Bergen Town Center, located across Paramus and Maywood in Bergen County, New Jersey, began its life in 1957 as the Bergen Mall. At its debut, it was the largest of Allied Stores’ planned outdoor shopping complexes nationwide. Architect John Graham designed the center, which originally featured a Stern’s department store and space for roughly 100 retailers supported by extensive parking. More than just a commercial site, the mall incorporated community-oriented venues—an auditorium, chapel, ice rink, bowling alley, children’s amusements, and the Bergen Museum of Art & Science—making it a regional gathering place.
Shift to an Enclosed Mall
As consumer preferences moved toward indoor shopping environments, the owners commenced a large-scale conversion of the open-air center into a fully enclosed mall. The renovated property, anchored by Stern’s and Ohrbach’s, celebrated its grand reopening in 1973. Unlike neighboring malls undergoing modern aesthetic updates, Bergen Mall largely retained its mid-century look, giving it a distinct but increasingly dated character.
Retail Transitions and Repositioning
The late 1980s marked significant tenant changes, most notably the closure of Ohrbach’s in 1987. Its space was reconfigured several times, ultimately becoming Value City before its demolition. During the early 1990s, the mall repositioned itself toward value-driven retail, adding outlets such as Marshalls, Gap Outlet, and Saks Off 5th. A small companion strip center across Forest Avenue also developed during this period, connected by a pedestrian bridge.
Corporate Changes and Anchor Redevelopment
A series of mergers involving Allied Stores and Federated Department Stores reshaped the mall’s anchor lineup. Stern’s—briefly rebranded as Macy’s—was ultimately shuttered in 2005, and the building was re-tenanted by Century 21 the following year. This period also saw legal and cultural milestones, including a 1984 court ruling granting activists the right to distribute literature within the mall.
Rebranding and Major Renovation
After Vornado Realty Trust acquired the property in 2003, the center underwent a major transformation and became Bergen Town Center. This redevelopment added Target, Whole Foods Market, Lowe’s, and numerous new restaurants and specialty retailers, while upgrading interiors and parking infrastructure. By the 2010s, the mall had firmly established itself as a hybrid outlet and big-box destination.
Recent Developments
The closure of Century 21 in 2020 marked another turning point, and in 2022 Kohl’s opened in the former space. Continuing renovations and tenant changes reflect the center’s long-standing ability to adapt, maintaining its relevance as one of New Jersey’s oldest and most continuously evolving retail landmarks.
Thoughts From My Visit
While it’s nice to see that the Bergen Town Center seems to be thriving – there were tons of kids in Halloween outfits the day I was there, and there didn’t appear to be many vacancies in the storefronts – I can’t help but mourn the mid-century masterpiece that was lost. The clean and rather sterile look of post-2000s mall makeovers isn’t to my taste, but I didn’t find anything particularly objectionable about it either. It’s just not terribly memorable.
Bergen Mall, on the other hand, looked like it was a spectacular place and a cultural center for the area. This is probably why John F. Kennedy stopped there on his 1960 campaign tour, and pop singer Tiffany kicked off “The Beautiful You: Celebrating The Good Life Shopping Mall Tour ’87” at the Bergen Mall. There are few photos online of its golden years, and that seems like quite a loss.
Malls aren’t just for me, though, and I do wonder if it would be doing as well if it kept its original aesthetic. There are plenty of beautiful retro malls that are struggling to find shoppers. But they’re also not located where this one is, and maybe the kitsch appeal would have brought in visitors if the owners had leaned into it. We’ll never know. The kids in their Halloween outfits sure seemed to be having a good time, though.
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