These 8 N.J. malls are all upping their game. See the new plans. - NJ.com

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These 8 N.J. malls are all upping their game. See the new plans. - NJ.com Posted: 29 Dec 2019 04:34 PM PST We all know someone who loves to shop so much, they would live at the mall if they could. Soon they will be able to. This and other changes to the shopping landscape are shaking up the mall concept as we knew it. Mall owners are doing it because they have to in order to survive and stay relevant. For the first time in history, in February 2019, more people bought things online in the U.S. than in general merchandise stores, according to the Commerce Department. That means more people bought stuff from the comfort of their couch than those who actually went to department stores, warehouse clubs and super-centers. And mall owners in New Jersey also have the threat of American Dream opening. The mega-mall at the Meadowlands will bring experiential offerings -- things like theme parks, an aquarium and indoor skiing -- to the mall industry. "Today it is all about the experience," Steven Maksin, a mall owner and investor, told NJ Advance Media earlier this year. "Consumers are always looking to live, work, dine and play in close proximity to each other." Several of New Jersey's 28 malls have been undergoing ambitious redevelopments to give people more reasons to go there. They're adding housing, entertainment and more, and calling themselves lifestyle centers or mixed-use concepts. Here are what some of these malls are doing to stay relevant. Westfield Garden State Plaza will become a mixed-use town center with apartments, offices, public parks and more dining and shopping. Westfield Garden State Plaza The largest mall in the state (at more than 2 million square feet) and one of the most profitable in the country, Garden State Plaza announced a multi-year plan to turn itself into a mixed-use town center. It will add apartments, offices, public parks a transit center and more stores and restaurants. The vision starts with taking the vacant spaces that ones housed JCPenney, Best Buy and Uniqlo, and transforming them into 20 new shops, premium dining, family entertainment and health and fitness studios. The final phase of the project will be the residential neighborhood, which will feature tree-lined streets and a promenade. A public park will be a centerpiece and lead to an open-air plaza and adjoining fields. Paramus Mayor Richard LaBarbiera told NJ Advance Media earlier this year the project will help keep the shopping center relevant. "I think it's exciting when you have a property owner that wants to develop and invest in the town," he said. "Its indicative of the fact that they're not hurt by online sales and American Dream." The transformation of the 62-year-old mall is expected to be complete in 2022. A rendering of the Ocean County Mall's redevelopment, which is expected to be complete by mid-2020. Ocean County Mall The Ocean County Mall in Toms River began this summer redeveloping itself into a lifestyle center. It's adding a 34,000 square foot LA Fitness, new traditional mall stores and big box retailers and new restaurants. The mall entrance is also being redesigned after a former Sears was torn down. The project is expected to be finished in mid-2020. A rendering of The Heights at Monmouth, a $500 million redesign of the Monmouth Mall that would also include 700 rental apartments Monmouth Mall The 60-year-old Monmouth Mall in Eatontown has for three years been trying redevelop itself into The Heights at Monmouth, a place to live, work and play. With 1.5 million square feet of leaseable area, the Monmouth Mall, owned by Brookfield Properties Retail Group, is the fourth largest mall in the state -- tied with Willowbrook Mall, which is also a Brookfield property. It's $500 million redevelopment plan originally proposed in 2016 included new tenants, a hotel, a residential component, and an outdoor plaza but push-back from local officials and residents led to the abandonment of that idea. Then, in mid-2018, a new plan, known as The Heights at Monmouth, was approved by Eatontown. It will have 700 apartments, new shops, dining and entertainment and a 115,000 square foot medical facility. Cinemark A rendering of the Cinemark movie theater opening at Willowbrook Mall in Wayne. Willowbrook Mall Willowbrook Mall has undergone a more understated redevelopment than some of the other malls. It got new flooring, lighting, seating, a few new restaurants were added to its food court and the Sears was shuttered this fall. No announcement has been made about what will take its place. Part of the struggling Sears was turned into a Dave & Busters that opened in 2018. A Sears Tire Center was demolished and a 12-screen Cinemark movie theater was built in its place. Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media The New, 400 million dollar Stew Leonard's grocery store will open on Wednesday at the Paramus Park Mall in Paramus, NJ. 09/16/2019 Paramus Park Mall A vacant Sears has also transformed Paramus Park Mall into a different kind of destination. Now shoppers can get groceries there. Stew Leonard's opened its first New Jersey grocery store in September at Paramus Park Mall, taking over an 80,000 square foot anchor position at the 45-year-old mall. Fatburger opened this week at the Cherry Hill Mall. Cherry Hill Mall The Cherry Hill Mall opened a half dozen new stores and restaurants this year. Its new tenants include Happy Returns (where customers can bring their unwanted e-commerce purchases) and Fatburger. The Cherry Hill Mall, which opened in 1961, had its last major overhaul in 2009 when it added 228,000 square feet, bringing it to 1.2 million square feet of leaseable area. Voorhees mayor said a new owner has been found for the former Echelon Mall. Voorhees Town Center The former Echelon Mall has seen a flood of vacancies large and small, including Macy's, Sears and JC Penney. Its vacancy rate in 2018 was 40%. But a new plan to bring the 664,000 square foot mall back to life calls for food courts, laser tag, sports bars and outdoor movie nights when weather allows. And there's also housing. New owner Brandywine Financial Corp. will build 180 town homes, 120 age-restricted senior apartments and 70 market-rate apartments. Up to 20% of the 370 units will be low-to-moderate income affordable housing. Rockaway Townsquare Rockaway Townsquare just completed a renovation project this year that brought new stores, a dining pavilion, new seating and community tables with phone charging stations and a children's play area. The 42-year-old mall is roughly 1.2 million square feet. Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com's newsletters.

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