Franklin Mall in Northeast Philly closed because of small fire
The property management said the mall, which opened as the Franklin Mills mall in 1989, would reopen "as quickly as possible" once city inspections were completed.
The Franklin Mall, which many locals still call Franklin Mills, is temporarily closed due to required city inspections after a small fire over the weekend at the once-popular Northeast Philadelphia retail destination that is now listed for sale, the property management said Wednesday.
No injuries were reported after the fire occurred on Feb. 21 within a single tenant space, the management said in a Facebook post.
The city Department of Licenses and Inspections “issued a temporary closure notice while required inspections are completed to ensure building safety and building structural integrity,” the post said.
The management said they “immediately engaged licensed professionals and qualified vendors to evaluate the affected area and confirm that all life-safety systems are fully operational.”
City officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The management of Franklin Mall said it was “working closely with city officials to complete all necessary inspections and secure the approvals required to safely reopen the property as quickly as possible. The safety of our tenants, employees, and visitors remains our top priority.”
In the meantime, Walmart, Marshalls and HomeGoods, and Dave & Buster’s remain open for business, according to the mall’s website.
The Inquirer reported in early December that the mall was listed for sale and the 36-year-old, 1.8-million-square-foot facility at Knights and Woodhaven Roads could be repurposed or demolished for non-retail uses.
The mall opened in 1989 to great fanfare as the largest outlet mall ever, with a zigzag-shaped, one-story tall concourse that stretched for 1.2 miles.
Franklin Mills once attracted 20 million visitors annually, but now has less than a third of that traffic.
Under new ownership, it was renamed Philadelphia Mills, and most recently it has been called Franklin Mall, though a main entrance sign still says Philadelphia Mills.