Moorestown Mall Plans Massive Entertainment Complex — It Will Require Voter Approval

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Come November, Moorestown residents will cast votes for officeholders from school board to Statehouse — and, potentially, on arcade games.

Moorestown Mall wants to develop a family-entertainment center unlike any in the region, with rollerskating, arcades, escape rooms and more. But for the project to move forward, township voters would need to pass a ballot referendum to allow such a facility.

In 1959, Moorestown opted out of the state's New Jersey State Amusement Games Licensing Law. The state measure allowed municipalities to permit "games of chance" that involve the award of prizes or issuance of amusement tickets. Local governments can only authorize the licensing of such amusement games via referendum.

As a result, Moorestown Mall launched a campaign to get a referendum on November's ballots that would allow the new venue to include such games. The initiative needs 1,300 signatures from registered Moorestown voters to appear on the township's general-election ballots.

Moorestown Mall would place the proposed entertainment center at the currently vacant Lord & Taylor building. The facility would include activities such as virtual-reality games, laser tag and go-karts. It would include a range of food and beverage options, including a bar for visitors 21 and older.

"The advantages of this proposition extend far beyond the walls of the venue," said a Thursday statement from the mall. "As a new anchor at the Mall, it will provide a significant boost to the local economy, generating jobs and increasing revenue for businesses in and around the mall."

The state amusement-gaming law does not apply to gambling. So passing a referendum on this matter would not allow casinos to open in Moorestown.

Through early September, representatives of the campaign will circulate petition papers around the township and at Moorestown Mall and Cherry Hill Mall — both malls are owned by Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT).

"Both properties have such differentiated offerings that many Moorestown residents also shop at Cherry Hill Mall," a PREIT spokesperson told Patch.

View the campaign's website here.