The Mall at Short Hills

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The Mall at Short Hills
 Interior of the mall
Interior of the mall
Mall facts and statistics
Location Route 24 & JFK Parkway
Short Hills 07078
Opening date 1976
Developer The Taubman Company
Owner The Taubman Company
No. of stores and services 175
No. of anchor tenants 5
Total retail floor area 1,342,000 square feet (120,780 m²)
Parking Outdoor & Garage
No. of floors 2
Website http://www.shopshorthills.com

The Mall at Short Hills, usually referred to as the Short Hills Mall, is a high-end mall in the Short Hills area of Millburn, New Jersey, United States. The mall developer is The Taubman Company. The mall has a gross leasable area of 1,342,000 ft² (120,780 m²)[1].

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[edit] Description

The Mall at Short Hills is located between the JFK Parkway, Route 24, and the Canoe Brook Country Club. The mall is 23 miles (37 km) west of Manhattan and across from the Short Hills Hilton Hotel. The two-story indoor complex caters to over ten million customers a year. Fountains, sculptures, and lounges with plasma televisions and leather couches are within the interior of the building. Additionally, the Paul Miller Motorcars group showcases various cars from its dealerships at various points throughout the mall. Frequently featured cars include Bentleys, Porsches, Audis, and Land Rovers.[2]

[edit] History

The Mall at Short Hills began as a series of bundled strip malls in an outdoor plaza area in the 1950s. A freestanding B. Altman and Company store in 1957 was the first on the site. The original open mall was constructed in 1961, together with a 72,000 square feet (6,480 m²) Bonwit Teller. A 243,000-square foot (21,870 m²) Bloomingdale's was added in 1967.[3]

Even in the late 1960's in a period when the "shopping mall" usually meant inexpensive items, and upscale merchandisers were found in major city downtowns, the Short Hills Mall distinguished itself from the pack by offering top-end products at branches of upscale stores.[4]

After a fire that destroyed sections of the strip mall in the mid-1970s, The Taubman Company determined that North Jersey residents needed high-end luxury stores. With the aging Livingston Mall that specializes in more "affordable stores" approximately five miles away, as well as the construction of Route 24, the Taubman Company developed the tract of land that is now home to the Mall at Short Hills. Part of the success and fame of the mall is due to its first contracts signed by Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. Construction of a 431,000-square foot (38,790 m²) multi-level mall in the 1970's, provide connections from within the mall to all of the anchor stores, added an Abraham & Straus store, and brought the malls gross leasable area to 1.2 million-square foot (108,000 m²).[3]

An expansion in the early 1980's saw the demolition of the original Bonwit Teller and B. Altman stores. The two demolished stores were replaced with newly-constructed Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue stores. The vintage Abraham & Straus and Bloomingdale's stores were renovated. 35 specialty stores, occupying 100,000 square feet(9,000 m²) were added, bringing the total area to 1.2 million square feet (108,000 m²), an expansion of 20%.[5]

In 2006, The Mall at Short Hills became home to the world's first American Express Members Lounge offering complimentary drinks (including automated barista service), snacks, Apple-based computers, primarily aimed at Internet use and holiday gift wrapping for all visitors (plus guest) who could present a valid American Express card.[6]

The Mall at Short Hills was home to the first Opie and Anthony "Homeless Shopping Spree" during which two New York City talk radio hosts unleashed a small bus-load of homeless men and women into the mall. Listeners were encouraged to give money to the participants in order to lure the men and women into the more upscale stores.

Opie and Anthony are hosting their 4th Homeless Shopping Spree at this mall on December 16th, 2006 from 2pm-6pm (right now).

[edit] Anchors

[edit] References

  1. ^ International Council of Shopping Centers: The Mall at Short Hills, accessed September 21, 2006
  2. ^ Mall Events, accessed November 26, 2006
  3. ^ a b "How to Update and Expand a New Jersey Shopping Mall" The New York Times. March 11, 1981. "It may be two or more years before the Taubman Company of Troy, Mich., joint venturers with the Prudential Insurance Company in the reconstruction of the Mall at Short Hills, has all the new store space leased out."
  4. ^ "You Might Think You're on Fifth Ave., but You're Really in Millburn, N. J.", The New York Times, August 16, 1969. p. 22
  5. ^ "As Short Hills Mall Expands, a Downtown Reacts; The special business district in Millburn shows its mettle.", The New York Times, February 12]], 1995. p. R9
  6. ^ The Charge Is On: Amex, Visa, MasterCard In Full Throttle, Marketing Daily, November 13, 2006

[edit] External links