Rockaway Townsquare
A two-level super-regional shopping mall in Rockaway Township, New Jersey.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Rockaway Townsquare is a two-level super-regional shopping mall in Rockaway Township, Morris County, New Jersey. The property opened in August 1977 and has approximately 1.25 million square feet of gross leasable area. It serves shoppers in Morris County as well as neighboring Sussex and Warren counties, and its location near Interstate 80 places it within relatively easy driving distance of the New York metropolitan area. The mall is owned by Simon Property Group and operates as the central retail component of a broader commercial district. In addition to the enclosed mall, the surrounding property includes Rockaway Commons, The Shops at Rockaway Mall, Rockaway Town Court, and Rockaway Town Plaza. These adjacent developments expand the site’s tenant mix beyond traditional department stores to include electronics, sporting goods, home furnishings, off-price retail, restaurants, healthcare services, lodging, and entertainment. The wider complex includes retailers and facilities such as Macy’s, JCPenney, Raymour & Flanigan, Best Buy, Nordstrom Rack, DSW, Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, PetSmart, an AMC multiplex, a Hilton Garden Inn, and a Morristown Medical Center health pavilion. Rockaway Townsquare has evolved through repeated anchor changes and property additions. Bamberger’s, one of the original department-store tenants, was converted to the Macy’s nameplate in 1986. Hahne’s was replaced by Lord & Taylor in 1989, while Sears later occupied another major anchor position before closing in 2020. A portion of the former Sears space was reconstructed for Raymour & Flanigan, which opened there in 2016. Lord & Taylor also exited its physical-store business in 2020, a decision associated with the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The mall’s food and leisure offer has been refreshed over time. Its original movie-theater operation expanded to twelve screens in 1981, then later closed in stages; a successor sixteen-screen AMC cinema opened beside Rockaway Town Plaza in 2006. The Cheesecake Factory opened in December 2017, P. F. Chang’s opened in February 2022, and the food court underwent renovation between January and fall 2019. The property also has a distinctive physical and cultural history. It was built over a former wetland and the former Dover town landfill, before New Jersey’s 1988 Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act. A time capsule placed inside the mall at its opening was opened on August 22, 2000. The original interior displayed five sculptures by Rita Blitt, including the yellow Stablitt 55, whose silhouette became the mall’s original logo. Although most of the sculptures were later removed, Stablitt 55 remains outside the mall near Rockaway Town Court. The mall has also appeared in popular culture: a shopping scene in the 1984 film Firstborn was filmed there.
History
Rockaway Townsquare opened in August 1977 in Rockaway Township, New Jersey. The project was built on land that included a former wetland and the former Dover town landfill. At the time of construction, New Jersey did not yet have the freshwater-wetland protections later introduced by the 1988 Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act. The mall included a time capsule, identified by an interior plaque and later opened on August 22, 2000. The original property was designed as a large enclosed shopping center with department stores, specialty shops, public art, and entertainment. Five sculptures by Rita Blitt were installed at opening. Several were positioned on the first floor and extended through openings toward the second level. A stainless-steel and brass American flag measuring about twenty feet in length was also suspended from the ceiling. The yellow Stablitt 55 sculpture became the source of the mall’s original logo. Most of the sculptures were eventually removed, but Stablitt 55 remains outdoors near Rockaway Town Court. Department-store changes have shaped the mall’s identity. Bamberger’s operated as an original anchor before being converted to Macy’s in 1986. Hahne’s was replaced by Lord & Taylor in 1989. Sears later occupied another major anchor location. A part of that space was reconstructed for Raymour & Flanigan, which opened in 2016. Sears announced the closure of its store in 2020 as part of the chain’s broader retreat from traditional department-store locations. Lord & Taylor also announced in August 2020 that it would close its physical stores, a decision linked to the commercial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Entertainment facilities have changed several times. AMC originally operated six screens inside the mall and later expanded the location to twelve screens in February 1981. The expansion was promoted as the first twelve-screen multiplex in the United States. The interior six-screen operation closed in 1998, while the additional screens closed in 2002. A new sixteen-screen AMC cinema opened beside Rockaway Town Plaza in 2006. The property grew beyond the enclosed mall through several adjacent developments. Rockaway Commons occupies the southeastern portion of the site and includes retailers such as Best Buy, Nordstrom Rack, and DSW, along with a Hilton Garden Inn and a Morristown Medical Center health pavilion. The Shops at Rockaway Mall occupies a corner near Interstate 80. Rockaway Town Court is located east of the main mall, while Rockaway Town Plaza lies to the west and includes Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, PetSmart, and the newer AMC cinema. Together, these components give the destination a broader regional retail and service role than the enclosed mall alone. More recent changes have emphasized dining, food service, and redevelopment of former anchor space. The Cheesecake Factory opened in December 2017. The food court was renovated from January 2019 through fall 2019. P. F. Chang’s opened in February 2022. The mall also experienced a notable aviation incident on August 25, 2009, when a small plane crash-landed in the parking lot; the pilot was the only person injured and was treated after leaving the aircraft. Rockaway Townsquare remains an active Simon Property Group shopping destination serving northern New Jersey and nearby communities.
- 2022
P. F. Chang’s opens
[1]P. F. Chang’s opens at Rockaway Townsquare in February.
- 2020
Sears and Lord & Taylor depart
[1]Sears and Lord & Taylor announce or complete exits from the property amid broader retail-sector contraction.
- 2019
Food court renovation
[1]A food-court modernization project runs from January through fall 2019.
- 2017
The Cheesecake Factory opens
[1]The Cheesecake Factory begins operations at the mall in December.
- 2016
Raymour & Flanigan opens
[1]Raymour & Flanigan opens in reconstructed space formerly associated with Sears.
- 2006
New sixteen-screen AMC opens
[1]A successor sixteen-screen AMC theater opens beside Rockaway Town Plaza.
- 2000
Opening time capsule is unveiled
[1]The time capsule placed inside the mall at opening is opened on August 22.
- 1986
Bamberger’s becomes Macy’s
[1]The mall’s Bamberger’s department-store anchor adopts the Macy’s nameplate.
- 1981
AMC expands to twelve screens
[1]The original AMC cinema expands from six to twelve screens, creating an early large-format multiplex.
- 1977
Mall opens
[1]Rockaway Townsquare opens in August as a large enclosed shopping mall in Rockaway Township, New Jersey.
Products and positioning
A large, multi-format regional shopping and entertainment destination serving northern New Jersey and nearby New York metropolitan communities.
Retail property · 1977
Enclosed shopping mall
The primary property is a two-level enclosed super-regional shopping mall with approximately 1.25 million square feet of gross leasable area. Its tenant mix combines department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, services, and entertainment. The mall is anchored by Macy’s, JCPenney, and Raymour & Flanigan, with additional retail offerings distributed throughout the interior.
Open-air retail center
Rockaway Commons
Rockaway Commons is an adjacent strip-center component on the southeastern part of the property. It broadens the destination’s tenant mix with large-format and off-price retailers, including Best Buy, Nordstrom Rack, and DSW. The wider development also includes hospitality and healthcare facilities, making the site more than a conventional enclosed mall.
Open-air retail and entertainment center
Rockaway Town Plaza
Rockaway Town Plaza is the western retail component of the broader mall property. Its tenants include Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, PetSmart, and a sixteen-screen AMC theater. The plaza provides large-format retail and entertainment uses that complement the enclosed mall’s specialty-store and department-store offer.
Food and beverage · 2017
Dining and food-service offer
Rockaway Townsquare’s dining offer includes an interior food court and full-service restaurants. The food court was renovated between 2019 and fall 2019. The Cheesecake Factory joined the property in December 2017, followed by P. F. Chang’s in February 2022, reinforcing the destination’s role as a shopping and dining venue.
Brand decisions
2020
Manage the departure of Sears and Lord & TaylorOtherBackground
Both department-store chains reduced their physical retail presence during a period of structural change in department-store retail, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Action taken
Sears closed its Rockaway Townsquare store, while Lord & Taylor announced the end of its brick-and-mortar format.
Aftermath
The property lost two major former anchors and continued adapting its tenant and surrounding commercial mix.
2019
Renovate the food courtStrategyBackground
The mall refreshed its dining environment during a period when shopping centers were investing in experiential and food-service amenities.
Action taken
A food-court renovation was carried out from January through fall 2019.
Aftermath
The project updated a central common area and supported the mall’s dining proposition.
2016
Redevelop part of former Sears space for Raymour & FlaniganOtherBackground
The mall adapted a portion of its department-store footprint to accommodate a home-furnishings retailer.
Action taken
Space associated with Sears was reconstructed and opened for Raymour & Flanigan.
Aftermath
The change diversified the anchor mix and preserved retail use in part of the former Sears area.
1986
Convert the Bamberger’s anchor to Macy’sStrategyBackground
Bamberger’s stores were being brought under the Macy’s nameplate as part of a broader chain rebranding.
Action taken
The Rockaway Townsquare Bamberger’s department store was rebranded as Macy’s.
Aftermath
Macy’s became one of the mall’s continuing department-store anchors.
Recent events
- 2022
P. F. Chang’s opens at the mall[1]
Product launch
P. F. Chang’s opened at Rockaway Townsquare in February 2022, adding a full-service restaurant to the property’s dining mix.
- 2020
Sears announces store closure[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
Sears announced that its Rockaway Townsquare location would close as part of the retailer’s continuing reduction of its traditional brick-and-mortar footprint.
- 2020
Lord & Taylor exits physical retail[1]
Other
Lord & Taylor announced the closure of its brick-and-mortar operations in August 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic cited as a direct factor.
- 2019
Food court renovation is completed[1]
Other
The mall’s food court was renovated during a project that began in January 2019 and concluded in fall 2019.
- 2017
The Cheesecake Factory opens[1]
Product launch
The Cheesecake Factory opened at Rockaway Townsquare in December 2017, strengthening the property’s restaurant offering.
- 2016
Raymour & Flanigan opens in reconstructed Sears space[1]
Product launch
Raymour & Flanigan opened after part of the Sears premises was reconstructed for the home-furnishings retailer.
- 2009
A small aircraft crash-lands in the parking lot[1]
Other
A small plane landed unsuccessfully in the mall parking lot on August 25, 2009. The pilot was the only injured person and received treatment after walking away from the crash.
- 2000
Time capsule is opened[1]
Other
A time capsule installed inside the mall at its opening was unveiled on August 22, 2000.
- 1989
Hahne’s anchor is replaced by Lord & Taylor[1]
Other
Hahne’s was replaced by Lord & Taylor, creating a new department-store anchor arrangement at the mall.
- 1986
Bamberger’s stores adopt the Macy’s nameplate[1]
Leadership change
The Bamberger’s anchor at Rockaway Townsquare was converted to Macy’s as the broader chain adopted the Macy’s brand.
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