A circa-1954 rendering of the prospective "Macy's Paramus Center." Situated near the geographic center of Bergen County, GARDEN STATE PLAZA would open for business in May 1957. All that is seen here was eventually built, save for a northwest parking area office tower.
Drawing from http://ntl.bts.gov / "Shopping Centers: Locating Controlled Regional Centers" / Eugene J. Kelley  / 1956

 

Stores in the initial -Stage I- section of GARDEN STATE PLAZA opened between May and September of 1957. The complex covered approximately 840,000 leasable square feet. It was open-air in format and comprised of 2 levels; Mall and Lower Concourse.  

GARDEN STATE PLAZA TENANTS 1957: 

BAMBERGER'S (with Beauty Parlor, Garden State Tea Room and Bargain Basement Store) / S.S. KRESGE 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / GRAND UNION supermarket / A.S. Beck Shoes / Ableson's Jewelry / Arcadian Gardens greenhouse / Atlantic Book Shops / Beneficial Finance Company / Bond's Clothes / Burns & O'Connel religious merchandise / Camera Craft / Casual Shop ladies' & gent's sportswear / Chandler's Shoes / Cities Service Oil Company filling station (outparcel) / Cornell's children's apparel / Cushman's Sons Bakery / Downe's, Incorporated Luggage & Handbags / Fanny Farmer Candies / Hartfield's ladies' wear / Horn & Hardart restaurant / Horn & Hardart retail store / Karol Furs / Kitty Kelly Shoes / Knitter's World / Loft's Candies / Lorry's Coffee Shop / Lorrys Town & Countryman men's wear / Maternally Yours ladies' wear / Milmar Hosiery Shops / Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane stockbrokers / Paramus Spa snack bar / People's Trust Company of Bergen County Bank / Petty's Drug Store (with luncheonette) / Russek's ladies' & children's apparel / Sam Goody Records / Susan Ives ladies' wear / Suzy Hats / Schampan's Gifts / Thom McAn Shoes / US Post Office / Wallach's family apparel 

An exterior view of the L. Bamberger & Company anchor store at GARDEN STATE PLAZA.  

Photo from R.H. Macy & Company Annual Report 1957

The gigantic Bamberger's covered 340,000 square feet. 

Photo from R.H. Macy & Company Annual Report 1957

Arcadian Gardens was an enclosed -but sun-filled- garden shop.

Photo from R.H. Macy & Company Annual Report 1957

Here we see the Southgate Terrace concourse, on the south end of GARDEN STATE PLAZA. In the background is the 3-level Bamberger's.

Photo from Pendor Natural Color

Lorry's Coffee Shop was a popular cafe. It shouldn't be confused with Lorrys Town & Countryman men's wear (which was spelled without an apostrophe).

Photo from R.H. Macy & Company Annual Report 1957

The original GARDEN STATE PLAZA housed two supermarkets. The Grand Union store is shown here.

Photo from R.H. Macy & Company Annual Report 1957

The mall was serviced by an underground truck tunnel.

Photo from R.H. Macy & Company Annual Report 1957