indoor ski slope in October 2020 The development process of American Dream was stalled for almost three decades (including the 2002 cancellation of Meadowlands Mills) as a result of multiple legal setbacks, financial struggles (which led to numerous developer changes), and opposition regarding
wetland and the sheer scale of the mall, leading to multiple construction delays and the building remaining abandoned for several years.
1994–2002: Meadowlands Mills The
Arlington, Virginia-based
Mills Corporation first began working on plans for an
outlet mall in the
New Jersey Meadowlands in 1994 that would utilize the company's "shoppertainment" model used for Landmark Mills malls that combined
retail outlets with
entertainment facilities. Meadowlands Mills, as it was called, would have been constructed on the Empire Tract, an area of of wetlands in
Carlstadt, New Jersey. The tract was owned by Empire Ltd., a company which had purchased the land in 1961 and had been planning a major development since 1987. The commercial development would have consisted of of retail space, a hotel, and of office space on of the tract. To mitigate the heavy environmental impact, the remainder of the tract would have been converted into stormwater
retention basins. The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opposed the project after studying its potential environmental impact. However, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted its own study which contradicted the EPA's findings and stated that the project was not a threat to the Meadowlands area. His successor,
Jim McGreevey, informed Mills the following year that the state government would not provide permits for the mall, effectively ending the project as originally proposed. The Empire Tract was later permanently protected by the Meadowlands Conservation Trust, which purchased it in 2005 and renamed it the Richard P. Kane Natural Area after a noted New Jersey conservationist. The name was taken from the Mills Corporation's
Madrid Xanadú, a shopping mall in Spain which opened in May 2003. NJSEA accepted several other proposals for developing the site.
Westfield Group proposed Arena Place, an "urban village" and "town square" built around the arena.
Hartz Mountain Industries and
Forest City Realty Trust submitted plans for Expo Park at the Meadowlands, featuring an outlet mall, a convention center, an indoor racetrack, and three hotel buildings.
Triple Five Group proposed MeadowFest America, which planned an
adaptive reuse of the arena to create a retail and entertainment complex. Other proposals focused on the project's location in the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
International Speedway Corporation envisioned plans for Sports City America, a development centered around the proposed Garden State International Speedway, a
NASCAR racetrack seating 80,000. A consortium that included
Paul Newman,
Carl Haas, and
Mario Andretti proposed Liberty Speedway and Family Theme Park, combining a racetrack with an amusement park and connecting the two with a monorail. In February 2003, the authority's board chose the Mills Corporation and Mack-Cali's plan over the other two finalists, Westfield Group and Hartz Mountain Industries. Ground was broken on the complex on September 29, 2004, and, at the time, was expected to open two years later. However, in May 2006, the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced it was formally investigating the Mills Corporation after it announced that it was restating four years of earnings due to executive misconduct and accounting errors. Later in the year, an analyst at
Bank of America Securities forced Mills to abandon the project, citing the signs of cost overruns. In November 2006,
Colony Capital Acquisitions LLC purchased the project from the Mills Corporation for $500 million and pushed the projected opening to 2008. In October 2007, the
Federal Aviation Administration expressed concerns about the height of the Ferris wheel, which at the time was planned to be , which the FAA feared would affect local air traffic to and from
Teterboro Airport. By 2008, the colorfully gaudy exterior of the unfinished building, which is visible from the
New Jersey Turnpike and
New Jersey Route 3, began to draw criticism as an eyesore. In April 2011, then-Governor Chris Christie called it "an offense to the eyes as you drive up the turnpike" and "by far the ugliest damn building in New Jersey, and maybe America." After acquiring the project, Triple Five indicated the exterior would be repainted in a different color scheme. In May 2009, construction on Xanadu, which was nearly 80% complete (and whose common areas were about 88% complete), came to a halt again after a subsidiary of bankrupt
Lehman Brothers missed payments, causing other lenders to withdraw from the project, and lost $500 million worth of construction funding. Developers stated the mall was 70% leased at the time. In March 2009, the retailer
Cabela's announced that it did not plan to open its Meadowlands location for another year, and subsequently gave "late 2010" as an estimated opening date. It would later pull out of the project by November 2010, following the collapse of Lehman Brothers and a halt to construction. In February 2010,
Stephen M. Ross, owner of
The Related Companies in Manhattan, stated that he could finish the project by the end of 2010, possibly with a new name and look. In May 2010, the NJSEA handed the project over to the Related Companies, and the "Xanadu" name had been dropped, changing the name to simply "The Meadowlands". of Meadowlands Xanadú and
MetLife Stadium, both formerly under construction Opposition to the idea of building a permanent shopping center within the Meadowlands Sports Complex centered on traffic and environmental concerns. The project was built on state-owned land, as the NJSEA is a state agency, and $81.3 million was spent on transportation improvements such as new off and on ramps and a train station at the Sports Complex. and "perhaps the worst retail failure ever". On August 10, 2010, Colony Capital surrendered control of the development of the mall to five lenders. Four parties were noted to be interested in redeveloping the project.
The Wall Street Journal on December 24, 2010, reported that
Triple Five Group signed a letter of intent to invest in and finish the stalled mall. Triple Five proposed that the mall be expanded to include indoor amusement and a water park. Developers cut a deal with
Deutsche Bank to provide an approximately $700 million loan to finish the project. a 50- to 60-foot-long section of the eastern wall had buckled, and a horizontal crease was apparent on the complex's indoor ski slope. Two days later, on February 3, after workers were attempting to melt snow from the ski slope's roof, ice build-up caused the eastern wall to fail and suffer a partial collapse along an approximately length of roof. Michael Beckerman, a spokesman for the project's lending group stated, "The Lender Group is aware of the damage to the roof caused by excessive snow and ice, but does not feel the damage affects the integrity of the structure. As such, the group has filed an insurance claim, and once the weather turns warmer, it will assess the damages and fix whatever is necessary."
2011–2016: American Dream Meadowlands On April 29, 2011, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority completed a deal with
Triple Five Group, the owners of two of North America's largest malls:
West Edmonton Mall and the
Mall of America, In July 2012
DreamWorks Animation CEO
Jeffrey Katzenberg announced that a
DreamWorks Water Park would open at the mall. In June 2012, the
New York Giants and the
New York Jets sought an injunction against Triple Five from resuming construction after it took over the project from the Mills Corporation, stating that the addition of amusement and water parks at the site would adversely affect traffic at
MetLife Stadium on days when home games were played there, specifically 16 Sundays out of the year, the day of the week that
Bergen County's
Blue Law prohibits shopping, though not amusement parks. The teams contended that while the mall would be closed on Sundays, the amusement park would not, which would create traffic jams on game days, when between 20,000 and 25,000 vehicles would park at the complex. Traffic studies conducted by the team estimated that 7,700 spots would be added by the project, while developers stated that it would add only 63 more cars, as local residents would be wise enough to avoid the grounds at that time, and most tourists would take the rail link to the MetLife Stadium site rather than drive. Triple Five objected to the law's restriction because it would infringe upon their business. though by December 2014, it was reported that this would only be a partial opening. Triple Five officially took ownership of the mall on July 31, 2013, with construction set to start in late August of that year, despite the lawsuit. The charges included an allegation that Mills Corporation paid Ferriero $1.7 million over the course of several years as a bribe or extortion to maintain Ferriero's political support for their development bid on the Xanadu project against rivals Hartz Mountain Industries. James Dausch, a former Mills Corporation employee, testified that the $1.7 million was paid for Ferriero's consulting, not as a bribe. Dausch's testimony detailed much of the development bid process, including paid lobbyists positioning Mills with Governor
Jim McGreevey, then Governor
Richard Codey, as well as with Senator
Robert Menendez. In April 2015, Ferriero was found guilty on five counts, but not on the Mills Corporation racketeering charges. In June 2015, the New Jersey Local Finance Board approved a tax-sharing plan between
East Rutherford and Triple Five. In August 2015, the
New Jersey Economic Development Authority reauthorized a $390 million potential tax break for the project. These steps were intended to set the stage for a sale of up to $1 billion in government bonds to raise money to complete the project in time for its new projected completion in the second half of 2017. In July 2016, construction appeared to have stopped, the developers were trying to obtain $1 billion in additional financing, and the projected completion date had slipped again, to 2018. In August 2016, the
New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority announced an $800 million bond issue intended to finance further construction of the mall. In September 2016, Triple Five Group announced that the indoor amusement park space would be occupied by
Nickelodeon Universe, which would feature two world record-holding roller coasters. The
TMNT Shellraiser, a
Euro-Fighter, would hold the record for the steepest roller coaster drop at 121.5 degrees, and is based on a model seen at two other locations in the United States. The second coaster, a
Spinning Coaster called The Shredder, consists of four-passenger cars that spin on a vertical axis as it progresses down the coaster's track, and is the world's tallest and longest free spinning coaster, In May of that year, the developers secured $1.67 billion in construction financing from a private lending syndicate led by
JPMorgan Chase, and by the following month, work had resumed. In June 2018, the developer indicated that most of the complex was scheduled to open in early 2019, though the water park would open at the end of 2019. That November, it was announced that September 2019 would be the water park's opening date. the three stores would be those companies' largest mall-based flagship locations. On September 25, 2018, the
New Jersey Hall of Fame announced that they would be permanently moving to American Dream. On March 12, 2019,
Barneys New York announced that it would open a flagship store at the mall, its only one in New Jersey. However, the firm announced in October 2019 that as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, it would close most of its stores, without specifying whether the one at American Dream would be one of the few to remain open. In 2019, Triple Five dropped Meadowlands from the name American Dream. On March 8, 2019, Governor
Phil Murphy indicated that the mall complex would open that June, but on March 25, Triple 5 Group announced that the project would open in August. On May 20, Triple Five announced that the mall's opening date had again been moved to later in the year, and that some retailers would not open until the 2019 holiday season or early 2020. It revealed that tenants would include
Tiffany & Co.,
Watches of Switzerland,
Dolce & Gabbana,
Moncler and the experimental retailer Fourpost, which operates a store at Triple Five's other mall property, the Mall of America. Triple Five also revealed more of the complex's attractions and common areas, which were planned to feature rotating art installations and attractions. In June 2019, Triple Five announced a 10-year partnership with
The Coca-Cola Company and its local bottling partner Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages, which would fully integrate the Coca-Cola brand throughout American Dream, and would include a branded eatery. On July 3, 2019, officials from Triple Five announced that the opening date of the mall would be October 25.
2019–2020: Completion, grand opening, and COVID-19 pandemic temporary closure On September 20, 2019, Triple Five announced that the mall would open in four stages it refers to as "chapters". In October 2019, the mall's much-criticized colorful exterior was repainted white. Triple Five also announced that the ski slope would be covered in a mural painted by a Canadian artist collective, set to be completed in 2020. Much of the facade facing the Turnpike would be covered in dynamic
LED displays. In August 2019,
Hard Rock Cafe was announced to open a restaurant at American Dream. However, this has never happened . On October 25, 2019, the mall opened its first chapter, an ice-skating rink and a
Nickelodeon Universe indoor theme park, which contained more than 35 rides and attractions. The next chapter, the
DreamWorks Water Park, was set to open on November 27, 2019. However, on November 21, 2019, the company announced that they were postponing the water park opening until March 19, 2020. The next chapter, the Big Snow American Dream ski slope, opened on December 5, 2019. The final chapter, consisting of the mall's 350 shops and over 100 restaurants, was branded "In Grand Style", and planned for a March 2020 opening. On March 8, 2020, the mall closed, In April 2020, Triple Five announced that the proportion of the retail tenants at the mall would be smaller, as the mall would consist of approximately 70% entertainment and 30% retail. Among the newly announced entertainment venues would be a trampoline park, eight more rides to Nickelodeon Universe, and interactive museums featuring elaborate props and backdrops. Plans were also in the works for several hotels that would connect to the mall via skybridges, with the area zoned for 3,500 hotel rooms. That same month, the mall partnered with
Hackensack Meridian Health and Agile Urgent Care to open a drive-through testing site primarily for local police, first responders, and frontline health care workers. On May 5, 2020, it was announced that
Lord & Taylor would no longer be a tenant at American Dream, due to the company's decision to
liquidate all of its stores as soon as the company reopened, in anticipation of a bankruptcy process brought about by the pandemic. On June 24, 2020,
GNC announced that it would also no longer operate a store at the mall.
Barneys New York had also withdrawn from American Dream, and several other tenants were considering canceling their leases or reducing their space at the mall. Governor
Phil Murphy announced on August 26, 2020, that amusements could open with restrictions by September 1, prompting Big Snow American Dream to announce it would reopen on that date. On September 29, 2020, it was announced that the
Sea Life Aquarium and the
Legoland Discovery Center would open at some point in early 2021. On September 9, 2020, American Dream and Hackensack Meridian Health announced a ten-year partnership. The partnership includes opening an
urgent care center at the complex, helping the complex reopen during the
COVID-19 pandemic, and having pop-up events at American Dream about health and wellness.
2020–present: Reopening and beyond On October 1, 2020, American Dream officially reopened. It was also announced that the luxury stores, anchored by
Saks Fifth Avenue, would open in March 2021, with hotels to be added in the near future.
Sea Life Aquarium and
Legoland Discovery Center opened at the mall on May 29, 2021. at American Dream in January 2023 On July 8, 2021, American Dream announced that The Avenue, the luxury wing of the complex consisting of over 20 retailers and upscale eateries and named for its anchor store,
Saks Fifth Avenue, would open on September 17, 2021, as would the mall's Ferris Wheel. That August, the
Oreo Café opened on the third floor of the mall's candy and novelty store IT'SUGAR. The eatery, which sells
Oreo-themed desserts and beverages, was the first of its kind. On September 14, 2021,
Hasbro announced that the company would open a branded game room at American Dream called The Game Room powered by Hasbro. The venue, which is the first of its kind, would include an arcade platform with video games and interactive amusements like Skee Golf. It was scheduled to open near the Sea Life Aquarium in 2022. In the early hours of September 25, 2021, the ski slope caught fire, but no injuries were reported. In the weeks after the fire, the mall's management announced that repairs would take months to be completed. In December 2021,
NJ.com reported that
Toys R Us would open a 20,000 square foot, two-story global flagship store at American Dream. In light of the pandemic-related closings of its stores at
Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey and
The Galleria mall in
Houston, Texas, this would be the company's only
brick and mortar store until that company's July 2022 comeback, and would open in the middle of the month, in time for holiday shopping. In May 2022,
Bloomberg News reported that the mall reported nearly $60 million in losses in 2021, a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fire at the Big SNOW ski slope, and delays in openings for some stores and attractions. The mall's expenses totaled $232.4 million, but its revenue reached only $173 million. In June 2022, the mall made a late payment to its bondholders of $13.9 million, but remained behind on its payments, including interest on the bond payment that its owners missed on June 1, which put them in default. This prompted East Rutherford Mayor Jeffrey Lahullier to state that same month, "The mall's definitely in trouble, there's no doubt in my mind." On September 4, 2022, YouTuber
Jimmy Donaldson (popularly known as MrBeast) opened the first brick and mortar location of
MrBeast Burger, which until then had been a delivery-only service utilizing
virtual restaurants. The opening attracted thousands of fans to the mall. On October 17, 2022, LMNTS, a luxury streetwear and lifestyle retailer, opened its first East Coast store at American Dream. On March 21, 2024, American Dream announced a partnership with
Sesame Workshop to open the first ever
Sesame Street Learn & Play Educational Center. The 13,000 square foot exhibit features interactive experiences and photo opportunities based on the television series. The exhibit was scheduled for a late 2024 opening. In July 2024,
B&B Theatres announced that it would open a location at the mall in early 2026. The next month, American Dream paid two years of overdue interest on $287 million of municipal bonds that had been placed on the mall. By late 2024, the mall was nearly 90% leased, and the number of visitors was increasing. After officials discovered that American Dream was operating on Sundays in violation of Bergen County's
blue laws, county officials asked the
New Jersey Attorney General's office to enforce the laws, and in January 2025, Paramus town officials threatened to sue the mall's operators. That February, American Dream missed another required interest payment on the $287 million municipal bonds, just six months after the first "catch-up" payment. On September 6, 2025, around 80,000 fans showed up to influencer
Salish Matter's event to promote her skincare brand, Sincerely Yours, causing the police to shut it down. In November 2025, it was announced that
Abercrombie & Fitch,
Arabian Oud,
Rolife, Rowan, and ALO would open at the mall, some of which would be their only U.S. locations. The Oreo Café at American Dream closed permanently in January 2026. On February 8, 2026, bondholders of American Dream filed a lawsuit against Triple Five Group and the Borough of East Rutherford alleging a "knowing, coordinated effort" to artificially collapse the mall's property value to reduce tax-equivalent payments. The lawsuit was filed by the U.S. Bank Trust Company, which issued $800 million in debt to help pay for the completion of the construction of the megamall. However, Triple Five responded to the lawsuit, arguing that it is a "deceptive attempt to pressure public institutions through litigation and to overturn a lawful, judicial tax appeal decision after a trial." The company also called the incident a "direct insult to the integrity of the municipality, the court and the judicial process." Triple Five asserted that the American Dream megamall will "vigorously defend itself, pursue all available remedies, and will not be intimidated by inflammatory allegations that have no basis in fact or law." On February 10, 2026, it was announced that
Saks Fifth Avenue would be closing in April 2026 as part of a plan to close 8 stores nationwide as a result of parent company
Saks Global filing for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Hey I am Yogost celebrated its grand opening at American Dream on March 28, 2026. ==Transportation and parking==