The Idea of a Mall in Paramus
In mid-1966, Abraham & Straus began searching for a location in Bergen County that could accommodate a new store, setting in motion a project that would soon reshape Paramus' retail landscape.
By 1969, Federated Department Stores and The Rouse Company were securing tracts of land, moving quickly to create both the mall and the bridge connection needed to funnel shoppers directly off Route 17.
The plan pulled together land, financing, and infrastructure, setting the stage for Paramus Park's opening in the following decade.
Paramus Park was conceived in a borough already shaped by major shopping centers. The Bergen Mall, completed in 1957, became enclosed in 1973.
Garden State Plaza, originally built as an outdoor complex in 1957, would not be fully enclosed until 1984. The Fashion Center, opened in 1967, was the first indoor-only facility.
The addition of Paramus Park made the town a hub where multiple enclosed malls operated within just a few miles of each other.
The Rouse Company was chosen to build the center, and by the early 1970s, the plans had moved from paperwork into excavation.
Construction created access points off both Route 17 and the Garden State Parkway, giving future shoppers multiple ways in and out of the property.
This period framed Paramus Park as more than just another complex; it was integrated into the borough's larger cluster of destinations that still draw millions, often topping lists of things to do in Paramus, NJ.
Opening Day and Early Years (1974–1979)
Paramus Park opened on March 14, 1974. Abraham & Straus took 300,000 square feet at one end, and Sears followed in August at the other.
Between them, space was carved out for 120 smaller shops, enough to make the mall one of the largest retail draws in Bergen County.
The Paramus High School Marching Band performed at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, providing a loud, hometown welcome to the first shoppers.
The layout wasn't a straight line. The corridors bent in a zigzag, pulling visitors toward the anchors, and the developers used the middle for something new: a second-floor food court built around an open atrium.
Escalators rose beside a 30-foot waterfall that pushed 6,000 gallons of water every minute. Plants softened the edges, hiding some of the concrete and steel.
Shoppers tossed coins into the pool at the base. By the end of the first year, nearly $3,500 had been scooped out and sent to local charities.
Over the next quarter century, more than 12 million coins piled up the same way.
In 1977, Fortunoff opened its doors inside the mall, giving Paramus Park a third anchor.
That same year, Dean Friedman released his song Ariel, with a line about "standing by the waterfall at Paramus Park." Within three years of opening, the mall was already in the lyrics on local radio.
New Attractions and Cultural Moments (1980s–1990s)
By 1986, the food court gained an unusual tenant: a McDonald's designed with oak trim, pastel tiles, and marble counters, built for $650,000.
The layout broke from the brand's standard plastic seating, and at the time, cost about 40 percent more than an average franchise.
It operated until 2000, when it closed and was later replaced by a Burger King.
In 1988, Claire's added its storefront to the mix of jewelry and accessory retailers. That space would serve younger shoppers until 2006, when the chain closed its Paramus Park location.
Throughout these years, the mall continued to expand its features to cater to families.
A carousel was installed in 1976 by Bowen Accountants, intended to provide a safer play area following a series of injuries on the earlier playground.
The ride became a fixture for decades until its removal in August 2013.
The promenade also displayed a bronze statue of a turkey, standing ten feet tall in one of the small courtyards.
The figure is tied directly to the name Paramus, a word from the Lenni Lenape language meaning "land of the wild turkey." Cultural ties extended beyond décor.
On May 7, 1997, Hanson performed in the food court to a crowd of more than 6,000 fans.
Promoted by WHTZ radio, the show marked the band's first public appearance after releasing "MMMBop," making the mall a backdrop to one of the decade's more memorable pop events.
Ownership Changes and the Great Recession (2000–2010)
The start of the decade brought noticeable changes to Paramus Park. In 2004, The Rouse Company, developer of Paramus Park, was acquired by General Growth Properties.
That deal transferred ownership of multiple New Jersey malls, including Willowbrook Mall in Wayne and Woodbridge Center in Middlesex County, to the Chicago-based firm.
Paramus Park joined a larger portfolio that was expanding nationwide during that period of consolidation.
As the Great Recession hit in 2007, the mall's design and tenant base proved stable compared to some nearby centers.
Reports in 2011 noted that shoppers gravitated to Paramus Park's smaller scale and accessible layout while larger complexes like Garden State Plaza felt crowded.
Retail analysts at the time estimated its sales at between $400 and $500 per square foot, keeping it competitive during a national downturn.
In 2008, local officials approved a plan for an 88,650-square-foot expansion that would create a lifestyle center on the west side of the property.
Developers described it as offering a more Main Street-like experience, adding variety to the existing enclosed mall format.
Redevelopment and Expansion Plans (2011–2018)
In 2011, Paramus Park added L.L. Bean, which opened in November after taking over the former Foot Locker space.
The arrival of the outdoor retailer brought a different type of anchor tenant, shifting the mall's mix beyond department stores.
It occupied a large section on the main floor, giving customers a new draw during a period when malls were competing with online shopping.
By May 2013, redevelopment plans advanced when the zoning board approved a proposal for a 13-screen Regal Cinemas.
The theater, designed for 88,000 square feet, would have been attached to the food court and expanded the mall's role as an entertainment destination.
Although the plan received local approval, it was never carried out, leaving the mall without the movie complex that had been envisioned.
In October 2017, Sears, an anchor since 1974, was designated for replacement.
Developers outlined a plan to split the space into two levels: Stew Leonard's supermarket on the lower floor and a Regal theater above.
The first phase moved forward. In 2019, an 80,000-square-foot Stew Leonard's store opened as the company's first location in New Jersey.
Plans for the cinema were later dropped, but the supermarket became one of the mall's most popular attractions.
In 2018, before that transition was complete, Uniqlo announced it would relocate from Garden State Plaza to Paramus Park, further diversifying the lineup of retailers.
Resilient Retail: Performance and Blue Laws (2016–2019)
Performance numbers from 2016 indicated sales of approximately $430 per square foot, with 97% of the space occupied.
Approximately six million visitors were estimated to pass through the mall each year, contributing to a local retail market that exceeded $6 billion annually, the highest total in the country for any ZIP Code.
By 2019, Paramus Park had approximately 770,000 square feet of leasable space, with roughly 100 shops and kiosks occupying the concourse.
Sunday traffic was a different story. Bergen County's blue laws kept most of the mall dark one day a week, though not every tenant followed the rule.
Stew Leonard's, Club Pilates, Atlantic Health System Urgent Care, and Glitter and Glam Spa stayed open, serving customers in an otherwise quiet building.
Transformations in 2024–2025
During the 2024 holiday season, the Center for Hope & Safety ran a gift-wrapping station inside Paramus Park.
From December 12 through Christmas Eve, volunteers wrapped packages for shoppers.
They collected donations to support domestic violence programs in Bergen County.
The tables took over a busy corner of the concourse, folding a local cause into the usual holiday rush.
By spring 2025, attention had shifted outside. Construction crews were active on the land beside the mall, laying out Vermella Paramus, a 426-unit apartment complex.
Concrete footings were in place by April, and framing had begun to rise above the site, a visible sign that housing was being integrated into the same retail corridor.
A month later, an investment group headed by Heidenberg Properties announced it had bought the 181,000-square-foot retail wing attached to Paramus Park.
The $38 million deal covered two anchors already in operation: Stew Leonard's, at 100,000 square feet, and Atlantic Health System, at 22,000 square feet (formerly the Sears Auto Center).
Roughly 59,000 square feet of space upstairs was still vacant, with the new owners discussing leasing it to "experiential" tenants.
Plans also called for new vertical access points into the mall itself, a practical change that would make the two properties feel more connected.