NJ lawmakers weighing bill that would convert vacant malls into housing
Supporters tell News 12 the move could help address the state’s ongoing housing shortage while breathing new life into long-empty sites.
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A proposed bill in New Jersey would make it easier to convert vacant malls and office complexes into housing.
Democratic State Sen. Benjie Wimberly is co-sponsoring the legislation that would bypass zoning restrictions for qualifying properties. This would open the door for developers to transform shuttered retail centers into mixed-use spaces that include housing.
Supporters tell News 12 the move could help address the state’s ongoing housing shortage while breathing new life into long-empty sites.
“We're still, at this point, more than 200,000 units short of meeting the housing needs of New Jersey,” Wimberly said. “When you have vacant properties like abandoned malls, this is an ideal opportunity to create housing.”
Developers have already repurposed several malls around the state.
Construction to transform Monmouth Mall began in 2024. Plans to redevelop the East Brunswick Mall were approved earlier this year.
The Livingston Mall could be the next high-profile example.
"It's really sad to see what's going on over there," said West Orange resident Aaron Handsman about the vacant property. "Affordable housing would be a great option there. Certainly, Livingston could use more of it, and the area is a great location. It's right on a bus line. It seems to make a lot of logistic sense."
Under the proposed bill, any approved redevelopment would require at least 20% of new units to be set aside as affordable housing.
Wimberly told News 12 the strategy could ease the pressure to build new affordable housing units in areas that are already densely populated.
“It also helps the diversity of our communities, and in the long term, it’ll give kids the opportunity who may not have a great public education to get a great public education,” he said.
Still, the proposal is not without concerns.
Some residents and local officials worry that it could bring the density to their neighborhoods.
“How many more condos do we need in any town?” said Barbara Bochese, of Roseland. "If you come to Roseland, there's hundreds of developments being built all throughout our little town, and I just don't know when enough is enough."
Wimberly, however, said the intent of the bill is not to override local control.
“We just want to open up the door," he said.
