The 25-year-old, 200-store shopping mall and outlet center formerly known as Franklin Mills has announced a major redevelopment project, and a new name to boot.
The mall, which was originally developed by the Mills Corporation which is now owned and operated by
Simon Property Group (which also owns the King of Prussia Mall), has been renamed
Philadelphia Mills.
According to The Mills President Gregg Goodman, Simon Property Group had been actively working on plans to upgrade and
update the property since as far back as 2007, when it acquired the mall. New customer amenities, he says, were always part of that plan.
Along with mall-wide Wi-Fi, lounge areas with device changing stations will be installed when interior renovations begin early next year.
"The long and short of what we're doing should add up to a completely new shopping experience," he insists.
New landscaping, updated signage and a modernized façade will all play major roles in the redevelopment. And the mall's interior will be considerably brightened thanks to new flooring and skylights. Even the restrooms will be renovated, and roughly a dozen new retail stores and eateries, including
Express Factory Outlet, will be added.
As for the mall's name change -- the original moniker was a nod to Benjamin Franklin -- Goodman says it was led by a formal branding study.
"But in the end, the reason we went with 'Philadelphia Mills' is probably the most straightforward of all reasons -- the fact that we're actually in the city of Philadelphia," he explains. "Not a lot of people realize that. But we're proud of it, and wanted a name that was emblematic of that."
A grand reopening event is tentatively scheduled to take place at the Bucks County-bordering Philadelphia Mills sometime in fall 2015.
Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Gregg Goodman, The Mills