Echelon Mall Talks Reopening With Beer Garden, Drive-in Theater & More

The entire site around the area formerly known as the Echelon Mall will be getting a makeover. The new "mall area" will re-open with a beer court, drive-in movie theater and more, according to a report from NJ.com.

You know that traditional mall food court we're all used to seeing? This new site will have a beer garden. The drive-in movie theater should give locals a nostalgic feeling, according to officials.

Another plan is to create a sports bar and laser tag area that will draw people in to watch local pro sports games and do other fun activities. The mall currently has 2 floors and is over 664,000 square feet.

An agreement for the site between reached between the township and developer Brandywine Financial Corp. It includes "180 townhomes, 120 age-restricted senior apartments, and 70 market-rate apartments," NJ.com reports.

The mall originally opened in 1970 and was renamed Voorhees Town Center in 2007 after more changes had been made to the retail space.

Mario DiNatale, the economic development director for Voorhees, told NJ.com that the vision for the site is to increase housing an entertainment options in the area.

There's no word yet on when renovations and construction would be complete. But this area would create competition with nearby Cherry Hill and Deptford Malls, which are only a short distance north and south from the Voorhees area.