Watch This Drone Footage Of The Wayne Hills Mall Being Torn Down

WAYNE, NJ — An online video gives a bird's-eye-view of the destruction of the Wayne Hills Mall.

YouTube user Joseph Reyes posted a video online recently of the mall being destroyed.

Demolition of the mall started in February as part of a massive redevelopment plan for the site.

The old mall is being torn down and a new 103,000-square-foot building will replace it. A 79,000-square-foot ShopRite grocery store will anchor the new building. Three more retailers will be in the space as well. Two other retail buildings will be constructed around the anchor building.

Crossroads Companies LLC, a Mahwah-based real estate development company, previously said the ShopRite is scheduled to open before Thanksgiving. (See related: Huge ShopRite At Wayne Hills Mall Site Set To Open Next Year)

The Planning Board approved a redevelopment plan for the Wayne Hills Mall site in February 2016. The main mall will be demolished, but Burlington Coat Factory, which is located in a separate building next to it, will remain. (See related: Wayne Hills Mall Redevelopment Plan Approved)

The mall opened in 1974 and was popular for more than 20 years. Attendance began declining in the 1990s and several retailers moved out one by one. Levco Associates purchased the Wayne Hills Mall property in 1993. The land and buildings had an assessed value of $18 million and Levco paid nearly $950,000 in property taxes last year.

A user with the YouTube account Ace's Adventures posted a long video of the inside of the mall.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com