Ocean County Mall Macy’s Left in the Dark on Black Friday

Mall department store without power since Thursday evening, says store manager

Ranking high on a list of disasters for a major department store would be a power outage on one of the most profitable shopping days of the calendar year, Black Friday. However, for Macy’s department store in the Ocean County Mall, that nightmare unfortunately came true. “We’re sitting in the dark right now,” said store employee Phyllis Broders on Friday morning. “All the other stores in the mall are open except us.” Store Manager Mike Hardy explained that the power had first gone out at about 10:45 p.m. on Thursday evening, just prior to what would have been the store’s midnight opening for Black Friday shoppers. “I spoke to JCP&L at about 1 a.m. They said that it could be due to a few possible reasons, and it looks like it might be a …

•  33 Comments
• Photos (1)

Hurricane Sandy

Ocean County Mall Closes Monday for Hurricane

Early closure on Sunday, too

Ocean County Mall in Toms River announced it will close early Sunday Oct. 28 and remain closed Monday due to Hurricane Sandy. Simon Mall Spokesperson Kevin Ryan posted: "Due to the anticipated impact of Hurricane Sandy, Ocean County Mall will close early today at 4:00 p.m. and will remain closed tomorrow. Shoppers should contact the anchor stores directly (Sears, Macy's, Boscov's and jcpenney) to see what their plans are. There has been no decision yet about the mall’s status for Tuesday. More information will be provided as soon as it becomes available." This morning, Sears had boarded its windows, but posted on boarded-up doors that it was indeed open Monday. The anchor stores can keep hours different from the boutique and other stores …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

Laci

4:29 pm on Sunday, October 28, 2012

Good post JoAnne. Hope all the busy moms take notice. On the other hand I'm getting a nice little collection of Halloween decorations blown into my yard from somewhere up the street and am hoping a generator blows in sometime soon.   more ›

UPDATED: Accidental Fire Extinguished at Ocean County Mall Store This Morning

Fire breaks out at Champs Sports, just before 3 a.m. today

The old adage, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” proved to be true in the early morning hours today at the Ocean County Mall. Toms River Fire Company No. 1 and No. 2 were called to the mall in response to a general alarm, according to Chief John Gonzalez of Company No. 1. “We received the call at approximately 2:45 a.m.,” said Gonzalez. “We arrived on scene and found a sprinkler system activation in the zone of the mall near Applebee’s.” Upon further examination, Gonzalez said that Company No. 2 Chief Jeff Cirz detected a smoke condition emanating from the employee bathroom of Champs Sports, which sells sports apparel and attire. “The situation was then dispatched as a structure fire, at which point we gained access to the store and put…

•  4 Comments
• Photos (2)

Joe Russo

8:01 am on Thursday, August 23, 2012

Washer Fire Damage there would ave went into the Millions w/o a sprinkler system..   more ›

Today in Toms River History

July 20, 1976: Opening of the Ocean County Mall

Today, it is still Ocean County's only enclosed mall.

On July 20, 1976, the Ocean County Mall, then owned by the DeBartolo Corporation, was opened.  The grand opening was a big deal to people in Toms River and the rest of Ocean County, as the area did not previously have a large shopping mall and people had to head to Monmouth or Atlantic Counties to get their shopping done.  Ownership has changed hands over the years, including CPI and current owner, Simon Property Group. Stores have come and gone over the years.  Now-defunct chains, such as Woolworth, KB Toys, and B. Dalton Bookseller, all called the Ocean County Mall home at one point or another.  The mall also once had a two-screen movie theater and an arcade, both of which have now been gone for some time.  There are four anchor stores …

•  20 Comments
• Photos (6)

H&M Store Coming to Ocean County Mall

Only location in Ocean County

With only about 200 locations of fashion-forward retailer H&M in the United States, the newest one will open in Toms River next month with an Ocean County Mall store. An area next to Old Navy in the Ocean County Mall is being revamped for H&M, and representatives from Ocean County Mall owner Simon Property Group said the store should open in June. According to H&M, the Swedish-based company has more than 2,300 locations around the world. That includes stores at the Freehold Raceway Mall and Monmouth Mall, and 10 other New Jersey locations. H&M's opening, slated for mid-June, coincides with the reopening of a fully remodeled Old Navy in the JC Penney wing of the Ocean County Mall. Peter Lembo, general manager for Ocean County Mall, in a …

•  11 Comments
• Photos (1)

New Restaurant Site Approved for Ocean County Mall

Bahama Breeze to come to mall's southwest corner on Hooper and Bay

The Ocean County Mall will be home to a new Caribbean-style restaurant, an expanding chain called Bahama Breeze. The eatery will be located at a pad site separate from the actual mall building, according to officials. “It has been approved by the town planning board,” said Toms River Township Planner Jay Lynch. “But the company is going through compliance resolution, which means there are still some more approvals it needs to receive in order to receive the proper permits.” No timeline has been set for the project’s start or completion, but Lynch said it has been approved for a liquor license. The restaurant will be located on the southwest side jughandle by Hooper and Bay avenues, Lynch said. “They're going to redesign the parking in the …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Somethin' To Talk About

What Does the Ocean County Mall Need?

Benihana and El Chico gone, so is Friendly's

Last week, Benihana and El Chico restaurants at the Ocean County Mall closed, and although the signage remains, the tenants do not. We remember the last time the large square of that section of the Ocean County Mall was empty. The wing was vacant for years after the departure of the movie theater at the mall, and now that area is home to an Applebee's and several retail tenants. Our Question of the Day asks, what are you hoping fills the shoes left by the departing restaurants? The mall grew to include El Chico, adding square footage for the eatery, so there are potentially two restaurant slots open in that wing. Plus, the longtime Friendly's by Sears is also gone. If you could pick any business be added to the mall, what would you wish …

•  78 Comments
• Photos (3)

Local Man Jailed on Robbery, Assault Charges after O.C. Mall Sears Shoplifting Incident

David Forte is being held at the Ocean County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail

A Toms River man is facing assault and robbery charges after a shoplifting incident at Sears on Friday night, police said. David Forte, 29, of Whitesville Road, was charged with robbery, aggravated assault and resisting arrest, and was being held at the Ocean County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail, no 10 percent, Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said. Mastronardy said police were called to Sears in reference to a shoplifting and robbery about 7:30 p.m. on Friday. A white male had been stopped by loss prevention officers for Sears on suspicion of shoplifting cologne and was being held when he pulled a knife and lunged at the security officers, Officer Frank Moschella reported. The suspect ran out of the store and got into a white …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Mark Story Jenks

3:59 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Cologne is not going to improve his personna.   more ›

Direct from the Source

Letter: Ocean County Mall Addresses Recent Safety Concerns

Holiday season saw increased security. Statement from mall representative says there will be continued cooperation with local police.

Statement to Toms River Patch from Ocean County Mall, released in response to recent arrests: The safety and security of our shoppers, retail tenants and employees is our top priority at Ocean County Mall.  As the holiday shopping season is one of our busiest times of year, we adjust our mall security and local police presence to compensate for our extended mall hours and increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic on our properties. We maintain a close working relationship with local law-enforcement agencies to ensure that the appropriate security measures are being taken to help provide and maintain a safe environment at each of our malls. It is in the public’s best interest that we do not discuss or disclose any enhanced security …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

Ken G

9:59 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012

The Rent -A-Cops used to be the unruley ones when I was a young mall rat back a few years ago. Glad to them step up their professionalism. I went there for the first time about a month ago and noticed the unruly teens being removed from the mall. The mall definitely seems alot safer now, although I do not agree with "banning" Unsupervised minors, UNLESS they have committed a crime/caused problems…   more ›