Since the King of Prussia Mall opened in 1962 about 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia, the center has evolved constantly, from open-air center to an enclosed mall to a luxury-retail locale — and now to mixed-use?
Timeline
1962 Kravco opens The Plaza at King of Prussia open-air mall, outside Philadelphia
2001 The Macy’s at the center converts to The Pavilion, adding such restaurants and retailers as Morton’s The Steakhouse, The Cheesecake Factory and Urban Outfitters
2016 Expansion connecting the original mall with the 1980 Court addition opens
2018 Redevelopment of the western-end common areas finishes
Future Simon plans a mixed-use development of the 17-acre former JCPenney space and parking lot, potentially to include a hotel, apartments and offices
King of Prussia began as an open-air center, an area now known as The Plaza, on the left. The Court, on the right, opened in 1980, and the connector — including more retail, dining and parking — opened in 2016
Today the 2.9-million-square-foot shopping center ranks second in the U.S. based on size, and among the top 3 percent of malls based on revenue. Bloomingdale’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Primark now anchor the center, which comprises nearly 400 stores, including luxury retailers Cartier, Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. “King of Prussia mall is an iconic destination shopping experience for residents and tourists alike for a number of reasons, most notably the unsurpassed collection of luxury, international and first-to-market retailers that customers will not find elsewhere,” said Bob Hart, King of Prussia mall manager for Simon, which owns the property.
Kravco developed the original property as The Plaza at King of Prussia, an open-air shopping mall anchored by Woolworths, discount department store E.J. Korvette and an Acme supermarket. The mall has never stood still for long, undergoing eight major renovations and expansions, including the 1980 construction of The Court, which added on Abraham & Straus, Bamberger’s and Bloomingdale’s. In the mid-1990s, both the original Plaza portion of the mall and the Court underwent an extensive, $180 million renovation and expansion, adding Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, along with about 100 high-end specialty retailers.
Woolworths and discount store E.J. Korvette originally anchored King of Prussia Mall. Now the center's almost 400 stores include luxury retailers
In 2011 Simon increased its ownership interest in the property from 12.4 percent to 96 percent, including the acquisition of Lendlease Corp.’s 50 percent stake. Redevelopment has accelerated in the years since. In a significant step in the fall of 2016, Simon added on about 155,000 square feet of fully enclosed space, connecting two areas of the mall: the original portion, still known as the Plaza, and the Court. This connector added in about 50 luxury retailers and restaurants. As part of the addition, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Neiman Marcus put up new store entrances. The connector also included a new parking garage with speed ramps, technology for locating empty space, and valet service. The cost for the entire connector project, garage included, was about $150 million.
The thinking behind the changes
“Today’s consumer is looking for a complete experience for the entire family,” Hart said, speaking with SCT prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. And King of Prussia mall has responded to meet a changing target customer, he says, bringing in over the past few years several high-end and luxury retailers, 20 new dining options at every price point and professional menswear and other apparel stores.
The mall also features some unique concepts. “Though we have always had a healthy roster of retailers exclusive to King of Prussia, we recognize the draw that these first-to-market stores have, and [we] continue to seek emerging concepts to bring to the region,” said Hart. Approximately 50 retailers have placed their only locations in the extended market at King of Prussia. “As a result, our geographic market draw has expanded as well,” said Hart. Nearly a quarter of the King of Prussia customer base comes from outside the primary trade area, and 29 percent of the visitors drive at least 20 miles to shop there.
The next big change
For the future, the mall has been exploring a mixed-use development: removal of a vacant Penney store and construction of a multistory hotel in its place. Office, residential, additional retail and dining options, plus new parking structures, are all on the table too. Additionally, a large green space for dog walks, coffee breaks and such community events as concerts, markets, festivals, ice skating and yoga is planned. Noted Hart: “A mixed-use environment may simply broaden the overall experience that customers can have.”
By Ben Johnson
Contributor, Commerce + Communities Today
