I think that it is safe to say most of us have noticed that the Monmouth Mall has been looking a little different lately. The mall has been losing tons of stores recently and we are not too sure why this is happening.

Some people say the stores are being told to leave because of the impending renovations. The mall will undergo renovations sometime this summer. The Disney Store, Things Remembered, Yankee Candle, Johnny Rockets and Lord and Taylor are among stores that have recently closed. There are even more that are currently in the middle of their store closing sales, such as Charlotte Russe and Payless Shoesource.

The companies that own the mall, Kushner Co. and Brookfield Properties, want to do a complete overhaul. The renovation will include new retail, entertainment and eating spaces, with apartments added onto the property. The mall will be renamed The Heights at Monmouth. The redesign of the mall was decided last summer. However, there has been no confirmed date as to when these renovations are going to take place.

The surrounding buildings are starting to take a hit as well. Joe’s Crab Shack and Bobby’s Burger Palace have now left the property. Every time you visit the mall you never know if your favorite store will be there or not. Boscov’s has made it a priority to make it known to their customers that they will not be closing their doors and have stated that they have no plans of going anywhere anytime soon. They will stay with the mall through its renovations. There has also been talk through the grapevine that Forever 21 will not be in the mall for much longer, but nothing has been confirmed to date.

Malls have continuously been disappearing in this day and age with the growth of online shopping.  New Jersey is known for its abundance of malls. There are currently 28 malls in the state. Let’s just say we know how to shop here in Jersey. Yet, in order to stay relevant in the mall industry you have to keep things new and fresh in order to keep people coming in and wanting to spend money.

The future of the Monmouth Mall remains in limbo.  People will have to wait to find out what the final decision is and how significant the changes will be.  Stay tuned!