Shopping malls in New Jersey have played a major role in shaping the suburban landscape of the state following World War II.
New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the United States, and in the suburban sphere of influence of both New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has a comparatively large number of notable malls throughout the state. Paramus, in Bergen County, is one of the largest shopping meccas in the country, with its four major shopping malls accounting for a significant proportion of the over $5 billion in annual retail sales generated in the borough, more than any other ZIP Code in the United States.[1] This high level of retail sales persists despite the fact that the County, in general, and the Borough, in particular, have blue laws that force the malls and other retailers to close on Sunday.
Garden State Plaza was the state's first shopping mall. It opened in three stages between May 1957 and September 1960 and was fully enclosed in 1984. The shopping complex is now known as Westfield Garden State Plaza. The Garden State's second mall-type shopping venue, Bergen Mall (now known as Outlets at Bergen Town Center), was built in Paramus and Maywood and was officially dedicated on November 14, 1957, with great fanfare, as Dave Garroway, host of The Today Show served as master of ceremonies.[2]
The Bergen Mall, which was fully enclosed in 1973, was first planned in 1955 by Allied Stores to have 100 stores and 8,600 parking spaces in a mall that would include a 300000ft2 Stern's store and two other 150000ft2 department stores as part of the initial design. Allied's chairman B. Earl Puckett confidently announced The Bergen Mall as the largest of ten proposed centers, stating that there were 25 cities that could support such centers and that no more than 50 malls of this type would ever be built nationwide.[3] [4]
Cherry Hill Mall, was the first large indoor shopping center on the East Coast of the United States and attracted busloads of visitors soon after its opening in October 1961. (The Southdale Shopping Center in Edina, Minnesota, was the very first enclosed mall, beating Cherry Hill to the honor by five years). The popularity of the mall as a destination is often cited as one of the factors that led the mall's host municipality to change its name from Delaware Township, to its current name of Cherry Hill Township.[5]
Despite an early refusal to temporarily close other New Jersey shopping malls during the COVID-19 pandemic,[6] New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy eventually agreed to do so on March 17, 2020.[7] This came one day after the Jersey Gardens closed after an employee tested positive for COVID-19 and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop closed Jersey City's two major shopping malls Newport Centre and Hudson Mall.
With the shift in shopping from publicly owned Main Streets to privately held shopping malls, the question of access to malls, and their shoppers, as a public forum has been an issue raised nationwide. This issue has become particularly relevant in New Jersey, where malls in both suburban and exurban areas have largely supplanted local downtown districts as shopping destinations, depriving individuals and organizations of a public location to reach out to neighbors for distribution of fliers and other forms of expression. While different conclusions have been reached elsewhere, New Jersey's approach has been one of the most expansive in providing groups with access to malls as a public forum, despite their private ownership.
The Bergen Mall was the target of a lawsuit by nuclear-freeze advocates who challenged the malls restrictions on distribution of literature to shoppers. On October 12, 1984, Bergen County Superior Court judge Paul R. Huot ruled that the organization should be allowed to distribute literature anywhere and anytime in a shopping mall, noting that "The Bergen Mall has assumed the features and characteristics of the traditional town center for the citizens who reside in Paramus and surrounding Bergen County towns."[8]
The New Jersey Supreme Court has been at the forefront in providing access to malls as a public forum under the New Jersey State Constitution's free-speech protections, requiring private owners of shopping malls to allow use as a forum by individuals and groups. In New Jersey Coalition Against War in the Middle East v. JMB Realty Corp. (1994), the Court ruled that because the mall owners "have intentionally transformed their property into a public square or market, a public gathering place, a downtown business district, a community," they cannot later deny their own implied invitation to use the space as it was clearly intended.[9] Despite the broad powers granted to those seeking to use these facilities as public forums, mall owners retain the right to establish regulations regulating the time, place and manner of exercising of freedom of speech rights on their properties.[10]
In their role as a public forum, malls have also developed a role as a public performance venue, as an addition to theaters, arenas and stadiums. Singer Tiffany was one of the pioneers in this innovative use of malls, using the mall tour as a stepping stone to stardom. The first performance on Tiffany's mall tour - "The Beautiful You: Celebrating The Good Life Shopping Mall Tour '87" - took place on June 23, 1987 at The Bergen Mall (now known as Outlets at Bergen Town Center) in Paramus. The tour was sponsored by major advertisers Toyota, Clairol, and Adidas.[11] While perhaps not the first singer to do so, Tiffany established the shopping mall as a location for public performances. Britney Spears' Hair Zone Mall Tour built on Tiffany's use of the mall as a medium to reach fans. Currently, the New Jersey Youth Symphony plays annually in the Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall. This performance is known as the Playathon and occurs in March.
| Mall | City | County | Retail spaceSquare feet (ft²) | Stores | Anchor stores/entertainment venues | Year opened | Ownership | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater Commons | Bridgewater | Somerset | 1,002,532[12] | 170 | Macy's, Bloomingdale's, AMC Theatres | 1988 | Pacific Capital Retail Partners | |
| Cherry Hill Mall | Cherry Hill | Camden | 1,283,000 | 160 | Macy's, Nordstrom, JCPenney | 1961 | PREIT | |
| Deptford Mall | Deptford | Gloucester | 1,069,657 | 125 | Macy's, JCPenney, Boscov's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Round 1 Entertainment | 1975 | Macerich | |
| Brunswick Square | East Brunswick | Middlesex | 760,998 | 60+ | Macy's, JCPenney, AMC Theatres, Barnes & Noble | 1970 | Spinoso Real Estate Group | |
| American Dream Meadowlands | East Rutherford | Bergen | 3,000,000 | 450+ | Nickelodeon Universe, DreamWorks Water Park, Big Snow American Dream | 2019 | Triple Five Group | |
| Monmouth Mall | Eatontown | Monmouth | 1,500,000 | 150 | Macy's, Boscov's, AMC Theaters, Barnes & Noble | 1960 | Kushner Properties | |
| Menlo Park Mall | Edison | Middlesex | 1,232,000 | 167 | Macy's, Nordstrom, AMC Theaters, Barnes & Noble | 1959 | Simon Property Group | |
| The Mills at Jersey Gardens | Elizabeth | Union | 1,292,611 | 230 | Saks Off 5th, AMC Theaters, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, Forever 21, Primark, Cohoes | 1999 | Simon Property Group | |
| Freehold Raceway Mall | Freehold | Monmouth | 1,671,000 | 237 | Macy's, JCPenney, Primark, L.L. Bean, Manor House Furniture | 1990 | Macerich | |
| The Shops at Riverside | Hackensack | Bergen | 637,963 | 66 | Bloomingdale's, AMC Theatres, Barnes and Noble | 1977 | Simon Property Group | |
| Newport Centre | Jersey City | Hudson | 1,149,147 | 131 | Macy's, JCPenney, Kohl's, Sears | 1987 | LeFrak Organization & Simon Property Group | |
| Quaker Bridge Mall | Lawrence Township | Mercer | 1,102,000 | 116 | Macy's, JCPenney | 1975 | Simon Property Group | |
| Livingston Mall | Livingston | Essex | 980,000 | 109 | Macy's, Barnes & Noble | 1972 | Kohan Retail Investment Group | |
| Hamilton Mall | Mays Landing | Atlantic | 1,028,500 | 115 | Macy's, Forever 21, H&M | 1987 | Namdar Realty Group | |
| Moorestown Mall | Moorestown | Burlington | 1,046,100 | 90+ | Boscov's, HomeSense, Michaels, Planet Fitness, Sierra Trading Post, Regal Cinemas, Turn 7 | 1963 | PREIT | |
| Bergen Town Center | Paramus | Bergen | 1,011,575 | 100 | Saks Off Fifth, Bloomingdale's The Outlet Store, Nordstrom Rack, Burlington Coat Factory, Kohl’s, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Target, Whole Foods, Emberly Furniture | 1957 | Urban Edge Properties | |
| Garden State Plaza | Paramus | Bergen | 2,132,112 | 335 | Macy's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, AMC Theatres | 1957 | Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield | |
| Paramus Park | Paramus | Bergen | 764,996 | 107 | Macy's, Stew Leonard's | 1974 | Brookfield Properties | |
| MarketFair Mall | Princeton | Mercer | 245,947 | 47 | AMC Theatres, Barnes & Noble | 1987 | Madison Marquette | |
| Rockaway Township | Morris | 1,250,000 | 152 | Macy's, JCPenney, Raymour & Flanigan | 1977 | Simon Property Group | ||
| The Mall at Short Hills | Short Hills | Essex | 1,342,000 | 160+ | Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus | 1961 | Taubman Centers | |
| Ocean County Mall | Toms River | Ocean | 791,125 | 105 | Macy's, JCPenney, Boscov's | 1976 | Simon Property Group | |
| Cumberland Mall | Vineland | Cumberland | 921,593 | Boscov's, Dick's Sporting Goods | 1973 | Kohan Retail Investment Group | ||
| Voorhees Town Center | Voorhees | Camden | 732,000 | 50+ | Boscov's | 1970 | Mason Asset Management and Namdar Realty Group | |
| Willowbrook Mall | Wayne | Passaic | 1,514,000 | 165 | Macy's, Bloomingdale's, JCPenney, Dave & Buster's, BJ’s Wholesale Club | 1969 | Brookfield Properties | |
| Woodbridge Center | Woodbridge | Middlesex | 1,633,000 | 200 | Macy's, JCPenney, Boscov's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dave & Buster's | 1971 | JLL |
| Mall | City | Retail spaceSquare feet (ft²) | Stores | Anchor stores/entertainment venues | Year opened | Ownership | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playground Pier | Atlantic City | 320,788 | 10 | 1906 | C-III Capital Partners | ||
| The Quarter at Tropicana | Atlantic City | 200,000 | 40+ | 2004 | Tropicana Entertainment | ||
| Hudson Mall | Jersey City | 377,090 | 40 | Big Lots, Marshalls, Staples, Old Navy, Asian Food Market, Chuck E. Cheese, Retro Fitness | Urban Edge Properties | ||
| Center City Mall | Paterson | 320,000 | Marshalls, Burlington, PriceRite, Fabian 8 Cinema | 2008 | City of Paterson | ||
| Kinnelon Mall | Butler | 77,000 | 12 | Stop & Shop, Atlantic Health System Primary Care | UBP Properties[13] |
| Mall | City | Retail spaceSquare feet (ft²) | Stores | Anchor stores/entertainment venues | Year opened | Ownership | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanger Outlets The Walk | Atlantic City, New Jersey | 1,292,611[14] | Tanger | ||||
| Jersey Shore Premium Outlets | Tinton Falls, New Jersey | 434,428 | Simon Property Group | ||||
| Gloucester Premium Outlets | Blackwood, New Jersey | 369,686[15] | Simon Property Group | ||||
| Jackson Premium Outlets | Jackson, New Jersey | 285,696[16] | Simon Property Group |
| Mall | Location | Gross leasable area (in sq ft) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Briarcliff Commons | Morris Plains | 179,508 | Anchored by Kohl's and Uncle Giuseppe's Marketplace.[17] | |
| The Village at Bridgewater Commons | Bridgewater | 94,000 | A small lifestyle center anchored by Maggiano's Little Italy and a Summit Medical Group Medical Office, and contains 12 other stores including 1000 Degrees Pizzeria, Yong Kang Street, LOFT, Banana Republic and Charles Schwab. The Village opened in 2005 as part of Bridgewater Commons' extensive renovation including a new Marriott Hotel, two new office buildings which are now mostly occupied by Brother Industries and Sanofi, and an extensive Food Court remodel including new restaurants, new seating, renovated eateries, and the removal of openings to the second floor. | |
| Bridgewater Promenade | Bridgewater | 370,545 | [18] | |
| Bridgewater Towne Centre | Bridgewater | 460,000 | ||
| The Shoppes at Cinnaminson | Cinnaminson | 301,311 | Cinnaminson Mall (1972) was a mini-mall with a Woolco and a twin cinema. The new shopping complex redeveloped by Centro Properties Group, offers opportunities for various sized retailers in diverse categories for both in-line space and outparcels. During the redevelopment of the Cinnaminson Mall into The Shoppes at Cinnaminson, all existing buildings have were demolished and a new ground up Shop-Rite supermarket anchored community shopping center was built on 40acres. | |
| Flemington Marketplace | Flemington | 239,081 | Formerly known as Flemington Mall. | |
| Forrestal Village | Plainsboro | 720,000 | Dying open-air mall. | |
| Garwood Mall | Garwood | 87,500 | [19] Stores include Investors Savings, Union County Healthcare, Crunch Fitness, Gamestop, Kings Dry Cleaners, RadioShack, Pet Valu, AutoZone, Rudy's Restaurant, Jumbo Wash, GNC and Kings. | |
| ITC Crossing South | Flanders | 508,066 | [20] Anchors include Walmart, Lowe's, PetSmart, TJ Maxx, Michaels, HomeGoods, Ross and Boot Barn. | |
| The Shops at Ledgewood Commons | Ledgewood | 518,246 | Formerly an enclosed mall known as Ledgewood Mall. Anchors are Walmart, Marshalls, Ashley HomeStore, Burlington, and At Home. | |
| The Mall at Mill Creek | Secaucus | 400,000[21] | ||
| The Mall at Wild Geese | Manalapan | 21,474 | Plaza stores include Dunkin' Donuts, Fantastic Sams, Phil-Asia, Hi Tek Nails, Italian Villa, Edible Arrangements, and Farmers Market | |
| Manalapan EpiCentre | Manalapan | 460,000 | Formerly known as Manalapan mall. Converted to power center in 2002. | |
| The Marketplace At Brick | Brick | 334,333 | Current stores open include Costco, Dick's Sporting Goods, Staples, City Nails and Spa, Hair Cuttery, Turning Point Café, Petco, Tommy's Coal Fired Pizza, Qdoba Mexican Grill, American Automobile Association, Chase Bank, and Houlihan's. | |
| Mercer Mall | Lawrence Township | 527,000 | ||
| Middlesex Mall | South Plainfield | 320,000 | [22] | |
| Morris Hills Shopping Center | Parsippany | 159,561 | [23] | |
| Roxbury Mall | Succasunna | 706,000 | [24] Former partially enclosed mall (the enclosed mall part closed and became The Home Depot). Other anchors include Jo-Ann Stores (previously Stein Mart, Amazing Savings, Rag Shop and Odd Job), ShopRite, Ramsey Outdoor (previously Linens n' Things and Acme), and Kohl's (previously Caldor).[25] | |
| Streets of Chester | Chester Borough | 104,682 | ||
| Nassau Park Pavilion | Princeton | 1,117,098 | [26] | |
| Princeton Shopping Center | Princeton | 225,000 | [27] | |
| The Promenade at Sagemore | Evesham | 272,000 | [28] | |
| Seacourt Pavilion | Toms River | 253,000 | [29] | |
| The Shoppes at Union Hill | Denville | 91,717 | Anchored by Trader Joe's and Gap.[30] | |
| Troy Hills Plaza | Parsippany-Troy Hills | 211,000 | [31] Anchors are Michaels, Target and LA Fitness. Also known as "Troy Hills Shopping Center". | |
| Wharton Mall | Wharton | 45,500 | [32] Small Strip Mall anchored by Walgreens & Dollar Tree. | |
| Willingboro Town Center | Willingboro | 29,246 | [33] [34] Open-air shopping center Formerly known as Willingboro Plaza. Plaza stores included Sears. |
The largest malls in New Jersey—those and ranked in descending order by size Gross Leasable Area (GLA) are:
The following shopping malls have been demolished or closed. Some have been replaced by new strip plazas or re-developed for non-retail uses:
| Mall | Location | Gross leasable area (in sq ft) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Way Mall | Fairfield | Outlet Mall.[35] | ||
| Fashion Center | Paramus | 446,000 | Former enclosed mall. Bergen Mall opened in 1967 as a traditional indoor shopping mall. The mall slowly underwent a "de-malling" process over a period of several years prior to 2009, which resulted in the former interior portion of the mall gradually taken over by other stores and eventually sealed off, with each store inside the center having its own outside entrances. It is now known as The Fashion Center and is one of the four malls located in Paramus. | |
| Burlington Center Mall | Burlington Township | 670,000 | Former enclosed mall.[36] This mall shut down on January 12, 2018 except Sears, which shut down September 2, 2018[37] | |
| Cedar Knolls Plaza | Hanover Township | 258,524 | Former enclosed mall. Formerly known as Morris County Mall. Under renovations in 2020 to become a strip mall called Hanover Crossroads.[38] [39] | |
| Cinnaminson Mall | Cinnaminson | 301,311 | Formed enclosed mall. Redeveloped into a power center called the Shoppes at Cinnaminson in 2009.[40] [41] | |
| Flemington Mall | Flemington | 239,081 | Formed enclosed mall. Redeveloped into a power center called Flemington MarketPlace in 2003.[42] | |
| Hackettstown Mall | Hackettstown | 186,124 | Formed enclosed mall. Redeveloped as a power center at 215 Mountain Avenue in 2004.[43] [44] [45] | |
| Shore Mall | Egg Harbor Township | 635,000 | Former enclosed mall. Redeveloped into a strip mall now called Harbor Square starting in 2010.[46] Currently anchored by Boscov's. | |
| Liberty Village Premium Outlets | Flemington, New Jersey | 164,836 | Former outlets mall owened by Namdar. Closed in 2022.[47] | |
| Ledgewood Mall | Ledgewood | 518,246 | Former enclosed mall. From its opening in 1972 until 2016, it was branded Ledgewood Mall. The realty company and developers involved in the proposed Shops at Ledgewood Commons, a 470,000-square-foot open-air mall on Route 10, are moving forward with plans to open in October 2020.[48] | |
| Mall at Fashion Plaza | North Brunswick | 429,379 | Formed enclosed mall. Redeveloped as strip mall that is now called North Brunswick Plaza.[49] | |
| Manalapan Mall | Manalapan | 460,000 | Former enclosed mall. Converted to outlet power center called Manalapan EpiCentre in 2002. | |
| Phillipsburg Mall | Phillipsburg | 536,000 | Former enclosed mall. On December 23, 2019, the remaining tenants of Phillipsburg Mall received lease termination letters, telling them they have 30 days to vacate the mall. The Kohl's store in the mall remains open as of 2024.[50] | |
| Rio Mall | Rio Grande | 180,000 | Former enclosed mall. Plans revealed in 2019 for the site to be redeveloped as a new retail center called County Commons.[51] [52] [53] | |
| Seaview Square Mall | Ocean Township | 922,361 | Former enclosed mall. Re-opened as a power center called Seaview Square Shopping Center in 2012. The Sears store closed in 2018. | |
| Tri-Towne Mall | Marlton | 460,000 | Former enclosed mall.[54] | |
| Village Mall | Willingboro | 228,000 | Village Mall was anchored by Acme Market, Woolco/Caldor, and a twin Eric Theater. Became Grand Marketplace, an indoor food/flea market.[55] | |
| Wayne Hills Mall | Wayne | 193,288 | Former enclosed mall. Closed in the 2010s. Demolition started in 2019 and the site will be transformed into a power center with a ShopRite supermarket.[56] [57] | |
| Wayne Towne Center | Wayne | 679,985 | Former enclosed mall. Located Next to Willowbrook Mall. De-malled and converted into a power center also called Wayne Towne Center in 2008.[58] Currently anchored by Costco, Nordstrom Rack, Dick's Sporting Goods, and UFC Fit. |