American Dream Meadowlands Opening Date Pushed Back, Gov. Says

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — American Dream Meadowlands' opening date has been pushed back to late spring, according to Gov. Phil Murphy.

The original March opening date has been pushed back, Murphy said at a press conference unrelated to the project on Friday.

"First of all, it's happening, American Dream is happening," Murphy said. "To the best of my knowledge, the last time I asked, it had slipped, I had thought, closer to June." (See related: American Dream Meadowlands 'On Target' For March 2019 Opening)

Murphy said he had last spoken with American Dream officials "a while ago."

An American Dream spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.

American Dream was originally slated to open in 2017. Developer Triple Five pushed back the completion date because it had difficulty securing the $1.1 billion in financing. It worked with Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan to secure $1.6 billion in construction financing. Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan also sold $1.1 billion in tax-exempt bonds for the project.

Triple Five is the third developer in the project's history dating back to the site's days when it was known as Xanadu.

Despite the delayed opening, progress has been made on the interior of the 91-acre campus.

Most of the walls for the stores appear to have been framed up and ready to be turned over to the tenants, according to David Townes, senior director of retail at Cushman & Wakefield, a real estate brokerage firm that has an office near American Dream Meadowlands. Cushman & Wakefield employees recently toured the inside of the 3 million-square-foot facility.

The campus is expected to generate $1.2 billion in income and 16,000 jobs in its first year of operation. (See related: American Dream Meadowlands To Generate $1.2B In Income, 16K Jobs)

"It's going to be a big economic attraction and job-spinner when it opens," Murphy said.

Triple Five and its owners, the Ghermezian family, are developing the project into something akin to two properties it already owns: The Mall of America and the West Edmonton Mall.

American Dream will have North America's largest indoor water park, the biggest indoor ski park in the western hemisphere, and the first Sea Life Aquarium in New Jersey, among other attractions. (See related: Take A Virtual Tour Of American Dream's Water Park [Videos])

American Dream will be home to several "firsts" including:

• The world's first MUNCHIES food hall by Vice. The 38,000 square-foot hall will have 18 vendors and "will be a platform for creative and diverse culinary talent," Vice Publisher John Martin said.
• The first Sea Life Aquarium in New Jersey with a walk-through, saltwater tunnel
• The first indoor ski and snowboard park in the Western Hemisphere with an 800-foot-high ski slope and an ice-climbing wall.
• The first KidZania on the East Coast where kids can go to "work" and earn money they can then spend there. Companies like Honda, Sony, Kellogg's, Coca-Cola and others have sponsored businesses and landmarks in the attraction.
• Two world-record roller coasters are coming to the Nickelodeon Universe theme park.

Fifteen retailers have been confirmed to be there, including: Saks Fifth Avenue, H&M, Lord & Taylor, Banana Republic, and Microsoft.

There will also be:

• A 4D movie theater that will allow people to smell scents and experience movement related to the movie they are watching.
• Adults can have some fun at For The Win, a huge adult-orientated arcade, while the kids visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Center with its 4D cinema, LEGO brick pool, rides, and classes.
• An observation wheel that's nearly as tall as the Statue of Liberty. It will have 26 climate-controlled gondolas and will take about 25 minutes to make one revolution.
• 20,000 square feet of health, wellness, beauty, and spa facilities
• An 800-room luxury hotel connected to convention space and restaurants
• An international tourism center focusing on visitors from China, South America, the Middle East, and Russia

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com