Freehold Raceway Mall facts for kids
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Mall entrance, seen from the 2007 Lifestyle Center addition
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| Location | Freehold, New Jersey |
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| Coordinates | 40°15′08″N 74°17′41″W / 40.2521°N 74.2946°W |
| Opening date | August 1, 1990 |
| Developer | Wilmorite |
| Management | Macerich |
| Owner | Macerich and Heitman |
| No. of stores and services | 237 (As of 2025) |
| No. of anchor tenants | 6 (4 open, 2 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 1,669,000 square feet (155,055 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 (3 in Macy's and former Nordstrom) |
| Parking | Parking lot |
| Public transit access |   NJ Transit bus: 67, 836, 838 |
Freehold Raceway Mall is a very large shopping center in Freehold Township, New Jersey. It is known as a "super-regional" mall because it has many stores and attracts shoppers from a wide area.
The main stores here are JCPenney, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, and Primark. Two other large spaces, once home to Nordstrom and Sears, are currently empty. The mall is managed by The Macerich Company. It is one of the biggest malls in New Jersey, covering about 1,669,000 square feet.
In 2007, an outdoor area with more shops and restaurants was added. This made the mall even bigger. In 2011, Freehold Raceway Mall was named one of the most crowded malls for Black Friday shopping in the whole country.
Contents
History of the Mall
Building the Mall
Construction for Freehold Raceway Mall started in 1987. It was built across the street from the Freehold Raceway, on land that used to have horse stables. Some of these stables are still there today.
Before the mall opened, the traffic circle in Freehold was changed. It became a regular intersection with traffic lights. This helped cars get to and from the mall more easily.
Opening Day
The mall officially opened its doors on August 1, 1990. Before the public opening, there was a special party to raise money for CentraState Medical Center. This event had fun decorations, like paper-mâché racehorses.
When it first opened, the mall had two main stores: Sears and Lord & Taylor. Soon after, JCPenney opened in 1991, and Nordstrom opened in 1992. Later, a fifth large store, Macy's, opened in 1998.
Early Challenges and Success
At first, the mall was not very busy. Many stores were empty. Some unusual businesses, like local government services, even filled some of the spaces. Photography clubs displayed their pictures on the empty walls.
There were also other malls nearby, like Monmouth Mall. This meant customers had many choices. But when Nordstrom opened, things changed. Nordstrom was a popular store, and there wasn't another one close by. This brought many more people to Freehold Raceway Mall. Soon, the empty spaces filled up. This success even led to other nearby malls closing or changing.
Mall Expansion and Renovation
In 2007, the mall began a big expansion project. This new area was built between JCPenney and Sears. It added an outdoor section with 13 to 15 new stores and two restaurants. There was also a new area for community events.
Around the same time, the mall also got a fresh new look inside. The old brown and green floor tiles were replaced with lighter stone tiles. The green paint on the ceilings and metalwork was changed to a softer, earthy color. Old brass railings were replaced with wooden ones. New lights were added, and the large fountain in the center court was replaced with a smaller one and comfy seating areas.
Changes in Stores
Over the years, some stores have closed or changed. In 2011, Borders Books & Music closed its store here. In 2013, L.L.Bean opened in the space where Borders used to be. They even had a fun grand opening festival.
In 2016, Primark opened on the second floor of the Sears building. However, Sears announced in 2019 that its store would close in early 2020.
Then, in May 2020, it was announced that Nordstrom would also be closing after 28 years. The store officially closed on July 31, 2020.
In August 2020, Lord & Taylor announced that all its stores would close, including the one at Freehold Raceway Mall. This store closed in February 2021. Now, JCPenney, Macy's, and Primark are the main stores remaining at the mall.
Images for kids
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Freehold Raceway Mall logo
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Freehold Raceway Mall entrance featuring the former Nordstrom store that closed on July 31, 2020, seen from the 2007 lifestyle center addition
See also
In Spanish: Freehold Raceway Mall para niños
