"There are two things we'd like to see happen," Crawford Mulley said recently: "Total center renovation" and "(expansion) in the very near future."
Complete renovation of the mall's common area, such as floors and entranceways, is in the planning stages. As part of its facelift, the mall recently created the Carousel, an area for children's merchandise and food, according to Crawford Mulley, designed by Philadelphia architect George Yu. It features a play area with green and blue neon carousel horses overhead and a serpentine red neon tube extending over the food establishments.
A number of stores in the mall are undergoing facelifts on their own. Strawbridge & Clothier, Bavarian Pretzel, Chess King, Brooks Fashions, Kinney Shoes and Health Fair recently finished remodeling. Others, including Baskin- Robbins, Deck the Walls, the Original Cookie Co., Wall & Ochs, Chic-Fil-A, Hanover Shoes and Lady Bug - will be remodeling this year.
"It's all in an effort to upgrade the center and move it forward," said Crawford Mulley. When undergoing renovation, each store hires its own architect to come up with a design that meets with the approval of the mall's architectural consultant, Bartley, Bronstein, Long & Mirenda of Philadelphia.
"The closed mall concept is only about 35 years old," Crawford Mulley said. "We're constantly changing, trying new things to find out what works."
Before it can expand onto the nine-acre tract, Exton Square must determine how much of the land can be used. For now, florist Ron Marron leases the Guernsey Cow for his business, Buster's Gardens, on a month-to-month basis. Crawford Mulley said she would like to find a restaurant for the site.
