Freehold Raceway Mall - Wikipedia

Shopping mall in Freehold, New JerseyFreehold Raceway Mall

Entrance at the outdoor lifestyle center
Location	Freehold, New Jersey
Coordinates	40°15′08″N 74°17′41″W / 40.2521°N 74.2946°W / 40.2521; -74.2946
Opening date	August 1, 1990; 35 years ago (August 1, 1990)
Developer	Wilmorite
Management	Macerich
Owner	Macerich and Heitman
Stores and services	237
Anchor tenants	7 (1 coming soon)
Floor area	1,553,000 square feet (144,300 m2)[1]
Floors	2 (3 in Macy’s and Von Maur)
Parking	Parking lot
Public transit	NJ Transit bus: 67, 836, 838
Website	freeholdracewaymall.com

Freehold Raceway Mall is a super-regional shopping mall located in Freehold Township, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of 2020, it was the largest shopping mall in Central Jersey and the state's third largest shopping mall, behind Garden State Plaza in Paramus, and American Dream in East Rutherford.[2] It is located off of U.S. Route 9, Business Route 33, and West Main Street, opposite the former Freehold Raceway.

The mall is anchored by Macy's, JCPenney, L.L.Bean, Primark, Dave & Buster's, Dick’s House of Sport, and Freehold Athletic Club.

Overview

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The mall is owned and managed by The Macerich Company, having purchased the mall from developer Wilmorite in 2005, and has a 1,671,000 sq ft (155,200 m2) of total gross leasable area,[3] making it the third largest shopping mall in New Jersey. An outdoor lifestyle addition, begun in January 2007, added 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) of additional retail space.

On November 23, 2011, the mall was ranked in a Weather Channel news article titled "The Most Congested Malls for Black Friday". Freehold Raceway Mall ranked third in the nation.[4]

History

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Construction on Freehold Raceway Mall commenced in 1987,[5] across the street from the Freehold Raceway on land used for stables. The stables still exist, connected by a small pedestrian/horsecart bridge over Route 9, but they can only be accessed via mall entrance road. In preparation for the mall's opening, the Freehold Circle was eliminated and rebuilt into an at-grade intersection with traffic lights and jughandles. A traffic light and jughandle for the mall entrance road from Route 9 was also constructed due south of the intersection of Route 9 and Business Route 33.[citation needed]

1990–2007

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The mall officially opened on August 1, 1990; the public opening was preceded by a private "preview" gala and fundraiser for CentraState Medical Center which included papier-mâché racehorse centerpieces and a fabric replica of the food court's carousel, which had not yet arrived from Italy.[6] The mall originally had two anchors: Sears and Lord & Taylor, with construction already underway on JCPenney which later opened in 1991 as well as Nordstrom which inaugurated in 1992.[7] A violent riot in the Fall of 1997 did little to reduce the mall's popularity and a fifth anchor, Macy's, was opened on October 7, 1998.[8] The mall was not initially successful. Vacancies were imminent, and many of the spaces were filled with non-traditional mall tenants, such as municipal services. Local photography clubs displayed their photos on the mall's empty walls, while other areas sported photos of the raceway and the fire that occurred in 1984.

Retro photos of how the Freehold Raceway Mall appeared during the 1990s and early-mid 2000s.

The only evidence of the mall from Route 9 was the monument sign approaching the mall entrance, as the satellite big box stores were not yet built. Customers could also easily travel to the nearby Monmouth Mall, Seaview Square Mall, Brunswick Square Mall, or the Manalapan Mall. When Nordstrom opened the Freehold Raceway Mall had the only location in a 30 miles (48 km) radius. The crowds eventually came and the vacancy rate at the mall significantly dropped. The success of the Freehold Raceway Mall in the 1990s and early 2000s ultimately led to the downfall of the nearby Manalapan Mall, which closed in 1999 (which redeveloped into the Manalapan EpiCentre), along with the Seaview Square Mall (which redeveloped into a power center.[citation needed]).

2007–2020

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Freehold Raceway Mall was expanded in 2007, and construction began in January. The expansion was built in the space between JCPenney and Sears in the upper floor parking lot. The addition included a strip of outdoor stores along the JCPenney side of the mall, occupied by 13 to 15 stores, two restaurants, a promenade, an area for community events and a valet parking station.[citation needed] In April 2007, the mall's first renovation project was underway. The renovation replaced the flooring, changing the brown and green tile to a beige stone tile, it replaced the green paint on the ceilings and ironwork with a more beige/earthtone, the brass rails were replaced in favor of wooden rails, new lighting under the skylights and along/under the columns was added, the globe lighting along the skylights, pillars and ironwork was replaced, a new escalator next to Sears was added, soft, carpeted seating areas were added and the large center court fountain was replaced with a smaller fountain, and a soft seating area.[9] New additions include single- and two-story retail spaces, and two new parking lots which were built on site to replace those that were lost. They are located along the Raceway Mall Drive entrance and on the opposite side of the ring road next to Nordstrom.[citation needed]

The Freehold Raceway Mall under renovation in Summer 2007.Foot traffic at Freehold Raceway Mall on a weekday afternoon, October 2019The Center Court post-renovation, January 2009

On July 18, 2011, Borders Books & Music announced that they will be liquidating all of their stores, including their Freehold location.[10]

In September 2013, L.L.Bean opened their third New Jersey location inside the former Borders Books & Music anchor. They hosted a grand opening festival including giveaways, contests, and also a Birds of Prey exhibit as well.[11][12]

On July 16, 2016, Primark joined the shopping center after Sears downsized to one floor.[13]

2020–present

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The dawn of the 2020s saw several storied traditional department store retailers update its brick-and-mortar formats after being encroached upon to a degree by several digital retailers in recent years in addition to the COVID pandemic.

In May 2020, Nordstrom, which also maintains several outposts nearby, announced plans to shutter along with several additional locations as a direct result of pulling back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]

In August 2020, it was announced that specialty department store retailer Lord & Taylor would shutter its traditional brick and mortar format as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[15][16]

In June 1, 2022, it was announced that Lidl will come in the former Bob’s Stores.

By October 2022, after the government lockdown, Freehold Raceway Mall announced several additions, among them are Offline by Aerie, Elite Jewelers, Torrid, LoveSac, Lovisa, in addition to new formats for Aldo, Pandora, and a new much larger Apple format. As of 2023, a new Lidl occupies an outparcel space while a new Bob's Stores opened as an attached fixture at the mall next to Primark.[17][18][19][20]

In May 2023, Apple relocated to a new location on the same story of the mall.[21]

In May 2021, the Freehold Township Planning Committee proposed a rezoning ordinance to the shopping centers in the township, the Freehold Raceway Mall property notwithstanding. The township's Business Administrator Peter Valesi, expressed the interest to enhance the township's shopping centers.[22] On July 13, 2021, the township planning board approved the amendment in a 3-1 decision. This legislation redefines the "regional mall" as a "regional mall shopping center".[23]

The expansion of zoning allowances grants the owners of the mall the ability to include more commercial amenities, such as; movie theaters, performing arts venues, indoor amusement parks, roller rinks and other assortment of recreational activities.[24] The rezoning could also allow the mall to offer designated civic, cultural and senior citizen centers, as well as educational spaces, office spaces, breweries, and health care facilities.[24]

The rezoning policies will allow the mall to offer more 'lifestyle' amenities, which are becoming more commonplace in other prominent malls in the state (such as what can be found at the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne or the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford), while also still preserving the mall's upscale character.[25][26]

In late 2023, it was announced that Dick's Sporting Goods would be opening a new "House of Sport" in the former Lord & Taylor space. It officially opened on October 31, 2025, which replaced the former (outparcel) location.[27] This location, which is now an anchor to the Mall itself, features additional retail space, an athletic field, and other amenities.[28][29]

In April 2024, it was announced that Freehold Athletic Club and Dave & Buster's would open on the lower level in the former Sears space. Dave & Buster's would open on May 12, 2025.

In May 2024, it was announced that the Bob's Stores location at the mall, one of 21 stores closing as part of a bankruptcy filing and the chain's only location in New Jersey.[30]

On December 16, 2025, it was announced that Von Maur would be opening their first New Jersey location at the Freehold Raceway Mall in the former Nordstrom space. The store is set to open in fall 2027.[31]

See also

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Danbury Fair Mall in Danbury, Connecticut - Built by developer Wilmorite a few years before Freehold Raceway Mall and also currently owned by Macerich. Due to both malls being built around the same time in the New York metropolitan area, utilizing similar interior design fixtures, along with both malls residing under relatively similar socioeconomic areas and thus offering similar stores, they are sometimes attributed as retail 'twins'.[32][33]

References

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1. ^ "Macerich | Properties | Freehold Raceway Mall". www.macerich.com. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
2. ^ "The biggest mall in new jersey and here are the top 10", TechRaj, May 6, 2020. Accessed June 5, 2023.
3. ^ "The biggest mall in new jersey and here are the top 10", posted May 6, 2020. Accessed February 28, 2022.
4. ^ Breslin, Sean (November 23, 2011). "The Most Congested Malls for Black Friday". The Weather Company. Archived from the original on November 26, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
5. ^ "Wilmorite : Portforlio Information". Archived from the original on July 24, 2011.
6. ^ Henderson, Marguerite (August 1, 1990). "Plenty to ogle at raceway mall preview". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved July 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ Conroy, William (December 16, 1990). "Freehold Raceway Mall off to a slow start". Asbury Park Press – via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ Serra, Maria Jose (October 8, 1998). "Macy's wins at Raceway". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved July 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ [1][dead link]
10. ^ Rooney, Ben (July 18, 2011). "Borders liquidates: 10,700 jobs lost". CNNMoney. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
11. ^ Hochron, Adam (September 19, 2013). "L.L. Bean Grand Opening Celebration This Weekend". Freehold, NJ: Patch. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
12. ^ "At Freehold Raceway Mall". seritage.com.
13. ^ Willis, David P. (December 11, 2019). "Sears to close Freehold Raceway Mall store; sales start soon". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved February 15, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
14. ^ Alexander, Dan (May 7, 2020). "Nordstrom to close the store at Freehold Raceway Mall". WKXW. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
15. ^ Jordan Valinsky (August 27, 2020). "Lord & Taylor is closing all of its stores after 194 years in business". CNN. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
16. ^ Willis, David P. (August 27, 2020). "Lord & Taylor closing all stores, including Freehold Raceway Mall location". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved January 2, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
17. ^ Willis, David P., "Bob's Stores coming back to Freehold Raceway Mall, and Lidl bringing grocery too, Asbury Park Press, December 6, 2022. Accessed December 6, 2022.
18. ^ "Asbury Park Press".
19. ^ "Big changes coming to this popular New Jersey mall". May 22, 2023.
20. ^ "An Exciting Premium Clothing Store Has Finally Come to Freehold Raceway Mall!". January 13, 2023.
21. ^ Burch, Christopher."Big changes coming to N.J. mall, including relocation of Apple store", NJ.com, Published: May. 21, 2023, Updated: May. 24, 2023. Accessed October 13, 2023.
22. ^ Sockol, Matthew. "Freehold Township officials propose permitting new uses at mall", centraljersey.com. June 30, 2021. Accessed July 17, 2021.
23. ^ Sockol, Matthew. "Township Committee revises zoning at Freehold Raceway Mall site", centraljersey.com. July 15, 2021. Accessed July 17, 2021.
24. ^ a b Rosenthal, Nicole. "Freehold Twp Committee Approves Expanded Raceway Mall Uses", Patch. July 15, 2021. Accessed July 17, 2021.
25. ^ Sockol, Matthew. "Township Committee revises zoning at Freehold Raceway Mall site", centraljersey.com., July 15, 2021. Accessed July 17, 2021.
26. ^ Burch, Christopher. "Big changes coming to N.J. mall, including relocation of Apple store", nj.com, Published: May 21, 2023, Updated: May 24, 2023. Accessed May 28, 2023.
27. ^ Willis, David P. "Dick's House of Sport opens at Freehold Raceway Mall with appearances by Yankees stars", Asbury Park Press, November 1, 2025. Accessed November 4, 2025.
28. ^ Redmond, Kimberly. "Dick’s 1st House of Sport in NJ lets shoppers get in the game", NJBIZ, September 8, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. "Dick’s Sporting Goods is debuting its experiential retail concept in New Jersey Sept. 19. Located at Newport Centre in Jersey City, Dick’s House of Sport aims to combine traditional retail with interactive sports experiences, such as golf simulators, rock climbing walls, batting cages and turf fields.... Within New Jersey, Dick’s House of Sports has sites planned for Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold and Rockaway Townsquare in Rockaway."
29. ^ "Dick's House of Sport finally opening at Freehold Raceway Mall; here's when". 94.5 PST. October 13, 2025. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
30. ^ Rodriguez, Katherine. "Bob’s Stores is closing all 21 locations, including 1 in N.J., after 70 years in business", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, July 5, 2024. Accessed July 17, 2024. "Discount retailer Bob’s Stores is closing its brick-and-mortar locations, including one in New Jersey, after the chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As part of the bankruptcy filing, Bob’s stores will shut down all 21 remaining locations permanently and liquidate its inventory in the weeks to come.... The New Jersey location closing soon is at 3710 US-9 in Freehold."
31. ^ "Von Maur Department Stores to Open First Location in New Jersey in Fall 2027". Business Wire. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
32. ^ Langlois, Mark. "Danbury mall sold in $2.33B deal", News-Times, December 24, 2004. Accessed April 3, 2022.
33. ^ "Freehold Raceway Mall; Freehold, New Jersey", Labelscar: The Retail History Blog, December 14, 2006. Accessed April 3, 2022.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Freehold Raceway Mall.

• Official website
• International Council of Shopping Centers: Freehold Raceway Mall

v t e Freehold Borough / Freehold Township
Municipalities	Freehold Borough Freehold Township
Neighborhoods	East Freehold Burlington Heights West Freehold Stonehurst East Stonehurst West Raintree Adelphia Georgia Smithburg
Schools	Freehold Borough Schools Freehold Township Schools Freehold Regional High School District Freehold Borough High School Freehold Township High School Monmouth County Vocational School District Biotechnology High School
Colleges and universities	Brookdale Community College Freehold Campus Rutgers University Brookdale's Freehold Campus Seton Hall University College of Nursing at Brookdale's Freehold Campus
Economy	CentraState Medical Center Downtown Freehold Freehold Raceway Freehold Raceway Mall Manalapan EpiCentre Tomasello Winery
Parks and recreation	Henry Hudson Trail Lake Topanemus Monmouth Battlefield State Park Turkey Swamp Park
NRHP sites	Monmouth Battlefield Historic District Craig House Court Street School George Taylor House Hankinson–Moreau–Covenhoven House Walker-Combs-Hartshorne Farmstead St. Peter's Episcopal Church
History	Monmouth Tract Village of West Freehold Battle of Monmouth Legend of Molly Pitcher Bruce Springsteen "My Hometown"
Museums	Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County Monmouth County Historical Association
Houses of Worship	Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine Freehold Jewish Center Old Tennent Church
Other points of interest	Freehold Public Library Karagheusian Rug Mill Maplewood Cemetery Monmouth County Courthouse
This list is incomplete.

v t e Shopping malls in New Jersey
Atlantic County	Hamilton Mall The Quarter at Tropicana Tanger Outlets Atlantic City
Bergen County	American Dream Meadowlands Garden State Plaza The Outlets at Bergen Town Center Paramus Park The Shops at Riverside
Burlington County	East Gate Square Moorestown Mall The Promenade at Sagemore
Camden County	Cherry Hill Mall Main Street Complex Voorhees Town Center
Cumberland County	Cumberland Mall
Essex County	Lackawanna Terminal Livingston Mall The Mall at Short Hills
Gloucester County	Deptford Mall
Hudson County	Newport Centre The Plaza at Harmon Meadow
Mercer County	MarketFair Princeton Shopping Center Quaker Bridge Mall
Middlesex County	Forrestal Village Menlo Park Mall Woodbridge Center
Monmouth County	Freehold Raceway Mall The Grove at Shrewsbury Jersey Shore Premium Outlets Pier Village
Morris County	Rockaway Townsquare The Shops at Ledgewood Commons
Ocean County	Ocean County Mall Seacourt Pavilion
Passaic County	Center City Mall Willowbrook Mall
Somerset County	Bridgewater Commons
Union County	Elizabeth Center The Mills at Jersey Gardens
Defunct	Brunswick Square Burlington Center Mall Fashion Center Ledgewood Mall The Mall at Mill Creek Manalapan Mall Monmouth Mall Phillipsburg Mall Playground Pier Seaview Square Mall Shore Mall Wayne Towne Center

v t e Shopping malls in the New York metropolitan area
New York	New York City Atlantic Terminal Bay Plaza Shopping Center The Boulevard Bronx Terminal Market Brookfield Place East River Plaza Empire Outlets Empire Stores Fulton Center Gateway Center Kings Plaza Manhattan Mall New World Mall Pier 17 Queens Center Mall Queens Place Rego Center The Shops at Atlas Park The Shops at Columbus Circle The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards Staten Island Mall South Street Seaport Westfield World Trade Center Long Island Americana Manhasset Belmont Park Village Broadway Commons Green Acres Mall Lake Success Shopping Center Mall at The Source Roosevelt Field Smith Haven Mall South Shore Mall Sunrise Mall Sun Vet Mall Tanger Outlets at the Arches Tanger Outlets Riverhead Walt Whitman Shops Wheatley Plaza Hudson Valley City Center at White Plains Cross County Shopping Center Galleria at Crystal Run Jefferson Valley Mall Hudson Valley Mall Newburgh Mall Palisades Center Poughkeepsie Galleria The Shops at Nanuet The Source at White Plains The Westchester South Hills Mall Ridge Hill Mall Woodbury Common Premium Outlets
New Jersey	American Dream Meadowlands Bridgewater Commons Brunswick Square Center City Mall Elizabeth Center Fashion Center Forrestal Village Freehold Raceway Mall Garden State Plaza The Grove at Shrewsbury Jersey Shore Premium Outlets Ledgewood Mall Livingston Mall The Mall at Mill Creek The Mall at Short Hills The Mills at Jersey Gardens Manalapan EpiCentre MarketFair Mall Menlo Park Mall Monmouth Mall Seacourt Pavilion Newport Centre Ocean County Mall The Outlets at Bergen Town Center Paramus Park Pier Village The Plaza at Harmon Meadow Princeton Shopping Center Quaker Bridge Mall Rockaway Townsquare The Shops at Riverside Willowbrook Mall Woodbridge Center
Connecticut	Brass Mill Center Connecticut Post Mall Danbury Fair Hawley Lane Mall The SoNo Collection Stamford Town Center Westfield Meriden Westfield Trumbull
Pennsylvania	Stroud Mall
Defunct	Galleria at White Plains Phillipsburg Mall Pier 17 Pavilion Seaview Square Mall The Mall at the World Trade Center Wayne Towne Center
Canceled	New Haven Galleria North Haven Mall

v t e Macerich
Arizona	Arrowhead Towne Center Chandler Fashion Center Desert Sky Mall Kierland Commons SanTan Village Scottsdale Fashion Square Superstition Springs Center
California	Broadway Plaza Fashion Fair Mall Inland Center La Cumbre Plaza Los Cerritos Center The Mall of Victor Valley Pacific View Mall Stonewood Center The Village at Corte Madera Vintage Faire Mall
Colorado	Flatiron Crossing Mall Twenty Ninth Street
Connecticut	Danbury Fair
Illinois	Fashion Outlets of Chicago
Indiana	Eastland Mall
Iowa	NorthPark Mall
New Jersey	Deptford Mall Freehold Raceway Mall
New York	Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls Green Acres Mall Kings Plaza Queens Center
North Carolina	Crabtree
Oregon	Valley River Center Washington Square
Pennsylvania	Fashion District Philadelphia
Texas	South Plains Mall
Virginia	Tysons Corner Center
Related articles	Westcor Wilmorite Properties