The mall is seeking a 650,000 square-foot expansion.
By:Lea Kahn Staff Writer
Township officials are patiently waiting for the owner of the Quaker Bridge Mall to submit plans for a proposed expansion and renovation project at the 1.3 million-square-foot regional mall.
Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun said there is no application on file at the township Department of Community Development. The property is owned by Lawrence Associates. The Simon Property Group was hired to oversee the expansion project.
Les Morris, director of communications for the Indianapolis, Ind.-based Simon Property Group, said Wednesday that he hopes to make an announcement on the status of the project which calls for expanding the mall by 50 percent sometime in January.
The proposed plans call for adding 650,000 square feet to the mall, located on a 100-acre parcel at the intersection of Route 1 and Quakerbridge Road. The goal is to seek more upscale stores for the mall.
There are 5,600 parking spaces in the existing parking lot. A new parking deck or parking lot would be added to accommodate more cars, but it is not known how many new spaces would be needed, according to township officials.
An expansion of the Quaker Bridge Mall would trigger a review by the Planning Board. If the application is filed, township officials would consider amending the Land Use Ordinance to allow for an expansion, because only 1.3 million square feet is permitted in the Regional Commercial Zone.
Township Council would introduce an ordinance to increase the amount of square footage allowed in the RC zone, said Municipal Engineer Christopher Budzinski. Then, the ordinance would be referred to the Planning Board for comment. After the Planning Board concludes its review, the ordinance would be sent back to Township Council for final action.
The Planning Board, in addition to reviewing the proposed ordinance change, would amend the township’s Master Plan to ensure the Land Use Ordinance is consistent with the Master Plan, Mr. Budzinski said.
The Quaker Bridge Mall is anchored by Sears, J.C. Penney, Lord & Taylor and Macy’s department stores. The four anchor stores occupy 735,578 square feet, and the remainder is divided among the smaller stores. The proposed expansion and renovation would add new anchor department stores, along with an upgrade in the tenant mix.
The Quaker Bridge Mall is the second-largest taxpayer in the township, according to the township’s tax assessor’s office. The mall and the four existing department stores combined are expected to generate $4.9 million in property taxes this year.
The mall and the four department stores have a combined assessed value of $137.6 million. The mall is valued at $90 million and the four anchor stores, which are individually owned, are valued at a combined $47.6 million.

