Work about to start for Garden State Plaza's huge housing project. Here's what to expect

Construction of a transformative new housing and retail expansion at Garden State Plaza won’t start until next year, but demolition to make way for the megaproject is already about to begin.

Workers put up a fence in recent days around the former Best Buy and Bank of America locations at the mall in Paramus. The buildings will be torn down starting in early August, clearing the way for additional parking spaces, according to Amy Stern, a spokesperson for the Westfield Garden State Plaza.

The demolition will create 180 new spots for a property that will sacrifice hundreds of other spaces to make way for thousands of new residents.

How much housing will Garden State Plaza add?

The expansion will bring as many as 1,400 residential units to the site, along with additional shops, a hotel, a senior care facility and a park-like "town green," if developers finish all the phases they've outlined.

After Paramus' planning board approved the first stage in January, the mall is working with development partner Mill Creek Residential Trust LLC to complete design drawings for proposed buildings and the green. Another spokesperson, Megan Redzia, said a groundbreaking is expected in early 2025.

The first phase of the project will add two five-story mixed-use buildings with 575 housing units to the mall’s western parking lot and about 50,000 square feet of retail space. The redevelopment would also create the 1-acre town green with outdoor markets, dining and gatherings — an area developers have promoted as a new "downtown" for Paramus.

The green would be a space for farmers markets, holiday markets and art fairs and be open to all, not just tenants in the new housing, the developers have said.

Future phases of mall project

Preliminary site plans for future phases of the project were also approved in January, although the mall would need to return to the Planning Board for final approval on the three other phases.

• The first would add a five-story, 250,000-square-foot building for a senior assisted-living and memory-care facility with 230 units as well as more retail space on the ground floor. There would also be a two-story medical office building and a six-story parking garage.
• On a second part of the property, plans call for a seven-story, 85,000-square-foot hotel and a regional bus transit center. The developer also envisions a 286,000-square-foot, five-story residential building, additional retail space and another six-story parking garage.
• Finally, a third section of the mall property would receive two more residential buildings, each five stories, with another 2,500 square feet of retail surrounded by a third six-story garage.

Stephanie Noda is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: noda@northjersey.com