At opening The mall opened on November 5, 1968, at a cost of $50 million, with 69 stores on a single level, representing over of retail space, on a lot of with parking space for 6,000 cars. Montclair Plaza was developed by contractor
Ernest W. Hahn; the architect of the overall mall and shops was Burke, Kober, Nicolais & Archuleta. Three department stores anchored Montclair Plaza at, or shortly after its opening: •
May Company at the west end, ;
Welton Becket and Associates, architects •
Mullen & Bluett There was a
General Cinemas theater complex. A
United California Bank,
Crocker Bank,
Van de Kamp's Holland Dutch Bakery, drugstore, and supermarket were located across from the mall in a
strip mall on the northeast of the property. In November 2015, the mall was renamed "Montclair Place" and renovations were announced. On March 1, 2018,
AMC DINE-IN Theatre announced that it will replace the Broadway building with a new 55,000-square-foot dine-in movie theatre, the city's first indoor theatre in nearly twenty years. Multiple new stores were added, including
Forever 21 and Spectrum. Kids Empire, an 11,000-square-foot indoor playground was added. A
Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar opened in December 2019 in the former
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. A WinWings restaurant opened next to the
Panda Express restaurant. The original Broadway outpost was razed for an
AMC Theatres which opened during 2021. The dawn of the early 2020s saw several storied traditional department store retailers update its brick-and-mortar formats after being encroached upon to a degree by several digital retailers in recent years in addition to the
COVID pandemic. On November 7, 2019, it was announced Sears would shutter as part of an ongoing decision to eliminate its traditional brick-and-mortar format. On May 7, 2020, Nordstrom, which also maintains several additional outposts nearby, announced plans to shutter along with several additional locations as a direct result of pulling back because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the previous Sears and Nordstrom outposts are being considered for a future enhanced development expected to take place soon. Main Event, which opened in January 2025, is a family entertainment center offering a variety of attractions, including bowling, laser tag, virtual reality experiences, and arcade games. The venue also features a full-service restaurant and bar, providing dining and beverage options for guests. Other recently opened tenants include Pandora, Miniso, Two Hands Fresh Corn Dogs and Charleys Cheesesteaks.
Crime • On May 19, 2022, a 16-year-old girl was non-fatally stabbed by an 18-year old assailant as she was walking through the parking lot. • On August 19, 2022; a trio of burglars robbed a jewelry store in the mall, stealing an estimated $200,000 of merchandise. • On February 2, 2023, a 17-year old teenager was stabbed during an altercation in the mall's parking lot. A 15-year-old boy was also shot and killed by the trio of teenagers. ==Transit Connections==