It's rare to find photos of the Burlington Center Mall from the 80s and 90s. Most likely, when you look up the mall on Google, you'll find pictures of it as an empty husk or whatever users on Labelscar and alike were able to get before its decline (such as Michael Lisicky.) Thankfully, I was able to find some newspaper clippings on newspapers.com detailing events of the mall, including some of its construction, when it first opened, some of the stores that used to be there, and other features that the mall used to have. (For example, there used to be a fountain in the Center Court of the mall between the two escalators. Unfortunately, photos or that fountain are also hard to find, and I could only find barely noticeable details of it.) Since Sal has gone to the Burlington Center Mall multiple times, I thought this would be an excellent addition to his community forum. I'm also hoping to inspire someone who sees these photos to maybe look in their old photo albums and dig up images of the Burlington Center Mall that perhaps they didn't know they had in the first place and post them here as well. Since I have a modest collection of photos and snippets, I will continuously post pictures of the Burlington Center Mall that I find here with a detailed description of what the images entail.
I was just thinking last night about how much publicity and love "Petal the African Elephant'' actually received. Probably more than anyone would have ever believed? I am about 5000 miles away from Burlington but think that someone locally should check in with Petal every so often to determine her disposition. City operated warehouses as we all now have usually not been high on quality and care. Leaky roofs, proper security, storage of snowplows, road patching equipment, cleaning chemicals, defunct transportation and salt storage have usually been the staple of the day. Then the possible absence of space heating.
Perhaps the sculptor who is Petal's father, Zenos Frudakis, should take the helm on this as family members or creators more often than not are much more qualified and determined looking after their siblings? Besides getting much more attention from the media. As to Derrick Owings he may be able to arrange for a tour and inspection into the city warehouse itself by selected friends of Petal.
I just do not want her to be forgotten in the dark among the rubble and by memories that may fade in time or if she even existed in the first place.
Petal the African Elephant in transition to be relocated? The water apparently now turned off, reduced landscaping and lighting, clearly visible vacated store locations. Not a good time for anyone to be around. Writing this I can now imagine the stillness of the mall, the solitude, but at the same time seeing happy children dressed in colorful clothes cherishing 'Petal' in her former glory splashing about in her watering hole. Happy times!
From what I know it looks like there are insurmountable problems in moving the only remaining tenant from the now fully closed Burlington Center Mall. "Petal the African Elephant" was going to find a new home on the earlier proposed Burlington City Riverfront Promenade and between the Delaware River and High Street. The Burlington City Hall and the Mayor's office warmly welcomed its new resident. A free gift and donation.
But that is no longer possible, noted Tom Scattergood a Rotary Club member in Burlington and that there is no alternative location available for the fiberglass and bronze elephant sculpture. Then the sculptor, Zenos Frudakis also stepped forward and was adamant that the Petal sculpture would most definitely be better preserved and displayed indoors and for which it was originally intended for with its fabrication. and its surface specification.
Thus as of late, poor Petal will likely be transported and possibly banished to a city-owned warehouse. We also know that money and having the will to do so, can usually overcome any obstacles, but Burlington City seems however in not having the ready cash and to make or pushing for a timely Riverfront Petal placement commitment. In order to "totally reface" Petal for an outdoor environment and to locating her into a screened or partially sheltered watering-hole (befitting her former mall setting,) could cost upwards of $0,000 plus and by so doing it the right way.
Let's keep an eye out on happenings at Burlington City and where the Petal saga may lead us. Hopefully not with too many cooks in the kitchen.
At Rouse I was doing at the time two (2) mall openings back-to-back! One of them Burlington Center and then the full renovation of Connecticut Post Center which we partnered with Westfield. Amazing how much publicity the Burlington Center African Elephant fountain got over time. We in management and development loved the elephant sculpture and especially it's location sitting in a fantastic and perfecrly executed "Elephant Watering Hole."
I was told at the time that the Elephant sculpture and 'Watering Hole' fountain setting was hatched and promoted by one of our important department store executives and pushing it's design, cost and placement towards Rouse. Perhaps he also had a friendly artist connection in Philadelphia? I recall the same happening earlier at Oxford Valley Mall where a John Wanamaker real estate executive wanted a "Big Eagle" as part of a fountain statement fronting it's new store. The MA Kravitz company (later KRAVCO) was more than happy to comply with the $$$ and for very obvious reasons. Allowing for future business and a happy John Wannamaker in the next and upcoming KRAVO malls .
Burlington Center at the time was a tough market for us from the get go! Burlington City to say the least was not doing well. Willingboro as a whole was not doing well and the adjacent Route 130 corridor already showed retail vacancies galore. The Willingboro Plaza was barely chucking along. Cherry Hill and Morristown malls were however still doing relatively well and thus considered our real and only competition. Oxford Valley, Levittown Plaza and Neshaminy Mall, where all in PA and across the bridge, and thus did not count as shoppers generally would not cross the Delaware river thought by us to be a natural border. Meanwhile the 2-lane Delaware river toll bridge was still costing a mere 10-cents to cross.
The Burlington Center opening went smooth and even Jim Rouse came in the morning and drove himself up from Columbia in his old station wagon. Jim would do this for all our new mall openings in the region. Jim would arrive in a totally unassuming manner and no one knew except us home office people who he was. What I also remember is that we spent more money than in most of our newer malls at the time on the exterior landscaping at Burlington Center. Why did we do this? I could never get a straight answer from Roy Brown our head of landscaping in Columbia. I only know that the exterior landscaping at Burlington Center was exceptionally well done and wondered what it will be looking like fully matured and into the future!
The"Big Eagle Fountain" at Oxford Valley Mall fronting John Wannamaker. Compliments of the MA Kravitz company (later KRAVCO)
Thanks for this!! It brings back so many memories! i forgot about the smaller jets with the lights. Along the bottom of the escalators, there were 20 or so arched streams. i would say the main jet in the middle is half its potential height in this pic. This is how i like to remember this mall. I dont know the name of the forum but found it by looking up the moorestown mall as well. If i find it, i will post it. I was searching for pics of the food court fountain, and they also showed the wanamaker fountain which i forgot about. Then it went on to show the ones that replaced them then it showed a pic of the burlington center main fountain but it was facing the escalators. So im sure the rouse company would have plenty of pics, not sure who to contact.
I actually found a picture of the center court fountain recently! It's not the best resolution, but I'd rather have a poorly taken picture than no picture at all. I believe that this was before they added the JCPenny as you can see that in its place are a bunch of non-anchor tenants. Ironically, I found it while looking up the Moorestown Mall on Wikipedia and found the Rouse Company's website in the citation section. Here's the link if you to check it out. https://web.archive.org/web/19980628171228/http://www.therousecompany.com/operation/regretail/burlington.html
Also, do you know the name of the mall fountain forum by any chance?
I'm surprised theres no pics of the main fountain, I remember it was huge! The center water jet would almost reach the glass dome! It made the mall feel fresh. They had these cement seats all around it. These can be seen in front of sears where another fountain was. I think i saw a picture of the main fountain on some type of mall fountain forum somewhere. These were one of my favorite things when visiting malls as a kid in the 80's n 90's. I wonder why they closed both fountains? too much maintenance? No need for them once the mall started to decline i guess. I remember it kept being covered over. the one by sears would have those "rides" u put a quarter in and it moves a lil. I loved this mall cuz it felt more open than moorestown or cherry hill and more modern. We would always use the entrance in the back. the one with the bridge. walking in, friendly's was on the left, and the spaceport arcade was on the right. I spent a lot of time there. lol