Situated 3.0 miles (4.9 km) northwest of downtown Phillipsburg, New Jersey, Phillipsburg Mall was a single-level shopping destination nestled between US Route 22, Foch Boulevard, and Sycamore Drive in Lopatcong Township, a suburb of Phillipsburg. The mall featured four anchors, with Kohl's and Sears being among the original anchors. Over time, Bon-Ton also served as an anchor until its closure. Notably, Kohl’s continued to operate as an anchor, being the sole remaining open anchor at Phillipsburg Mall.
Mall History[]
Phillipsburg Mall welcomed the public on September 24, 1989, catering to the small town of Phillipsburg and the surrounding areas of Warren County, New Jersey. The mall's original anchors included Kmart, Sears, and Hess's. In March 1990, JCPenney joined as a fourth anchor, enhancing the mall's offerings. In 1994, the transformation of Hess's into Bon-Ton marked a significant change.
The year 2002 saw the closure of Kmart at Phillipsburg Mall due to bankruptcy. In April 2004, the space was successfully repurposed, becoming home to Kohl's. The ownership transition occurred in 2013 when PREIT, having acquired the Crown American portfolio in 2003, sold Phillipsburg Mall to Mason Asset Management/Namdar Realty Group for $11.5 million.
Decline[]
Following the sale of the mall in 2013, a noticeable decline set in, with a continuous exodus of stores. On January 15, 2014, JCPenney shuttered its doors. Subsequently, on January 1, 2017, Black Rose Antiques emerged in the vacated JCPenney space. The downturn continued as Sears closed its doors on January 28, 2018, and three months later, on April 29, 2018, Bon-Ton followed suit.
In August 2019, the former Sears space faced demolition, with the former Bon-Ton space undergoing a similar fate in October 2019. The downward spiral culminated in the permanent closure of Phillipsburg Mall on March 18, 2020. The inability to sustain the mall, coupled with the closure of multiple tenants, led to this unfortunate outcome. Black Rose Antiques also closed shortly later on in 2020. Remarkably, Kohl's remains the sole survivor, choosing to continue its operations despite the challenging circumstances.