One of New Jersey’s oldest indoor malls has begun transforming into an open-air shopping center with new storefronts, medical offices and entertainment venues.
In April, the East Brunswick Township Council designated Brunswick Square Mall as an area in need of redevelopment, setting the stage for a major makeover. The first official plans and renderings for the proposal were unveiled earlier this month.
The project will modernize the 750,000-square-foot mall by replacing its aging enclosed format with an open-air design, local officials said. That means stores will be accessed from outside instead of inside the mall.
Construction began Dec. 15, according to township officials.
“For years, we’ve been working on trying to revitalize the mall and reimagine it as a community center, a place where people can gather, work, shop,” East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen said in an announcement outside the mall.
Current tenants — including AMC Theatres, Barnes & Noble, Old Navy, Bath & Body Works, LensCrafters and several restaurants — will remain on site to anchor the redevelopment. However, many will be relocated out of the enclosed mall and into new, “right-sized” spaces facing Route 18 with updated storefronts, officials said.
Several new storefronts will also be built, including Nordstrom Rack, J.Crew and a PGA TOUR Superstore. A Sola Salon location is also planned, along with The Picklr, an indoor pickleball facility, and Fun City, an indoor family entertainment park.
Hackensack Meridian Health will serve as one of the property’s major new tenants.
Plans also include pedestrian-friendly layouts, landscaping and modern designs, according to the mayor’s announcement.
Township officials said the project is expected to bring new jobs, boost the local tax base to support municipal and community services, and draw more visitors from across Middlesex County.
Real estate firms Paramount Realty and Edgewood Properties acquired the site in 2023 and are leading the transformation.
“For decades, Brunswick Square has been a central part of East Brunswick’s commercial identity,” Paramount Realty said in a statement. “This redevelopment doesn’t just preserve that legacy — it elevates it. We’re creating an experience-driven, open-air destination that matches how people shop, dine, and spend time today.”
Brunswick Square Mall first opened in 1970 as the 244,000-square-foot Bamberger’s Shopping Mall, in a space now occupied by Macy’s. The mall expanded in 1972 to include JCPenney and more than 60 interior retail stores.
Like many aging malls, Brunswick Square has cycled through tenants and redevelopment ideas over the years, with past proposals falling apart because of financing issues. In 2021, the property faced foreclosure and was placed into receivership before being purchased by its current owners in 2023.
Macy’s, which now operates as a clearance store at the mall, will continue operating through 2027, Cohen previously told MyCentralJersey.com. The department store’s property was recently sold back to the mall’s developers.
Other tenants have recently closed. Red Robin shut its East Brunswick location in June after the company announced plans to close underperforming restaurants nationwide. Bar Louie, located nearby, also closed earlier this year.
Officials said redevelopment plans are still taking shape, with more details and tenants expected in the months ahead.
“There’s more to come and exciting news as East Brunswick is finally back on the map,” Cohen said. “This is exactly what we’ve been working for, trying to bring the stores here to the community that people have been asking for.”
Brunswick Square is one of at least six malls across New Jersey undergoing major renovations as owners adapt to changing consumer habits.
One of the most common approaches has been moving away from fully enclosed malls and toward open-air layouts designed to feel more like downtowns and community centers.
Monmouth Mall began a major redevelopment last year, with sections of the roof being removed to shrink the mall’s retail footprint by about 40% and make room for roughly 1,000 apartments, along with restaurants and medical offices.
Voorhees Town Center in Camden County is also moving away from the traditional mall model. In October, Voorhees Mayor Michael R. Mignogna announced plans to transform the former Echelon Mall into a mixed-use community that blends housing, retail and public space.
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