mall will come to the major roads.
Let's say that Wal-Mart backs out and the mall finally dies. The residents will no longer have to worry about truck traffic. But, if Wal-Mart does move in and the mall does once again thrive, it'll bring even more businesses to the periphery. You'll see in Voorhees what happened to Deptford, Cherry Hill and Moorestown: businesses move in, residents move out.
Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is entirely your opinion.
The Eagle Plaza area and White Horse Road are already growing by leaps and bounds. Maybe it's a natural progression for the mall to rebound and for the area to go whole-hog commercial. We'll have to wait and see.
As for me, the mall I knew and loved is already long gone. If Wal-Mart is able to reinsert the mall's feeding tube, great. If not, well, as far as I'm concerned my Echelon Mall is already gone. It wouldn't be a great loss to me.
Mall area residents have a tough choice to make: keep it residential and watch the mall die, or deal with the trucks and the commercialization they bring. I don't envy them that choice. [TL]
This mall could have made it if they brought people who had ideas. It's like ground hog day at these malls. They are all the same and the marketing management and people who run these malls have a small mentality and which causes them to all think the same. Echelon Mall has a former secretary for it's marketing manager. What's next?
As a former employee of a retail store in the Echelon mall, this whole situation bothers me.
Remember when Echelon Mall was the place to be? It had all the stores and the best food court around. Then The Rouse Company got a bit to greedy and jacked up the prices for renting space. This drove retailers away. Then Rouse refused to sell and ran Echelon into the ground.
I know that PREIT has a difficult task of trying to revive something that has been dead for years, but I don't think Wal-Mart is the solution. Beyond my issues with them as a corporation, I feel that they will detract from the already poor business of the mall. I saw the plans today, as my sister is a manager at a store, and it's not connected to the mall. So why after going to Wal-Mart, where you can buy all the best censored music and pay $26 for a TV, will a person want to go to the mall to spend top dollar on something. Also there is a Target right down the road, and I'd shop there anyday before I even stepped foot in a Wal-Mart. I just have several moral issues with the way they conduct business, internally and externally.
And if you think the people of Voorhees are snooty, just drive down the road to The Promenade off 73 in Marlton I guess. It makes want to puke.
Yeah Wal-Mart not being connected is a daring choice.
However, they are banking on these resturants, 3 new stores, and revamped look to bring people in too I think. Does your sister have any indication what style dining places there are going to be? How did you stumble across this blog? Just curious.
Anyway, I can understand why people don't like Wal-Mart. However, I think it will actually start a good chain reaction in this part.
You have to wonder if the some people of Voorhees are just afraid of the "type" of people the Wal-Mart will attract. Certainly, with the Patco so close by.
I don't know how often I will go to Wal-Mart, but I am more excited about the potential of new stores and places to eat.
Years ago the likes of Boscovs and Strawbridges would never want a Wal-mart to move in. In fact rumors are flying now that the new oweners of Strawbridges will shut that location down.
O.K. let's see if i can add my twelve cents here.First of all I am a resident of Poorhees yes I said Poorhees.There are 2 towns we are talking about here,Voorhees and Poorhees,Poorhees being the area directly surrounding the Echelon Mall,Voorhees being the area outside that.Most people upset about this live directly near the mall or live in Voorhees. The rest of the people of Poorhees are not that opposed to a Walmart because with Walmart we get more jobs in Poorhees and more commerce flowing through the area.All we have now is a huge open space that makes the area look like Mt.EPHRAIM,Camden,and parts of Philly.The small businesses you say will be affected by this contribute nothing but a rent check to the community they offer no jobs and move very little commerce through the area.These people who are so upset with the idea of a Walmart were no where to be seen when the township cut the tax bill for the mall by some 50 million, did you really think the township was just gonna let that money go free and clear?And where are their ideas to fill that space?Unless they are going to put in a bowling alley,really nice movie theaters,skating rink and those resteraunts you were talking about the area would be in good shape oh by the way all those things i mentioned,all in next town over or located smack dab in downtown Voorhees except for the movie theater which is borderline.
What about this style squad. What is the point? What a joke. What happen to the real fashion shows they use to have? They drew in the crowd.
What the hell? What is this poorly done fashion show at the mall called the Style Squad. What a piece of #%!t. I could not believe my eyes. What happened to the quality fashion shows they had with the Teen board. This is really an embarrassment to that mall. Somebody get a match...
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