Paramus Park
An enclosed regional shopping mall in Paramus, New Jersey, known for its garden-themed interior, waterfall atrium, food court, and department-store and specialty retail mix.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Paramus Park is an enclosed shopping mall in Paramus, New Jersey, United States. It occupies a strategically positioned site between the northbound lanes of New Jersey Route 17 and the southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway, close to the highways' intersections with Route 4. The center opened on March 14, 1974, during a period when Paramus was becoming one of the most concentrated retail destinations in the United States. The mall was developed through a joint venture involving The Rouse Company, Federated Stores Realty, and Congen Properties, the real-estate subsidiary of Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, now associated with The Cigna Group. Development entities included Paramus Park, Inc. and Congen Properties, Inc. RTKL Associates designed the complex. The project required the assembly of approximately 64 acres and the drainage of wetlands before construction began. At opening, the center featured Abraham & Straus and Sears as anchor stores, together with space for approximately 120 specialty retailers. Paramus Park differentiated itself from larger nearby competitors through a more intimate, destination-oriented format. Its interior used trees, benches, skylights, landscaped terraces, courtyards, and a large waterfall surrounding an atrium. The second-floor food court became one of the mall's defining features and is widely associated with the development of the successful modern shopping-mall food-court model. A Fortunoff store opened in 1977 as the chain's first New Jersey location. The mall's design also incorporated a carousel and a large turkey sculpture, references to the Lenni Lenape-derived name Paramus, commonly interpreted as relating to wild turkeys or fertile land. The property has experienced several ownership and management changes. General Growth Properties acquired The Rouse Company in 2004, bringing Paramus Park into the GGP portfolio. Brookfield Properties acquired GGP in 2018. The supplied reference material records a reversion of Brookfield's retail division to the GGP name in January 2026 and a transfer of third-party management to Centennial Real Estate Management in June 2026. Paramus Park remains one of Paramus's major enclosed retail centers. The mall has approximately 770,941 square feet of gross leasable area and roughly 100 stores, although its tenant roster changes over time. Its location in affluent Bergen County, relatively manageable scale, and lower congestion than the much larger Westfield Garden State Plaza have supported a positioning aimed at regional shoppers and upscale specialty retail. The property is also shaped by Bergen County's Sunday-closing blue laws and Paramus's stricter local ordinance; most stores traditionally remain closed on Sundays, with limited exceptions such as food, health, fitness, and personal-service tenants. The center has broadened its mix beyond conventional department-store retail. Sears was replaced by a Stew Leonard's supermarket, which opened as the grocer's first New Jersey store and helped reposition part of the mall as a food-and-lifestyle destination. A proposed Regal Cinemas complex was not completed. Uniqlo also announced a relocation into Paramus Park in 2018. The mall's waterfall and food court have made it a recognizable local landmark, and the property has appeared in popular music and filmed entertainment-related material, including references connected with Dean Friedman's 1977 song and Hanson's 1997 performance appearance.
History
Paramus Park emerged from a mid-1960s effort by Abraham & Straus to find a suitable Bergen County location. The Rouse Company and Federated Stores Realty subsequently assembled land between Route 17 and the Garden State Parkway from 1969 through 1971. Federated had established its real-estate arm in 1972, and Paramus Park became one of that division's early major projects. Rouse and Federated formed Paramus Park, Inc. and partnered with Congen Properties, the property arm of Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. RTKL Associates served as architect. Approximately 64 acres were assembled by 1971. Wetlands on the site were drained by October 1972, allowing construction to proceed. The mall opened on March 14, 1974, with a 300,000-square-foot Abraham & Straus and Sears as its principal anchors. Sears opened later in August, while the center was designed to accommodate about 120 specialty stores. The original design was unusually theatrical for its time. The mall followed a four-legged zigzag plan, with anchors at the ends and a mezzanine-level food court wrapped around an atrium. A 30-foot terraced waterfall circulated thousands of gallons of water each minute and was surrounded by plants, escalators, skylights, benches, and tree-lined promenades. The waterfall collected coins thrown by visitors; proceeds were donated to local charitable organizations. The mall's garden motif extended to courtyards, a carousel, and a large bronze turkey sculpture inspired by the meaning traditionally attributed to Paramus. The food court became particularly influential. Its format was associated with The Rouse Company's earlier Gourmet Fair concept at Sherway Gardens in Canada and is often described as one of the first successful enclosed-mall food courts in North America. A Fortunoff store opened in 1977, marking the chain's first New Jersey location. In 1986, the food court received an unusually upscale McDonald's restaurant with oak, pastel tile, and marble finishes. That location closed in 2000 and was later replaced by other food-service uses. The mall's physical design changed over time. A stairway and glass elevator serving the food court were removed in 1999 after crowding problems, with replacement elevators installed elsewhere. A carousel introduced in 1976 was eventually removed in August 2013 after 37 years. The mall also hosted major promotional and cultural events. In May 1997, Hanson performed in the food court before thousands of fans in an appearance promoted by radio station WHTZ. Paramus Park was also referenced in Dean Friedman's 1977 song “Ariel,” whose lyrics mention the mall's waterfall. Corporate ownership shifted in 2004 when General Growth Properties acquired The Rouse Company. During the 2007–2009 recession, the mall's smaller scale, lower traffic congestion, affluent surroundings, and access from the Garden State Parkway helped it retain upscale shoppers and tenants. A lifestyle-center expansion received approval in 2008, though the proposed west-side development did not all materialize as originally planned. Sears's eventual departure created an opportunity to change the center's role. In 2017, representatives proposed converting the anchor into a Stew Leonard's supermarket and a Regal Cinemas theater. The supermarket, an approximately 80,000-square-foot project and Stew Leonard's first New Jersey store, opened by 2019 and became a major new attraction. The cinema proposal was ultimately cancelled. Uniqlo announced a 13,000-square-foot store in 2018, relocating from Garden State Plaza. Brookfield Properties acquired GGP in 2018. The supplied reference material identifies further management changes in 2026: Brookfield's retail division reverted to the GGP name in January, and Centennial Real Estate Management assumed third-party management in June. Paramus Park continues to operate as an enclosed shopping and dining destination subject to Bergen County and Paramus Sunday-closing rules.
- 2019
Stew Leonard's opens
[1]Stew Leonard's opened an approximately 80,000-square-foot supermarket in the former Sears space.
- 2018
Brookfield acquires GGP
[1]Brookfield Properties acquired General Growth Properties.
- 2013
Carousel removed
[1]The mall removed its long-running carousel after it had occupied the center for approximately 37 years.
- 2005
Electrical fire
[1]An electrical fire caused smoke and soot damage, temporarily affecting several stores.
- 2004
Rouse becomes part of GGP
[1]General Growth Properties acquired The Rouse Company, bringing Paramus Park into the GGP portfolio.
- 1999
Food-court access redesigned
[1]The original stairway and glass elevator arrangement was removed and replaced with relocated elevators.
- 1986
Upscale McDonald's opens
[1]A specially designed McDonald's opened in the food court with more expensive, restaurant-style finishes.
- 1977
Fortunoff opens
[1]Fortunoff established its first New Jersey location at Paramus Park.
- 1974
Mall opens
[1]Paramus Park opened on March 14 with Abraham & Straus, Sears, and space for approximately 120 specialty stores.
- 1971
Land assembly completed
[1]The development partnership had assembled approximately 64 acres for the mall site and related access improvements.
Products and positioning
A regional, destination-oriented enclosed mall with an affluent customer base, a landscaped experiential interior, and a more compact and less congested environment than Paramus's largest shopping center.
Retail property · 1974
Enclosed shopping mall
Paramus Park's principal offering is an enclosed retail environment with department-store and specialty-shop spaces, internal promenades, landscaped areas, dining, and service businesses. The property has approximately 770,941 square feet of gross leasable area and roughly 100 stores, although the exact tenant roster changes over time.
Supermarket · 2019
Stew Leonard's Paramus
Stew Leonard's occupies the former Sears anchor area and brought a large-format grocery and food destination to the mall. It was the chain's first store in New Jersey and helped expand Paramus Park beyond traditional department-store and specialty retail.
Dining · 1974
Paramus Park food court
The mezzanine-level food court is arranged around the mall's central atrium and waterfall. Its early success made Paramus Park an important example in the development of the modern enclosed-mall food-court format.
Brand decisions
2018
Add Uniqlo after its relocation from Garden State PlazaStrategyBackground
Uniqlo announced a move from the nearby Westfield Garden State Plaza.
Action taken
The retailer planned a 13,000-square-foot Paramus Park store.
Aftermath
The announcement strengthened the mall's specialty-apparel and destination-retail mix.
2017
Convert Sears anchor into grocery and entertainment spaceStrategyBackground
Sears had served as an anchor since the mall opened, but the property sought a new use for the aging department-store area.
Action taken
Representatives proposed a Stew Leonard's supermarket on the first floor and a Regal Cinemas theater on the second floor.
Aftermath
The supermarket opened by 2019 and became a major destination. The proposed movie theater was later cancelled.
Sources2 sources
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