Cherry Hill looks at troubled properties

A handful of low-end motels, an abandoned bowling alley, and the site of a former synagogue are among several areas that Cherry Hill officials will soon target for redevelopment.

The aging properties - the Hillside Inn, Feather Nest Inn, and Days Inn on Route 38; Baker Lanes and Inn of the Dove on Cuthbert Boulevard; America's Best Value Inn and the former Temple Emanuel synagogue on Route 70; and the former Saunders Publishing buildings on Hampton Road - have for years been considered some of the township's most underutilized real estate, officials said.

The Township Council this week authorized the Planning Board to begin a study to determine whether these sites qualify as "in need of development" under state law, which would allow officials to start work on long-term revitalization plans.

The properties are on major roads and near the local shopping malls and highways - prime locations for anything from stores to offices to housing, said Erin Gill, director of policy and planning for Cherry Hill.

The hotels along Route 38 and Route 70 are some of the first buildings that visitors from Philadelphia see once they arrive in Cherry Hill, and with an estimated quarter of a million people passing through the 24-square-mile township daily, she said, the areas could be transformed into thriving business centers or mixed-use buildings.

"There are better uses for these locations," she said. "What those uses are, we don't know yet."

Though some of the buildings in question are vacant, the hotels remain in operation. For officials to determine that they meet the legal standard for redevelopment, they must weigh factors that include whether the buildings are in substandard condition, whether they are detrimental to the welfare of the community, and whether the land is being properly utilized.

The project is part of Cherry Hill Mayor Chuck Cahn's pledge to foster both new development and redevelopment of existing properties, officials said.

"Today's action reflects the Mayor and Council's commitment to ensuring that Cherry Hill continues its steady and sustained trend of well-thought-out economic growth that ensures the long-term stability of our great town," Council President David Fleisher said in a statement. "It's time to clean up the entrance to Cherry Hill."

If the planning board determines that the properties meet the criteria for redevelopment, the decision goes to the Township Council. Any decisions regarding plans for the locations will be subject to public hearings and proposals, Gill said.