Woodbridge Center
|
An entrance to the Center; The four W towers face the four compass directions, with the ones most prominent in the picture being west and south. | |
| Location | Woodbridge, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°33′24″N 74°17′57″W / 40.556666°N 74.299213°WCoordinates: 40°33′24″N 74°17′57″W / 40.556666°N 74.299213°W |
| Address | 250 Woodbridge Center Dr |
| Opening date | 1971[1] |
| Management | Amy Bellisano[1] |
| Owner | General Growth Properties |
| No. of stores and services | 200[1] |
| No. of anchor tenants | 6[1] |
| Total retail floor area | 1,633,000 square feet (151,700 m2)[1] |
| No. of floors | 2 (3 in Sears & Macy's)[1] |
| Parking | 8,651[1] |
| Public transit access | NJ Transit Buses |
| Website |
www |
Woodbridge Center (also called Woodbridge Mall or Woodbridge Center Mall) is a major two-level, upscale shopping mall located in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey at the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 9. The land that Woodbridge Center now stands on used to be the location of the old clay pits in Woodbridge.[2] The mall, owned and managed by General Growth Properties, features Boscov's, J. C. Penney, Lord & Taylor, Macy's and Sears and over 200 retail establishments. The mall features a fountain, carousel, train ride, and children's play area. Although most malls have a food court, Woodbridge Center's eating establishments are spread throughout the mall with their own individual seating areas and restrooms. Before the coming of the food court, all malls had their eating establishments spread throughout the mall.[3]
The mall's location near Staten Island and the benefit of no sales tax on clothes in New Jersey makes this mall, along with nearby Menlo Park Mall in Edison, a popular choice for New York shoppers. The mall has gross leasable area (GLA) of 1,633,000 square feet (151,700 m2), making it the third largest of all shopping malls in New Jersey, behind Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, and Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold. It is the 34th largest in the United States.
Mall history
The mall was developed by the Rouse Company and opened in 1971 with Abraham & Straus, Ohrbach's, and Stern's. In 1985, the mall was expanded with a new wing to include Hahne's. In 1986. J. C. Penney moved from the nearby Menlo Park Mall in Edison, New Jersey. By 1987, the mall got a fresh new look through renovation. The stairwell in the A&S wing next to center court was removed, new flooring was added, new lighting was added, the mall entrances were redone, and the fountains in front of A&S were either changed (the 2nd floor fountain) or removed (the first floor fountains). The Mall's current fountain is on the 1st floor outside of Sears and Red Robin. In 2003, the mall was expanded with a new Galyan's, which would later become Dick's Sporting Goods. Notable department stores that have closed include Hahne's (became Fortunoff now Boscov's), Ohrbach's (which became Steinbach and now is Lord & Taylor), Stern's (now Macy's), A&S (now Sears) and Fortunoff (now Boscov's).
In October 2007, the carousel ride was relocated near the J. C. Penney. The train ride was also reconfigured to ensure both rides stay together at the same location. A toddler's play area, "Tiny Town", is located near the carousel and train rides. In 2011, two new outparcel restaurants, Bahama Breeze and the Olive Garden, opened on October 24 and 31 2010.
Incidents
On March 8, 2012, police shot and killed a shoplifter in the Sears wing who had held a woman hostage.[4]
Anchors
Current
- Dick's Sporting Goods (2 floors)(100,000 square feet (9,300 m2))[5]
- J. C. Penney (2 floors)(173,594 square feet (16,127.4 m2))[5]
- Lord & Taylor (2 floors)(120,000 square feet (11,000 m2))[5]
- Macy's (3 floors) (267,341 square feet (24,836.8 m2))[5]
- Sears (3 floors) (274,100 square feet (25,460 m2))[5]
- Boscov's (2 floors)(181,639 square feet (16,874.8 m2))[5]
Former
- A&S (now Sears)[6]
- Galyan's (now Dick's Sporting Goods)
- Hahne's (became Fortunoff)
- Ohrbach's (became Steinbach)
- Steinbach (now Lord & Taylor)
- Stern's (now Macy's)
- Fortunoff (now Boscov's)[7]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Properties - Malls: Woodbridge Center Mall". General Growth Properties, Inc. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- ↑ Moran, Mark; Sceurman, Mark (2003). Weird N.J. : Your travel guide to New Jersey's local legends and best kept secrets. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble. p. 72. ISBN 9780760739792. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- ↑ "Dining & Entertainment". Woodbridge Center Mall. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- ↑ "Shooting at Woodbridge Center mall: Alleged shoplifter shot, killed by police; customers run for cover". The Star-Ledger. March 8, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Site Plans: Woodbridge Center" (PDF). General Growth Properties, Inc. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- ↑ Berger, Joseph (18 January 1995). "After 130 Years, A. & S. Name Will Fade Into Retailing History". New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- ↑ Bell, Deborah (17 May 2012). "Boscov's to Open in Woodbridge Center Next Year". Woodbridge Patch. Patch Media. Retrieved 2 March 2015.