As Cooper University Health Care and the apartment complex The Pearl prepare to open at Moorestown Mall, events and new businesses are kicking off the summer season.
“It’s a great community mall,” said Evan Iepson, marketing and administrative coordinator for the mall. “There are so many different things that are here … It’s a great way to come out and enjoy yourself, and I think that we have a lot that’s already happening and even more that’s yet to happen.”
With more than 165,000 square feet, Cooper will open at the former Sears location later this year and will be dedicated to wellness, radiology, digestive health and cardiac care, among other specialties. It will also house an MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The specialty-care facility will employ more than 100 doctors treating an expected patient load of 2,000 and up per day. Ground was broken last fall at what will be The Pearl, a four-story, 375-unit apartment complex developed by Bel Canto in Philadelphia. Its first phase is scheduled to open next year.
“Once the apartments come and once Cooper is here, there’s different things that are just going to keep evolving, and it’s just going to be a really great place for everyone to come,” Iepson said.
Representatives from Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) and two other stakeholders held a public information meeting at the mall last year to announce the trust’s vision for its site reinvention.
Joseph Coradino, chairman and CEO of PREIT, explained how the mall will become a community hub where people can live, shop, dine, and receive health care, among other services.
“Our view of the Moorestown Mall has always been that it needed to be differentiated from Cherry Hill (Mall),” Coradino told The Sun. “ … That we needed to do something that a customer – a resident of South Jersey – could shop at the Moorestown Mall (or) visit the Moorestown Mall and the Cherry Hill Mall, maybe even on the same day. That kind of a different experience.”
The mall has recently added new businesses that include Daily Thread, a one-stop shop for affordable women’s fashion; Amigos Mexican Grill; Guild Hall Hobby, a destination for board games, trading cards and other items; and later this month, The Hair Boutique.
“The bulk of their space is dedicated to tables for people playing games,” Iepson explained of Guild Hall Hobby. “They’re really excited about not only having people who are already gamers come, but also having new people and being able to introduce people into different games that are happening.”
The mall hosted a cookie decorating class earlier this month with Glassy Brown Cookies, where visitors decorated Cinco de Mayo-themed cookies.
“That’s definitely something that’s really exciting,” Iepson said.
Bella Rose Beauty Collection will host a vendor event Saturday featuring a mix of local businesses. S&B Sports Collectibles will host a two-day sports card and collectibles show beginning Friday, June 16.
“We want (people) to be able to come in and have a wonderful time with their friends and family and the community here,” Iepson said.
