Greenleaf at Cheltenham

Greenleaf at Cheltenham is a shopping center located along Cheltenham Avenue at the border of Philadelphia and Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania. The property was historically known as Cheltenham Shopping Center and later Cheltenham Square Mall. Its location between Ogontz Avenue, including Pennsylvania Route 309, and Washington Lane places it within a retail corridor serving Cheltenham Township as well as Northwest Philadelphia. The center draws much of its customer base from nearby Philadelphia neighborhoods and surrounding suburban communities. The property opened in 1959 as an open-air shopping center developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation. Its original principal anchor was Gimbels, a major American department-store chain. In 1981, the center was enclosed and expanded, creating a conventional enclosed mall with approximately 634,052 square feet of retail space. The enclosure program added Clover as a second anchor. The resulting property reflected the period's shift toward enclosed, climate-controlled regional shopping malls. The center's anchor mix changed substantially during the late twentieth century. Gimbels closed in 1986. Its former lower level later became a ShopRite grocery store in 1995. A Bradlees discount store had been planned for the upper level, but Bradlees's bankruptcy prevented the store from opening; Burlington Coat Factory ultimately occupied that space. Clover closed in 1997 and was replaced by Value City. In 2009, Target took over the site of the former United Artists Theatre and became another major anchor. Ownership also changed several times. Simon Property Group sold the mall to Thor Equities in December 2005 for $71.5 million. The property was subsequently foreclosed and placed on the market in 2014. Sun Equity Partners acquired it for $30 million in January 2015. Under the new ownership, the property underwent renovation and was repositioned from an enclosed mall into an outdoor shopping center. The redeveloped center began opening stores in 2018 and adopted the name Greenleaf at Cheltenham. A grand opening for the redesigned shopping center took place on April 20, 2018. The current tenant profile combines large-format retailers, grocery, home-improvement, apparel, fitness, health-care, food-service, and specialty stores. Reported anchors and prominent tenants include Target, ShopRite, Burlington, and The Home Depot, alongside Marshalls, LA Fitness, Old Navy, Panda Express, Mad Rag, KicksUSA, Oak Street Health, and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The redevelopment reflects the broader evolution of older enclosed malls into open-air, mixed-format retail centers designed around convenience, everyday shopping, restaurants, and service businesses rather than department stores alone.

Greenleaf at Cheltenham began as Cheltenham Shopping Center, an open-air retail development that opened in 1959 on Cheltenham Avenue near the Philadelphia border. The project was developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation and initially centered on a Gimbels department store. Its location connected the retail center to both Cheltenham Township and Northwest Philadelphia, establishing a customer base that crossed the city-suburban boundary. The property was enclosed in 1981 and became known as Cheltenham Square Mall. The conversion produced approximately 634,052 square feet of retail space and added Clover as a second anchor. This transformation placed the center within the enclosed-mall format that was prominent in American retail during the late twentieth century. Over time, however, the mall's anchor roster changed as department-store and discount-retail chains faced industry restructuring. Gimbels closed in 1986. The lower floor of the former department-store building was converted into a ShopRite grocery store in 1995. The upper floor was intended for Bradlees, but Bradlees entered bankruptcy before the planned store opened. Burlington Coat Factory instead occupied the space. Clover closed in 1997 and was replaced by Value City. These changes shifted the property away from a department-store-led model toward grocery, discount, and value-oriented retail. In December 2005, Simon Property Group sold the mall to Thor Equities for $71.5 million. A later anchor change occurred in 2009, when Target replaced the United Artists Theatre site. The property was foreclosed and placed on the market in 2014. Sun Equity Partners acquired it for $30 million in January 2015 and subsequently pursued a major repositioning. The redevelopment converted the former enclosed mall into an outdoor shopping center. Renovations and tenant changes were introduced as stores began opening in 2018. The property adopted the name Greenleaf at Cheltenham, and its grand opening was held on April 20, 2018. The new format emphasized open-air circulation and a broad mix of essential retail, grocery, home improvement, apparel, dining, fitness, health care, and specialty services. The center's reported anchor and major-tenant lineup includes Target, ShopRite, Burlington, and The Home Depot. Other listed occupants include Marshalls, LA Fitness, Old Navy, Panda Express, Mad Rag, KicksUSA, Oak Street Health, and Chipotle Mexican Grill. Its history illustrates the adaptation of a mid-century shopping center first into an enclosed mall and later into a contemporary open-air retail property.

1. 2018The property reopens as Greenleaf at Cheltenham

   Renovated space begins operating as an outdoor shopping center, followed by a grand opening on April 20.

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2. 2015Sun Equity Partners purchases the property

   Sun Equity Partners acquires the mall for $30 million and begins a redevelopment effort.

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3. 2014The mall is foreclosed and offered for sale

   The property enters foreclosure and is placed on the market.

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4. 2009Target joins the anchor lineup

   Target replaces the United Artists Theatre site and becomes a major anchor.

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5. 2005Thor Equities acquires the mall

   Thor Equities purchases the property from Simon Property Group for $71.5 million.

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6. 1997Value City replaces Clover

   After Clover closes, Value City takes over its anchor space.

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7. 1995ShopRite occupies the former Gimbels lower level

   The lower level of the former Gimbels building is converted into a ShopRite grocery store.

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8. 1986Gimbels closes

   The original department-store anchor ends operations at the mall.

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9. 1981The center is enclosed

   The property is converted into an enclosed mall, and Clover is added as a second anchor.

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10. 1959Cheltenham Shopping Center opens

    The open-air shopping center opens on Cheltenham Avenue, developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation and anchored by Gimbels.

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A neighborhood- and community-serving open-air shopping center combining essential retail, grocery, home improvement, apparel, services, and dining for customers from Northwest Philadelphia and Cheltenham Township.

• TargetGeneral merchandise2009

  A major general-merchandise anchor offering apparel, household goods, electronics, groceries, health and beauty products, and other everyday retail categories. Target replaced the former United Artists Theatre site at the property in 2009.

• ShopRiteGrocery1995

  A supermarket occupying the lower level of the former Gimbels building since 1995. Its presence provides the center with a recurring-use grocery anchor alongside its general-merchandise and home-improvement tenants.

• BurlingtonOff-price apparel and home goods

  An off-price retailer occupying space that had been intended for Bradlees after Gimbels's closure. The store offers value-oriented apparel, accessories, and selected home merchandise.

• The Home DepotHome improvement

  A large-format home-improvement anchor serving renovation, repair, maintenance, building-material, tool, and garden needs for nearby households and contractors.

• Specialty retail, services, and diningMixed retail and services

  The center's smaller-store mix has included Marshalls, LA Fitness, Old Navy, Panda Express, Mad Rag, KicksUSA, Oak Street Health, and Chipotle Mexican Grill. Together these tenants broaden the property beyond anchor shopping into apparel, fitness, health care, footwear, and food service.

• 2018Redevelop the enclosed mall as an outdoor shopping centerStrategy

  After the property was foreclosed and sold, the new ownership pursued a renovation and repositioning intended to update the aging mall format.

  What changed. Sun Equity Partners renovated the property, introduced an open-air layout, and relaunched it under the Greenleaf at Cheltenham name.

  Aftermath. Stores began opening in the redesigned center in 2018, with a grand opening held on April 20 of that year.

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• 1981Convert the shopping center into an enclosed mallStrategy

  The original open-air center was repositioned during a period when enclosed malls were a dominant American retail format.

  What changed. The property was enclosed and expanded, with Clover added as a second anchor.

  Aftermath. The center operated for decades as Cheltenham Square Mall, with approximately 634,052 square feet of retail space.

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• 2018Greenleaf at Cheltenham redevelopment opens

  After renovation and conversion from an enclosed mall to an outdoor shopping center, the redeveloped property began opening stores and held its grand opening on April 20, 2018.

  Product launch
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• 2015Sun Equity Partners acquires the foreclosed property

  Following foreclosure and a 2014 sale process, Sun Equity Partners purchased the mall for $30 million in January 2015.

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• 2009Target replaces the former United Artists Theatre site

  Target opened at the property and replaced the United Artists Theatre as one of the center's major retail anchors.

  Product launch
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• 2005Thor Equities acquires Cheltenham Mall from Simon Property Group

  Thor Equities acquired the mall from Simon Property Group in December 2005 for $71.5 million, marking a change in ownership for the long-established retail property.

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1. Greenleaf at Cheltenham