BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer
An artist’s rendering shows the redesigned fountain area inside the Freehold Raceway Mall, Freehold Township. Plans call for interior upgrades at the mall to be completed by late fall. FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – With work on exterior improvements under way, the focus for the owner of the Free-hold Raceway Mall has now turned to the interior of the retail center. An upcoming project will mark the first interior improvements for the mall in its 17-year history.
The interior of the 1.4-million-square-foot mall that houses 200 specialty stores and five department stores will soon be more comfortable, more community focused and more welcoming and inviting, according to mall representatives.
The main components of the full-scale renovation are new tile flooring throughout the mall; painting the interior in earth tones; and changes in lighting. The addition of soft seating will provide what the mall’s operators call a “living room” feel in various areas of the center.
According to Debra E. Panzarella, senior manager, marketing, these gathering places will appear to resemble an upscale hotel lobby, encouraging conversation and meeting in a relaxing atmosphere.
The mall, which is the property of the Macerich company, Santa Monica, Calif., will undergo the interior upgrades in conjunction with a 100,000-square-foot lifestyle expansion that began in January. New stores are being added on the outside of the mall between J.C. Penney and Sears.
Both projects are slated for completion in the fall, according to Frank Lucia, senior property manager for the mall.
“This is an exciting time for Freehold Raceway Mall,” Lucia said. “With the current expansion under way, it was time to look at the interior of the center to see how we could make it an even more comfortable and pleasant atmosphere for our guests. Together, these projects will bring a fresh, new experience to the surrounding community.”
Macerich “will bring a more sophisticated look to the center’s interior, complementing the expansion’s architecture,” according to Lucia. The mall’s owner is working with project architect 505 Design.
Visitors can get a preview of the new flooring that will soon be a permanent part of the mall’s design. Small sections of the floor tile elements are now in areas of the upper and lower levels of the mall to test their design.
Every surface in the mall will be repainted in earth tone shades of beige, light brown, dark brown and olive green. New patterns in the tiles, new textures and colors in the seating and new lighting will all be a part of the plan and will all contribute to making the mall brighter, according to Panza-rella.
Center court, which is home to a large water fountain, will also undergo a significant facelift. There will still be a water feature, but its presence will be on a much smaller scale. The idea behind the changes is to make center court more of a gathering place where friends can meet and relax. A coffee kiosk with cafe seating will also be a new addition to center court. Existing plants and foliage will be removed from all areas of the mall.
The renovations will introduce a new guest services center on the upper level of the mall.
“Guest services will be redesigned to better accommodate the needs of our retailers and guests,” Panzarella said.
Certain escalators and steps will also be removed as part of the work.
A play area for young children, supervised by their parents, will be created in the food court near the carousel.
The renovation work will be done between 9:30 p.m. and 9:30 a.m. when shoppers are not in the mall.