Business & Tech

Granite Run Mall Comes Under New Management

The Granite Run Mall has recently come under new management.

Earlier this month the Granite Run Mall came under new management and the new operating company says it will be make improvements to the mall that has seen a decline in clientele and an abundance of vacant stores.

Madison Marquette, a Washington D.C. based investor, developer and operator of retail space, assumed management and leasing responsibilities of the mall on April 1, according to a press release on the company’s website.

The company also manages Glen Eagle Square in Glen Mills, Shoppes at Marville in Newtown Square and Edgmont Square Shopping Center in Edgmont Township.

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Patch ran a story in but the rumors continued to float around for months. This recent move will hopefully put those rumors to rest for good.

Robyn Marano, the Philadelphia regional director of marketing for Madison Marquette, said immediate improvements to the mall, which opened in 1974, are already in the works.

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Both interior and exterior lighting are being upgraded, along with landscaping and concrete and curbing improvements to the parking lot and walkways, she said.

They are also reviewing plans to upgrade seating inside the mall, Marano said, and research and planning have also begun for long-term projects.

Madison Marquette is working to fill the vacant stores and hopes the existing tenants continue to stay at the mall, she said.

"We have stressed patience with the community. We are working diligently to fill vacancies and are very much looking forward to improving our customers shopping experiences," Marano said in an email message.

Brad Humphreys, part storeowner of AB Sports, a memorabilia store at the mall, said he has already seen improvements and it’s only been a few weeks under the new management.

He said the new company is listening to store owner and manager feedback and making some of the changes they’ve suggested, like having music play in the corridors of the mall rather than blaring televisions that repeat the same advertisements over and over again.

Humphreys said he has also seen more people shopping at the mall recently.

"I’ve already seen a change and it’s only been two weeks," he said. "There’s definitely been a pick up in business. There’s been so many rumors that (the mall) is going out of business that it’s been nice to not hear that anymore."

There are two other AB Sports locations and Humphreys said he and his business partners opened their Granite Run Mall location in October against the advice of many.

"We were told not to come here but we’ve been successful," he said.

Humphreys said they weren’t aware the mall would soon come under new management but they still wanted to bring their business here.

"We’re such a niche store. We have (sports related) signings and things and that draws business," he said. "There are a lot of different clothing stores but really there aren’t that many memorabilia stores. So we really are an asset to the mall and maybe we could help bring the mall back."

The negative perception the mall has recently had is inaccurate, Humphreys said.

"Whatever it was four or five years ago, it’s not like that anymore," he said. "It’s not the way people think it is. Once the negative reputation is gone, I think it’ll be successful again."

Madison Marquette has already begun to try and rid the mall of that negative reputation, Humphreys said.

He said they are marketing it correctly and more stores will be coming in along with the interior and exterior improvements they are making.

Marano said Madison Marquette has taken to social media to try to turn that reputation around too. They are using Facebook and Twitter to get the word out about the new updates and soliciting feedback from shoppers about retail, service and eatery concepts. Shoppers can fill out a form at the Customer Service desk and make suggestions.

"(We’re) committed to remaining a vital member of the greater Media community," she said.

On an average Monday afternoon, the mall did seem to have more shoppers than of late however it seemed that public relations net may need to be casted a little further.

Veronica Arnold, of Chester, had come to the mall with her son to get him some clothes and was disappointed as she pointed to a now vacant store that she said was occupied about three weeks earlier.

She said she and her son do come to the mall pretty often though and she was happy to hear new stores would be coming in.

Cori Lovecchio, of Ridley Park, said she rarely goes to any mall and was only at the mall that day so her young daughter could pick out some clothes and she needed to make a return at a store there.

But Mark Burns, of Drexel Hill, and his daughter and friend said they thought there were more shopping options at the Granite Run Mall compared to the Springfield Mall, which is closer to their home.

Chloe Burns, 12, and Katrina Cwiertniewicz, 13, of Drexel Hill, said they would like to see more clothing stores for young girls like themselves and perhaps a Starbucks to come to Granite Run Mall.

But most importantly the rumors that the mall is closing can finally be put to rest and the community can look forward to the improvements that are soon to come to the Granite Run Mall.


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