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While the area needs a store like Wegmans, I honestly don't think there's enough room. The last bit of land that could have been used for it is beginning to be developed on the Rt. 73 North between Kresson and Evesham roads (including ANOTHER Dunkin Donuts!). And even if there was no development going on there, I still don't think there'd be enough room.
If another Wegmans was going to be built in the area, developers would need to look at southern Berlin or Winslow, I think.
I've been to the Wegmans in Downingtown, PA and it's not as large as the Mt.Laurel or Cherry Hill stores with a second level and all.
It'd be great if Wegmans could be lured into the Echelon Village plaza (former Genuardi's space). The plaza owner might need to relocate the small tenants to the side, to maximize the possible amount of space needed for a small but still possible store.
That area brings with it the proximity of Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine, Camden County community college, Lindenwold PATCO station commuters, employees from Comcast and other offices, Hampton Inn guests, the dense population of the Echelon area, along with the affluent households in Cherry Hill East and Voorhees.
I was also thinking that it'd be great if Macy's converted the mall store to a Bloomingdale's. While it might seem crazy, I think it might work because PREIT has remodeled the mall and has brought a upscale leaning restaurant scene. Also, Macy's already has 3 other Macy's around it in Deptford, Cherry Hill and Moorestown that it's somewhat saturating that brand but not offering the upscale brand nearby to an area that can support it.
I figure Cherry Hill Mall expansion to build a new Bloomingdales is out of question because of lack of space, and conversion of the Moorestown store is unlikely as that Macy's has a proximity/convenience factor for much of Burlington County, and Deptford for Gloucester and areas south, and Cherry Hill is too high volume, central and important to experiment on.
I was just at Willow Grove Park Mall and wished we had that variety in So. NJ. The two area Bloomingdales for the Philadelphia market are in King of Prussia and Willow Grove (which aren't that far apart on the PA Turnpike from each other), but nothing remotely close to South Jersey. The demographics for a Bloomingdale's are definitely there for South Jersey and the Echelon space might be the one that works. It's somewhat higher tier, like Lord & Taylor, that customers seek out the difference, and those customers are not necessarily browsing inside the mall at stores like Hollister or Wet Seal, so the fact the Voorhees Town Center Mall lacks stores likely doesn't affect viability of Bloomingdales at that site.
While I wouldn't say that Voorhees is going downhill...
The site of the closed Country Club Diner on Rte 561 is becoming a big eyesore (no idea why they closed...I always liked the food there).
Fuddruckers is sorely missed ..for those like me who enjoy a laid back casual bar without the riff raffs and town drunks..it was damn near the perfect place to hang out for a couple of drinks while the bartender placed the burgers & fries order for you. I just wish they could have spared their own demise by NOT serving underage kids! Check ID's! How hard is THAT?? Smash Burger is decent, but far from being a replacement for Fudds! And building a Chik-Fil-A there is a joke.
Then Bally's Fitness went bye-bye (to be replaced by an office complex I hear). Smoothie King is somewhat of an anamoly IMO. Their main customer base was the Bally's workout crowd, I think, right?..soooo how on Earth do they stay in business?
I think the old Lonestar Steakhouse building (opposite Olive Garden) is still vacant too...What's up with that??
And finally, I REALLY miss Soupy's on White Horse Rd. They did ONE thing and they did it superbly! They made awesome soup..an excellent niche idea and a place that I loved to go to! :::Sigh:::
Last edited by The Winter Soldier; 02-06-2014 at 07:59 PM..
Reason: grammar
While I wouldn't say that Voorhees is going downhill...
The site of the closed Country Club Diner on Rte 561 is becoming a big eyesore (no idea why they closed...I always liked the food there).
Fuddruckers is sorely missed ..for those like me who enjoy a laid back casual bar without the riff raffs and town drunks..it was damn near the perfect place to hang out for a couple of drinks while the bartender placed the burgers & fries order for you. I just wish they could have spared their own demise by NOT serving underage kids! Check ID's! How hard is THAT?? Smash Burger is decent, but far from being a replacement for Fudds! And building a Chik-Fil-A there is a joke.
Then Bally's Fitness went bye-bye (to be replaced by an office complex I hear). Smoothie King is somewhat of an anamoly IMO. Their main customer base was the Bally's workout crowd, I think, right?..soooo how on Earth do they stay in business?
I think the old Lonestar Steakhouse building (opposite Olive Garden) is still vacant too...What's up with that??
And finally, I REALLY miss Soupy's on White Horse Rd. They did ONE thing and they did it superbly! They made awesome soup..an excellent niche idea and a place that I loved to go to! :::Sigh:::
Doesn't the Bally's building still have a Lease Available sign?
I think the biggest vacancy is the Genuardi's site, and the more that I think Whole Foods would fit.
Whole Foods recently bought out six or seven Dominic's stores in Chicago, so it has the capability to expand with another in Philly/Southern NJ even though Ellisburg is being built as well. Wegmans might also with a smaller footprint store. I know many who post here don't like WF here, but there is still Acme and ShopRite around.
Either would easily bring a boost to desirability to the Echelon side of Voorhees.
I went by this area again, and find both the vacant Bally's building and vacant Genuardi's building (and entire Echelon Village Plaza) to be making the Echelon area feel somewhat dead, almost offsetting any economic gain from the Voorhees Town Center.
How about razing the Bally's building down and courting a Breakers/Playdrome and Dunkin Donuts, and a Whole Foods at Genuardi's site.
This would be mirror the vibrant Kings Highway corridor in Cherry Hill. I don't think Whole Foods would really want Dunkin Donuts right in front of them, so Dunkin could move a little further up on White Horse Rd where Bally's used to be, with a drive through window, with a bowling alley/billiards entertainment center similar to the Cherry Hill setup. An entertainment center and gourmet grocer store would inject some life in this area.
Word on the Street was that the kids of the owners of the Country Club Diner didnt want to run it anymore. The air conditioning had to be replaced again and they just thought it was not worth it. THe food was going downhill, especially for dinner and the interior needed an upgrade. They thought it would less for lots in a heart beat so they had a very high asking price. It didnt sell so the price has come back down to earth.
Yeah, I heard it was run by four Greek brothers all in their 90s who were ready to retire. All of their kids are professionals who did not want to take over the business. Guess while it's sad it's a story of upward mobility for immigrant families.
I actually have lived in Voorhees for 9 years. My husband and I liked being close to the shore and within 30 minutes to Philly. However, we are very disappointed with the area. The school system is not the greatest. There are a lot of people moving in from Camden and Winslow and effecting the school system as well as the overall area. We are thinking of moving to Mount Laurel or Medford. Much nicer, cleaner, excellent school system. I just have to say, stay out of Voorhees. High taxes, toxic landfill in the majority of the town and many old buildings just sitting empty.
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Voorhees
