Mixed-use proposal plus restaurant projects are propelling change along Haddon Avenue in Westmont

The mile-long stretch of Haddon Avenue in the Westmont section of Haddon Township is slowly evolving from a suburban commercial strip into a suburban downtown.

Since 2016, the shift has gained momentum due in large part to the development of two rental complexes with 333 apartments between them. After sitting empty and decaying for years, the Westmont Theatre has been redeveloped as a Planet Fitness. And the avenue has emerged as a regional dining destination amid an ongoing surge in the number and size of locally owned restaurants.

“It’s going in the right direction, but we need more retail,” said township native Dave Welsh. He opened Reunion Hall, a complex of three restaurants, a bar, and outdoor dining and gathering spaces in January on the 200 block of Haddon.

Welsh and other supporters of the latest redevelopment proposal — for a mixed-use building with four ground-floor retail spaces and four two-level luxury apartments above — say it could help boost foot traffic on the avenue. The proposal is expected to be reviewed by the township zoning and planning board on Sept. 5.

Opponents worry the development will boost demand for on-street parking in the densely populated residential streets nearby. They say there’s already too much vehicular traffic on Haddon Avenue.

“I’ve lived here for 25 years, and I don’t think other people who’ve lived here a long time anticipated what’s going on now,” said Don Licorish, a retired financial services professional.

“The town is mostly residential,” he said. “How many restaurants can you have? Where are we going?”

Said musician and DJ Michael Tearson, who has lived a block from the avenue for 24 years: “There’s no long-term thinking. The township is just looking at what they want to do piece by piece, without looking at the bigger picture.”

Haddon Avenue runs east from Camden through Collingswood, Haddon Township, and Haddonfield. Once a toll road, it remains a major street in all three of these Camden County suburbs, each of which has its own PATCO station.

While Collingswood’s downtown has a hip vibe, and Haddonfield’s is on the upscale side, the Westmont business district has long been less dense, less readily walkable, and more car-centric than those of its neighbors.

“We saw Collingswood on one side of us, thriving, and Haddonfield on the other side of us, thriving, and there we were in the middle, with hardly any places to eat except a couple of bars,” Mayor Randy Teague said.

He also noted that the township’s master plan update of 2020 reaffirmed the commitment to developing Haddon Avenue into a “main street business district,” a goal set out in the 1999 master plan.

“I believe Haddon Avenue is Haddon Township’s downtown area, the same as it is Haddonfield and Collingswood,” Teague said. “So the idea is to get businesses in the downtown, fill the empty spots, and get [existing] businesses to invest in their properties.”

» READ MORE: A trio of redevelopment projects seems to be livening up Haddon Township's downtown, after years of debate and litigation.

The township’s portion of Haddon Avenue is home to a number of destination retail businesses, including a hardware store family-owned for three generations; a bakery that’s been in business since 1939; and a fresh pasta purveyor in its third generation of family ownership.

Meanwhile, window signs are up in vacant ground-floor retail spaces at the Haddon Towne Center apartment complex, announcing that Royal Mile Coffee and Superbloom Bake Shop will open soon.

And a bakery and cafe with seating for 20 called Ana’s was approved in June by the zoning board. The owners plan to renovate a two-story house in the 300 block of Haddon and make the second floor into an apartment.

“People do love the avenue, but many people also say we have too many gaps,” said Doug Kelly, whose salon, Blue, in 1999 helped spark a mini-revolution in brightly painted facades along the block.

The proposed mixed-use development “is something we’ve been waiting for,” Kelly said.

The developers, identified in local news accounts as Kelly Builders of Haddonfield, could not be reached for comment.

Kristine DiCrosta, who runs the Holy Cannoli! Cafe in South Philadelphia, opened a branch specializing in cannoli and gelato June 1 on Haddon Avenue, just east of the site of the proposed mixed-use project.

“We’re fans of the area, and we love the small business community here,” she said, adding that having the mixed-use project two doors away should help add to pedestrian traffic. “The more the merrier.”

Township Commissioner Ryan Linhart said there is “significant interest” in residential and retail properties right now. But to encourage “the natural growth in our business districts,” the township ought to review the current process and requirements involved in applying for and obtaining municipal approvals, which can be cumbersome and costly for small businesses, he said.

“We need to reduce starting costs for small business owners and [update] zoning codes and parking space minimums to align with our master plan,” said Linhart said.

The former Philmor furniture store on the north side of the 100 block of Haddon had been underused and then vacant for years when the Piperno Hospitality Group announced in 2019 that it would renovate the space and create a contemporary dining spot in its place. The pandemic intervened, but the proposal was approved by the township in February.

“We plan on opening a high-end cocktail bar and restaurant,” Chef Dominic Piperno said.

The design, by Philadelphia’s Ambit Architecture “will include an open kitchen, 40-seat bar, lounge-y booths, [an] outdoor garden dining room,” said the chef, who is partners in the business with his wife, Lindsay Piperno.

“The ultimate goal is to attract more people to Haddon Township — and eliminate an empty storefront that’s been vacant for years,” said Dominic Piperno.

The new restaurant, whose name has not been announced, has created some buzz on the avenue.

“We’re happy to see an empty building occupied,” said Marlaina Albertini, whose family has owned Westmont Party, an avenue landmark for nearly 41 years.

Albertini said the prospect of more investment on Haddon Avenue “says that a business wants to be here, and that this is the place to be.”