The new plan to once again revitalize the former Echelon Mall includes beer courts instead of food courts, laser tag, sports bars and outdoor movie nights when weather permits — a throwback to drive-in movies of yesteryear.

“Right now we’re taking a dead mall and making it a non-dead mall,” said Mario DiNatale, the economic development director for Voorhees before the township committee unanimously approved the plan Monday. “There are tumbleweeds blowing around the mall now.”

The plan is a result of a closed-door negotiation with the new developer, Brandywine Financial Corp., which has struck an agreement of sale last month with the mall’s current owner Namdar Financial.

The agreement includes 180 town homes, 120 age-restricted senior apartments and 70 market-rate apartments. The plan will also include up to 20 percent of the units as low-to-moderate income affordable housing units among the total of 370.

“The redevelopment plan gives the developer flexibility and will serve as a guide to create a mixture of commercial uses with green space and high quality housing opportunities,” Mayor Michael Mignogna said. “The vision may include a microbrewery with a beer garden, wine bar, indoor sports complex and a theater.”

The sale price nor the cost of development were immediately reported by officials or cited in the report. Namdar bought the mall for $13.4 million in 2013. The sale will not include the shops and residences along Town Center Boulevard, which will continue to be owned by Namdar, officials said. It will also not include the Boscov’s property or the town hall.

Brandywine will get a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with the township that may include a percentage of taxes significantly less than the 100 percent assessed value of the property. Township officials said the agreement could be for up to 20 years but argue the significant amount of planned development at the mall will still produce a windfall in revenue from more value from improvements.

Currently, the mall is made up of two floors with a combined retail floor area of 664,380 square feet, according to the redevelopment plan.

The town center is the township’s largest taxpayer, paying over $900,000 a year.

Earlier this year the township commissioned a study detailing the need to redevelop and condemn a large portion of the Voorhees Town Center, as the remaining mall is known now. The township was preparing to condemn the property and explore an eminent domain purchase before the sale was announced. Brandywine’s deal with Namdar is contingent on it getting planning approvals from the township.

An empty food court could be replaced with a vibrant beer court under a new redevelopment plan at the Voorhees Town Center, township officials said this week.

The redevelopment plan was the first step in that process.

“The current owners don’t even fix the escalators when they break,” DiNatale said.

The mall, which opened in 1970, was renamed the Voorhees Town Center during its last makeover in 2007. It included the development of apartments, shops and restaurants on a boulevard leading up to the remaining mall anchored by Macy’s and Boscov department stores. They were the last of what was once five anchor stores.

It also included newly constructed town hall offices in the mall with commercial office space for more businesses.

But Macy’s closed 10 years later, four years after Namdar bought the property in 2013.

Brandywine has not released details of what they have planned for the mall. But township officials do not appear to be worried.

“Our vision is perfectly in synch with developer,” DiNatale said. “Same vision and goal.”

Part of that vision is to build foot traffic by increasing housing and entertainment at the mall. DiNatale said there are also discussions to move the flagship Allen Vogelson Camden County Library branch into the mall, he said. It’s the largest of eight libraries in the system.

The housing units in the deal are to be built in and around the existing structure left vacant when Macy’s moved out. DiNatale said the plan may include a college targeting foreign students who wish to earn degrees in the U.S. He said development officials have been in touch with such a school and some of the planned housing could be for students living here.

The entire property is landlocked near the intersection of Somerdale and Burnt Mill roads and does not have easy access to larger roads and nearby Interstate 295.

It also has a lot of competition. Just 6.5 miles to the southwest is the Deptford Mall and less than 10 miles to the north is the Cherry Hill Mall.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters. ‘Ask Alexa for New Jersey news’