Exton Square Mall

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title: "Exton Square Mall" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["shopping-malls-in-pennsylvania", "shopping-malls-established-in-1973", "tourist-attractions-in-chester-county,-pennsylvania", "buildings-and-structures-in-chester-county,-pennsylvania", "pennsylvania-real-estate-investment-trust", "shopping-malls-developed-by-the-rouse-company"] description: "Dead mall in Exton, Pennsylvania, U.S." topic_path: "economics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exton_Square_Mall" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Dead mall in Exton, Pennsylvania, U.S. ::

::data[format=table title="infobox shopping mall"]

Field	Value
logo	Exton.png
image	ExtonSquareMall.jpg
caption	Exton Square Mall interior, 2017
name	Exton Square Mall
address	260 Exton Square Parkway
location	Exton, Pennsylvania, United States
coordinates
opening_date
developer	The Rouse Company
manager	Abrams Realty & Development
owner	Abrams Realty & Development
number_of_stores	15+
floors	2
number_of_anchors	5 (2 open, 3 vacant)
floor_area	1086859 sqft
parking	Parking lot, parking garage
publictransit	SEPTA bus: at the Exton Transportation Center
website
::

| logo = Exton.png | image = ExtonSquareMall.jpg | caption = Exton Square Mall interior, 2017 | name = Exton Square Mall | address = 260 Exton Square Parkway | location = Exton, Pennsylvania, United States | coordinates = | opening_date = | developer = The Rouse Company | manager = Abrams Realty & Development | owner = Abrams Realty & Development | number_of_stores = 15+ | floors = 2 | number_of_anchors = 5 (2 open, 3 vacant) | floor_area = 1086859 sqft | parking = Parking lot, parking garage | publictransit = SEPTA bus: at the Exton Transportation Center | website = The Exton Square Mall is a 1086859 sqft shopping mall located in the community of Exton in West Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania, roughly 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The mall originally opened in 1973, and underwent a major expansion from 1997 to 2000. It is currently owned by Abrams Realty & Development.

The mall is shaped as a square, with the southern half of the mall having two floors and the northern half having one floor. The original anchor space (most recently occupied by Macy's) is located at the center of the mall, while the three other anchor spaces and the food court are on each of the four corners of the mall.

Since the 2010s, the mall has suffered a major decline, leaving most retail spaces vacant. As of 2023, the facility has been cited among lists of "dead malls" in Pennsylvania. The mall is 62% occupied as of April 2024.

Location

The Exton Square Mall is located in the unincorporated community of Exton in West Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania, at the northeast corner of the intersection between east–west US 30 Bus. and north–south PA 100. The intersection is known as the "crossroads of Chester County" due to the heavy daily usage of both routes. The mall is also located near the US 30 bypass of Exton, the US 202 expressway, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The mall is also located near Exton station, which is served by the Paoli/Thorndale Line of SEPTA Regional Rail and Amtrak's Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian.

The Exton Square Mall complex also contains several facilities, including the Chester County Library.

History

The Exton Square Mall was built by The Rouse Company and opened its doors in March 1973. The mall had one anchor store, Strawbridge & Clothier, surrounded by a ring of smaller stores.{{cite news |last=Weidener|first=Susan |title=Exton Mall Poised For Leap Into A Big Future Four Years In The Planning, The Expansion Of The 24-year-old Shopping Center Has Begun. The $100 Million Project Will Triple The Size Of The Complex. |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=December 21, 1997 |url=http://articles.philly.com/1997-12-21/news/25555473_1_food-court-parking-decks-regional-mall|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202225003/http://articles.philly.com/1997-12-21/news/25555473_1_food-court-parking-decks-regional-mall|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 2, 2014|access-date=March 11, 2012}} It was also home to Pennsylvania's first Chick-fil-A restaurant, which opened in 1973 and is part of the food court today. In developing the Exton Square Mall, The Rouse Company was responsible for restoring the Zook House, a historic 18th century farmhouse that existed at the site of the mall.

By the 1990s, the mall, which had no major renovations, was starting to show its age. Additionally, developers had been looking to build a competing malls in neighboring Uwchlan and East Caln townships. As a response, in 1992, The Rouse Company proposed adding two anchor stores.{{cite news |last=Ashby |first=Georgia S. |title=More Mall Exton Square Wants To Add 2 Anchors |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=March 15, 1992 |url=http://articles.philly.com/1992-03-15/news/26019241_1_kravco-anchor-stores-national-mall-developer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912043614/http://articles.philly.com/1992-03-15/news/26019241_1_kravco-anchor-stores-national-mall-developer|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 12, 2015|access-date=March 11, 2012}} In 1995, plans were modified to not only add three new anchor stores, but also double the size of the mall as a whole. The Rouse Company purchased 12 acres near the mall to be used for the expansion.{{cite news |last=Weidener |first=Susan |title=Mall Plans To Double In Size Exton Square Mall Wants To Bring High-end Retailers Into The Market. |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=July 27, 1995 |url=http://articles.philly.com/1995-07-27/news/25677458_1_kravco-township-officials-mall-plans|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919092637/http://articles.philly.com/1995-07-27/news/25677458_1_kravco-township-officials-mall-plans|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 19, 2015|access-date=March 11, 2012}} Boscov's and JCPenney signed leases to open locations at the Exton Square Mall in 1996, with Sears following in 1997.{{cite news |last=Weidener |first=Susan and Rachael Smolkin|title=Exton Mall Signs Penney's, Boscov's The Center Will Nearly Triple In Size. It's A Coup In The Battle By Two Developers To Build A Chesco Regional Mall.|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=July 31, 1996 |url=http://articles.philly.com/1996-07-31/news/25622954_1_kravco-mall-proposal-13-million-square-foot-mall|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221215637/http://articles.philly.com/1996-07-31/news/25622954_1_kravco-mall-proposal-13-million-square-foot-mall|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 21, 2014|access-date=March 11, 2012}}{{cite news |last=Weidener |first=Susan|title=Exton Mall Developer Says Sears To Be Fourth Anchor It Would Open In 1999 As Rouse Triples The Shopping Area. The Deal May Doom A Rival Proposal By Kravco.|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=February 28, 1997|url=http://articles.philly.com/1997-02-28/news/25533304_1_fourth-anchor-kravco-million-square-foot-mall|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017085129/http://articles.philly.com/1997-02-28/news/25533304_1_fourth-anchor-kravco-million-square-foot-mall|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 17, 2015|access-date=March 11, 2012}} In September 1997, West Whiteland Township supervisors approved the expansion of the Exton Square Mall.{{cite news |last=Weidener |first=Susan|title=Expansion Of Exton Square Approved West Whiteland Supervisors Unanimously Endorsed The $100 Million Mall Project.|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=September 10, 1997|url=http://articles.philly.com/1997-09-10/news/25551625_1_new-mall-first-regional-mall-million-mall-project|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131104439/http://articles.philly.com/1997-09-10/news/25551625_1_new-mall-first-regional-mall-million-mall-project|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013|access-date=March 11, 2012}}

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Exton_Square_Mall_food_court_entrance.JPG" caption="Food court entrance of Exton Square Mall in 2008"] ::

Groundbreaking for the expansion took place in December 1997. In 1998, the Zook House, which had served as the mall management office, was relocated to make way for the new Boscov's store.{{cite news |last=Weidener |first=Susan |title=Archaeology Precedes Zook House's Move The Grounds Are Providing History. The Home Will Be Relocated For Mall Expansion. |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=August 3, 1998 |url=http://articles.philly.com/1998-08-03/news/25726124_1_mall-renovation-and-expansion-mall-grounds-three-story-stone-house|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922105450/http://articles.philly.com/1998-08-03/news/25726124_1_mall-renovation-and-expansion-mall-grounds-three-story-stone-house|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 22, 2015|access-date=March 11, 2012}} The expansion added three new anchor stores, a new food court, two parking garages, and a completed second level. The expanded mall was designed to reflect the agricultural heritage of Chester County. In addition to expanding the mall, The Rouse Company improved US 30 Bus. and PA 100 near the mall at a cost of $3 million.{{cite news |last=Weidener |first=Susan |title=Exton Square Road Project Looms |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=April 6, 1999 |url=http://articles.philly.com/1999-04-06/news/25519151_1_road-construction-mall-access-mall-grounds|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160104032827/http://articles.philly.com/1999-04-06/news/25519151_1_road-construction-mall-access-mall-grounds|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 4, 2016|access-date=March 11, 2012}} Boscov's, Sears, and the new food court opened in 1999.{{cite news |last=Weidener |first=Susan |title=A Milestone For Mall Project Due Friday At Exton Square: New Store And More Parking. |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=September 28, 1999 |url=http://articles.philly.com/1999-09-28/news/25488205_1_parking-garage-shopping-mall-new-parking|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921171212/http://articles.philly.com/1999-09-28/news/25488205_1_parking-garage-shopping-mall-new-parking|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 21, 2015|access-date=March 11, 2012}} Construction concluded in May 2000 with the opening of JCPenney and 48 new stores; a grand reopening was held to commemorate this. The expansion of the mall cost $125 million. The number of stores in the mall increased from 95 to 150 and retail space expanded from 435000 sqft to 980000 sqft. The expansion turned the Exton Square Mall into the first regional mall in Chester County.{{cite news |last=Weidener |first=Susan |title=Exton Square Mall Settles Into Its Space After More Than A Year, Work Is Complete. |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=May 3, 2000 |url=http://articles.philly.com/2000-05-03/news/25616358_1_anchor-stores-kravco-mall-project|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222103251/http://articles.philly.com/2000-05-03/news/25616358_1_anchor-stores-kravco-mall-project|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 22, 2015|access-date=March 11, 2012}}[[File:Exton Square Mall second floor from Macy's south entrance.jpeg|thumb|right|Exton Square Mall interior in 2024]]In 2003, The Rouse Company sold the Exton Square Mall, along with the Cherry Hill Mall, Echelon Mall, Moorestown Mall, Plymouth Meeting Mall, and The Gallery at Market East to the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) for $548 million.{{cite news |last=Cooper |first=Porus P.|title=Rouse sells six malls for $548 million |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=March 7, 2003 |url=http://articles.philly.com/2003-03-07/business/25473950_1_preit-cherry-hill-mall-echelon-mall|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223052953/http://articles.philly.com/2003-03-07/business/25473950_1_preit-cherry-hill-mall-echelon-mall|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 23, 2015|access-date=March 11, 2012}} In 2005, Federated Department Stores purchased May Department Stores, the owners of Strawbridge's, and planned to convert several Strawbridge's locations to Macy's, including the store at Exton Square Mall. Strawbridge's became Macy's in 2006.{{cite news |last=Tanaka |first=Wendy|title=Strawbridge's stores to be sold, converted New owner will change 10 to Macy's. Boscov's wants to buy others. New owners plan to sell, convert Strawbridge's|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=July 29, 2005 |url=http://articles.philly.com/2005-07-29/news/25433055_1_joseph-coradino-exciting-stores-macy|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131133733/http://articles.philly.com/2005-07-29/news/25433055_1_joseph-coradino-exciting-stores-macy|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013|access-date=March 11, 2012}} In January 2014, Main Line Health opened a 32000 sqft healthcare facility on the first floor.{{cite news |last=Freeman |first=Matt|title=Main Line Health to open center in Exton Mall|work=Main Line Suburban Life|date=March 3, 2013|url=https://www.mainlinemedianews.com/2013/03/03/main-line-health-to-open-center-in-exton-mall/|access-date=August 30, 2022}}

Decline and redevelopment

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Exton_Square_Mall_Concourse_01.jpg" caption="Lower hallway, August 2024"] ::

Store closures

In recent years, the Exton Square Mall has seen an increase in the vacancy rate, due to declining mall traffic and ongoing competition from the larger King of Prussia mall located 14 mi away.

On January 15, 2014, it was announced that the JCPenney store would be closing as part of a plan to close 33 locations nationwide. With the closure of JCPenney, PREIT announced plans to reposition the Exton Square Mall. As part of the redevelopment, PREIT would take over the Kmart outparcel in 2016 and replace it with Whole Foods Market, which opened in 2018. In addition, Japanese-based Round One Corporation opened a bowling center and arcade on the first floor of the former JCPenney on December 9, 2016.

In 2017, the Sears Auto Center closed, and the Sears anchor store closed in September 2019. The space was later used temporarily in 2021 as a COVID-19 vaccination clinic.

On January 9, 2025, it was announced that Macy's would be closing as part of a plan to close 66 stores nationwide. The store closed on March 23, 2025. This left Boscov's as the last traditional department store anchor at the mall, while Round One continues to occupy the first level of the former JCPenney.

Other tenants such as CharlotteRusse, Zumiez, H&M, and all but one food court tenant (Chick-fil-A) have departed from the mall. Tenants such as LensCrafters, Banana Republic, and Saladworks moved to Main Street at Exton, a nearby open-air shopping mall. In 2019, the non-anchor occupancy rate at the mall was 65.1%. Several of the spaces in the mall are occupied by non-traditional tenants such as medical offices, a chess club, an art studio and gallery, and a chamber of commerce office.

On March 15, 2022, PREIT announced that it would sell the Exton Square Mall to raise money to pay down their debt. A sale to the Brandywine Realty Trust was in place, but subsequently fell through for unknown reasons.

Maintenance issues

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Exton_Square_Mall_Main_Concourse_06.jpg" caption="Main staircase with water buckets visible in the background. Mold is also seen around the ceiling near the window, August 2024"] ::

Since 2020, the mall has fallen into disrepair, as multiple major roof leaks are present throughout the building. Buckets and cones can be found throughout the facility, and mold is seen on decaying ceiling panels and around air vents. Additionally, the building's central air conditioning system appears to have broken sometime in July 2024, as the temperature within the mall reflects the exterior climate. Plug-in industrial fans are seen circulating air throughout the complex, though particularly in the food court area. There do not appear to be any plans to repair or restart the mall's HVAC equipment. The mall has also suffered from water leaks for a while, likely from the facility's fire sprinkler system.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Exton_Square_Mall_Concourse_02.jpg" caption="Water buckets above a major roof leak, August 2024"] ::

Sale and redevelopment

In March 2025, PREIT sold the 75-acre property to Abrams Realty & Development for $34.25 million. After the closure of Macy's, Abrams planned to demolish the mall at the end of 2025 and redevelop the property with more than 600 apartments and townhomes along with shops, restaurants, fitness, entertainment, office space and health care. The new buildings were planned to be known as "Exton Town Centre". Only the Boscov's building and parking garages would remain, with the Round One (former JCPenney's) building remaining but being converted entirely into Main Line Health medical space.

The West Whiteland Township board initially pushed for approval of the plan in August 2025. However, the plan was then rejected in late October 2025, citing density, fears that the sewer cannot handle the large number of buildings, and traffic concerns. In response, Abrams plans to sue the township, arguing that the rejection is a "speed bump" and asserted that the redevelopment plan meets zoning requirements. As a result, Exton Square Mall remains a "dead mall", and its future is uncertain.

Anchor stores

Current anchors

• Boscov's, (opened 1999)
• Round One (opened 2016)

Former anchors

• Strawbridge & Clothier (1973–2006)
• Sears (1999–2019)
• JCPenney (2000–2014)
• Macy's (2006–2025)

Economic impact

The opening of the Exton Square Mall helped spur rapid growth in West Whiteland Township, with the population increasing from 7,900 in 1973 to over 16,000 by 2000. Since the opening, many shopping centers and office parks have been built in the township. Following the opening of the mall, the West Whiteland Township Police Department was created to patrol the township as the demand from the mall would be too much for the Pennsylvania State Police to handle. In 2011, the Exton Square Mall saw sales per square foot of $332.

In popular culture

On September 10, 2015, director Kevin Smith announced that the Exton Square Mall would be used in the filming of MallBrats, the sequel to his 1995 film Mallrats. MallBrats was originally intended to be filmed at the Granite Run Mall, but the plan fell through due to that mall's impending demolition. In February 2017, plans for filming MallBrats were cancelled.

Gallery

File:ExtonSquareFoodCourt.jpg|The food court File:ExtonSquarePlayground.jpg|The playground in front of the former Sears File:ExtonFountain.jpg|The water fountain in front of the former Macy's File:Boscovs Exton Square.JPG|Boscov's main entrance File:MainlineHealth-Round1Bowling2017.jpg|Round One Entertainment and Main Line Health occupies the area close to the former JCPenney store File:ExtonSquareMall-bilevel.jpg|Section of the mall that expanded in 1997–1999 from one to two levels. The old layout only had a lower level with the escalators going up to a higher one-level section. After 1999, the section in front of the escalators expanded to two floors. File:ExtonSquare-2levels.jpg|Prior to 1997, this section of the mall only had the lower floor. The upper floor was added and opened after 1999, which included JCPenney, Sears, and Boscov's.

References

References

1. "Exton Square Mall Fact Sheet". [[PREIT]].
2. (30 May 2023). "Malls that are considered 'dead' in Pennsylvania". ABC27.
3. (2006). "Chester County, Pennsylvania". [[ADC Map]].
4. "The West Whiteland Township Police Department History". West Whiteland Township.
5. "Route 135 bus map". [[SEPTA]].
6. "Route 204 bus map". [[SEPTA]].
7. "Exton Square Mall Property Overview". [[PREIT]].
8. Rovins, Donna. (November 13, 2019). "New Chick-fil-A opens in Chesco, first free-standing location for operator". The Mercury.
9. "Zook House/Exton Meadows Construction: c. 1750". West Whiteland Township Historical Commission.
10. Van Allen, Peter. (January 17, 2014). "With Penney's closing, PREIT will reposition Exton Square". Philadelphia Business Journal.
11. (14 January 2014). "New Main Line Health Center at Exton Square opens".
12. (January 15, 2014). "Here's A List Of The J.C. Penney Stores That Are Closing". The Huffington Post.
13. Adelman, Jacob. (July 31, 2015). "PREIT to demolish Exton Square's Kmart, add organic grocery store". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
14. (August 3, 2015). "PREIT Announces Whole Foods Market Will Join Exton Square Mall". CNNMoney.
15. Mccullough, Brian. (January 17, 2018). "Whole Foods prepares for Thursday opening in Exton; still no date for Newtown Square store". Delaware County Daily Times.
16. Adelman, Jacob. (December 5, 2016). "Exton Square department-store space is turning Japanese, as mall-entertainment company expands". [[The Philadelphia Inquirer]].
17. (January 9, 2025). "More Macy's stores to close in 2025. See the list of closing locations".
18. Levine-Weinberg, Adam. (September 10, 2019). "Will PREIT's Worst Malls Die -- or Will They Evolve?". The Motley Fool.
19. Kostelini, Natalie. (March 15, 2022). "PREIT to sell Exton Square Mall as it tries to raise funds to pay down debt". Philadelphia Business Journal.
20. Schwedelson, Paul. (March 19, 2025). "Developer closes on Exton Square Mall acquisition, price revealed".
21. "Remaking a Mall Into a Live-Work-Play Town Center".
22. Tananbaum, Michael. (2025-10-28). "Developer plans lawsuit after rejection of project to turn Exton Square Mall into residential community and retail center".
23. Whyte, William H. and Paco Underhill. (1988). "City: Rediscovering the Center". [[Doubleday (publisher).
24. Lindak, Virginia. (September 10, 2015). "MallBrats movie shooting happening in Exton". Daily Local News.
25. McCullough, Brian. (February 19, 2017). "Exton Square Mall shakes off loss of 'Mallrats' sequel". Daily Local News.

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