Opened on March 1, 1960, as a, 14-building, 50-store open-air center, originally called "Monmouth Shopping Center", was built on what was then a farm owned by the Valentino Family of the nearby city ofLong Branch, New Jersey. Original anchors of the mall consisted of Bamberger's and Montgomery Ward. After pulling out of New Jersey, Montgomery Ward became Alexander's in 1975. The mall was enclosed and expanded to its current size in 1975. The older section of the mall continued to be one level while the new expansion was two levels anchored by Abraham & Straus, Hahne's and JCPenney that appeared in this mall in 1976. In 1987, the mall was renovated. The renovation brought in new lighting, new flooring, and new glass and chrome handrails along the second level; took out the in-floor planters and replaced them with movable planters; closed off the mall entrance near the former arcade on the Wyckoff Road side of the old wing; and raised the lowered seating areas in front of the anchors. Ashley Tisdale was discovered at the mall in 1989 as a three-year-old. In 1994-1996, the mall was expanded to include an elevator and a food court including 1920s style beach photos wrapped around the columns in the older section of the mall, as well as Nobody Beats the Wiz, a new 15-screen Loews Theatres and Old Navy to replace the closed Caldor. The mall also saw minor cosmetic changes that consisted of replacing black with sky blue in the color schemes through painting and retiling, as well as new lighting along the pillars. Through the years, Monmouth Mall has seen many different anchors that have come and gone, however, J.C. Penney was built by themselves in 1976 and remains to this day. In 1987, the Bamberger's brand was eliminated and the store was renamed for its parent corporation, Macy's. Anchor changes consisted of Caldor replacing Alexander's in 1986, Macy's replacing the former store Bamberger's in 1987, Lord & Taylor replacing the former store Hahne's in 1990, Stern's replacing Abraham & Straus in 1995 and Boscov's replacing Stern's in 2001. In 2010, Planet Fitness opened at Monmouth Mall. Monmouth Mall went through a significant expansion in 2009. In mid-2010, cosmetic renovations started at the mall including new tile, paint, lighting, and a complete overhaul of the food court. The renovations lasted until summer 2011. In 2012, Vornado Realty Trust announced plans to sell its portfolio of enclosed shopping malls. In August 2015, Vornado's fifty percent stake and management in the Monmouth Mall was sold to co-owner Kushner Companies for $38 million.
Redevelopment
In February 2016, Monmouth Mall owner Kushner Companies announced conceptual plans to redevelop the mall into a pedestrian-friendly "live, work and play" development at a cost of around $500 million. The development, which would be renamed the "Monmouth Town Center" would include a revamped tenant mix, a hotel, a residential component, and an outdoor plaza, along with biker- and pedestrian-friendly greenspaces and streetscape. The residential component would be composed of one- and two-bedroom units to minimize impact on the localpublic school system and traffic. Kushner Companies then-CEO Jared Kushner noted the decline of traditional enclosed shopping malls in the 21st Century and consumer trends of the Millennial generation as catalysts behind the redevelopment. On April 27 of that year, a public meeting was held in a local middle school gymnasium where Eatontown's mayor Dennis Connelly and the Borough Council spoke out against a zoning change that would allow the expansion of the mall. Several borough residents also spoke out against the redevelopment, and Kushner announced the abandonment of the project at the same meeting. As part of a proposal issued in January 2018 named The Heights At Monmouth, announced back in 2017, the two-story wing covering that includes Boscov's would be demolished and additions totaling would bring the mall's total gross leasable area to. During this time, Kusner partnered with Rouse Properties for the redevelopment. The redevelopment was approved on July 16, 2018. The new plans include opening up the two story mall corridor and also create new outdoor corridors. The anchor tenants will remain unaffected. On September 7, 2018, it was announced that Lord & Taylor would be closing as part of a plan to close 10 stores nationwide. The store closed inJanuary 2019. On June 22, 2020 Crate & Barrel opened a temporary store on the 1st floor in the former Lord & Taylor space. It is unknown how long this will last.
