The Shops at Riverside

The Shops at Riverside is a two-level enclosed shopping mall located off Route 4 along the Hackensack River in Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey. The center serves shoppers from Bergen, Essex, and Passaic counties in New Jersey and from Rockland County in New York. Its regional draw is based on a combination of department-store and specialty retail, restaurants, entertainment, and a design-oriented environment positioned above the format of a conventional neighborhood shopping center. The property originated with a freestanding Bloomingdale's store that opened in 1959. An enclosed shopping center was subsequently developed around and alongside the department store and opened on March 10, 1977, under the name Riverside Square Mall. At opening, the complex contained approximately 620,000 square feet of retail space and included a large Bloomingdale's and a Saks Fifth Avenue location. The original architectural character used terra-cotta tile, red brick, and skylights to create a Southern California-inspired setting. By the 1990s, the center faced declining traffic and tenant losses, while nearby Garden State Plaza was undergoing a major renovation and expansion. In response, the mall was comprehensively renovated in 1995. The redesign replaced much of the earlier interior treatment with marble floors, glass railings, and more generous seating areas. The project was intended to make the center more comfortable and visually upscale while improving its competitiveness within the northern New Jersey retail market. From 2005 through 2008, the property added approximately 248,000 square feet of retail and dining space, including around 30 stores and three restaurants. Much of the new area was created by reorganizing space associated with Bloomingdale's. The former Bloomingdale's Home Store, which had divided parts of the mall, was moved to the north end of the existing department store. Additional work prepared the original 1977 Bloomingdale's expansion for renovation and added a concourse linking the mall's north and south corridors. The center adopted its current name, The Shops at Riverside, in 2005. Saks Fifth Avenue closed its location in December 2014, leaving more than 100,000 square feet available for redevelopment. The space was subsequently targeted for an entertainment and dining conversion. An AMC Dine-In Theatre with nine auditoriums opened on September 13, 2017, occupying most of the former Saks space on the second level. Later work included new flooring, escalators near Bloomingdale's, a replacement central staircase, completion of second-floor areas, and a glass feature near the cinema. A further phase introduced or completed plans for an upgraded entrance, valet parking, a luxury lounge, coat check, personal shopping, and additional Bloomingdale's improvements; this phase was reported as complete by late 2019. The mall remains shaped by Bergen County's distinctive Sunday-closing rules. Because county blue laws restrict most retail sales on Sundays, many stores are closed that day, while restaurants, the cinema, and exempt businesses may operate. The center participated in an unsuccessful 1993 effort to place repeal of the county's blue laws before voters. NJ Transit bus routes 756 and 762 serve the mall, and New Bridge Landing station is approximately five minutes away by road.

The Shops at Riverside developed from a Bloomingdale's store opened in 1959 in Hackensack, New Jersey. That freestanding department store later became the foundation for a larger enclosed shopping center, which opened on March 10, 1977, as Riverside Square Mall. The original complex contained approximately 620,000 square feet of retail space and included a substantially sized Bloomingdale's together with a Saks Fifth Avenue store. Its design used terra-cotta tile, red brick, and skylights and was described as having a Southern California-inspired atmosphere. The center encountered competitive and operational difficulties by the 1990s, including declining visitor traffic and tenant departures. Competition increased as the nearby Garden State Plaza underwent a major renovation and expansion. In 1995, Riverside Square Mall responded with a comprehensive interior renovation. Marble floors, glass railings, and improved seating replaced much of the earlier design treatment, giving the mall a more polished and upscale visual identity. A major expansion and repositioning program followed from 2005 through 2008. The project added approximately 248,000 square feet of retail and dining space, around 30 stores, and three restaurants. Space associated with Bloomingdale's was reorganized: the Bloomingdale's Home Store, which had bisected part of the mall, was moved to the north side of the existing department store. The former 1977 Bloomingdale's expansion was also renovated, and a new concourse connected the north and south corridors. The center adopted the name The Shops at Riverside in 2005. Saks Fifth Avenue left the property in December 2014. Rather than replace the department store directly with another traditional anchor, the mall pursued an entertainment-led reuse of the vacated area. Plans announced in 2015 called for a cinema and dining complex, and an AMC Dine-In Theatre with nine auditoriums opened in September 2017. This conversion broadened the property's offer beyond retail and made the former department-store space a destination for evening and leisure visits. Additional renovation work included the removal of a glass elevator, new flooring, new escalators near Bloomingdale's, a new central staircase, completion of the second-floor mall area, and a glass feature near the cinema. A later phase focused on hospitality-style amenities, including a new entrance, valet parking, a luxury lounge, coat check, personal shopping services, and further Bloomingdale's improvements. This phase was reported as complete by late 2019. The center's operating pattern is affected by Bergen County's blue laws, which generally restrict Sunday retail sales. Most mall stores therefore close on Sundays, while restaurants, the movie theater, and qualifying exempt retailers may remain open. The mall participated in a 1993 referendum effort to repeal the restrictions, but the effort did not succeed. Public transportation access includes NJ Transit bus routes 756 and 762, while the New Bridge Landing rail station is located approximately five minutes away.

• 2019

  Later renovation phase completed

  [1]The Shops at Riversideen.wikipedia.org

  The third phase of the renovation, including upgraded entrances and customer-service amenities, was completed by late 2019.

• 2017

  AMC Dine-In Theatre opens

  [1]The Shops at Riversideen.wikipedia.org

  A nine-screen AMC Dine-In Theatre opened in most of the former Saks space on September 13.

• 2014

  Saks Fifth Avenue closes

  [1]The Shops at Riversideen.wikipedia.org

  Saks Fifth Avenue closed its location in December, creating a large redevelopment opportunity.

• 2008

  Expansion program concludes

  [1]The Shops at Riversideen.wikipedia.org

  The 2005–2008 program added approximately 248,000 square feet of retail and dining space, about 30 stores, three restaurants, and a connecting concourse.

• 2005

  Name change and expansion begins

  [1]The Shops at Riversideen.wikipedia.org

  The center began using The Shops at Riverside name, and a multiyear expansion and reconfiguration program commenced.

• 1995

  Comprehensive renovation

  [1]The Shops at Riversideen.wikipedia.org

  The property received a major renovation featuring marble floors, glass railings, and improved seating after a period of declining traffic and tenant losses.

• 1993

  Blue-law repeal referendum effort

  [1]The Shops at Riversideen.wikipedia.org

  The mall helped organize an unsuccessful effort to repeal Bergen County's Sunday retail restrictions.

• 1977

  Enclosed shopping center opens

  [1]The Shops at Riversideen.wikipedia.org

  The enclosed center opened on March 10 under the name Riverside Square Mall, with Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue as major anchors.

• 1959

  Bloomingdale's opens as a freestanding store

  [1]The Shops at Riversideen.wikipedia.org

  A freestanding Bloomingdale's store opened on the future shopping-center site in Hackensack.

An upscale suburban regional shopping and dining destination combining luxury-oriented retail, department stores, home-furnishing brands, restaurants, and dine-in cinema entertainment.

• Department store · 1959

  Bloomingdale's

  Bloomingdale's is the mall's long-standing department-store anchor and predates the enclosed center. The original freestanding store opened on the site in 1959, and the later mall incorporated and expanded the Bloomingdale's presence. Its merchandise scope includes fashion, accessories, beauty, and home-related categories, although the available reference material does not provide a current department-by-department inventory.

• Books and media retailer

  Barnes & Noble

  Barnes & Noble is identified as one of the center's anchor stores. Its typical offer includes books and related media, although the reference material does not specify the store's size, opening date, or detailed local assortment.

• Home furnishings

  Pottery Barn

  Pottery Barn is listed among the mall's anchor stores and contributes to the center's home-furnishing and interior-design positioning. The available source does not provide additional details about its local store format or opening date.

• Cinema and dining entertainment · 2017

  AMC Dine-In Theatre

  The AMC Dine-In Theatre opened in 2017 in most of the former Saks Fifth Avenue space. It contains nine screening rooms and combines movie exhibition with in-theater dining, representing the mall's shift toward experiential and evening-oriented uses.

• Home furnishings

  Arhaus

  Arhaus is identified as one of the mall's anchor stores. Its presence reinforces the center's emphasis on upscale home furnishings and design-oriented shopping, although the source does not give details about the local store's opening or floor area.

• 2017

  Launch of AMC Dine-In TheatreProduct launch

  Background

  The mall was implementing a planned entertainment conversion of the former Saks Fifth Avenue space.

  Action taken

  A nine-auditorium AMC Dine-In Theatre opened on September 13, occupying most of the former Saks space on the second floor.

  Aftermath

  The opening diversified the center's tenant mix by adding a combined cinema and restaurant experience.

  Source

• 2015

  Conversion of former Saks space into entertainment and diningStrategy

  Background

  Saks Fifth Avenue had closed its mall location in December 2014, leaving more than 100,000 square feet available for reuse.

  Action taken

  Plans were announced to repurpose the former department-store area as a cinema and dining-entertainment complex.

  Aftermath

  The plan led to the opening of a nine-screen AMC Dine-In Theatre in September 2017 and expanded the mall's experiential offer.

  Source

• 2005

  Expansion and reconfiguration of the mallStrategy

  Background

  The property sought to strengthen its retail and dining offer and improve circulation through space associated with Bloomingdale's.

  Action taken

  The center added retail and restaurant space, relocated the Bloomingdale's Home Store, renovated existing department-store space, and created a concourse linking the north and south corridors. The property also adopted the name The Shops at Riverside.

  Aftermath

  The multiyear project continued through 2008 and added approximately 248,000 square feet, about 30 stores, three restaurants, and improved internal connectivity.

  Source

• 1995

  Upscale interior repositioningStrategy

  Background

  The mall was experiencing declining traffic and tenant losses while a nearby competing shopping center was being renovated and expanded.

  Action taken

  Management undertook a comprehensive renovation using marble floors, glass railings, and more comfortable seating to refresh the center's appearance and customer experience.

  Aftermath

  The renovation marked a major shift from the original Southern California-inspired design toward a more polished upscale environment.

  Source

1. 1The Shops at Riversideen.wikipedia.org