The Mall at the Voorhees Town Center may be headed in a new direction, according to the Voorhees Township planning board, who unanimously approved a plan that could utilize eminent domain for some of the mall. The Township Committee unanimously approved the measure on May 15.

In 1970, the Echelon Air Strip was developed into a brand new complex, now known as the Echelon Mall. Nestled in Voorhees between Ashland and Kirkwood, the mall was a major attraction during the first stage of its existence. The mall featured countless anchor stores, and even a movie theatre. Surrounded by apartments, there was constant foot traffic, with others traveling from around the area in order to shop.

  With no direct access to major roads, competition from other area malls, and a general loss in interest, the Echelon Mall began to falter around the year 2000 with the departure of Sears, which only came to the mall two years prior. Soon after, JCPenney also closed its store.

  By 2007, there was a revitalization project that came in conjunction with a new restaurant district and apartments, rebranding the Echelon Mall as The Mall at the Voorhees Town Center. While things initially looked promising, with Voorhees Township even moving their municipal building to the mall, a decline occurred once again. The former Echelon Mall changed ownership in 2015, and the Macy’s, originally Strawbridges, closed. This left only one anchor store – Boscov’s.

  The mall, currently owned by Namdar Realty Group, has continued to decline commercially, with many once-bustling store fronts now occupied by either offices or simple temporary walls. While the other vacated anchor stores have been demolished, an empty Macy’s serves a grim reminder of what once was, a glass barricade covering the entrance.

  Under the plan, the township will be able to obtain parts of the empty mall and Macy’s, with the seemingly-successful Boscov’s being exempted. The former Echelon Mall is the highest individual taxpayer in Voorhees Township, and the planning initiative has found that the Macy’s building and surrounding area to be wasted space that could end up costing taxpayers.

  There appears to be some malice towards towards Namdar from members of the planning committee, with Deputy Mayor Jason Ravitz saying, “We feel like we’ve gotten a lot of lip service.”

  Even Mike Friedman, the board’s only Republican, said that he is willing to move away from his conservative views in this case, clearing the way for government intervention.

  Namdar purchased the property for over $13 million in 2015, but Township Director of Community and Economic Development Mario DiNatale said that “they are hoping it fails,” with the intention of demolishing it in order to build residences. DiNatale is also the chairman of the Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation, which has its headquarters in the mall.

  There is no consensus at this time, but a full demolition of portions of the mall is unlikely, but the board has pursued having a third-party appraisal as a part of the process.