Developer Peter Abrams said he plans to take legal action after the West Whiteland Township Board of Supervisors voted 2-0 to reject his master plan to redevelop the Exton Square mall into a mixed-use project called Exton Town Centre. Supervisors cited density, stormwater and sewer capacity concerns in denying the 75-acre proposal, which includes apartments, townhomes, commercial and office space, and a new Main Line Health building. Abrams and his attorney argued the plan met all township zoning requirements and had been unanimously recommended for approval by the planning commission. Calling the rejection “baseless and frivolous,” Abrams said he believes politics drove the decision and vowed to pursue the matter in court. The proposal includes demolishing most of the mall to make way for a 381-unit apartment building, 172 townhomes, a 165-unit active-adult apartment building, 167,000 square feet of commercial space, 49,000 square feet of office space, and a 121,000-square-foot fitness and entertainment center in the building that houses the Round 1 bowling alley and arcade. Main Line Health would relocate from its current location to a new free-standing building. The property has a “town center” zoning designation, which requires a master plan development to be approved by the township even if it complies with existing zoning, according to Marc Kaplin, a principal and chair of the land use practice at Kaplin Stewart representing Abrams.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 10/24/2025