Cherry Hill Township officials have approved a massive Dick’s House of Sport store to replace the landmark One Cherry Hill tower.
The office building is set to be fully demolished, though when that will start remains unknown.
The zoning application for the development, which will occupy just over two acres at the 80-acre Cherry Hill Mall property owned by PREIT, was approved by the Township Zoning Board of Adjustment at its Dec. 5 meeting.
The board “approved plans to demolish the aging office tower on the mall property and replace it with a modern-day, experiential sporting goods store, complete with an artificial turf playing field, a rock climbing wall, batting cage simulator, and other sports-oriented fun,” Cherry Hill Mayor David Fleisher said in an email to Sun Papers last Thursday.
According to the application, PREIT plans to demolish the nine-story office tower and replace it with a two-story, 120,000-square-foot House of Sport with a 10,300-square-foot turf field and track.
The store’s dimensions are in keeping with a typical Dick’s House of Sport, which is the retailer’s supersized store brand.
The cavernous indoor space could also be used as a gathering place for community events and sports clinics, according to the zoning application.
The project is slated for completion in 2026.
Brian Bauerle, Chief of Staff to Mayor Fleisher, said PREIT can now move forward with additional permits and approvals. The mayor said he was fully behind the project and praised PREIT’s vision.
“As retailers across the country continue to shift and adapt in the post-COVID world, the Cherry Hill Mall continues to be successful, and the owners are taking steps to ensure the mall remains a regional destination,” Mayor Fleisher said in the same email. “…This is an exciting and innovative use of the property that puts the mall and the Township on a strong path for future growth.”
Cherry Hill Mall, which debuted in 1961, preceded the iconic nine-story tower that’s hard to miss while driving along Route 38 by nearly two decades.
One Cherry Hill was built in the late 1970s between Church Road and Route 38.
When reached last week, PREIT said it had no further comment on the project at this time.
Dick’s also did not comment, though the new venue will not be the retailer’s only presence in Cherry Hill when it debuts.
The retailer has a location at 2130 Route 70 West in the Market Place at Garden State Park.
There’s also a Dick’s store at the Plaza at Cherry Hill at 2100 Route 38, Unit E.
Chief of Staff Bauerle said the zoning board will need to adopt a resolution laying out the conditions of the Dec. 5 approval. He said that’s anticipated to occur at the next zoning board meeting, which is scheduled for Jan. 23.
Bauerle said PREIT will then be required to submit its final plans based on the professional review’s comments and the resolution.
“Once those plans are compliant and all approvals are done, PREIT can then proceed with zoning and building permits,” Bauerle said. “It’s all on the applicant to get through and finalize the plans that are needed, and so it’s on them on their timeline.”
Bauerle said the One Cherry Hill office tower demolition was part of PREIT’s zoning board application. The timing remains up to PREIT.
“The timeline of the demolition is dependent upon the submission of the demo permits for the complete demolition of the building,” Bauerle said. “(PREIT) will have to apply for the permits at some point when they’re ready to take the whole building down.”
