Over the last several years, dying malls—AKA zombie malls—have become a viral phenomenon on social media. A dying mall in Livingston is the most recent to garner attention—and police want it to stop.
The Livingston Police Department issued a warning last week cautioning the public to stay away from Livingston Mall on Eisenhower Parkway. The warning comes amid what police described as a “growing social media presence” and rising interest in visiting the largely vacant property.
“There will be zero tolerance for anyone visiting this property with criminal intent,” police said in a Facebook post on June 18. “Individuals found in violation will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, which could result in a permanent arrest record.”
The mall has been hollowing out for months. Macy’s closed in April, and its last remaining tenant—Barnes & Noble—is preparing to leave within the month, according to Northjersey.com. The 58.4-acre property is owned by Kohan Retail Investment Group of Great Neck, New York, which has 30 retail properties in its portfolio. The Livingston Mall is its only New Jersey location.
Redevelopment plans are already underway. In March 2025, the Township Council approved a plan for 376 housing units on the north end of the property where Sears once stood. The future of the larger south end, which abuts South Orange Avenue, is still being determined following community input.
Livingston Mall opened in August 1972 and remained a popular attraction throughout the decades. At its peak, the mall was expected to draw up to 200,000 shoppers a week and employed as many as 3,000 people.
It joins a growing list of New Jersey shopping centers that have fallen victim to the rise of e-commerce and the broader decline of brick-and-mortar retail. As more and more malls shutter not just in New Jersey, but across the country, the trend of visiting them for social media clicks is only growing.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.