Despite the term "Mills" in its name and its current owner (Simon Property Group), the mall was never developed or operated by
The Mills Corporation.
1992–1999: Development and opening Jersey Gardens was built on a former landfill acquired by OENJ Corporation in 1992, which required extensive brownfield remediation prior to the mall development. This involved landfill capping with recyclables like dredged harbor materials and construction debris, installation of methane gas collection systems, and PCB containment measures. In 1996, of the former landfill site were sold to
Glimcher Realty Trust of
Ohio for development, with the remediation efforts earning a 2001
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Phoenix Award for brownfield redevelopment. Plans for the
outlet center were announced in early 1998 by Glimcher Realty Trust, emphasizing the sites proximity to the
New Jersey Turnpike and its location in an
Urban Enterprise Zone, making purchases eligible for a reduced 3½% (now 3.3125% as of January 1, 2018) sales tax rate, a potent lure for New York City residents paying a sales tax rate over 8%. Construction began in November 1998 following site preparation, with the project financed through a combination of $163 million in bank loans from
Bankers Trust and
Huntington National Bank, $56 million in equity from Glimcher, and $140 million in tax-exempt bonds and grants from the
New Jersey Economic Development Authority. On May 25, 1999, it was announced that Jersey Gardens would open in October, and include nearly 190 tenants, including
Burlington Coat Factory,
Saks Off 5th,
Marshalls, and
Neiman Marcus Last Call. The interior of the mall was designed by The Rockwell Group, and would serve as a direct competitor to the then-proposed
Meadowlands Mills. The mall was nearly completed by late August 1999.
After opening In May 2012, Glimcher Realty Trust announced that Jersey Gardens would be renovated and rebranded as
The Outlet Collection | Jersey Gardens. This would include new
LED lighting, updated flooring, refurbished restrooms, and the installation of a
solar power roof. The renovation cost $30 million, was designed by
Callison and BendheimGlass, and constructed by IBEX Construction. This added
Coach Outlet,
Coach Men,
True Religion Outlet, Calvin Klein Accessories,
Tommy Hilfiger Store,
Lego Store, and
Century 21 Department Store to the mall. Century 21 debuted as a concept store in mid-May 2013, and on September 29, 2013, it was announced that the mall would reopen on October 30. Glimcher cited the renovation as an inspiration from Fifth Avenue flagships. On January 15, 2015, Jersey Gardens, alongside University Park Village, was acquired by
Simon Property Group for $1.09 billion. As part of the acquisition, the mall rebranded as
The Mills at Jersey Gardens. Glimcher itself was acquired by
Washington Prime Group, a
corporate spinoff of Simon. The name change was to implement Jersey Gardens into Simon's Mills portfolio, which consisted of super-regional outlet malls originally developed by
The Mills Corporation, which Simon acquired in April 2007. On May 21, 2015, Mills president Gregg Goodman announced a massive 411,000-square-foot expansion. This project was designed to add new outlet brands, dining options, and entertainment to the existing 200-store footprint. The debut was expected to take place in 2018. On April 19, 2017, Simon announced a massive 411,000-square-foot expansion that would add a seven-story, 98-foot-tall
parking garage to Jersey Gardens — with an estimated 3,313 spaces — as a result of increased traffic. New
big-box stores, restaurants, including ones with outdoor seating, and
retail uses would be added. A seasonal
food court branded as the
Dining Pavilion at The Mills at Jersey Gardens would be added on the second level, alongside an additional entrance. 50-foot light poles and road modifications would also be included. The new wing was proposed to connect to the existing mall near the
AMC Loews Jersey Gardens 20 &
IMAX movie theater. This proposal was noticed on April 6 during an Elizabeth Planning Board meeting. On November 16, 2019, Neiman Marcus Last Call closed permanently, affecting 25 employees. This left the off-price division of
Neiman Marcus with one remaining location in New Jersey, being
Bergen Town Center in
Paramus. On March 18–19, 2020, Simon temporarily closed all of its U.S. properties, including Jersey Gardens, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The mall reopened to the public on June 29, but under
social distancing conditions. In late August,
Lord & Taylor announced that it would close its store at Jersey Gardens — alongside all other remaining locations — by early 2021 due to Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as a result of the pandemic. Century 21 closed by October 5, 2020, after the department store had filed for bankruptcy in September.
Bed Bath & Beyond closed permanently in February 2023 as a result of
liquidation after filing for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy. By late May 2023,
Irish store
Primark was preparing to open at Jersey Gardens on July 6.
Tory Burch Outlet debuted on August 30 of that year, near the mall's center court on the first floor.
Round1 Bowling & Arcade opened in the former Bed Bath & Beyond space on March 1, 2025, with a
ribbon-cutting ceremony. In April 2025, the
Lids store at the mall introduced a refreshed concept that featured "Build-A-Cap"
kiosks for digital customization. This was part of a plan to modernize nearly 20 Lids store locations. In May 2025,
Uniqlo announced that it would open in the mall's upper level. Saks Off 5th closed permanently on January 30, 2026, after parent company
Saks Global filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. ==Gallery==