Fashion Center (Paramus, New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
The Fashion Center is a shopping center located in Paramus
, New Jersey
. From the time of its opening until 2009, the Fashion Center was a traditional indoor shopping mall
, but in the years prior had slowly undergone changes known as "de-malling" where portions of the mall were closed off and each store was given its own entrance.
The property is currently owned by Wilner Realty of Pennsylvania. It has a gross leasable area
of 446000 sq ft (41,434.8 m²) and is considered small by modern standards, with fewer than fifteen storefronts at its peak.
Due to Bergen County's blue law, all stores are completely closed on Sundays except for Applebees, Blimpie, and Fairway Market.
. Hoping to capitalize on the affluent population of Bergen County
, it included two anchor store
s: Lord & Taylor
on the north end and B. Altman and Company
on the south end. The department stores were connected to each other by an indoor shopping arcade that was 1500 feet (457.2 m) in length and included high-end retailers such as Rogers Peet
(later replaced by Brooks Brothers
), Georg Jensen
, and Ann Taylor
. There was also a free-standing Best & Company store in the parking lot that was built while the company was liquidating; the store instead housed a Britt's location and is now occupied by Toys "R" Us.
The Fashion Center, which was designed in a contemporary style of decor, was prosperous through the 1970s. But as the years progressed, other malls in the Paramus area, including Westfield Garden State Plaza
, Paramus Park
, The Shops at Riverside, and The Outlets at Bergen Town Center began to capture its local market share. By the 1980s, this growing competition, coupled with the demise of B. Altman, led to a severe decline in the mall's fortunes. Retailers gradually moved out, leaving Lord & Taylor as its only anchor store and leading some to refer to the Fashion Center as a dead mall
. Outside the mall, there is a Toys R Us that was built in 1988 and still is standing today
In 1996, the vacant 180000 sq ft (16,722.5 m²) B. Altman space was divided up into a Bed, Bath and Beyond (first level) and a T.J. Maxx
(second level). Around the same time, a Discovery Zone
was also added near the center of the mall. After Discovery Zone
was defunct, a Jumpin Jupiter took its place until 2001. The top level of the former B. Altman store remains vacant as of 2009 and reopened.
Beginning in 2001, the owners of the Fashion Center began planning for the conversion of the mall to a traditional shopping center. In 2003, as part of the chain's expansion into the New York metropolitan area, Best Buy
opened a store at the Fashion Center which necessitated the closure of some of the mall's entrances and the mall entrance of the former B. Altman store. Lord & Taylor followed suit the following year. Then in late 2008, the general mall entrance next to the Applebee's
restaurant was closed then renovated and reopened in 2009, and later that year the mall added Fairway Market
to its lineup of stores. This completed the Fashion Center's transition from a traditional mall into a collection of separate stores with their own entrances and no interior common space. All stores can only be accessed from the outside parking lots at this time.
Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 26,342. A suburb of New York City, Paramus is located between 15–20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan and approximately west of Upper Manhattan.Paramus is one of...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. From the time of its opening until 2009, the Fashion Center was a traditional indoor shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, but in the years prior had slowly undergone changes known as "de-malling" where portions of the mall were closed off and each store was given its own entrance.
The property is currently owned by Wilner Realty of Pennsylvania. It has a gross leasable area
Gross leasable area
Gross leasable area in the retail development industry is a term applied to shopping malls, lifestyle centers, outlet malls and other retail centers to indicate the amount of floor space available to be rented...
of 446000 sq ft (41,434.8 m²) and is considered small by modern standards, with fewer than fifteen storefronts at its peak.
Due to Bergen County's blue law, all stores are completely closed on Sundays except for Applebees, Blimpie, and Fairway Market.
History
The mall opened on February 15, 1967 and was billed as a miniature Fifth AvenueFifth Avenue (Manhattan)
Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the center of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. The section of Fifth Avenue that crosses Midtown Manhattan, especially that between 49th Street and 60th Street, is lined with prestigious shops and is consistently ranked among...
. Hoping to capitalize on the affluent population of Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
, it included two anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s: Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
on the north end and B. Altman and Company
B. Altman and Company
B. Altman and Company was a New York City-based department store and chain founded in 1865 by Benjamin Altman which had its flagship store at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan from 1906 until the company closed on December 31, 1989....
on the south end. The department stores were connected to each other by an indoor shopping arcade that was 1500 feet (457.2 m) in length and included high-end retailers such as Rogers Peet
Rogers Peet
Rogers Peet was a men's clothing company founded on November 6, 1874. Rogers Peet introduced several innovations into the men's wear business: they attached tags to garments giving fabric composition, they marked garments with price tags , they offered customers their money back if not satisfied,...
(later replaced by Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers is the oldest men's clothier chain in the United States. Founded in 1818 as a family business, the privately owned company is now owned by Retail Brand Alliance, also features clothing for women, and is headquartered on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York City.-History:On April 7,...
), Georg Jensen
Georg Jensen
Georg Arthur Jensen was a Danish silversmith.Born in 1866, Jensen was the son of a knife grinder in the town of Raadvad just to the north of Copenhagen. Jensen began his training in goldsmithing at the age of 14 in Copenhagen...
, and Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor (retail chain)
ANN INC. is an American group of specialty apparel retail chain stores for women, headquartered in New York City, . The stores offer classic styled suits, separates, dresses, shoes and accessories...
. There was also a free-standing Best & Company store in the parking lot that was built while the company was liquidating; the store instead housed a Britt's location and is now occupied by Toys "R" Us.
The Fashion Center, which was designed in a contemporary style of decor, was prosperous through the 1970s. But as the years progressed, other malls in the Paramus area, including Westfield Garden State Plaza
Westfield Garden State Plaza
Westfield Garden State Plaza is an upscale shopping mall in Paramus, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and managed by the Westfield Group and located at the intersection of Route 4 and Route 17 near the Garden State Parkway...
, Paramus Park
Paramus Park
Paramus Park is a shopping center located on From Road in Paramus, New Jersey, United States, sandwiched between Route 17 and the Garden State Parkway, a little more than two miles north of Route 4. The mall is owned by General Growth Properties and offers a Gross leasable area of...
, The Shops at Riverside, and The Outlets at Bergen Town Center began to capture its local market share. By the 1980s, this growing competition, coupled with the demise of B. Altman, led to a severe decline in the mall's fortunes. Retailers gradually moved out, leaving Lord & Taylor as its only anchor store and leading some to refer to the Fashion Center as a dead mall
Dead mall
A dead mall or greyfield is a shopping mall with a high vacancy rate or a low consumer traffic level, or that is dated or deteriorating in some manner. Many malls in the United States are considered "dead" when they have no surviving anchor store or successor that could serve as an entry into or...
. Outside the mall, there is a Toys R Us that was built in 1988 and still is standing today
In 1996, the vacant 180000 sq ft (16,722.5 m²) B. Altman space was divided up into a Bed, Bath and Beyond (first level) and a T.J. Maxx
T.J. Maxx
T.J. Maxx, sometimes referred to as TJ's or the Maxx, is an American department store chain owned by TJX Companies. With more than 900 stores T.J. Maxx is a major clothes retailer in the United States, whilst also operating stores in a number of other countries.-History:In 1976, T.J...
(second level). Around the same time, a Discovery Zone
Discovery Zone
Discovery Zone was a chain of entertainment facilities featuring games and elaborate indoor mazes designed for young children, including slides, climbing play structures and ball pits. The chain was founded by Ronald Matsch, Jim Jorgensen, Mike Geselbracht and Dr. David Schoenstadt in 1989. The...
was also added near the center of the mall. After Discovery Zone
Discovery Zone
Discovery Zone was a chain of entertainment facilities featuring games and elaborate indoor mazes designed for young children, including slides, climbing play structures and ball pits. The chain was founded by Ronald Matsch, Jim Jorgensen, Mike Geselbracht and Dr. David Schoenstadt in 1989. The...
was defunct, a Jumpin Jupiter took its place until 2001. The top level of the former B. Altman store remains vacant as of 2009 and reopened.
Beginning in 2001, the owners of the Fashion Center began planning for the conversion of the mall to a traditional shopping center. In 2003, as part of the chain's expansion into the New York metropolitan area, Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
opened a store at the Fashion Center which necessitated the closure of some of the mall's entrances and the mall entrance of the former B. Altman store. Lord & Taylor followed suit the following year. Then in late 2008, the general mall entrance next to the Applebee's
Applebee's
Applebee’s International, Inc., is an American company which develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurant chain. As of September 2011, there were 2,010 restaurants operating system-wide in the United States, one U.S. territory and 14 other countries...
restaurant was closed then renovated and reopened in 2009, and later that year the mall added Fairway Market
Fairway Market
Fairway Market is a grocery chain. It is one of the United States' highest grossing food retailers per square foot with 14 million customers per year. It was founded in the early 1930s. The stores are known for vast selections of fresh products and every day groceries at a good value. The Fairway...
to its lineup of stores. This completed the Fashion Center's transition from a traditional mall into a collection of separate stores with their own entrances and no interior common space. All stores can only be accessed from the outside parking lots at this time.
Current major tenants
- Lord & Taylor
- Best Buy
- T.J. Maxx
- Bed, Bath, & Beyond
- Fairway MarketFairway MarketFairway Market is a grocery chain. It is one of the United States' highest grossing food retailers per square foot with 14 million customers per year. It was founded in the early 1930s. The stores are known for vast selections of fresh products and every day groceries at a good value. The Fairway...
- Applebee's
- Lord and Taylor Home
- BlimpieBlimpieBlimpie is a submarine sandwich chain in the United States. The company is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.The first Blimpie store was opened in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1964. . By mid-2002, there were about 2,000 Blimpie outlets in operation, located in 47 U.S...
- Toys R US