Newport Centre (shopping mall)

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The mall, with four anchors and 165 stores, partially opened to the public on October 14, 1987 with Sears and Stern's as two of the four anchors operating.{{cite news|title =Newport beacon to NYC says 'We're in business'|newspaper = The Jersey Journal|location =Jersey City, New Jersey|pages = 131|date =October 15, 2001|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-jersey-journal-newport-beacon-to-nyc/167485641/}} It was already known that the third major tenant would be a JC Penney store, and the fourth anchor was not announced.{{cite news|title =Mall adds ritz to Waterfront|newspaper = New York Daily News|location = New York City|pages = 837|date =October 25, 1987|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-mall-adds-ritz-to-waterfront/160519281/}}

The mall's official opening was on November 11, 1987, attended by New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean and Senator Frank Lautenberg.{{cite news|title =Mall opening's one for the books|newspaper = New York Daily News|location = New York City|pages = 439|date =November 12, 1987|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-mall-openings-one-for-the-bo/160520658/}} On that date, the mall contained 75 tenants, featuring the two aforementioned anchor stores, Sam Goody, Benetton, Eddie Bauer, and Hallmark.{{cite news |last1=Times |first1=Special to the New York |title=Smurfs Join Kean at Opening Of Jersey City Shopping Mall |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/12/nyregion/smurfs-join-kean-at-opening-of-jersey-city-shopping-mall.html |access-date=August 14, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=November 12, 1987}} The {{convert|1200000|sqft|adj=on}} was intended to draw residents from the new Newport waterfront development and the surrounding area, as well as shoppers from Bergen County, where blue laws keep shopping malls closed on Sundays.Kennedy, Shawn G. [https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/28/business/real-estate-new-twist-for-a-mall-in-jersey.html "Real Estate; New Twist For a Mall In Jersey"], The New York Times, October 28, 1987. Accessed February 4, 2018. " Close up, however, a formidable low-rise component of this huge waterfront development becomes evident – a 1.2-million-square-foot shopping mall four blocks from the water's edge, still in construction but already open and partly occupied.This Newport Centre mall will have four department stores, 167 shops and restaurants and a nine-screen movie theater.... The new mall, at the intersection of Sixth Street and Luis Munoz Marin Boulevard, has been in limited operation since mid-October when Stern's and Sears, two of the four anchor tenants, as well as a handful of smaller stores, opened to the public."

JC Penney opened on October 4, 1989, with the fourth anchor still unknown.{{cite news|title =J.C Penney to open at Newport Centre|newspaper = The Record|location = Hackensack, New Jersey|pages = 35|date= September 17, 1989|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-jc-penney-to-open-at-newport/167486009/}} The shopping mall continued to have only three anchors well into the 1990s.{{cite news|title =Newport keeps growing|newspaper = The Jersey Journal|location =Jersey City, New Jersey|pages = 39|date =May 28, 1993|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-jersey-journal-newport-keeps-growing/167504955/}}{{cite news|title =HIGHWAYS & BYWAYS: NEWPORT CENTRE|newspaper = The Record|location = Hackensack, New Jersey|pages = 41|date= September 7, 1996|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-highways-byways-newport-ce/167503923/}}

In 2001, Federated Department Stores closed its Stern's division, and the Newport Centre location was re-branded as Macy's.{{cite news|title =New digs for Macy's at Newport|newspaper = The Jersey Journal|location =Jersey City, New Jersey|pages = 13|date =November 3, 2001|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-jersey-journal-new-digs-for-macys-a/167478360/}} The mall was originally planning on building the current Macy's as a new anchor alongside Stern's, Sears, and JC Penney instead of using the converted store.{{cite news|title =Macy's will replace Stern's|newspaper = The Jersey Journal|location =Jersey City, New Jersey|pages = 1|date =February 9, 2001|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-jersey-journal-macys-will-replace-s/167474783/}} The plan went on, and the new store opened on November 6, 2002, moving in the 300 employees of the ex-Sterns/Macy's building.{{cite news|title =Macy's opening is just grand for eager shoppers|newspaper = The Jersey Journal|location =Jersey City, New Jersey|pages = 22|date =November 7, 2002|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-jersey-journal-macys-opening-is-jus/167479912/}} In December 2005, it was announced that Kohl's would occupy the old Macy's building.{{cite news|title= Sprucing up Newport Centre|newspaper = The Jersey Journal|location =Jersey City, New Jersey|pages = 10|date =December 22, 2005|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-jersey-journal-sprucing-up-newport-c/167667424/}} Kohl's opened on October 1, 2006.{{cite news|title =Kohl's opens at Newport Centre|newspaper = The Record|location = Hackensack, New Jersey|pages = L8|date= October 3, 2006|url =https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-kohls-opens-at-newport-centr/167696178/}}

On March 16, 2020, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop ordered the Newport Centre to be closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/hudson/2020/03/jersey-city-orders-newport-centre-mall-hudson-mall-to-shut-down.html|title=Jersey City orders Newport Centre mall, Hudson Mall to shut down|date=March 16, 2020}} The next day, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy backed this temporary closure and ordered all malls in New Jersey to temporarily close as well.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/03/coronavirus-update-hospital-capacity-concerns-as-cases-rise-to-267-murphy-closes-malls-1st-day-of-full-school-shutdown-what-you-need-to-know-03182020.html|title = Coronavirus update: Hospital capacity concerns as cases rise to 267; Murphy closes malls; 1st day of full school shutdown. What you need to know|date = March 18, 2020}} It reopened on June 29, 2020.{{cite web |url=https://hudsoncountyview.com/with-covid-19-precautions-in-place-newport-centre-mall-in-jersey-city-is-open-today/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703020710/https://hudsoncountyview.com/with-covid-19-precautions-in-place-newport-centre-mall-in-jersey-city-is-open-today/ |archive-date=July 3, 2020 |title=With COVID-19 precautions in place, Newport Centre mall in Jersey City is open today {{!}} Hudson County View}}

On January 5, 2024, it was announced that Sears, the last location in the state, would be closing at the mall in Spring 2024.Levine, Cecilia. [https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/hudson/new-jerseys-last-standing-sears-store-in-jersey-citys-newport-centre-says-its-closing/ "New Jersey Sears Closing"], Hudson Daily Voice, January 5, 2024. Accessed January 6, 2024. "New Jersey's last-standing Sears store, located in Jersey City, appears to be closing." Dick’s House of Sport and Primark are set to open into the vacant Sears space.{{Cite web|url=https://jerseydigs.com/dicks-house-of-sport-jersey-city/|title=Dick's House of Sport Coming to Jersey City, Is Dave & Buster's Deal Dead?|first=Chris|last=Fry|date=April 16, 2024|website=Jersey Digs}}

There are three floors to the mall complex. The mall is part of the Newport Complex, which includes the Newport Tower, the sixth tallest building in Jersey City. Both it and the Hudson Mall are in an "Urban Enterprise Zone", reducing the state sales tax on purchases from 6.625% to 3.3125% at eligible merchants (with no sales tax on clothing).

The mall is anchored by JCPenney, Kohl's, Macy's, and AMC Theatres.Marshall, John. [https://www.timeout.com/newyork/shopping/newport-centre "Newport Centre"] Time Out New York, September 26, 2016. Accessed January 6, 2024. "This three-story mall houses the four pillars of department stores—JC Penney, Kohl's, Macy's and Sears—all under one roof."

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The mall can be reached via the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail's Pavonia/Newport station and the PATH's Newport station. It is also served by New Jersey Transit buses and is the terminus for routes from Jersey City Heights and the North Hudson towns of Guttenberg, North Bergen, West New York, and Union City.

{{Reflist}}

• {{commons category-inline|Newport Centre Mall}}
• [https://www.simon.com/mall/newport-centre Official website]

{{Shopping malls in New Jersey}}

{{New York City Malls}}

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Category:1987 establishments in New Jersey

Category:Buildings and structures in Jersey City, New Jersey

Category:Shopping malls established in 1987

Category:Shopping malls in New Jersey

Category:Shopping malls in the New York metropolitan area

Category:Tourist attractions in Jersey City, New Jersey