Seaview Square Mall
A former enclosed shopping mall in Ocean Township, New Jersey, redeveloped into the Seaview Square Shopping Center power center.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Seaview Square Mall was a retail complex in Ocean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, at the intersection of Route 35 and Route 66. Although it was originally an enclosed regional mall, the property is now chiefly known as Seaview Square Shopping Center, a redeveloped power center with a mixture of large-format retailers, restaurants, specialty stores, and service businesses. The mall opened on November 2, 1977, after being developed by The Goodman Company on a site with a complicated environmental and commercial history. The land had previously been used as a landfill from 1941 to 1975 and was treated as a Superfund site by the United States Environmental Protection Agency until 1991. The project was conceived during a period when businesses were leaving downtown Asbury Park following the 1970 riots, and it was positioned near a suburban Sears location on Route 66. Its planned scale was substantial: approximately 856,000 square feet of space, capacity for roughly 150 stores, and as many as four anchor locations. The original anchor plan centered on Sears and Steinbach. Stern's later joined the property, while a proposed Lord & Taylor store never materialized. The mall opened with only about 40 percent of its space occupied, and it faced strong competition from the more upscale Monmouth Mall in Eatontown, approximately five miles north along Route 35. Steinbach initially presented its Seaview Square store as a fashion-oriented location, but the chain later shifted toward a value-focused strategy. Stern's also operated in a changing department-store environment and ultimately maintained its Seaview location partly as a clearance operation. By the 1990s and 2000s, the property was experiencing the wider pressures affecting traditional enclosed malls: anchor consolidation, retailer failures, and declining occupancy. Steinbach closed in 1999 and was replaced by Value City. Stern's eventually left after its lease expired in 1999. The enclosed mall closed on December 31, 2000, with RadioShack reported as the final store to shut. Most of the interior mall was demolished in 2001, while Sears and Value City remained as surviving anchors for a period. Wharton Realty Group purchased the property in September 2012 and renamed it Seaview Square Shopping Center. The redevelopment replaced the inward-facing mall format with a more flexible open-air power-center model. New construction along the Route 66 entrance added restaurants and retail space, while a succession of national tenants occupied former mall areas and newly built sections. These included Target, Costco, Burlington, Marshalls, HomeGoods, HomeSense, Sierra Trading Post, PetSmart, Starbucks, Guitar Center, Big Lots, A.C. Moore, and Sky Zone. The former Value City space was demolished in 2016 and later replaced by HomeSense and Sierra Trading Post. Sears, the last original anchor, announced in 2018 that its Seaview store would close in September as part of a national round of store closures. The former Sears building was subsequently reused by At Home and an Amazon warehouse. In 2019, Wharton announced another expansion involving Marshalls and HomeGoods; both stores opened in October 2020, bringing reported occupancy above 98 percent. Later additions included Crumbl Cookies, Dave's Hot Chicken, and planned or announced locations for Norman's Hallmark and PGA Tour Superstore. The center illustrates the conversion of a declining enclosed mall into a high-occupancy, convenience-oriented retail destination.
History
The site associated with Seaview Square has roots in the suburbanization of retail around Asbury Park. Sears had moved its downtown Asbury Park operation to a suburban location on Route 66 near the Asbury Circle during the 1950s. After the 1970 Asbury Park riots accelerated the departure of downtown businesses, developers began planning a large shopping mall on property across from Sears. The site had previously been a landfill, used from 1941 to 1975, and was designated a Superfund site by the EPA until 1991. The Goodman Company developed the 856,000-square-foot enclosed mall, which opened on November 2, 1977. Its initial anchor strategy called for Sears at one end and Steinbach at the other, with space reserved for additional anchors and approximately 150 smaller stores. The mall opened at only about 40 percent occupancy. Steinbach operated its store as a relatively upscale fashion location at first, while Stern's opened in 1979 after failing to establish an anchor at Ocean County Mall. Lord & Taylor was discussed as a possible additional anchor but never opened. Seaview Square struggled to distinguish itself from Monmouth Mall, a larger and more upscale competitor roughly five miles away in Eatontown. Retailer changes compounded the problem. Steinbach shifted toward a value-oriented business model and ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 1999. Value City replaced Steinbach. Stern's became involved in the consolidation of department-store chains and operated its Seaview store partly as a clearance center before its lease ended in 1999. The interior mall's decline culminated in its closure on December 31, 2000. Most of the enclosed structure was demolished in 2001, although Sears and Value City survived temporarily as separate remaining anchors. The property entered a new phase under Wharton Realty Group, which purchased it in September 2012 and renamed it Seaview Square Shopping Center. Rather than restore the enclosed mall, the redevelopment created a power-center layout with prominent parking access, large-format retail buildings, and new restaurant space along Route 66. Tenants added during the redevelopment included Target, Costco, Burlington, Guitar Center, A.C. Moore, Big Lots, Sky Zone, PetSmart, and Starbucks, among others. Value City ceased operating in 2008, and its building was demolished in 2016. HomeSense and Sierra Trading Post later occupied that portion of the property. Sears, the final original anchor, announced in 2018 that its store would close in September. The building was subsequently adapted for At Home on one level and an Amazon warehouse on another. A further expansion announced in 2019 added Marshalls and HomeGoods, which opened in October 2020 and reportedly raised overall occupancy above 98 percent. The center continued to evolve as a mixed retail and dining destination. Crumbl Cookies opened its first New Jersey location there in 2022, followed by Dave's Hot Chicken's second New Jersey location in 2023. Norman's Hallmark announced a planned store in 2024. At Home later announced a 2025 closure program that included the Seaview location, while PGA Tour Superstore announced plans to occupy the former Big Lots site. The property's history reflects a broader retail real-estate pattern: an enclosed mall with weak anchors and declining traffic was converted into a flexible, high-occupancy power center serving everyday consumer needs.
- 2022
Crumbl Cookies opens
[1]The first Crumbl Cookies location in New Jersey opened at the center.
- 2020
Marshalls and HomeGoods open
[1]The two stores opened in October as part of the center's expansion.
- 2018
Sears closes
[1]Sears announced the closure of its Seaview store, ending the property's original anchor presence.
- 2016
Value City building is demolished
[1]The former Value City structure was removed, allowing the site to be reused by HomeSense and Sierra Trading Post.
- 2012
Redevelopment begins under new ownership
[1]Wharton Realty Group purchased the property, renamed it Seaview Square Shopping Center, and pursued an open-air power-center format.
- 2001
Most of the mall is demolished
[1]Most of the enclosed shopping structure was removed, leaving the remaining Sears and Value City anchor buildings.
- 2000
Enclosed mall closes
[1]The original mall closed on December 31 for reconstruction.
- 1999
Steinbach leaves the property
[1]Steinbach folded and its space was subsequently occupied by Value City; Stern's also reached the end of its Seaview lease around this period.
- 1979
Stern's joins the anchor lineup
[1]Stern's opened at the mall after it was unable to open an intended location at Ocean County Mall.
- 1977
Enclosed mall opens
[1]The Goodman Company opened Seaview Square Mall on November 2 with Sears and Steinbach as its principal anchors.
Products and positioning
A suburban open-air power center serving everyday retail, home, apparel, warehouse-club, dining, and service needs in the Ocean Township and wider Monmouth County market.
General merchandise
Target
A large-format general merchandise store offering apparel, household goods, electronics, groceries, beauty products, and everyday essentials.
Warehouse club
Costco
A membership warehouse club providing bulk groceries, consumer goods, home products, seasonal merchandise, and related services.
Off-price apparel and home goods
Burlington
An off-price retailer focused on discounted clothing, footwear, accessories, home furnishings, and seasonal merchandise.
Off-price retail · 2020
Marshalls
A discount department store selling branded apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty products, home goods, and seasonal items.
Home furnishings · 2020
HomeGoods
A home-focused off-price retailer offering furniture, decor, kitchenware, textiles, storage products, and seasonal household merchandise.
Home furnishings
HomeSense
A home-goods retailer occupying part of the former Value City area and selling furniture, decor, housewares, and related household products.
Outdoor and active lifestyle
Sierra Trading Post
A value-oriented retailer of outdoor, activewear, footwear, sporting, travel, and lifestyle merchandise.
Brand decisions
2019
Expansion with Marshalls and HomeGoodsStrategyBackground
The redeveloped center continued to add tenants and sought to increase the use of remaining retail space.
Action taken
Wharton announced an expansion involving Marshalls and HomeGoods.
Aftermath
Both stores opened in October 2020, and reported occupancy rose above 98 percent.
2012
Wharton launches power-center repositioningStrategyBackground
Wharton Realty Group acquired the property after the original enclosed-mall format had been substantially dismantled.
Action taken
Wharton renamed the site Seaview Square Shopping Center and added open-air retail, restaurant, and large-format tenant space.
Aftermath
National retailers and restaurants filled much of the former mall footprint, creating a more flexible suburban retail destination.
2000
Conversion from enclosed mall to redevelopment siteStrategyBackground
The enclosed mall had faced weak occupancy, anchor turnover, and competition from Monmouth Mall.
Action taken
The property closed at the end of 2000 and most of the interior mall was demolished in 2001.
Aftermath
The site eventually became an open-air power center rather than a conventional enclosed mall.
Sources1 sources
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