EATONTOWN - The demolition of parts of Monmouth Mall is set to begin this week, according Kushner Cos.
However, several businesses will remain open throughout the mall's redesign. They include interior businesses AMC, Barnes & Noble, Boscov's, Buffalo Wild Wings, LensCrafters, Macy's and T-Mobile, said Michael Sommer, Kushner's chief development officer. The Knockball arcade will stay open until Dec. 24, he said.
Ring road businesses Chili's, Jared and Shake Shack will remain open, as will Monmouth Medical Center's Anne Vogel Family Care and Wellness Center .
Kushner is demolishing 600,000 square feet of feet of brick and mortar, shrinking the retail footprint by 40%, in order to create a modern, open-air town center called Monmouth Square. The work will take about four to five years to complete and will be a total investment of $500 million.
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The new look will feature 900,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 1,000 luxury apartments complete with a 40,000-square-foot clubhouse and pool, a Whole Foods grocery, an expansive public green, a network of pedestrian pathways, 800 new trees and medical office space.
The first two buildings to be razed were the former homes of Lord & Taylor, which left the mall in 2018 and filed for bankruptcy, and J.C. Penney, which departed in 2022 following a restructuring after it too had filed for bankruptcy, but was saved after being acquired by new owners.
Kushner had already begun work on Barnes & Noble's new location , as it is moving from its corner spot to a location that was previously occupied by Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and La Maison Fine Furniture. The Whole Foods grocery chain will then take over Barnes & Noble's spot.
Kushner Cos. started down the road to redesign the mall in 2015, faced with increasing retail competition from e-commerce. The mall opened on March 1, 1960, as the 600,000-square-foot open-air Monmouth Shopping Center. In 1975, 900,000 square feet were added and the mall was enclosed.
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When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth Mall demolition starts this week, but these stores will stay open
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