Montgomery Mall Expansion in the Works

An expansion of Montgomery Mall is in the embryonic stages, and landowner Simon Property Group is mum on details.

At a Montgomery Township Supervisors meeting earlier this month, the board granted a waiver of conflict to attorney Robert Brant.

Brant was asked by Simon Property Group, based in Indianapolis, to represent the company in connection with a land development and expansion at Montgomery Mall, according to a letter drafted by Brant to the board.

Brant is special counsel in the township on two eminent domain proceedings related to the Zehr tract acquisition.

Simon Property Group and Montgomery Mall Marketing Manager Kirsten Boettcher had no comment on the proposed development.

Township zoning and planning director Bruce Shoupe said there have been no plans submitted to the township.

“I have a lot of inklings, but nothing has been publicly said yet,” Shoupe said. “We all know the mall needs help.”

He said Brant had represented the mall when Dick’s Sporting Goods came through as an expansion onto the mall.

He said Simon Property Group will most likely come up with different plans and then approach the planning commission to “bounce ideas and thoughts” on development.

Shoupe said there has been talk of the mall coming in with a master plan, now that Simon Property Group owns the entire parcel.

Simon Property Group, which touts itself as “the largest real estate company in the U.S.,” also owns King of Prussia Mall.

Shoupe wouldn’t speak on whether or not it’s time for the Montgomery Mall to update itself, but he did comment on the success of improvements at the Plymouth Meeting Mall, owned by Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust.

“Look what they did down there,” Shoupe said. “The mall reinvented itself.”

The 58-acre $69 million-assessed mall property is owned by Montgomeryville Associates Inc., of King of Prussia, according to Montgomery County public land records.

This company also owns the buildings housing JC Penney’s, Macy’s and Firestone Tire.

Montgomery Holdings, LP, of Bethesda, MD, owns the building formerly housing Boscov’s, purchased for $4,217 in February 2011.

Montgomeryville Associates, of Hoffman Estates, IL, owns the building that houses Sears, according to property records.