MONMOUTH COUNTY – The season of spring is all about new beginnings and transformations. With that being said, residents will be saying goodbye to the Monmouth County Mall and hello to apartments.
The demolition of the Monmouth Mall is scheduled to start this March, as the property will be redeveloped into a residential complex with retail and office spaces, according to chief development officer of Kushner Companies, Michael Sommer.
Kushner Cos. is the real estate company started by Charles Kushner that owns the mall and has developed other real estate projects in the area such as Pier Village in Long Branch and several hotels also in Long Branch.
Sommer said that the plan for the development titled “Monmouth Square” is to tear down indoor halls to create an open-air concept.
Monmouth Square will consist of 1,000 one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments, with an outdoor pool and fitness center. Around the perimeter, Kushner plans to construct walking and biking trails.
The “open-air” concept will include a variety of store and restaurants as well as office space. At the center of Monmouth Square, a public green space will offer room for events like live music or farmer’s markets, Sommer said.
For the past several years, residents have seen the decline of the Monmouth Mall as more than half of the stores remained empty. Last summer, Kushner said it’s not sustainable to keep the mall open with such a high number of empty stores.
As for the retail aspect of the project, Sommer said the existing Macy’s, AMC Theatres, and Boscov’s will remain in their current locations. The Barnes & Noble will also stay but will be moved to a different location, as its current building will be the home of a Whole Foods. The rest of the mall, however, is set to be redeveloped.
Department stores JCPenney and Lord & Taylor, which have been vacant for a period of time already, will be part of the demolition.
Sommer said the rest of the mall will remain open during the redevelopment. Construction on the apartments is expected to start later in 2024.
