Virtual reality coming to Westfield Garden State Plaza as The VOID will open first NJ post – NorthJersey.com

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Virtual reality is coming to Bergen County's largest mall.

The VOID, a provider ofvirtual reality entertainment,is opening its first New Jersey outpost at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus next year,mall officials announced Tuesday. The move comes on the heels of a new partnership between the virtual reality company and the mall's parent company, which plans to open dozens of locations nationwide.

The VOID uses state-of-the-art virtual reality technology, physical stages and multi-sensory effects, like touch and smell, to create fully immersive worlds for guests to explore, the company said. Some of thoseexperiencescatapultguests into the worlds of popular filmslike "Avengers," "Star Wars" and "Ghostbusters,"according to the company's website.

The VOID, a provider of virtual reality experiences, is opening its first NJ location at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus. The location is expected to open sometime in summer 2020.(Photo: Courtesy of The VOID)

An award-winning experience like The VOID that bringsfirst-to-market entertainment experiences to New Jersey is what Garden State Plaza represents,"Jay Daly, the mall's general manager, said in a statement. We are excited that our global partnership with The VOID makes it possible to bring this unique entertainment experience to our guests, as well as will complement our unique retail, dining and entertainment offering to the community."

The virtual reality space is expected to open in summer 2020, although it is unclear where in the mallor how large it will be.A mall spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

For Garden State Plaza, which is preparing for a major transformation, this is the latest in a string of announcements of innovations at the 62-year-old mall.

The VOID, a provider of virtual reality experiences, is opening its first NJ location at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus. The location is expected to open sometime in summer 2020.(Photo: Courtesy of The VOID)

The mallrecently unveiled a redevelopment project that will, among other things, turn a parking lot on the property into a brand-new downtown, equipped with a mixed-use, luxury residential complex and a sprawling green space.

And next month, the mall will become home to one of the first experiential Toys R Us stores in the country,as the once-defunct, New Jersey-based retailer continues to rise from the ashes.

The VOID would allow the Plaza to remain ahead of the game in retail, as malls nationwide are searching for creative ways to attract shoppersby providing distinctiveexperiences.

The mall's parent company,Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, earlier this year announced that it had struck a deal with The VOID to bring dozens of locations to its malls nationwide.

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As part of that partnership, theUtah-based virtual realitycompany isexpected to open more than 25 VOID locations at URW flagship centers across the United States and Europe through 2022. Besides the Paramus location, the companies haveplans for sites in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Chicago, Copenhagen, San Jose, Stockholm and Vienna. The VOID also recently opened two pop-up sites at Westfield World Trade Center in New York City and Westfield San Francisco Center.

The VOID has at least 11 existing locations across the United States, according to its website,including at Triple Five's Mall of America in Minneapolis.The Canadian developer is expected to open its newest project, American Dream Meadowlands in East Rutherford, later this month. A VOID spokesperson said the company does not currently have plans to open at American Dream.

Melanie Anzidei is the retail reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest newsaboutstore openingsandclosings in North Jerseys biggest malls, shopping centers and downtowns,please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email:anzidei@northjersey.comTwitter:@melanieanzidei

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Virtual reality coming to Westfield Garden State Plaza as The VOID will open first NJ post - NorthJersey.com