LIVINGSTON, NJ — Got big ideas about what should be done with the Livingston Mall? You’re not alone – thousands of local community members have been offering their feedback to town officials over the past weeks.

Many local residents have found themselves pining for the glory days of the Livingston Mall, which is located at 112 Eisenhower Parkway. In recent years, the mall has lost stores and shoppers, with one visitor comparing the experience to entering the set of a post-apocalyptic movie.

Recently, town officials announced that they are seeking input from residents as they try to create a “community-led vision” of what the property will look like for the next 50 years.

Livingston recently held a week-long “visioning process” with the public that was guided by real estate consulting firm Topology.

The firm began by launching a survey about the mall that got responses from 4,197 people living and working in town.

A series of community meetings then took place from March 17 to March 22 to explain the development process and gather more community input, Livingston officials said:

“The meetings began with a Kick-Off Presentation to help participants learn about the visioning process and market realities. The presentation then led to a Hands-On Visioning Workshop during which the approximately 100 attendees were put into small groups to discuss and generate ideas. These ideas produced 16 vision maps that were referred to throughout the visioning process.”

Next, a Framework Pin-Up session brought the community’s vision maps to life, with Topology displaying initial ideas in a large presentation area for review and feedback by attendees.

These ideas helped frame the Conceptual Vision Plan – a roadmap used to guide the next steps in the development process, officials said.

Here’s what came next, officials said:

“The next step was a Concept Pin-Up session, which demonstrated the evolution of various ideas and gathered additional input on the Framework Pin-Up. Over the course of the week, Open Design Studio sessions in Town Hall offered community members the opportunity to stop by the studio where Topology’s Community Visioning Team was working. Individuals viewed the project progress, asked questions, and shared input with Topology’s team members.”

The week concluded with a Work-in-Progress Presentation that detailed the working version of the Conceptual Vision Plan. This presentation included a master plan with three-dimensional and digital images illustrating the potential future of the Livingston Mall property.

Moving forward, Topology will create a concept plan that will serve as the basis for a formal redevelopment plan. Upon completion, this plan will be shared with the Livingston Township Council.

• See Related: Future Of Livingston Mall Uncertain; Town Seeks Suggestions
• See Related: Livingston Mall ‘Falling Apart,’ Shoppers Say; Condemnation Looms
  

NEW FUTURE FOR AN OLD MALL

Need a quick refresher about what’s at stake? According to the town’s website:

“Opened in 1972, the Livingston Mall has long been a staple of the community. Nonetheless, the mall has faced a variety of challenges as e-commerce, consumer preferences and the COVID-19 pandemic impacted its viability. Faced with shuttered anchor stores, declining patronage and growing maintenance issues, the township deemed the mall as an ‘area in need of redevelopment’ in October 2024.”

Now it’s time to look to the future, officials say:

“As we close the chapter on 50 years of the Livingston Mall, the township now looks to create a community-led vision of what the Livingston Mall property will look like for the next 50 years. Appreciating the unique opportunity and challenges that come with redeveloping 43 acres of prominent property, the township invites the Livingston community to make their voice heard as part of a series of community meetings. Through this comprehensive process, the township seeks to hear from as many voices in the community as possible to gain an assessment of local issues and desires, ultimately rooting the future of the property in a common community vision. This approach creates quality places that contribute to our community’s health, happiness, and well-being.”

Some have claimed that its end is nigh for the Livingston Mall.

“That mall is gonna be gone within the next year,” a social media user commented in November. “Livingston Mall is falling apart,” another commenter agreed.

However, other visitors have urged their fellow shoppers to take heart and continue patronizing the mall while it’s still open.

According to a recent social media post: “I know there are a lot of rumors about Livingston Mall being completely closed down, but that is not true. I just got my eyebrows done here. While a lot of the stores are empty, the rumors are hurting the ones that are still open.”

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