Harbor Square
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2007) |
Total retail floor area 337,423 sq ft (31,347.6 m2) | | |
No. of floors | 1 (2 in Boscov's) | |
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Public transit access | NJ Transit bus: 502 SJTA: English Creek-Tilton Road Community Shuttle |
Harbor Square, formerly Shore Mall, is a shopping plaza (formerly a
History
1968-1988
Shore Mall originally opened in 1968 as an open-air mall called Searstown. Original
In 1987, Developer Kravco Company (Kravco Company LLC) and JCP Realty, the development arm of JCPenney, opened the new Hamilton Mall about 5 miles west on the Black Horse Pike (U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 322). This caused problems with the Shore Mall, because the Sears and JCPenney anchors moved to the Hamilton Mall. With the two anchors gone, Shore Mall underwent a fair sized renovation enclosing the still open-air portion between the two anchors as well as re-tiling the mall to its current blue and white color scheme.
In 1988,
2004-2010
In 2004, Circuit City moved to a strip mall called Hamilton Commons near the
In 2008, the Value City store at Shore Mall was among 24 locations sold by Value City's parent company to Burlington Coat Factory. The store closed on September 21, 2008 and remained vacant until it was occupied temporarily by The Community Food Bank of New Jersey in 2011-2012 while their permanent location was torn down and reconstructed.
Construction began in 2010 on a Golden Corral restaurant near the main entrance to the mall (where the former Dairy Queen stood, before moving into the outer building where the AT&T store and Wells Fargo bank are located) and opened in 2011.
In August 2010, Cedar Shopping Centers applied for a state Economic Redevelopment and Growth(ERG) grant in the amount of $3 million to $41 million. The grant would be used to help finance an $87 million revamp of the mall. The plan called for demolishing most of the mall (except Boscov's, Burlington Coat Factory, and all everything else that can be seen from the Black Horse Pike), then converting the site to a strip mall with four additional large stores. It also includes $23 million for transportation upgrades such as a reconfiguration of Exit 36 of the Garden State Parkway, an intersection between West Jersey Avenue and the Black Horse Pike, and a boulevard style road network.[3][4]
2012-present
In July 2012, Cedar Realty Trust announced plans to raze 1/3 (over 250,000 square feet) of the mall including the former Value City location, forcing tenants to relocate. After demolition, Cedar Realty Trust planned to do some improvements to the location such as a new south entrance to what is remained of the main shopping center, new landscaping, parking lot improvements, and fencing off the excess land in the rear part of the property to put up for sale as vacant commercial land unless phases of new development occur under the owner.[5]
On January 28, 2013, the Steinbach Time Capsule was dug up in a small ceremony due to demolition process needing it to be moved. The plaque and contents of the capsule were given to the Egg Harbor Township Historical Society who will create a display in remembrance of the mall at their location.[6] Demolition continued through early-mid 2013, including the former Value City store.
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission office closed on August 23 and August 24, 2013, due to demolition of the back of the mall and the relocation to behind Boscov's which opened on August 26[7][5]
The center was renamed Harbor Square in October 2013.[8] In February 2014, Cedar Realty Trust sold Harbor Square to Aetna Realty for $25 million.[9]
In February 2017, the Carrabba's was closed abruptly along with 13 others due to under performance,[10] in Fall 2019, Burlington Coat Factory moved to Consumer Square in Mays Landing.
In early 2020, Golden Corral permanently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Umi Sushi opened in August 2023 along with Restaurant Depot and Proshot Pickleball in the former Burlington.[11]
Gallery
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The Shore Mall Time Capsule. Buried in 1974 and un-earthed on January 28, 2013 due to the demolition of part of the mall. The plaque and content are currently in the hands of Greater Egg Harbor Township Historical Society.
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The Former Steinbach/Value City entrance from the mall, 2012
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Front of the Mall's "Hall" facing the front, to the left includes Boscov's Furniture. To the right is the main Boscov's store and the center is also Boscov's Merchandise.
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Work Underway for Restaurant Depot in 2023
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Umi Sushi in former golden corral in August 2023
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Proshot Pickeball in former Burlington in June 2023
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Restaurant Depot in former Burlington in May 2023
References
- ^ "HARBOR SQUARE MALL". Aetna Realty.
- ^ "South Jersey Mall History: Shore Mall". Medium. April 12, 2021.
- ^ Watson, Sarah (September 27, 2010). "Shore Mall owners seek grant for expansion". The Press of Atlantic City.
- ^ Wompierski, Jordon (September 29, 2010). "Township backs state grant for Shore Mall redevelopment". The Press of Atlantic City.
- ^ a b McKelvey, Wallace (November 14, 2012). "Egg Harbor Township planners to consider partial demolition of Shore Mall". The Press of Atlantic City.
- ^ "Time capsule buried in Shore Mall unearthed today". The Press of Atlantic City. January 28, 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-08-20.
- ^ Khemlani, Anjalee (August 15, 2013). "MVC in Shore Mall will be closed August 23 and 24". The Press of Atlantic City.
- Press of Atlantic City.
- ^ Kostelini, Natalie (February 28, 2014). "Egg Harbor Twp. center sells for $25M". American City Business Journals.
- ^ DeANGELIS, MARTIN (February 17, 2017). "Egg Harbor Township Carrabba's restaurant closes abruptly". The Press of Atlantic City.
- ^ McKay, Steve (August 28, 2023). "New Sushi and Seafood Buffet Now Open in Egg Harbor twp, NJ". WFPG-TV.