Cherry Hill Mall facts for kids
Cherry Hill Mall signage
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| Location | Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA |
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| Coordinates | 39°56′28″N 75°01′30″W / 39.941°N 75.025°W |
| Opening date | October 11, 1961 |
| Developer | The Rouse Company |
| Management | PREIT |
| Owner | PREIT |
| No. of stores and services | 160 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 3 |
| Total retail floor area | 1,306,000 square feet (121,300 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1-2 (3 in Macy's) |
| Parking | Parking lot, parking garage, valet parking |
| Public transit access |   NJ Transit bus: 404, 405, 413, 418, 450, 455 BoltBus |
The Cherry Hill Mall is a famous shopping center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. It opened on October 11, 1961, and was one of the first indoor, climate-controlled malls in the eastern United States. This means you could shop comfortably no matter the weather outside!
The mall was first called the Cherry Hill Shopping Center. It is owned by a company called Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT). The mall is located near major roads like Route 38.
A famous architect named Victor Gruen designed the mall. It was built and managed by The Rouse Company. In 2003, PREIT bought the mall. Today, Cherry Hill Mall is one of the largest shopping malls in New Jersey. It has a huge shopping area, about 1.2 million square feet!
The mall is so important that the town of Delaware Township changed its name to Cherry Hill Township in 1962. This happened because of the mall and other places named after the old Cherry Hill Farm. The mall is currently home to three main department stores: JCPenney, Macy's, and Nordstrom.
Contents
A Look Back: The Mall's History
Cherry Hill Mall first opened its doors on October 11, 1961. It was built on what used to be a 16-acre farm. The mall cost about $30 million to build, which was a lot of money back then! When it opened, it was one of the biggest malls in the country. It was also known as the first enclosed mall in the eastern United States with air conditioning and heating.
The mall had 90 stores, which was amazing for the time. It also featured cool things like exotic birds, tropical plants, and fountains. There was even a movie theater! This was a completely new experience for people in the area.
Unique Design and Early Features
The design of Cherry Hill Mall was very special. It wasn't like other malls of that time. It had a large main walkway called the "Delaware Mall" concourse. In the middle of the mall was a special area called Cherry Court. This court had high ceilings, more tropical plants, and parrots!
You could also find a staircase in Cherry Court that led to the second floor of the Strawbridge & Clothier store. The mall also had a "Market Court" with a grocery store and a drug store. There were even popular stores like Kresge's and Woolworth's.
Changes Over the Years
The mall has changed a lot since it first opened. In 1973, an office tower was added next to the mall. In 1977, a new two-story section was built. This new part of the mall became home to JCPenney.
The 1990s brought more updates. The mall was remodeled with a new look, including skylights and different fountains. The fancy staircase in Strawbridge's was replaced with escalators and stairs. By 1997, the mall had two different shopping areas. One part, near Macy's, had more upscale stores like Banana Republic. The JCPenney wing had other types of shops. In 2003, PREIT bought the mall, planning even bigger changes.
Big Renovation and Expansion
Under PREIT's ownership, the mall went through a huge renovation from 2007 to 2009. This project cost $220 million! They added a lot of new shopping space, about 228,000 square feet.
The old Strawbridge's store was taken down. In its place, a new area called the Grand Court was built. This new section included a large Nordstrom store, which opened in 2009. The mall also added new restaurants outside, in an area called Bistro Row.
The food court was moved to the JCPenney wing and updated with many new places to eat. New stores like The Container Store and Crate & Barrel were added outside the main mall building. A new three-story parking garage was also built. The entire mall got a fresh, modern look with marble and wood. These changes made Cherry Hill Mall a very popular place with many high-end stores and restaurants.
Main Stores
These are the main department stores at Cherry Hill Mall:
Past Main Stores
Some stores that used to be main attractions at the mall:
- Strawbridge's closed in 2006. Nordstrom was built where it used to be.
- Bamberger's is now Macy's.
