PHILLIPSBURG, NJ – For nearly a decade, the mall’s value began eroding, beginning with the sale in 2013 with a sale below fair market value. That was a time when nearly every anchor of the mall, Sears, Bon-Ton and JC Penney had closed, while Kohl’s was the last store standing. And will continue to do so.
We caution readers that some of the photos in this gallery may be offensive, but are real and have been modified to minimize the vulgarity. The security company confirmed that working with the police was a daily occurrence and non-stop, largely with young people and teenagers once the building was vacant. The point of entry varied but resulted in damages nearly everywhere, even behind closed-off corridors and with fire extinguishers.
2014-2024: Phillipsburg Mall – The Last Decade
The final efforts to keep the beloved 80s-90s mall afloat included tenants such as Gold’s Gym, Black Rose Antiques, and other small vendors tried to establish themselves, but business was too slow and businesses could not be profitable without foot traffic and other businesses filling the space. Black Rose once opened, had buses from out-of-town shops for the day. But sadly, vacancy inside the rest of the mall was high, nearly 66% at one point.