August 20, 2025
Provided Image/Abrams Realty
Abrams Realty & Development seeks to transform Chester County's Exton Square Mall into a mixed-use project with hundreds of homes, new retail spaces and public amenities. West Whiteland Township's board of supervisors rejected the proposal in a vote last week.
A proposal to redevelop Chester County's struggling Exton Square Mall, turning the 75-acre property into a town center with homes and retail, received unanimous backing from West Whiteland Township's planning commission on Tuesday night after months of community pushback against earlier versions of the project.
Abrams Realty & Development revised its plan, adding more open space and reducing the number of housing units, following a tense July meeting in which residents and township officials said the project was too dense and lacked enough features for public engagement.
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“Last night's unanimous approval is a milestone for Exton," Peter Abrams, CEO of the Montgomery County-based development firm, said in a statement Wednesday. "We heard the Township and the community loud and clear and collaborated through an iterative process that made this plan better at every turn. Our vision is straightforward and, frankly, awe-inspiring: replace a fading mall with a greener, truly walkable town center."
Abrams Realty purchased the 52-year-old mall from Philadelphia-based PREIT in March, paying $34.25 million for the property that sits at the intersection of Routes 30 and 100. The mall was only 62% occupied last year, and the Macy's department store that had been one of its anchors closed this spring. The property was last renovated in 2000.
The new version of Abrams Realty's proposal calls for 381 apartments, 172 townhomes and 165 units for older adults — down 73 townhomes from the earlier plan. The two apartment buildings would have a combined 167,180 square feet of commercial space and another 48,743 square feet for offices. There would also be spaces for entertainment and fitness facilities.
A rendering shows plans for the redevelopment of the Exton Square Mall into a mixed-use town center.
Abrams Realty revised its redevelopment proposal for the Exton Square Mall by adding more space for public amenities.
The rendering above shows green spaces planned as part of Abrams Realty's proposed redevelopment of the Exton Square Mall in Chester County.
The biggest additions to the proposal are a terrace with a stage for public events and a planned main street running through the property that could be closed to traffic to hold farmers markets and other community activities. A hotel that had been in an earlier version of the plan also has been replaced with a building that would accommodate Main Line Health, which is now located in the mall next to the former Macy's.
Although most of the existing mall would be demolished, the Boscov's store would remain open and be incorporated into the town center development. Abrams said there will be enhancements along the nearby Valley Creek that help tie the town center into a regional trail network.
John Weller, West Whiteland Township director of planning and zoning, said Wednesday the project has come a long way from a "rocky start" a few months ago. About 40 residents attended Tuesday night's meeting and participated virtually.
"The residents’ comments were almost entirely positive, and I’m pretty sure that it was the first time in my 40-plus years long professional life that the audience actually applauded an applicant’s presentation," Weller said.
The proposal will next be reviewed by West Whiteland's historical commission on Sept. 8, followed by a formal hearing before the township's board of supervisors later in the month. Pending approval, a timeline to break ground on the project has not been announced.
