Monmouth Mall facts for kids
The 1987-2010 Logo
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| Location | Eatontown, New Jersey, United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°17′13″N 74°03′20″W / 40.287°N 74.0556°W |
| Opening date | March 1, 1960 |
| Developer | Massachusetts Mutual Life |
| Management | Brookfield Properties |
| Owner | Kushner Companies and Brookfield Properties |
| No. of stores and services | 150 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 |
| Total retail floor area | 1,500,000 square feet (140,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 in original wing, 2 in expansion (3 in Macy's JCPenney, and Boscov's) |
| Parking | Parking lot and 3-story parking garage adjacent to the Boscov's |
| Public transit access |   NJ Transit bus: 831, 832 |
Monmouth Mall is a large shopping center located in Eatontown, New Jersey. It is owned and managed by Brookfield Properties. You can find it at the busy intersection of NJ 35, NJ 36, and Wyckoff Road.
This mall is huge, with about 1,500,000 square feet of space. This makes it one of the biggest shopping malls in New Jersey. It has over 150 different stores for you to explore. The mall is also easy to get to, being close to the Garden State Parkway at exit 105.
The main stores, called anchor stores, at Monmouth Mall are Boscov's, J. C. Penney, and Macy's. These are usually the biggest stores in a mall.
Contents
The History of Monmouth Mall
Monmouth Mall first opened its doors on March 1, 1960. Back then, it was called "Monmouth Shopping Center." It started as an open-air center with 14 buildings and 50 stores. The land it was built on used to be a farm owned by the Valentino Family.
The first big stores were Bamberger's and Montgomery Ward. Later, in 1975, the mall was changed into an enclosed shopping center. It also got much bigger. The older part of the mall stayed one level, but the new part had two levels. New anchor stores like Abraham & Straus, Hahne's, and JCPenney joined in 1976.
Mall Upgrades Over Time
In 1987, Monmouth Mall got a fresh new look. They added new lights, new floors, and shiny glass and chrome railings. Some seating areas were changed, and the mall entrance near the old arcade was closed.
A fun fact: the famous actress and singer Ashley Tisdale was discovered at this mall in 1989 when she was just three years old!
More changes happened between 1994 and 1996. The mall added an elevator and a new food court. This food court had a cool Jersey Shore theme. You could see old 1920s beach photos wrapped around the columns. A new 15-screen movie theater, now called AMC, also opened. The mall also got new colors, changing black to sky blue.
Over the years, many different big stores have been part of Monmouth Mall. However, J.C. Penney has been there since 1976 and is still open today. In 1987, Bamberger's became Macy's. Other stores like Alexander's, Hahne's, Abraham & Straus, and Stern's were replaced by stores like Caldor, Lord & Taylor, and Boscov's. In 2010, Planet Fitness also opened at the mall.
Monmouth Mall had another big renovation in 2009 and 2010. They updated the tiles, paint, and lighting. The food court also got a complete makeover. These changes finished in the summer of 2011.
In 2015, Kushner Companies bought a large part of the mall. They became the main owner.
Future Plans for Monmouth Mall
Redeveloping the Mall
In 2016, the mall's owner, Kushner Companies, shared exciting plans. They wanted to change Monmouth Mall into a "live, work, and play" area. This big project would cost around $500 million. The idea was to rename it "Monmouth Town Center."
These plans included new types of stores, a hotel, and homes. There would also be an outdoor plaza and green spaces for walking and biking. The homes would mostly be one or two bedrooms. This was to avoid causing too much traffic or impacting local schools.
The company's CEO, Jared Kushner, explained that shopping malls were changing. They wanted to create a new kind of place for younger generations. However, some local residents and the mayor of Eatontown were against these big changes. Because of this, the project was stopped.
New Plans for the Mall
In 2018, new plans were announced, called "The Heights At Monmouth." These plans were approved on July 16, 2018. The idea was to open up the two-story mall area and create new outdoor spaces. Most of the main stores, except Boscov's, would stay.
On September 7, 2018, it was announced that Lord & Taylor would be closing. The store officially closed in January 2019. Later, in June 2020, a temporary Crate & Barrel store opened in the old Lord & Taylor space.
