A two-story entertainment center featuring ax throwing and a go-kart track has been proposed at the Moorestown Mall six months after voters approved an unusual referendum aimed at revitalizing the Burlington County shopping destination.
The proposed entertainment center, known as Parky’s, was presented to the Moorestown planning board at its May 2 meeting, according to an overview of the plan on the municipal web site.
Parky’s would include ax throwing, also known as hatchet throwing, an indoor sport that has surged in popularity in New Jersey in the past decade. The location would also include a bar, arcade games, a multi-level go-kart track, a rooftop music venue and more.
The proposal is part of a plan to overhaul the 61-year-old mall, which has added 10 new stores since February.
The proposed entertainment center would be located in the mall’s former Lord & Taylor, said Moorestown Mayor Nicole Gillespie. Lord & Taylor — once a thriving department store chain, now an online retailer — was one of the mall’s anchor stores before it closed in 2020.
The mayor said the entertainment center could help bring more visitors to the mall.
“I think it’s going to be a great addition that’s going to draw a lot of people there,” Gillespie said.
More than 66% of Moorestown voters approved a referendum in November overturning a longtime ban on games of chance or skill in the township. The ban stemmed from a 1962 referendum in which Moorestown opted out of the New Jersey State Amusement Games Licensing Law.
Gillespie, who supported lifting the ban on games of chance, said at the time that it would open the door to allowing businesses with amusement games to open at the mall. The referendum did not allow gambling.
Under the proposal, the entertainment center’s first floor would feature a speakeasy-style bar — a modern take on Prohibition-era taverns — with events ranging from jazz to comedy. There would also be a multi-level go-kart track, carnival games and more than 100 arcade games and virtual reality offerings, according to the overview presented to the planning board.
The ax throwing would be on the second floor, along with four themed golf concepts and duckpin bowling — a variation on traditional bowling involving smaller balls and pins. There would also be remote control car racing and gamified darts with digital projection.
On the roof, there would be an area for outdoor live music and entertainment.
Gillespie said the Parky’s proposal fits with local zoning and site plan approval from the Moorestown planning board is not required.
A spokesperson for the mall declined comment on the proposal.
Shopping malls across the nation have been deploying new strategies to attract shoppers while they face the loss of business to online retailers, vacancies exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and evolving consumer preferences.
Moorestown Mall’s owner, Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, known as PREIT, announced five weeks ago it had emerged from its second bankruptcy filing in four years as a private company with a new chief executive officer. In addition to the Moorestown Mall, it owns the Cherry Hill Mall and about a dozen malls in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.
Five new stores opened at Moorestown Mall this month, including Super Buy Rite, the first liquor store in Moorestown in at least a century. It opened May 3, mall officials said. Slime Bar, Palms Coffee Club, Runway Recycled and Salon Styles by Aleta also opened.
New Dimensions by Jeri, Nicole Wear and A Balanced Wear opened in April, mall officials said. Ryfe Restaurant opened in March and Deku Reflexology opened in February, the mall said.
Three other businesses — Mandarin and Fig Wellness, Dessert Soiree and Breaker 213 — are described by the mall as “coming soon.”
The 13 new stores, not counting the proposed family entertainment center, will occupy 51,000 square feet of the 1-million-square-foot mall.
Cooper University Health Care also opened a 166,000-square-foot outpatient facility at the mall in November.
“These exciting new additions showcase our ongoing dedication to crafting a diverse shopping experience that celebrates local and specialized businesses, nurturing a dynamic community environment,” said Evan Iepson, the mall’s marketing coordinator.
The Moorestown Mall opened in 1963. Other shops at the mall include Bath & Body Works, Five Below, H&M, Michaels, HomeSense, Sierra, Victoria’s Secret, Champs, Hot Topic and Daily Thread.
Moorestown is located about 14 miles from Philadelphia and is home to about 21,000 residents.
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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
