Freehold Raceway Mall; Freehold, New Jersey
While it’s not necessarily the best time to take pictures of malls (too busy; people get in the way), the Christmas season can be one of the most fun times to go shopping. Even when I worked in retail management, and found this to be the most stressful time of the year, I kind of enjoyed the hustle and bustle and the way that so many people (bar the miserable crankies of course) were in such a good mood.
That’s why I figured I’d share this set of photos taken the weekend before Thanksgiving at the Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold, New Jersey. This huge, cavernous, super-regional mall (truly the most dominant player for all of the Jersey shore and the southeasternmost New York suburbs) was completely decked out for the holidays and packed to the gill with shoppers.
The 1.6 million square foot Freehold Raceway Mall is anchored by Macy’s, JCPenney, Sears, Lord & Taylor, and Nordstrom and is managed by the Macerich Company. The mall opened in 1990 on the site of former stables for the Freehold Raceway, located directly across the street. According to Wikipedia, the JCPenney store was originally supposed to be a Hahne’s location, but the chain went out of business during the mall’s construction. The mall was built in phases, with its final anchor, Macy’s, opening in 1998. Also according to Wikipedia (which is of course not always the most reliable of sources, since someone could just as easily write that Freehold Raceway is anchored by the CarrotTop All-For-a-Dollar Bonanza), there are two current proposed expansions for the mall: one would add a sixth anchor and a parking deck between Macy’s and Nordstrom, along with a hotel, and the other would add an outdoor “lifestyle portion” (wow, how 2006 of them) with restaurants, a major bookstore (gee, which one?), and space for 15 other tenants.
The Freehold Raceway Mall also laid waste to a far smaller mall several miles to the north. The Manalapan Mall was a small mall that housed a Steinbach’s store and 25 other small stores. Plans originally called for a second expansion to hold a total of 100 stores, including JCPenney and Macy’s locations, but the mall was never completed due to financial problems. Steinbach went out of business in the mid-late 1990s, and was replaced by Value City, but the remainder of the mall was later cleared in favor of Target, Wegman’s, Marshalls, and other big box retailers.
To me, Freehold is more than a bit reminiscent of the similarly expansive Danbury Fair Mall in Danbury, Connecticut, with its long corridors and high ceilings. Due to its relatively recent vintage, it’s not a terribly unique mall, but it certainly does well, and these are definitely pleasant pictures to fetch your eyes upon. The Christmas-y photos were taken by me in 2006, the others were taken by Prangeway in 2001. Enjoy!
2006:
2001:
on December 14th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
There’s a trip down memory lane. Used to go there all the time; an ex of mine lived 10 minutes away. Never got a chance to go to Manalapan Mall. From what I heard, the small chains emptied out the minute Freehold opened, so I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did.
on December 14th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
This mall is almost a bizarro copy of the Danbury Fair Mall in Danbury, CT (while I will be covering on my site in the next month). Wilmorite Company must’ve built it because if they didn’t, someone stole plans from somebody… Take a look and compare; I’ve posted a bunch at the Ames Fan Club (http://www.amesfanclub.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=768).
on December 14th, 2006 at 5:17 pm
I used to have a friend that lived near Freehold so I knew a little about the mall, but never saw any pictures. It looks good; completely anonymous, but good.
Hahne’s must not have started construction before they pulled out, because the JCPenney is a pretty typical JCPenney design for that period. The bubbled and arched entrance gives it away
I’m kind of surprised about the Lord & taylor though. It looks like it’s in a one-story portion of a mall that looks two stories throughout. Anybody care to verify this?
on December 14th, 2006 at 11:12 pm
Yep… this is definitely a Wilmorite Mall, or was.
on December 15th, 2006 at 2:28 am
Heads up; Macerich Group is currently renovating a slew of their previously Wilmorite-built malls. Freehold made the list… http://www.freeholdracewaymall.com/aboutus.asp
As you can see, this mall is slated to become an outdoor *ghast* lifestyle center. Sounds a little silly, good luck to Winter in New Jersey. The 20-year old Danbury Mall, however, is staying indoor (thank god), and getting a pretty nice overhaul. I’m not too eager though, this is about a desecration of childhood memories…
on December 15th, 2006 at 2:46 am
Actually, if you read closely, they’re just planning on *expanding* the existing mall with a lifestyle component. These things are kind of faddish and destined to become white elephants someday, but in this case it’s not going to replace the massive–and massively successful–main mall.
on December 15th, 2006 at 3:13 am
Yes, the mall opened in 1990 by Wilmorite. Originally, it opened with the 2-story Lord & Taylor and Sears. JC Penney opened about a year later, then Nordstrom in 1995-ish. The Macy’s location was planned to be an A & S, but Federated killed them. It was going to be a Stern’s, but finally Federated killed them too and decided on a Macy’s. I have maps of all 3 department stores featuring coming soon logos on the location. I went opening weekend (August 1990) and the mall was deemed a failure. Almost 40% of the stores were empty, and they filled the walls with pictures of the old Freehold Raceway and the fire that destroyed it. Nobody thought the mall would be the success it has become today.
on December 15th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Holy S**t, it’s Irondequoit Mall with open stores and people actually shopping there (Another former Wilmorite mall built at the same time).
on December 15th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Steven:
You’re right about the L&T oddity. The photo above was taken from the second floor. The design there is strange; esentially the L&T store doesn’t meet the mall flush across both levels, but instead the mall continues further on the second floor–on TOP of L&T. You can get some sense of the difference if you go to the official site and toggle between the two floors on the directory.
on December 16th, 2006 at 1:09 am
That first picture… looks JUST LIKE the Danbury Fair Mall. It’s even the same colours. WTF.
on December 16th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
I can’t get over how much this looks like the Danbury Mall, even down the the carousel in the food court. Although the carousel in Danbury is a double-decker and was originally part of the Danbury Fair on the grounds where the current mall is built. It’s really uncanny. Even the fountain pics are similar. Amazing!!!
on December 17th, 2006 at 1:26 am
Same here. I’ve been going to Danbury Mall since I was 4; around the year this mall was built. It really shocks me to see Wilmorite barely had an original plan for this mall especially because the Danbury Fair Mall was modeled *after* the 181 year old Danbury Fair (with the glass/tent-esque ceilings, carousel). If you see one of my pictures of the center court, notice how the Haagen Dazs is on the bottom level in the same place at Danbury; except that one is on the top!
I’ll say it again; Freehold Raceway is a bizarro, alternate world Danbury Fair Mall that sems to have only received slight interior makeup aside from it’s more insipid exterior. Nonetheless, all the more reason to make this a possible destination for this Summer. It seems the Macerich renovation, which I misunderstood, will make the mall a little more distinct from Wilmorite’s original uninspired copycat.
on December 23rd, 2006 at 10:58 pm
Hi everyone! I’m the author of the second comment on the Manalapan Mall page at deadmalls.com. I also live 10 minutes away from this mall.
Dave is correct in saying that Freehold Raceway Mall did not open as a success–old habits die hard in this area. However, this mall did not immediately kill off Manalapan Mall–key word being “immediately”. Large sign on the surrounding highways (Routes 9, 33, and 537) aside, this is not an easy mall to find. You cannot see the mall itself from any highway, and from one entrance (Route 33), can’t even see any outposts. This is another reason why Freehold Raceway Mall did not immediately take off.
According to my mom, who has lived in this area for over 25 years, little Manalapan Mall hung in there for a few years longer than average, being it was very much visible on Route 9. It was only the last three or four years of its life (1993-97?) that was truly its death knell.
If I remember correctly, Stern’s was among one of the original anchors (along with Sears, Nordstrom, and JC Penney); it later became Lord & Taylor after it closed, although I could be mixing up L&T with Nordstrom.
I can’t say I miss Manalapan Mall; if it weren’t for Freehold Raceway Mall, I would still be trekking 30 minutes to Monmouth Mall in Eatontown, or worse, the funny-smelling Brunswick Square Mall (yuck!) in East Brunswick.
on December 24th, 2006 at 2:50 am
Also, to answer Steven’s question: The Lord & Taylor in this mall is indeed two stories; there are mall entrances on both levels. Otherwise, what Caldor said.
on December 24th, 2006 at 8:57 am
Caldor & Debbi:
After looking at the map, the L&T configuration does make sense.
I’ve seen a Belk in North Carolina set up like this (except that it was three floors instead of two) and a similar setup at Bloomingdale’s in Tysons Corner Center.
on December 25th, 2006 at 11:28 am
Is the JCPenney store a half octagon shape? Aside from the colors, it looks exactly like the one at Westmoreland Mall in Greensburg, PA.
on December 27th, 2006 at 3:48 am
The malls planning to add lifestyle center components connecting some of it’s outside enterances to the mall
should be interesting……
Anyone know how the mall got it’s “Raceway” name? honestly I was expecting some kind of race track in the mall, lol.
on December 27th, 2006 at 3:49 am
okay never mind I found out about the name earlier in the post :rollseyes:
on December 27th, 2006 at 5:24 pm
There’s an actual Freehold Raceway about a mile or so from the mall, according to Google Maps. I also have confirmed my own previous question regarding the JCPenney store.
on December 28th, 2006 at 5:06 am
Not even a mile–right across the highway. It’s actually easier to find than the mall, LOL.
I’m not entirely sure on this–I’m on vacation away from the Freehold area as I write this–but portions of the adjacent “lifestyle center” may be open already. The last time I was at the mall (early December), I saw Christmas Tree Shops already open and a coming soon/now hiring sign on the entrance of Marshall’s.
on January 2nd, 2007 at 10:52 pm
I’m a local, and want to add a few things.
The “Raceway” is not only across the street, but has its stables in a corner of the mall property. The horses/sulkies (this is a harness facility) cross over US9 to get to the track.
The name “Freehold Mall” belongs to a strip center (not a big one) just south of FRM. They were unwilling to relinquish their name when FRM opened. Locals getting in a cab have to be specific, or they get a ridxe to the wrong place.
The fencing off of the lot for the new space started today. If nothing else, it should help unify the main mall with some of the eastern outparcel “big boxes.”
When I was last in Danbury Fair, ti was before FRM had opened, and I didn’t make the connection. I just looked at the Danbury map, and, gosh, it is uncanny.
If you want to look for bizarre ities at FRM (and comment if they have parallels at other Macerich properties), I have observed:
- directories completey removed at some major entrances to make room for kiosks
- payphones in the service hallways removed.
Somehow, as a kidless almost-50YO, it makes me feel like the message is “if you’re not one of the thousands of teens who knowe this mall by heart, AND have a cell glued to your ear, you’re not one of our people.”
on January 10th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
I went to the freehold raceway mall back in 1990 on its opening day pretty nice mall but not on of the best malls around when I was living in freehold in the 1980’s it was a struggle to go to a mall we would either had to go to monmouth mall or the old seaview square you know with stern’s,steinbach’s????? to do our shopping but since then Im not too thrilled with freehold mall its not on my favorite list I like going to monmouth mall a lot better even though I live 20 mins away in woodbridge.
on January 28th, 2007 at 1:05 am
Just gonna put this out here…the food court and some of the interior spaces remind of the Providence Place Mall in downtown Providence. Im from CT but have never been to the Danbury Fair Mall so couldnt compare it.
on February 16th, 2007 at 8:42 am
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/abrahambamster/
this is my new group on yahoo I urge you all to join if you love the days when there was a lot of local chains and not 10 million Macy’s join this group I need members post memories of the defunct chains
on March 2nd, 2007 at 8:45 pm
i wenbt to this mall back in 2003 and it comptnley looks just like the danbuy mall on the insdie only diffreence is that danbury open in 1986 with macys and JC Penny opening in 1988 and lord and taylor opening in 1991
on March 5th, 2007 at 1:36 am
I went back to this mall today for the first time since before Christmas. Here’s what I found:
–quite a few stores have closed including Delia’s, Gadzooks (made redundant by the opening of Forever 21 last fall), Babou (local upscale boutique), and a local upscale pet boutique. However, there are also stores that have opened or will soon including Jasmine Sola, Skechers, Robert Wayne Footwear (not sure if this is a chain or local), Baudino (designer shoes), a Soup Man kiosk in the food court, a local candy store, and a blast from my past, Bakers Shoes. (yet more shoes! Yay…ah, ahem.
) Seems to me FRM is going more and more toward the upscale route.
–construction on the parking deck by Macy’s has begun. I can only hope this doesn’t take too long; this has made finding parking extremely annoying.
–similarly, I believe ground has been cleared for the “lifestyle” portion. If I observed correctly, it’s on the roadway leading to Route 9.
–I keep hearing rumours there’s supposed to be a Cheesecake Factory arriving soon. I’m guessing it will be with the “lifestyle” portion? It’s ridiculous that a mall as big as FRM only has two restaurants. Unless you count the Chili’s that’s across Route 9, which I don’t.
–as far as I know, I haven’t seen any sign of ground broken for the sixth anchor yet.
Also, to comment on Jay’s post above…I’m a late thirtysomething, also childless, though I do admit I occasionally have the cell glued to my ear when walking around, LOL. I do feel quite comfortable there.
on April 2nd, 2007 at 3:04 am
Beginning this month, Freehold Raceway Mall will embark on an interior renovation that will drastically change the apperance of the mall with new flooring, lighting and a brighter paint job. While the mall will be better lit and have a more modern look, they sadly are taking out the big center court fountain in favor of a smaller center court fountain, seating area and coffee kiosk (most likely a Starbucks..a la Tysons Galleria and Fair Oaks). If there’s something they need to change, it’s the center court elevator…for the size of the mall, it’s still way too tiny.
Update on the expansion:
-most of the steel sturctural supports are up
-while I am not totally sure, the bookstore is going to be a Borders. I am guessing this because the steel supports near the entrance of the store resemble the design of the Eatontown and Ramsey Borders, BN already has two route 9 locations (Freehold and Howell) and I have heard no word of them vacating the behind the times Freehold location. Also, this will be Borders’s 1st 2 level location in Central Jersey and 1st route 9 location.
-no update on the other stores, but the Cheesecake Factory opening is looking pretty belivable because the steel structure resembles that of the Meno and Riverside Cheesecake Factory.
-there has been a lot of clearing between the route 9 entrance of the mall and JCPenney/Lord & Taylor…don’t know what that’s going to be yet since they have to even out the land….it will be interesting, though
-The expansion will make Freehold Raceway Mall the 2nd largest mall in NJ behind Garden State Plaza (which is also going through an expansion of its own)
The wooded area across from Lord and Taylor and the route 9 entrance road has recently been cleared. Still too soon to tell what will be there being that they still have to even out the land. At the conclusion of the expansion/renovation, some stores/restuarants I’d like to see in FRM are Teavana, Brooks Brothers, JCrew, Williams-Sonoma, Champps, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and Restoration Hardware. Exciting times for the Freehold Raceway Mall!
on April 11th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
All of this conversation is interesting… and brings back memories for me…
I grew up in Manalapan in the 1970s and 1980s, only 5 minutes away from Freehold and the mall (when Route 9 wasn’t so jammed with cars!)… returned home from college in upstate NY during normal holiday breaks and summer vacation in the late 80s and early 90s before permanently moving to the West coast in 1993…
Remember vividly the very beginnings of FRM… as it was exciting to see the retail landscape change dramatically in central NJ… no more long trips to other malls (Monmouth, Brunswick Square, Menlo Park and even Short Hills) from the talk and town approvals to build it, to the announcement of what department stores were going in to opening day in August of 1990… I was even at Nordstrom’s grand opening two years later in August of 1992…
The original retail line-up announcement stated Sears and Lord and Taylor (it was never scheduled to be a Stern’s) would open first when the mall opened in 1990, Hahnes would open in 1991 and Nordstrom in 1992… the actual buildings for the latter two were not even built at the grand opening… Macy’s arrival wasn’t announced until a few years later… in 1995, I believe…
Originally, the Freehold Nordstrom was going to be the company’s first NJ store but when Hahne’s went out of business (and pulled out of Freehold, hence JCPenney), the upscale retailer quickly expanded in other parts of the state (Garden State Plaza and Menlo Park) by renovating the former Hahne’s stores… which didn’t take as much time, where Freehold was an entire new structure… so Freehold became the company’s third NJ location…
Even though Manalapan Mall was never really a great place for retail, it brings back lots of memories for me… from eating at Friendly’s with my family to hanging out with friends at the Sam Goody to seeing my art work from school be a part of the mall’s annual art show…
on April 13th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
According to an article in Wednesday’s Asbury Park Press, it’s official (and nearly official)…PF Changs is coming to the new lifestyle center and Cheesecake Factory is in negotiations, likely to come to the new lifestyle center. Haven’t heard whether the bookstore will be Borders or Barnes and Noble (I’m still guessing Borders), but I did hear that Reuhl 33 is coming to the mall, most possibly the lifestyle center. Still don’t know yet what all the clearing near the route 9 entrance will bring.
on April 15th, 2007 at 5:58 am
to respond to mitch’s comment stern’s was proposed to be at the freehold raceway mall but it fell through then A&S was proposed for the mall until their demise in 1995 so they settled for macy’s which opened in 1998 I remeber when it opened they had Brandy to come out there to sign autographs and stuff
on April 29th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
from what i gather, the open parcel that is being leveled on Raceway Mall Drive, is going to be remote parking for employees. If it is going to be anything else, they will definetly need a few more traffic lights, as it gets really bad heading to route 9.
on April 30th, 2007 at 12:56 am
Haven’t heard whether the bookstore will be Borders or Barnes and Noble (I’m still guessing Borders),
I’m guessing Borders, as I highly doubt B&N is moving from their highly profitable and often crowded Route 9 location. Though you never know.
on May 3rd, 2007 at 7:46 pm
Changes are starting to take place at Freehold Raceway Mall. A large wall and tarp is covering the majority of center court and the fountain is GONE. Also in center court, they are starting to re-do the elevator. In other areas of the mall, the copper ball things below the skylights are gone, as are the arched beaded lights below the skylights. The mall now has a musty construction smell and they haven’t even started tearing up the tile yet.
The lifestyle construction is really coming along and I am convinced the bookstore will be Borders, but I have no confirmation on it yet. The cleared area near the route 9 entrance is starting to look more like a parking lot and they are also building a small parking area in the back near Nordstrom.
on May 11th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Link to an article in today’s Asbury Park Press regarding the addition to the mall. Borders has been named as the first tenant, ending the speculation here…
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070511/BUSINESS/705110374/1003
on May 11th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
I remember how exotic PF Changs was just a few years ago. Now, it and Cheesecake Factory are becoming the new homogenized standard for these upscale big box lots. If one is installed, there’s a damn good chance the other will as well.
We still don’t have any in Connecticut although one such hyper-scale center planned…
on May 12th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Thanks for the confirmation, Mike. I wonder if the arrival of Borders will mean the Waldenbooks in the mall proper will close.
Last week I was once again in this mall. This time, in addition to the construction already mentioned, I noticed that UNI-QLO, a shop that opened with much fanfare a little under two years ago, has closed. Guess lots of other people figured what I did: that the place is little more than a Japanese version of Old Navy. Also gone is Nancy’s Coffee, unsurprising since I never saw anybody in there. Things Remembered (their 2nd time around) is gone too, as is The Game Room Store (drywalled with a sign with the word “Ruehl” on the door….don’t know if this is the replacement store or just the construction company, LOL)
This gives me a twinge of concern, as an outlet mall opened up recently on Route 9 about 8 miles away, though most likely the mall that should really worry is Brunswick Square, which blows anyway.
on May 12th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Ruehl is a clothing store operated by Abercrombie & Fitch, I think. There’s one at 12 Oaks Mall in Novi.
on May 13th, 2007 at 12:57 am
It is very unlikely that Waldenbooks will remain, as both Borders and Waldenbooks are a part of the same company. As occurred in Menlo Park Mall when Barnes and Noble opened, B Dalton Booksellers closed down, as they are both part of the same company. Speaking of B&N, it’s time to upgrade the Freehold store with the new competition across the street. The large Borders Books/Music may also lead to the demise of the music stores in the mall, as B&N has done in both Menlo Park and the Shops at Riverside. FRM will be Ruehl’s 2nd location in NJ (one is in GSP) and maybe with the closing of Uniqlo (the Menlo store is still open) we’ll finally see JCrew come to Freehold. Teavana may be opening at FRM in late 2007-early 2008.
True about Brunswick Square not being a great mall, but this place will survive as it has a large movie theatre that the majority of the EB/Spotswood/Monroe kids frequent, the Barnes and Noble cafe is consistently busy during the evenings, and the mall itself is convenient to those who live in its immediate area. Additionally, it has great visibility on Route 18. Most recently, I heard that Simon has plans for additonal development there, spefically building a Bistro Row b/t Ruby Tuesday and JCPenney, on a smaller scale of what will be done at Cherry Hill Mall. There was actually going to be a 2nd floor addition there back in the 90s, but many EB residents were against it and even if it were to be built, Route 18 and Rues Lane would both need major construction.
Back to Freehold Raceway Mall, I am excited to hear the other stores planned for the expansion. There is a great chance this place will become the GS Plaza of the Jersey Shore!
on May 13th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
The only music store at FRM is a huge FYE located right next to Macy’s (I think…my memory is foggy). I’m not sure of the traffic there (I didn’t say it was good, just huge, LOL), but I would think it would stay open. Then again, as you said, the music department at B&N in Menlo Park did kill off Compact Disc World there. The deciding factor is going to be the selection at Borders; the one at the B&N on Route 9 is pretty anemic.
You are right about Brunswick Square’s B&N and movie theatre; the latter will get lots more traffic when the Regal 8 in Marlboro is closed and demolished. And yes, it is convenient to those in the EB area (don’t you just love New Jersey…everyone has a car but nobody wants to go very far for anything). But BS has no food court, is dated and smells funny. Hell, even the candy in the machines is rancid. IMO, they should just keep the movie theatre, the B&N, and the restaurants and just turn the place into a lifestyle center.
I’m excited about the expansion as well. I wonder what other stores will be part of the next wave. I’d love it if they gave the Sanrio Store another chance, but that’s just my wishful thinking, LOL
on May 14th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised if they found a way to put an H&M store in Freehold. It seems to be turning into the type of mall one of those stores would do well in.
on May 28th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Stopped by the mall today and noticed a few more changes with the ongoing construction and expansion:
- They are now beginning to tear up some of the old tile
- Repainting of the ironwork below the skylights has begun. It looks as if it will now be changing from green to beige. A couple of the iron rungs under the skylights have been painted and the crane that is sitting in the Lord and Taylor wing will probably move across the mall to do the rest of it.
- The tarp has been removed covering center court and few remnants of the fountain remain…the planters have been torn up and only a few blue tiles remain.
- More of the facade of Borders looks to have been completed and the lifestyle construction progresses.
- The new parking lot behind Nordstrom looks complete and the parking lot along the route 9 entrance is beginning to take shape.
Still waiting for announcements of the new stores to take up the space of the lifestyle expansion as well as the vacant spots within the mall (fingers crossed for JCrew, Teavana, the 2nd coming of Williams-Sonoma and Brooks Brothers)
on June 3rd, 2007 at 6:45 pm
A correction to what I wrote a few posts up: Things Remembered has not closed; they merely moved locations. Sorry about that.
There are, however, more vacant spaces in the mall than I am comfortable seeing. Not to imply FRM is going to join the list of the dead anytime soon, but the vacancy rate appears to be about 15% as far as I can tell, the most I have seen since I moved back to the area in 1999. Can anyone confirm or dispute?
On a brighter note, there will be a fountain at FRM after all. According to a radio ad, it will be on a smaller scale in the main area. Also, the targeted date for the openings is November. Hope everything is going in time for the Christmas shopping season!
on June 10th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Another official announcement. The Cheesecake Factory will be joining the lifestyle expansion. This was speculated by me and others for the past few months and it’s good to see we were right. Looking forward to hearing the other tennants in the mall.
And no worries about the higher vacancy rate…probably just a re-shuffling of tennants…the same thing is going on right now in Menlo Park Mall.
on June 18th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
Made a trip to the mall this weekend and here’s an update on the progress:
- Most of the work is being done in the Lord and Taylor wing
- All the plants and trees that were once implanted in the mall floor have been torn up
- The small globe lights along the skylights and supports have been removed.
- Some of the glass of the skylights looks as if it is being replaced
- The tiles have been torn up throughout most of the mall
- The stairwell in front of Sears has been removed
- The painting of the ironwork under the skylights, as well as the atrium concrete has progressed and by the looks of it, they are shooting for earth tones…lots of tan
- The atrium lights in the Lord and Taylor wing have been removed…probably soon to follow in the Sears wing
- No noticeable change in the center court renovation
- Rear parking lot complete, route 9 entrance parking lot still under construction
- The buildings of the lifestyle center are progressing nicely…looks as if the majority of the steelwork is done…waiting on more announcements of openings
- Store changes: Ruehl 925 announced a fall opening, NY & Co space is available, UNIQLO space is available
on June 23rd, 2007 at 7:44 pm
NY & Co space is available,
Wait a minute…I was back at FRM about two weeks ago and the sign in NY & Co said “closed for renovations, will reopen in six weeks”. Of course, I take all closed for renovations signs with a pound of salt, but I remember The Gap did the exact same thing two years ago and they’re still open and doing fine. Unless something changed in the past two weeks?
NY & Co was one of the shops I frequently visited, and though most of their staff left me unimpressed, they did get a decent amount of business.
on July 2nd, 2007 at 12:01 pm
If anyone’s interested, I have some photos of the mall’s progress here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shaneyoyeah/sets/72157594182696692/
on July 6th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
I stand corrected, Debi. I was at the mall this week and more signage about the NY&CO status was available…they are in fact renovating. Also noticed that Charlotte Rousse (sp?) is taking over the UNIQLO space.
As for the renovation and expansion, more of the original tiles are gone, some new tiles by Lord and Taylor are down, new lights on the skylights are up and the painting of the skylight area goes on…not much new progress in center court, but the lifestyle center is coming along nicely and the new parking lots are almost done.
on July 11th, 2007 at 3:31 am
No probs, Mallguy. It’s all good.
One new parking lot (on the right side as you’re entering the mall property via Route 9) is now open. Not too many changes with store openings/closings. Bakers Shoes is now open, and Amuse Accessories has been announced for fall. Also, a second branch of Gloria Jean’s is now open in the Nancy’s space.
Good luck to Charlotte Rousse; they’re going to have some *serious* competition with Wet Seal and Forever 21 nearby. But I’m excited that CR is coming: IMO more cheap semi-trashy fashion is always a good thing, LOL.
on August 2nd, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Haven’t been to the mall in about a month, but there were two articles released about upcoming opening….one in the Asbury Park Press and the other a mall press release. Joining Borders and Cheesecake Factory in the lifestyle center are PF Changs and two new to the area retailers, Jared’s The Galleria of Jewelry and The Territory Ahead. Curious to see what else will be opening there. Hopefully, the FRM lifestyle center will be better than the one recently opened at Bridgewater Commons.
on August 3rd, 2007 at 7:35 pm
I did stop by the mall today and noticed a lot more changes since I was last there about a month ago:
- The New Tile is down on the Nordstrom wing, JCPenney wing and Lord and Taylor wing…this area of the mall is a lot brighter as a result.
- Most of the old tile has been stripped.
- Painting of the ironwork under the skylights is more than halfway done.
- Temporary lights have been placed on the skylights
- Most of the fountain area has been raised to the level of the rest of the mall, except for the central portion..probably where the new fountain and coffee kiosk will go…I would think this area of the mall would be done by the holidays.
-Forever 21 will open in the former Delia’s space.
- It looks as if the Lifestyle Center will come out to the ring road and allow easier access to Dick’s (following the pattern from Flatiron Crossing in CO). At the lifestyle center, Cheesecake Factory will be located next to Borders and I am not yet able to discern where other stores will go.
- Both new parking lots are complete.
on August 4th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Got a question aimed toward Mallguy, but of course anyone else can feel free to answer.
This week my travels have taken me to Woodbridge Center and Monmouth Mall, as well as Hamilton Mall in South Jersey. To my amazement, I see many stores open and doing fine in those malls that have bombed at FRM. UNI-QLO and Sanrio are the only two that come to mind right now, but I could probably come up with others when my memory is refreshed.
What I’m asking is…why is that? Granted, WC and MM are aimed toward different demographics (especially MM, which seems to be aimed more at a working-class clientele, though they do have most of what FRM offers), but the number of stores I’ve seen that were fly-by-nights at FRM seemed unsettling? Perhaps they are giving narrow focus to the upscale customer?
BTW, I don’t want to leave Shaney out here…great pics!
on August 7th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
I’ll attempt, Debbi, at answering your question.
Freehold Raceway mall has always has size on its size, as well as potentioal to get bigger and bigger (as it has done and is doing). Throughout most of its history, FRM, has always used this size to say in marketing and attracting stores that we can be all things to all shoppers. Examples: stores like Nordstrom and Sears, Old Navy and Apple are all under the same roof. This has caused some of the upscale stores some concern such as Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma which pulled out three years ago. Now FRM is transitioning to marketing to a higher end shopper as we have seen and see with some of its recent additions. Plus, they are trying to keep their Mercer County base of shoppers now that Quakerbridge Mall is planning an expansion with Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. Why Uniqlo didn’t make it…I’d say that they felt their Menlo store was more successful and has a larger customer base.
on August 23rd, 2007 at 8:03 pm
I have to make a pilgrimage to this place when it is done. I live about 80 minutes away but it will be worth!
on August 23rd, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Worth it I mean. Sorry!
on August 27th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Not related to the Freehold Raceway Mall, but does anyone remember what stores the Manalapan Mall had before it got creamed by the FRM? I was a young kid then, but besides Steinbach’s the anchor, I remember there was a Friendly’s, CVS, Daemart’s (? kinda like dollar store), a jewelry store.
on August 28th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Pat,
In the Manalapan Mall, you also had a fur store, a candy store (Jo-ann something or other) The Cupboard (an early Lechters or Sur La Table), Mandee…the others I don’t remember. But they were supposed to have an expansion wing with Macy’s and Sears, but that never transpired.
On Freehold Raceway Mall, I haven’t been there in a while, but I did read that Borders and the Cheesecake Factory are planning September/October openings and Rhehl opens in November.
on August 31st, 2007 at 12:16 am
Stopped by today for the 1st time since earlier in the month. The lifestyle center is progressing nicely…not all the stores are finished, but they have started to put in place some of the pavement and planters…one thing I did notice is that the pavement is a reddish/maroonish hue…a similar color to that of Future World in EPCOT. The openings of Borders and Cheesecake Factory seem to be on target. It seems that the majority of the ceiling has been painted and the pattern I’ve been noticing is they are working in a north to south fashion. The Lord and Taylor wing is fully tiled and they haven’t yet started in the Sears wing. Also, it seems most of the equipment, cranes, etc has been relocated to center court. They have also started to put in piping for the new fountain, and maybe have even begun to build the foundation for the new coffee kiosk. I would be surprised if center court is finished before the holidays. As a result of the renovation, they are bound to have new holiday decor in the mall.
on September 1st, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Pat, in addition to what Mallguy mentioned, there was also a Musicland and an independent pizza place. Someone upthread said the Musicland was a Sam Goody’s; this might have been the case for the last few years of its life. The Jo-Ann’s candy store was actually a kiosk across from Friendly’s and the pizza place.
Mallguy: Thank you for answering my question. I like the “all things to all shoppers” (without getting *too* downscale) idea. FRM is in the middle between an upper-middle income area (Manalapan, Marlboro) and middle to lower-middle (Freehold Boro, Howell). I always thought the balance was just right, but I understand from a business viewpoint the trend toward getting the higher-income shoppers. Although if they boot Hot Topic, I will raise holy hell, LOL.
Speaking of Hot Topic, there’s something called Robot Factory going in next door; I recall reading that’s supposed to be a combination store/interactive experience of some type, kind of like Build-A-Bear if I remember correctly. I’ll try to research this and report back. I do remember reading this is the first store of theirs in New Jersey. Not sure of the opening date.
Now it’s my turn to go OT: Upthread I mentioned the Shoppes at Old Bridge, and how it might be a thread to FRM. Well, I was there recently and the place was totally dead. To be fair, the day I went–a sunny Tuesday afternoon in early August–was not prime time for shopping. But the place, for a lifestyle center that received a fair amount of hype, was not looking too healthy. The jury is still out on whether this place is going to make it. Either way, I would say FRM and Brunswick Square don’t have much to worry about.
on September 2nd, 2007 at 12:21 am
I noticed the upcoming Robot Factory as well…I’ve never heard of it, but it does look interesting. Something I also noticed is they have taped up the majority of mall entrances that look out on to the lifestyle expansion (they are currently closed off to normal traffic and are designated as fire doors until the lifestyle expansion opens)…you can still see through, but only slightly…maybe they are trying to heighten the suspense.
Debbi, thanks for mentioning the Shoppes at Old Bridge. I also agree that it poses no threat to Brunswick Square or Freehold Raceway Mall. It will serve as a complement to the mall(s) in the same way that the Grove at Shrewsbury serves as an complement to the Monmouth Mall (and a better alternative at times). The jury is still out on the Shoppes at Old Bridge as some stores and the majority of the dining options have not yet opened (Bensi and Panera are supposed to open here). Also, the highway visibility is not as strong as it is for the other Stanbery lifestyle centers opening in NJ (already open: The Shoppes at Union Hill, Route 10, Denville; and opening in the fall: The Shoppes at North Brunswick at the interesections of Routes 1 & 130, North Brunswick)
on September 7th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
There is a free-standing building in the parking lot, across from where Borders is going in the new “lifestyle” section. This building seems like an afterthought, and kind of messes up the streetscape. Do you know what is going into that building? .
on September 9th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Heads up! my girlfriend reports from Dambury fair they lost not only has Filenes closed but so has JCPenny & L & T as well.
Who knows whats happening
on September 9th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
She’s wrong — L&T and Penney’s are still open at Danbury. Unless they’re temporarily closed for renovation.
on September 10th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Bobby when was the last timeyou were there? Debbie was there sat sep 8. She says Lord & taylor & JCPenny both have left leaving Sears & Macy’s.
Those are her exact words.
Sorry about the last post i couldn’t see the errors i made.
on September 10th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Just to give an update, both the Lord & Taylor and JCPenney stores at the Danbury Fair Mall in Connecticut are open today until 9:30pm. They are open for business in spite of previous postings. The former Filene’s does remain dark.
You may call both L&T and Penney’s for confirmation if you’d like. The only Lord & Taylor that has closed since they were thankfully freed from Macy’s owners last year was the location at Chicago’s Water Tower Place. It was not their decision to close that store. A greedy landlord made that decision.
However, it is interesting to note that at 79,000 square feet, the Danbury Lord & Taylor store is the smallest in the company.
on September 11th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Thank you Michael i’ll let Debbie know.
on September 13th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Freehold Raceway Mall officials say they’ve signed four new tenants for the new outdoors “lifestyle” section, namely Ann Taylor, Chico’s, Coldwater Creek and White House|Black Market. They join five previously announced tenants — Borders Books, Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Jared the Galleria of Jewelry and Territory Ahead. This completes the opening day roster.
on September 14th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
And there are still about 5 more stores that will eventually open there, according to the Press. Sounds like a pretty good lineup so far and a very similar lineup to the Village at Bridgewater Commons (the newly announced stores are all at the Village), but better…just hope for maybe a Brooks Brothers, Sharper Image or JCrew to open up there.
on September 14th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Thanks, mallguy and Debbi for your info on Manalapan Mall.
Also, Here’s the lease plan that shows where the new outside stores will be placed…
http://www.freeholdracewaymall.com/assets/freeholdracewaymall/Merchants%20First/Demographics/Lease_Plan/lease_plan_2.pdf
on September 16th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Looks like I’ve seen more renovation progress in my mall trip today. It seems they have the new lighting connected in the Lord and Taylor Wing and they are also beginning to install the new lighting on the columns. I have a feeling that once everything’s done, FRM will look pretty impressive at night with its lighting…who knows, maybe even to the level of Menlo Park. The Sears wing is seeing some more construction…the ironwork has all been painted and they are installing a new escalator where the staircase next to Sears was located…I would not be surprised to see the escalator in the center of that wing be dismantled, as was the one on the Lord and Taylor side when the stairs in front of Lord and Taylor were replaced with an escalator. I continue to stand by my previous prediction that center court will not be ready for the holidays…not much new progress over there. Also, more new tile is down in the food court. Throughout the mall, they have done a lot more painting and most of the ironwork except for center court, a few areas in the food court, as well as near Lord and Taylor have all been repainted. In terms of new stores, Ruehl is open, which I am excited about, and Charlotte Russe has also opened. On the lifestyle center, they have put up street lights, but the building that is going next to PF Changs has not yet been started. Also nameplates and letters have begun to go up on the buildings. Freehold looks like it’s definitely going to be the Garden State Plaza of Central Jersey.
on September 20th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
What are they going to do with the Loews cinema?
I think it would be a good idea to add a new theatre to the lifestyle section.
on September 21st, 2007 at 7:13 pm
I agree and I believe that moving the Loews to the new lifestyle section would be a good thing and would not only improve the selection of entertainment options there, but give further help to Borders, PF Changs and the Cheesecake Factory (not that they’re going to need it). However, I don’t see it happening anytime soon (pretty sure the mall won’t sacrifice any more parking), eventhough a stadium seating theatre would be nice in Monmouth County.
on September 24th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Does anyone know when Loews opened?
As for the parking issue Mall guy i think a structure might do the job. Roosevelt Field for example had 3 structures that were built there & can handle the traffic flow. There is a case for AMC to replace that theatre, why not frm? Then again the same could be said for Menlo Park & Newport Centre, the latter 2 have older theatres than FRM. But i still say move the Loews to were the lifestyle wing is. Just trying to be practical.
on September 24th, 2007 at 10:47 am
If they move the theater to the lifestyle section, they can build a surface lot over the old theater.
on September 24th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Funny…the idea of a parking structure didn’t even come to mind. It is a good idea and I would definitely endorse that. FRM could definitely handle the extra traffic, more so than Menlo Park, Garden State Plaza or Tysons Corner. Garden State Plaza even built parking underneath their new AMC Theatre. Who knows…maybe we’ll see the AMC move.
on September 24th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Mallguy maybe we can work on an site plan & sell it to macerich.
I assume that you know that the Menlo Park theatre is on top of the parking structure, there’s somthing to go on. FYI many new AMC theatres are on the 2nd floor with parking under them. L.A.s Centry City, Fashon Valley & GSP come to mind since they’re based on the same prototype.
on September 24th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
mallguy since you brought up menlo’s traffic problem i’m not sure what the problem is. Is the ring road off route 1 & Parsonage road? Or is it the way the traffic flows?
on September 24th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Lol…actually Sean, the Cineplex at Menlo Park technically covers the lower level parking area near the Macy’s midcourt entrance whereas in Garden State Plaza, there is more of a deck like structure underneath the AMC. The Cineplex is not a part of the 3 level parking deck in the back, but the theatres do have access to it.
With the traffic issue at Menlo Park, the design of the ring road is flawed for a couple of reasons and they causes major traffic backups:
- The ring road drops from 2 lanes to one lane when it makes the turn toward Barnes and Noble, The Cheesecake Factory and Nordstrom. When they built B&N and TCF, they didn’t think through how that area would be congested with pedestrians crossing toward the mall and people slowing down to looking for parking, as the parking is quite tight over there.
-Also, where the front part of the ring road intersects with the rear part of the ring road near Nordstrom and Fox and Hound are two major traffic chokepoints. On a weekend, this could significantly back up as a result of the lack of traffic lights at these places and also because the front ring road portions are only one road. The traffic and construction situation on route 1 doesn’t help matters much either.
With Freehold Raceway Mall, eventhough the traffic may run smoothly now, I would not be surprised that within 5 years, the route 9 and route 537 entrances are overpassed.
on September 25th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Thanks mallguy. I have 1 more question what should simon do with the cineplex’s at Menlo Park & Newport Centre? Menlo needs a new theatre desperitly & Newports is even worse.
But what else would you expect from cineplex odeon
on September 29th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
To answer Sean’s earlier questions, the prospect of renovating the Cineplex at Menlo is very appealing. Its interior screams late 80s early 90s and it is not a stadium seating theater, where one would expect a mall that size to have one, especially with the large number of entertainment options Menlo Park has. The cineplex actually replaced a 2 screen movie theater where Macaroni Grill now stands. The new AMCs at Rockaway and GS Plaza are quite impressive and do set a standard of what a movie theatre should look like. I think it is unlikely that the Menlo theater will be renovated, as it will be quite a challenge considering its location in the mall and also due to the fact that Hartz-Mountain plans for a large movie theatre 2 miles down the road at the new Edison Town Center (former Ford Plant). I haven’t been to Newport in years, but since the mall recenlty got a facelift, why shouldn’t the movie theater get one too!
On your earlier question, the Loews in Freehold opened in 1994/1995. It was nice when it opened, but it’s a little tired and way too populated by teenagers on the weekends.
On my most recent trip to the mall, I had the chance to check out the new Ruehl and it’s quite a cool store. The design of the store is quite impressive (they cut corners in this one though in that it doesn’t have the different levels that the ones in GS Plaza and Tysons Corner do) and the clothing they sell is a much higher quality than its counterparts in Abercrombie and Hollister.
on September 30th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Thank you mallguy!
on September 30th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
There may be a way to turn the Menlo Park theatre into a stadium seating setup-by gutting it, raising the roof & only having 9 or 10 theatres instead of the current 12 or 11 in the case of Newport.
I never sead it would be easy or cheep.
on September 30th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
I nnever said it would be easy or cheep!
EXCUSEME!
on October 1st, 2007 at 9:35 am
Some days i just cant type at all.
for the third time, I never said it would be cheep or easy.
on October 6th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
I was in the mall again today (was going to do an “on the scene update” from the Apple Store, but I’d put more thought in doing it this way) and here are the construction updates. A lot of visible progress:
- The promenade area of the Lifestyle Center is now open and the area looks pretty darn good. Cheesecake Factory is also open. Don’t know if the “performance stage” is up yet and I wonder where it will be…unless the performance area is the small grassy knoll in front of Borders. I hope they install speakers in the planters to have a little “mood music” in the same fashion as in The Grove.
- The ceiling is almost fully painted and most of the lighting is installed. There is also lighting underneath each column, which is probably going to look cool at night.
- In terms of lighting, they are also putting in the cables, supports and wires for the hanging lights that will be directly under the skylights.
- The food court area has been repainted and re-tiled, they still have some of the old bead and neon lighting up that may get removed.
- 70% of the mall is re-tiled…also there are areas that aren’t tiled that are seating areas and I think they will be installing carpets, along with soft seating in these areas…we’ll have to see.
- Center Court had a lot of progress. The new fountain is beginning to be built, the utilities for the coffee kiosk are installed, the elevator’s exterior was redone and the ceiling over has been painted.
- On the second floor in center court, they added frosted glass to the atrium gating where the new customer service booth will go.
- The old escalator between Center Court and Sears was taken out, as were the Sears stairs, and the escalator is now next too Sears.
A whole lot of changing going on. I did not notice any additional announcements for new stores, but I am hoping for more. More and more each day, Freehold Raceway Mall is starting to remind me of Rockaway Townsquare in that they are gradually going more upscale and are continuing along with the marketing philosophy of being everything to everybody. FRM is going in a very good direction.
on October 7th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Wonder if circuit city or best buy should open a store there. They both have locations on route 9 but it maybe a good bookend for borders.
What dou say mallguy.
on October 7th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
Sounds pretty interesting, but I don’t really see it happening. The Best Buy is at a particularly good location and I doubt they’d give it up…same for Circuit City. As we had discussed earlier, I think moving the Loews/AMC to the lifestyle center by rebuilding it as a stadium seating theater should be an option that is considered.
While I think the new lifestyle center is pretty nice and I like the setup of it, something I would have liked to see (and maybe in a few years, who knows) is more stores built between the mall and Dick’s, creating a lifestyle promenade between the mall and Dick’s.
And it definitely is time to start considering to build parking decks.
I forgot to mention in the previous post that I hope FRM decides to change their Chirstmas decor…what they have is a little tired to me…nothing beat the Christmas decor the first 5 years of the mall and I rather miss it.
on October 8th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
You are right about moving AMC first then the rest will fall into place. I think Macerich has plenty of cash on hand to do the verious projects we’ve been thinking through.
Anything i for got mallguy?
on October 8th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
You covered it all, Sean. True, it seems that Macerich has a project going on with all its big malls (e.g. Danbury Fair, Tysons Corner, Scottsdale Fashion Square, for those who aren’t familiar with their mall lineup).
Some of the best lifestyle centers attached to malls are The Streets at Southpoint (NC) and Flatiron Crossing (CO…also a Macerich mall)…maybe the NJ malls that eventually build lifestyle centers will get to that level.
on October 9th, 2007 at 9:57 am
What should be done with:
1. Livingston
2. Woodbridge
3. Menlo Park with or wiithout the cineplex issues already discussed.
What are your thoughts mallguy, i am sure there are things going on.
on October 9th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
check MAC wevsite www.macerich.com nov. 8 grand opening
on October 9th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Sean,
On the three malls you mentioned, Livingston mall is the only one that is being worked on. They are just beginning a renovation, they are adding a Barnes and Noble and the new food court will be opening shortly. With Woodbridge, I would have liked to see a greater buildout of the new wing where Dick’s is, even make that wing 2 levels. On Menlo, they are adding a few new stores (A/X Armani Exchange, Hollister, H&M, and some chinese/japanese restaurant where The Wiz used to be, to name a few). While a renovated movie theatre would be nice, as well as the other traffic fixes, what I would really like to see is a Bloomingdale’s…there is room to build out where Rainforest Cafe is located and that wing that stretches out toward it could be made into two floors and they would be able to add new stores there as well. To account for additional parking, the parking structure in the back needs to be extended to where the new Bloomingdale’s would be located and a new parking structure near Macy’s facing Route 1 needs to be built.
on October 10th, 2007 at 10:14 am
Funny you brought up bloomingdales-i thought macy’s should change to bloomies. Who needs 3 macy’s stores within a 15 minute drive of each other.
Both ideas are good, we’ll see what happens.
I visited Short Hills saturday, there is nothing that needs to be done to that mall exept tipical cosmedic updating.
By the way i could not believe the number of strollers i saw with children under the age of 1. I sware it’s a baby boom. The same could be said for nearby Summit.
on October 10th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
The Menlo Macy’s is actually the best one (and biggest one) in Middlesex County and I don’t believe it should change over and I don’t believe it will ever change over. Central Jersey could use a Bloomingdale’s (especially with the upcoming Quakerbridge expansion not including Bloomingdale’s) since Bridgewater Commons is not as convenient for everyone in the area. As I’ve mentioned on this site, Monmouth Mall would even be a good place for a new Bloomingdale’s (with an expansion wing) as it would be able to keep up with Freehold and also there are many in that area (Rumson, Spring Lake, Colts Neck, etc) that would appreciate a Bloomie’s.
The Mall at Short Hills in my opinion is the best mall in NJ if not on the east coast. I am very surprised that Cheesecake Factory or Grand Lux Cafe has not gotten in there yet. If they ever do, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them build out close to Macy’s near the mall entrance facing JFK Parkway.
on October 10th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
short hills is just the place for cheesecake, but mallguy you are 100% correct SH scream Grand Lux cafe. I went to leagal sea food & it was a good thing Debbie made a reservation because when i sat down the wait was 2 hours. Just imagine the throngs of people that grand lux could draw from a 6 county area. I rather drive to short hills than say willowbrook less hassle for parking.
I’m trying to figure out were dou place such a high profile eatery like gl, it is a little harder do to the malls zig zag configuration.
your turn mall guy
we seeme to be almost on the same wavelength.
on October 10th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Well, Grand Lux Cafe has just recently opened in Garden State Plaza so I think it will be a little while before they open a 2nd location, although one can never really tell. (I went there last month and GLC is AWESOME!!!!) Short Hills has a history of not re-newing leases, hence the exit of Ruby Tuesday (present-day Qdoba location) and Houlihan’s (present-day Legal Sea Foods location), which is why they’d wait until the Johnny Rockets lease ends. That’s really the only place where there is space to build out…either Cheesecake Factory or Grand Lux Cafe would work well in that location…and it’s right in the center of the mall basically.
on October 11th, 2007 at 10:07 am
Would you go back to glc? I think it’s better than cf.
How long did you wait? At least you could always go into best buy for a few minutes if the wait is long, wich is the case most of the time.
We know all about taubman’s leasing practices, 6 years if even that, then it’s by by! Ever notice how many stores move within Short Hills mall every time you go there? Its INSANE!
Parden the crazy eddie reference
on October 12th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
Oh what to do with Brunswick Square, maybe demall it & make it a lifestyle center?
on October 12th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
Sean,
I thought Grand Lux Cafe was pretty good…the wait was about 20 minutes and it was pretty early. It’s attached to the mall and Border’s is just right across the way so you don’t have to walk outside for a “time kill.” They also have really good desserts. I would put it on par with the Cheesecake Factory and would definitely like to see more NJ Grand Lux Cafe locations in the future (The new Cheesecake Factory at Freehold looks pretty good and they have a HUGE patio).
Yeah, Short Hills rotates their stores around…I’ve noticed that too. I was just over there today and that previously mentioned buildout location where a Grand Lux Cafe or Cheesecake Factory buildout would go could definitley work.
Brusnwick Square I believe will still continue to be an indoor mall. Believe it or not, they get a lot of business for a mall that size…go in there on a Friday night, and many of the area hs kids will be in there, especially MegaMovies and Barnes and Noble. When Macy’s has big sales, it can be a zoo in there! The mall has the basics and is a good alternative for the Freehold Raceway Mall and Menlo/Woodbridge traffic, it serves its purpose and again, it will hang in. I’ve heard rumors that they will try to keep the mall current by adding a Bistro Row of restaurants along the Route 18 side between Ruby Tuesday and JCPenney with the new Summerhill Square coming in.
on October 15th, 2007 at 10:11 am
After giving it some thaught i would agree about grand lux in short hills, looking at the directory i picked up i can see your point were it should go. Sometimes it is not rocket science.
On another note took a trip to Fort Lee saturday, whenever a area mall wants to expand everyone gets up in arms about traffic problems that will come. That’s nonsence, no mall expantion could ever bring traffic to levels found on Bergenline Ave in Union City.
Yeh i know route 4 & 17 can be bad at times but not at the extreme levels found on Bergenline. In the time it took me to go down Bergenline from 91st street to 48th street you can walk to Jersey City.
on October 15th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Mallguy,
your right, forgot about borders. that was dumb. I’m just a best buy guy.
What is going in across from grand lux &AMC?
on October 15th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
The key to dealing with routes 4 & 17 is to learn the side streets through Paramus, Ridgewood, Oradell and Maywood…using them will save a considerable amount of time. I can’t argue with you about Hudson County …a total traffic mess (goes for the entire county…Paramus gets the most press because of the malls).
At GSP, aaerie (women’s spinoff of American Eagle Outfitters) and Quiksilver are going in…there might be others but I don’ t remember. I can understand why you’d forget about that Borders…the new one is totally non-descript, they gave up their outside entrance and to be honest, I miss the old one. That Best Buy is pretty big though.
I don’t know about you, but I miss the Short Hills Borders…I understand why they left through…no room to grow…and if that extra space does go to Cheesecake Factory or Grand Lux, it’s pretty safe to say there wouldn’t be much room for any other expansion as the mall is already packed tightly into the space it’s located.
on October 16th, 2007 at 10:06 am
My friends & i do miss the old borders at garden state, the new store is there brand new prototype & just stands there like an adopted child not sure were they fit in.
As for short hills yes i to miss the old borders but it never had music nore a Seattle’s Best Coffee as most stores do.
I read an artical on borders a few months ago reguarding there restructuring wich includes new & renovated stores like the ones at gsp & King of Prussia.
www.planevanillashell.com.
That will link you to current retail news from many sources. You do not need a password. Just click & read, i’m there every day at work staying up to date on whats happening.
on October 16th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Two more sites for you to look at :
www.icsc.org.
Go to shopping centers today.
1st of the month or 1st Monday.
www.shoppingcenterbusiness.com
15th of the month
Enjoy!
on October 16th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
And thanks for posting a link to those 3 retail news sites, SEAN. I actually kept wondering what were some good sites that list such information, personally.
You misspelled the first website you mentioned, which is actually http://www.plainvanillashell.com And I’m just correcting that, so others are able to access the site, like I did.
on October 16th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Thank you Allan:
I’m not a good speller or typest.
on October 21st, 2007 at 6:50 pm
Another Freehold Raceway Mall visit, another construction update:
- The only areas of the mall still to be retiled are lower level center court and the lower level food court wing. Tile is down everywhere else in the mall.
- The new escalator in front of Sears is open.
- The entire ceiling area has been painted over to earth tones.
- The support for the lights that are hanging down under the skylights are all up and a few of the lights have been installed. At first, I wasn’t too cool about how they were going to look, but after seeing them, they look pretty cool…will definitely provide the mall with more light at night.
- There are still some of the old beaded lights left
- They have placed directional signage around the mall (not that it’s hard to get around, but a lot of malls are doing this now)
- Still waiting for them to do seating areas.
- Center court is making some progress, but it’s not there yet and I still wonder how that will be finished by the holidays. The elevator has been re-glassed and re-painted. They have also begun to retile the stage. I think the coffee kiosk is going to go where the high jet for the former fountain was and the fountain looks as if it will go near Abercrombie Kids, where the side jets of the old fountain were.
- While it hasn’t been announced, I have a feeling that Anthropologie will be moving into the lifestyle center…the facade of where I believe it will go is similar to that of The Grove.
- I am still hoping that JCrew will decide to move to FRM (there are still at least 2 vacancies remaining that would fit their size)
- I was right! Waldenbooks has closed down since Borders will be opening up in the mall….Borders and the other stores of the Lifestyle Center open 11/8…I am very, very interested to see what the holiday decor will look like…I assume it will change and I really hope it does.
on October 22nd, 2007 at 10:36 am
Should they add condos like Natic colection?
Just a thaught.
on October 22nd, 2007 at 7:03 pm
That would be interesting, but I don’t see it happening. A few years ago, they were planning on building another mall access drive to Wemrock Road and along with that was going to come a hotl and convention center, but that never happened.
on October 22nd, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Were else could condos or other housing option could be built? A few places pop out at me, such as ;
1. Tysoner corner 2. Galleria Houston 3. The Wester over the garage 4.South Coast Plaza 5.MOA.
What would you add or change.
on October 22nd, 2007 at 8:50 pm
sorry tyson corner & westchester
on October 24th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
The Condos and mini-city at Tysons Corner aren’t going to happen until the Silver Line gets built. Amazing what they want to do over there. They do have 5 hotels in walking distance though. I could see condos at The Westchester, but other than Newport Centre, I’m not seeing it happening in NJ right now.
I’m still hoping that Freehold Raceway Mall gets the hotel…and in a few years, overpasses over routes 9 and 537.
on October 25th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Any place else were you think were a mall & housing could mix?
NOT nessessarily NJ
on October 27th, 2007 at 6:33 am
Heard an ad for the grand opening of the lifestyle portion–I believe it’s Nov. 11 if I recall correctly.
And yes, Mallguy, Freehold *needs* another hotel. Badly. The Days Inn on 9 was pathetic even before half of it burned up. The only reason that saves that place is that Six Flags still hasn’t gotten around to building that hotel yet.
on October 27th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Actualy it’s november 8th.
on October 28th, 2007 at 10:23 pm