Revamped Gallery mall delayed

The overhauled Gallery mall, and subsequent revitalization of East Market, will reportedly take the developers at least a year longer to complete than originally planned.

Delays starting the redevelopment of the large shopping mall, which will be called the Fashion Outlets of Philadelphia, and issues securing the right combination of tenants have set the project back, according to an Inquirer report.

Originally slated for a summer 2017 completion date, the Fashion Outlets will now likely be ready for shoppers in late 2018 or early 2019, leaders of the Santa Monica, Calif.-based Macerich, which is working with Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) on the project, told the Inquirer.

PREIT spokesman Kevin Feeley said a 2019 date was a conservative estimate and he expects the shopping mall to be ready in 2018.

    Completion could come as soon as spring 2018, which he characterized as within the anticipated range of the original date.

    "A spring 2018 date is still pretty much on target, and we look forward to bringing in the project on budget and on time," Feeley said. "We're confident that it's going to be a success."

The developers were supposed to break ground on the $325 million project last summer, but they pushed back the start several months.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal