A long-vacant commercial property along Route 73 in Voorhees is set for a new chapter. Following Planning Board approval, a Tesla sales and service facility will be developed at the site.

The 14.9-acre property is located along Route 73 southbound near Lafayette Avenue. Previously, the site housed a furniture store and was later considered for a Lidl grocery store. However, those plans never moved forward.

Under the approved plans, Tesla will occupy approximately seven acres facing Route 73. The project will include a 27,436-square-foot facility and 423 parking spaces. Meanwhile, the remaining acreage will remain preserved as wetlands and riparian buffer areas.

Because automotive dealerships are permitted within the property’s zoning district, the project was reviewed as a site plan application. During the public hearing process, traffic impacts were discussed extensively.

According to testimony presented to the board, the previously proposed Lidl development would have generated significantly more vehicle traffic than the Tesla facility. As a result, traffic concerns were addressed through site access planning and circulation improvements.

Customers will access the property through right-in and right-out movements along Route 73, as well as driveways along Lafayette Avenue. In addition, township officials plan to request future traffic restrictions at the nearby Route 73 intersection.

Beyond the development itself, landscaping improvements will also be introduced. More than 1,000 plantings are planned throughout the site, including dozens of new trees and evergreen shrubs.

Board members also requested several architectural modifications before granting approval. Those changes were incorporated into the final plans.

Only a portion of the building will function as showroom and dealership space. By comparison, the majority of the facility will support vehicle service operations.

Once completed, the project will add another high-profile commercial user along the Route 73 corridor, which continues attracting new investment and redevelopment activity throughout Voorhees.