Famed Cherry Hill Mall Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBS) - One of the Delaware Valley's most popular and most historic shopping sites celebrated its 50th anniversary today with a special ceremony.
It's the 50th anniversary of the Cherry Hill Mall.
Cherry Hill mayor Bernie Platt (second from left in photo) was there, proclamation in hand.
"(We) do hereby declare October 11th, 2011, as Cherry Hill Mall Day in the Township of Cherry Hill," he announced to a crowd of about two dozen shoppers in the mall's central court.
The Cherry Hill Mall holds a lot of memories for a lot of people -- even for Joseph Coradino, president of PREIT Services LLC (second from right), which owns the mall.
"I grew up in South Philadelphia, and I can remember my mom bringing me here when the bird cages were here," he told KYW Newsradio today. "But it's a center that continues to draw very far into Philadelphia. We see customers from as far away as Drexel Hill, Roxborough, etc."
Bev and Bruce, both of Cherry Hill, also had fond memories.
"We were in our freshman year of high school when this mall opened," Bruce said. "I can remember when it opened."
Bruce said he would play on the site as the mall was being constructed.
Eleven million people visit the Cherry Hill Mall each year.
Reported by Michelle Durham, KYW Newsradio 1060
