QUAKER BRIDGE MALL
Brunswick Pike / US 1 and Quakerbridge Road
Mercer County (Lawrence Township), New Jersey
A zoning change was recorded in April 1969. Macy's and Philadelphia's Kravco Company formed Lawrence Associates, a joint venture that would develop and operate QUAKER BRIDGE MALL. The Kravco Company had built three major shopping centers before embarking on the QUAKER BRIDGE project. These were KING OF PRUSSIA PLAZA (1963), WHITEHALL MALL (1966) and OXFORD VALLEY MALL (1973)...all in the Keystone State.
Daverman Associates was hired to design the QUAKER BRIDGE MALL. Grading commenced at the site in late 1974, with principal construction getting underway in mid-1975. A 2-level (212,600 square foot), Newark-based Bamberger's became the first operational store on March 18, 1976.
A mall-wide dedication was held on April 1, 1976, when sixty stores opened in unison. Included in this group were Herman Spiegel Furniture, Copper Rivet jeans, Bernard Wigs, and a 2-level (151,400 square foot), Newark-based Hahne's ["haynz"]. The grand opening festivities were attended by Governor Brendan T. Byrne (D) and Nancy Craig "Miss New Jersey 1975."
On July 28, 1976, two anchor stores opened their doors; a 2-level (151,400 square foot) J.C. Penney and 2-level (171,100 square foot) Sears. When fully-realized, QUAKER BRIDGE MALL encompassed approximately 1,123,300 leasable square feet and contained 135 stores and services under its roof.
Charter tenants included Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips, Duke's Pub, Hickory Farms of Ohio, Casual Corner, Chess King, Foxmoor Casuals, Lerner Shops, Music Scene, Space Port video arcade, Kay-Bee Toys and a 1-level (33,500 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10. The American Multi-Cinema Quaker Bridge 4 showed its first features on February 6, 1977.
Major shopping hubs in the vicinity of QUAKER BRIDGE MALL included NESHAMINY MALL (1968) {17.7 miles southwest, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania}, OXFORD VALLEY MALL (1973) {12.5 miles southwest, also in Bucks County}, WILLOW GROVE PARK MALL (1982) {25.3 miles southwest, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania}, FRANKLIN MILLS (1989) {19.9 miles southwest, in Philadelphia}. In New Jersey, there were also BRIDGEWATER COMMONS (1989) {20.4 miles north, in Somerset County} and NASSAU PARK PAVILION (1995) {.6 of a mile north, in Mercer County}.
The original anchor line up at QUAKER BRIDGE MALL was in place until October 5, 1986, when Bamberger's was rebranded by Macy's. Hahne's was shuttered in May 1989 and re-opened, as a Lord & Taylor, on July 24, 1990. In 1994, the mall was "remerchandised," with local mom & pop stores replaced by more upscale tenants.
Indianapolis' Simon Property Group had established a minority interest in the Kravco Company in the 1990s. In November 2003, they increased their stake in the company to an 80-percent share. As a result, the official name of the company was changed to Kravco Simon Investments.
A multi-million dollar renovation and expansion of QUAKER BRIDGE MALL was announced in September 2005. This project was to include the relocation of J.C. Penney into a new structure at the southwest corner of the mall and demolition of the existing, circa-1976, store.
It would be replaced by a 600,000 square foot Northeast Wing. This dual-level addition was to be anchored by a 2-level (144,000 square foot) Nordstrom and 2-level (90,000 square foot) Neiman Marcus. Two parking garages were to be constructed, with the existing mall given a thorough interior and exterior refurbishment. A dedication date of Spring 2010 was mentioned. However, The Great Recession caused the project to be abandoned.
A scaled-down renovation was announced in February 2012, with work getting underway in March. The interior of the mall was remodeled, with some existing tenants relocated and-or expanded into adjacent spaces. An 8-bay "Dining Pavilion" was installed on the Second Level, which replaced a small -6-bay- facility on the First Level.
A scaled-down renovation was announced in February 2012, with work getting underway in March. The interior of the mall was remodeled, with some existing tenants relocated and-or expanded into adjacent spaces. An 8-bay "Dining Pavilion" was installed on the Second Level, which replaced a small -6-bay- facility on the First Level.
Mall floors were tiled or carpeted, with new soft seating areas, skylights, landscaping, escalators and an elevator installed. Four entrances were also rebuilt Lastly, two outward-facing, sit-down restaurant's were added to the northeast corner of the complex. The Cheesecake Factory held its grand opening September 19, 2012. Brio Tuscan Grill welcomed its first diners on November 14, 2013. The new & improved QUAKER BRIDGE MALL was officially re-dedicated on December 11, 2013.
In 5 years, the mall would be presented with an "anchors away" scenario. Sears pulled their proverbial plug on September 2, 2018, with Lord & Taylor going dark on February 27, 2021. The two stores are to be repurposed in some fashion, although official plans have yet to be announced.
Sources:
The Courier-Post (Camden, New Jersey)
The Central New Jersey Home News (New Brunswick, New Jersey)
The Trentonian (Trenton, New Jersey)
Town Topics (Princeton, New Jersey)
http://www.kravco.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
In 5 years, the mall would be presented with an "anchors away" scenario. Sears pulled their proverbial plug on September 2, 2018, with Lord & Taylor going dark on February 27, 2021. The two stores are to be repurposed in some fashion, although official plans have yet to be announced.
Sources:
The Courier-Post (Camden, New Jersey)
The Central New Jersey Home News (New Brunswick, New Jersey)
The Trentonian (Trenton, New Jersey)
Town Topics (Princeton, New Jersey)
http://www.kravco.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
www.simon.com / Simon Property Group
www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.lawrenceville.patch.com
www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.lawrenceville.patch.com
https://malls.fandom.com (Sears store list)
https://wpst.com
"Quaker Bridge Mall" article on Wikipedia
