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A long-stalled plan to redevelop a deteriorating New Jersey shopping center is once again under the attention of local officials.
The Raritan Borough Planning Board recently reviewed a new site plan application for Raritan Lofts, which calls for a five-story mixed-use building that would replace much of the largely vacant Raritan Mall in Somerset County, about 45 miles southwest of New York City.
The proposal, submitted by Raritan Mall Urban Renewal LLC, outlines the demolition of the aging mall and construction of a 70-foot-tall building with 276 rental apartments and 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, according to planning documents.
The project would include 42 affordable rental units.
A view of the deteriorating Raritan Mall in Raritan, NJ (Google Maps)
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A separate one-story building would remain on the site and be converted into retail space.
The redevelopment marks the latest attempt to revitalize the 10.88-acre site, which has struggled since its anchor tenant, Stop & Shop, closed in 2016. according to NJ.com.
The shopping center is now largely empty. A 2022 preliminary study described the site as “largely abandoned” and “dilapidated,” citing vandalism and flood damage, the local outlet reported.
The proposal, submitted by Raritan Mall Urban Renewal LLC, calls for the construction of a 70-foot-tall building with 276 rental apartments and 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. (Raritan Borough Planning Board)
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The hearing is the latest attempt to revive a redevelopment plan that has been stalled for years.
After the Raritan Borough Council rejected a previous redevelopment plan, the mall’s owner filed a lawsuit in August 2024. The $100 million lawsuit alleged the vote posed a conflict of interest, but was dropped in February 2025, NJ.com reported.
Raritan Mall’s decline also reflects broader challenges facing traditional malls across the country.
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The decline of Raritan Mall reflects broader challenges facing traditional malls across the country. (iStock)
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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, malls were losing ground as online retailers like Amazon pulled customers away from brick-and-mortar stores.
Lockdowns then accelerated the decline by keeping shoppers at home. Economic pressures from inflation made matters worse, with households tightening their budgets and spending less on discretionary expenses.
