UPDATE: Moorestown Mall Losing Gap, Gap Kids

The clothing retailer will close its stores at the mall by the end of the month.

UPDATE: Andrea Hicklin, a Gap spokesperson, explained that the Gap and Gap Kids at the Moorestown Mall are among the final stores to be shut down as part of the "long-term real estate strategy" the company outlined in 2007. ___________________ Amid all the growth and revitalization buzz surrounding the Moorestown Mall, the shopping center is losing a major retailer at the end of the month. According to Lisa Wolstromer, senior marketing director for the mall, Gap and Gap Kids will close at the end of January.  The mall has struggled with occupancy in the past, though it added a slew of stores last year, including Cotton On, Crazy 8, Play N Trade, NJ Dollar Mart, the Nailery, Cinnabon and Kids Foot Locker.  Wolstromer painted the loss of the…

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Chef Marc Vetri Chats About Plans for Moorestown Osteria

Patch sat down with the acclaimed Philadelphia chef to talk about why he chose Moorestown and what foodies can expect to see on the menu—and when.

After 14-plus years innovating Philadelphia’s restaurant scene, preeminent Italian chef Marc Vetri will open his first restaurant outside the city when he brings Osteria to the Moorestown Mall later this year. Vetri opened the original Osteria, located on North Broad Street in Philadelphia, in 2007, nine years after opening the eponymous Vetri. Osteria (pronounced “O-stuh-ree-a”) describes itself as a traditional Italian eatery specializing in “homemade pastas, thin crust pizzas or wood grilled meats and fish.” Philadelphia Magazine named Osteria its No. 1 restaurant in 2008 and 2012, and it’s landed in the top 15 every year since it opened. Vetri—who, according to the restaurant’s website, spent years working in “some of the finest …

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Police: Shoplifters Cause Ruckus at Moorestown Mall

Moorestown Police say a pair of men tried to steal clothes from Macy's, and when a security officer confronted them, one of the men assaulted him.

A Southampton man attacked a loss prevention officer at Macy’s after he and another man were caught shoplifting last weekend, according to police. Moorestown Police said Thomas Haas, 38, of Azalea Avenue, Southampton, and Robert Stubblefield, 23, Cypress Drive, Mount Holly, were each caught shoplifting at the Moorestown Mall. Haas had shoplifted $996.76 worth of clothing and, when confronted, assaulted the loss prevention officer, police said. He was charged with aggravated assault, robbery and shoplifting and committed to Burlington County Jail on $22,500 bail. Stubblefield shoplifted clothing valued at $796.50, and was caught in possession of drug paraphernalia and $154 worth of stolen Macy’s clothing as well, according to police. He was…

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Mayor: No Conflict of Interest on Solicitor Appointment

Mayor Stacey Jordan says the appointment of PREIT's attorney as the township attorney won't represent a conflict of interest.

New Mayor Stacey Jordan insisted there won’t be any conflicts of interest after township council’s decision to hire an attorney who also represents Moorestown’s largest taxpayer. Town council voted unanimously last week to appoint Capehart Scatchard attorney Anthony Drollas, replacing former solicitor Tom Coleman. Drollas also represents PREIT, owner of the Moorestown Mall. PREIT and the township have been tied up in a longstanding appeal over the mall’s assessment for a few years. The property is valued at more than $110 million. PREIT CEO Joseph Coradino has previously stated the company believes the property is worth closer to $80 million. Tax assessor Dennis DeKlerk said a settlement conference date has been scheduled for September of …

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Police: Maple Shade Man Filmed Teen at Mall

Also, Moorestown Police arrest a Burlington woman twice in one week for shoplifting more than $1,000 in merchandise from two different stores.

Dec. 20 Dec. 21 Dec. 22 Dec. 24 Dec. 25 Dec. 26 Information provided by Moorestown Police. An arrest does not indicate a conviction.

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Burlco Bits

County Giving Away Gun Locks at Moorestown Mall

The county will also be offering free gun locks at every branch of the Burlington County Library system.

After last week’s tragic shooting in Connecticut underscored the importance of storing firearms safely, Burlington County is offering free gun locks at multiple locations today, including the Moorestown Mall. “Whether you are a gun owner or not, everyone can agree that firearm safety is paramount,” said Sheriff Jean Stanfield. “Gun locks are a simple way of adding a layer of security against gun-related injuries and deaths.” She said her department has several hundred locks, which were made available through Project ChildSafe, a program developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and supported by a U.S. Department of Justice grant.      Stanfield said the locks—which can be used to disarm pistols, revolvers, rifles and shotguns—…

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Moorestown Mall Lands Another Restaurant

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and Marc Vetri's Osteria, as well as the new Regal Cinemas theater, are expected to open during the summer of 2013.

PREIT has announced another new restaurant that will join Marc Vetri’s acclaimed Osteria during next summer’s Moorestown Mall renaissance. The company, which owns the mall, announced Wednesday that Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, the second of four full-service restaurants planned for the mall, is slated for a summer 2013 opening. Aside from its “upscale, casual interior,” the restaurant will also feature an exposed kitchen, an indoor stone fireplace, a wine wall and an expansive bar (dubbed a “Firebar”), according to a release from PREIT. Firebirds operates 23 other restaurants across the country, primarily in the Eastern United States. The Moorestown Mall franchise is the company’s first foray into South Jersey. Firebirds' dinner menu …

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Announcement on Moorestown Mall Restaurants Expected This Week

Curious about which new restaurants will be opening at the mall next year? And when Marc Vetri's acclaimed Osteria is expected to make its New Jersey debut? Stay tuned.

PREIT, owner of the Moorestown Mall, will announce this week which restaurants it plans to open at the mall next year, according to Mayor John Button. The mayor said he met with mall personnel last week, including PREIT CEO Joseph Coradino, and gleaned a few encouraging pieces of information—primarily that the company would make an announcement this week about multiple restaurants it would be opening at the mall in the near future. Button declined to reveal any information about the restaurants, but seemed excited by what he'd heard from PREIT. Judy Trias, PREIT's vice president of retail marketing, also indicated to Moorestown Patch that the company would be making an announcement this week. Button said he also learned that Osteria—the …

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Police: Voorhees Teen Arrested for Assault in Domestic Incident

Also, Moorestown Police arrest several people for alleged five-finger discounting at the mall.

Dec. 10 Dec. 11 Dec. 13 Information provided by Moorestown Police. An arrest does not indicate a conviction.

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Letters to the Editor

Mayor: Moorestown Positioned Well for Future

As he approaches the end of his term, Mayor John Button looks back over how far the township's come the last four years and the "bright future" ahead.

To the editor: As 2012 draws to a close and my term on town council reaches an end, I’d like to share a final township update with you that will summarize our journey over the past four years and let you know where we are as we approach 2013, with a bright future ahead of us. When my colleagues, Greg Gallo, Michael Testa and I took office, the economy was changing rapidly and we encountered a budget deficit approaching $4 million. Understanding there were going to be significant challenges attributable to the changing economy and previous operating decisions, we embarked on a quest to understand the issues at a root level, so we could make fact-based decisions that would best serve our residents. The initial challenge was to resolve the …

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