Aging malls and office parks across Philadelphia’s suburban counties are being reimagined as mixed-use destinations, blending housing, retail and entertainment to revive prime but underused properties. BET Investments is leading several projects, including a $300 million to $400 million overhaul of Prudential’s former 90-acre office campus in Dresher, Montgomery County. Plans call for 600 apartments, 300 townhomes, retail, a gym, offices and potentially a hotel. BET’s nearby Promenade at Upper Dublin, with 402 apartments over 140,000 square feet of retail, is fully leased and serves as a model for future redevelopments. PREIT, the region’s largest mall owner, is pursuing similar strategies. Its Plymouth Meeting Mall, already home to a Legoland Discovery Center and AMC theater, has approvals for hundreds of new apartments and is marketed for further redevelopment. In Chester County, Abrams Realty & Development purchased the Exton Square Mall for $34.25 million and plans to anchor a new main street around an adjacent Whole Foods, with apartments commanding higher rents for their walkability. Developers say proximity to grocery stores and high-traffic intersections drives success, while township approvals, rising construction costs and financing remain hurdles. Still, local officials are often motivated by the potential to boost tax bases.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 9/23/2025