This past Thursday Voorhees residents were supposed to meet to vote on the zoning regulations that would green light the Wal-Mart being built and the empty Penny's being torn down.
However, it never happened. Mere days before it was going to be voted on mall owner PREIT yanked their request to have it put to a vote. Some think it was a move in order to cool off the Voorhees residents who were all ready to shoot it down. In the weeks leading up to the date the anit-wal mart people had grown more vocal.
Others wonder if they are trying to fudge their plans to make it more appealing.
Now most people complaining about the Wal-mart (besides Grocery Store Unions) are more upset about the size, and the traffic it will draw. Lions head plaza is empty, most of the Bradless shopping center is dead. The Wal-mart would bring people in. They would have a new entrance with a restaurant where J C Pennys will be.
I don't know even if people didn't want it because they were afraid of Wal-mart knocking other stores out, I would have to point out that that section of Voorhees is already in dire straights.
Dire straights.
We got to move these, refridgerators we got move these color TVVVVVVVVVVVVVVS .
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Keith, here is a little FYI for you. I did a little research for the Echelon Mall and there are currently 87 stores and 64 vacancies give or take. Those stores include the food court and kiosks. That means about 74% of the mall is vacant. Or as PREIT would call it, a "leasing opportunity". Three of those 'stores' are tax service centers. There are two Cingular stores and two video game stores. I find that fascinating. Just thought you would like to here those numbers. I thing PREIT is worrying too much about the Wal Mart situation and not the inside of the mall.
Thanks Jenna, Rick and I were playing with the numbers once.
Yeah if you go on the webpage for the mall you can drag your cursor over the map and play the "leasing opportunity" game. If you drag your mouse over the picture the names of the stores or lack of stores come up.
I agree with you in fact I was going to mention it in my blog. A source had once told me that most the empty spots are "spoken for" once the overhaul starts.
I also heard they have 3 places to fill the SEars anchor. Now if they could just do that, things could change. They don't have to put that before a town or anything. Just fill the empty places.
Maybe put a resturant in where them movie theater used to be. But, I think in the mean time they should focus on their other empty anchor store. If not the mall could flat line by the time they get Wal-mart in.
What is funny is that if you drag your cursor over the stores, they have Wet Seal in there twice...which is gone. Radio Shack twice, one in the correct spot and one where the Disney Store should be. I just find it hilarious and I might email PREIT on the issue. It is starting to be funny to me. The echelon mall is now a joke. 74% of the mall is empty...how can they justify that? I really don't think they know what they are doing...either that or they need to get their heads out of their asses.
I was pretty harsh in previous comments about the future of the mall. I still think that unless major steps are taken, with or without Wal-Mart, the mall has no more than two years left, probably less.
My point with regard to the mall's fate is that it's not a convenient place to reach. It's not difficult to reach, but it is inconvenient. Most other shopping centers are built right next to the major roads. Eagle Plaza, Target and all the other nearby malls follow that model. You can't even see Echelon from either Haddonfield-Berlin road or the White Horse Pike. That in my opinion is the main problem. Building a Wal-Mart will help Wal-Mart, not the Echelon Mall.
In thinking about this situation, I came up with a handful of ideas to help the mall:
(1) Put up a bunch of large, colorful signs on H'field-Berlin Rd, 295, the Pike, Springdale Rd. and White Horse Road showing exactly how to get to the mall. Put them up at every possible intersection that could get folks to the mall.
(2) Once those signs are in place, put up some more on 73, 70, 42 and Blackwood-Clementon Rd. that will send people to the next sign.
(3) Change the intersection at Somerdale & the Pike so that there's a dedicated left turn only lane on the eastbound side, along with its own light.
(4) If there's no longer a shuttle bus running between PATCO and the mall, get one!
(5) Create a wide access road straight to the mall from White Horse Rd.
(6) This may be overly ambitious, but relocate the Cinemark 16 to Echelon. Let them take over the old Sears building or something. Lion's Head is already swirling around the drain and Echelon could use theaters again.
It's clear to me that without some kind of change outside the mall itself, the place is gonna die within two years. Count on it.
The Echelon Mall was my favorite mall as a kid. That mall is already long gone. I'd still hate to see it razed, but it seems inevitable from where I sit. [TL]
I would hate to agree with you TL but I am scared that you might be right. I think if PREIT acts soon they can save it. I do know that the Speedline does still have a shuttle that goes to and from the mall from the Ashland Station and I believe that the buses still go there from the Lindenwold station. I don't think that going to the Deptford Mall is easy in any form of the word. No matter which direction you come from you have to sit in about 20 minutes of traffic or more because of the one lane roads. Clements Bridge Rd, Delsea Drive, Almonesson, and I forget the others are all one lane the majority of the way into the mall area. If you catch the right time of day on 42 you may be able to wait a half an hour to get there. I hate going to Deptford to shop. I know they are revamping Delsea Dr. but they put in a new red light and it just makes the traffic that much worse. I think it is more of an inconvenience than a shopping experience.
Moorestown is a trainwreck as well, you have to figure out how which exit to get off of on 295 and once you get onto 73 North you have to find the right lane to get into and after that you still have to find your way into the mall. I think Echelon is the most convenient of all if you live in Voorhees vicinity. Cherry Hill isn't too bad but I don't think it is that good of a mall.
I know that there are some signs (from the '70s probably) pointing in the direction of the Echelon Mall but they are small and starting to fade. You can see them getting off of 295 on Haddonfield-Berlin Rd. I haven't been that way in a while so they may have been taken down or run over by a truck or who the hell knows, but they were there the last time I was over that way. I remember b/c I laugh everytime I see them, b/c they are pathetic.
I agree that Somerdale needs a left turn only lane but for more reasons than just getting to the mall. They will never put Cinemark at the mall, so I think all the people can just count the days before that calls it quits. And unless they take out homes, the YMCA and apartments I don't think they can create a wide road from White Horse Rd to the Mall. Then again there is that road that goes behind JC Pennies that leads to the Olive Garden and Lone Star. That is a decent road.
Now my rant is over.
Certainly, there are plenty of people who want to SEE this mall get back on its feet.
They have to act now. Put a resturant there. Fill the empty spots.
As for the LEASING game on the webpage. They can't keep up to date with the exits. Including the upstairs Scotto Pizza. For some reason they are trying to lease out a Gamestop that is still there too.
Yeah, they need to get people to come. TL, you are right the PATCO shuttle bus is just idiotic not to have. Certainly if they really want to take advantage of their location. And, for GODS sakes, its not THAAAAAAAAAAAAT far way from 295! Not to mention the White HOrse Pike. So, I don't buy that no major roads near the mall line.
PREIT owns Cumberland,Cherry Hill, and the Deptford Mall. So, they have to know how to do something. I would try to market Echelon while Deptford is having growing pains. As a more low key place to go.
Things may have gone from God Awful to even worse. Strawbridges was bought by another company this week. Rumors are flying around the mall that the new company plans to close Strawbridges. Of course, lots of those rumors never pan out. On the other hand on paper to the new company I bet they just look like a money loser.
I doubt they ready my blog, or care if PERIT makes any advancements. Its been almost two years, and they brought the Mens Mart in thats about it.
Since my Major Roads Theory is getting some play here, I might as well continue with it.
Keith, don't discount my theory yet. You're right: the mall is not that far from 295 or the pike. For locals, it's not much of an issue. You, Jenna, I and many others could get there in our sleep, but what about people who don't know it very well? Locals are what's keeping the mall on life support as it is. The mall needs new shoppers in order to prosper. Signage is minimal at best. How will those needed shoppers get there?
Also, as I once said, a mall is a mall is a mall. They are virtually interchangeable across the country. If someone can get to a fully stocked mall directly from a major road, why would they travel secondary and even tertiary roads to get to a mall with only a 26% occupancy rate? Even if it's up to 100% will people want to take those extra steps to get there? We all have this annoying tendency to seek the most direct path to what we want. If folks want a mall, they'll likely go to the one that's easiest to get to. Right now, that ain't Echelon.
Good signage will go a long way toward fixing these problems. The proximity issue cannot be overcome and will thus continue to plague the mall, but signs would certainly help bridge the gap.
As for the pike, that's one of the shittiest roads ever committed to terra firma and should never be recommended as a route to get anywhere unless absolutely necessary. It's pretty major, but supremely awful. I avoid it like Michael Jackson avoids reality. But I recognize that, like Jenna pointed out, different people approach malls different ways. What's abonimable to me is routine for others. Thus, signage would help there, too.
Look: I don't pretend to have all the answers. I just know a thing or two about human nature, Convenience is a huge factor, and for most people, Echelon is not a convenient mall to get to. Improvement requires at least a two-pronged approach: (1) get some good retailers in there, and (2) get people in again. I'm just thinking of ways to address the latter. [TL]
Lots of people go to the RITZ movie theater. Now the mall is very easy to get to from there. Perhaps they should put flyers and promotions for the mall at the Ritz. They have the nice lobby there.
The signs are pretty old and small of 295. That is a great idea, but some towns are really strange about signs. So, they would have to clear some hurdles with the different towns most likely.
I grew up near the White Horse Pike, so to me its just normal. I find route 70 and 73 to be the Supremely Awful at least from the Cherry Hill and West to the City part.
PREIT should hire us all. Article in the Courier today that said Strawbriges in Cherry Hill will change its name. No indication or reference about Echelon.
Echelon should really play up the whole Patco thing.
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