The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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East Rutherford NJ, American Dream’s The Big Snow indoor ski resort will remain closed till November as it recovers from a fire.
Continue reading American Dream’s The Big Snow indoor ski resort will remain closed till November
East Rutherford Fire Department
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East Rutherford NJ, East Rutherford Fire Department reports that just before 5:00am, the East Rutherford Fire Department was requested to assist the Meadowlands Fire Department for a fire at Big Snow within the American Dream. Due to the size of the building, extensive roof operations and a stubborn body of “cold smoke,” the Meadowlands fire plan was activated bringing fire departments from throughout Bergen County to the scene to assist. Wood Ridge Fire Department responded at 05:20 a response to “Big Snow” at the American Dream Mall in the Borough of East Rutherford for a Building Fire. Engine 905 responded and working with several of the surrounding towns extinguished the fire and ensured there was no further extension. Lyndhurst, Secaucus, Mahwah, Moonachie, Rochelle Park, Saddle Brook, Wallington, and Jersey City Fire Departments all assisted .
Continue reading 5am Fire at “Big Snow” at the American Dream Mall Activates Meadowlands Fire Plan
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East Rutherford NJ, more delays for Xanadu ie … the American Dream Mall. The openings of Sea Life Aquarium and Legoland , have been postponed until the summer. The original opening date for the two attractions was set for May 4. On Wednesday, a spokesperson announced the delay, less than two weeks before the planned opening.
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East Rutherford NJ, The American Dream Mall in East Rutherford is facing more challenges. American Dream, LLC., the Triple Five company that owns the American Dream site, has filed a lawsuit against Villa Restaurant Group for breaching its contract. Villa Restaurant Group signed a lease in June 2015 to open a Green Leaf and Tony + Benny’s Pizza Parlor in the mall, but construction is still not complete. A number of construction companies have filed liens against the property saying that they are owed nearly $41 million for work completed.
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East Rutherford NJ, In less than 48 hours before the much-anticipated, derided and ridiculed Xanadu sorry American Dream Mall is supposed to open but, the state has yet to issue a certificate of occupancy that would allow the long-delayed amusement and retail complex to open on Friday.
Officials expect to open two of the American Dream’s entertainment options: Nickelodeon Universe and Theme Park and The Rink at American Dream.
Continue reading State Has Yet to Issue Certificate of Occupancy for Xanadu ie…American Dream Mall
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East Rutherford NJ, according to Governor Phil Murphy the opening date for the American Dream Mall , originally projected for April, has been pushed back to at least late spring. “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.” Murphy made these not-so-surprising remarks in a brief, one-minute response to a reporter’s question at an unrelated press conference at West Orange High School, where he was talking about school funding. He made the assertion based on his last conversations with the project’s representatives.
Continue reading Call it What You Will, its Still “Xanadu” to Us ….
MAY 19, 2015, 10:14 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015, 10:42 AM
BY LINDA MOSS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Around 150 members of Bergen County building trades unions attended an East Rutherford Council meeting on Tuesday urging the borough to pass a resolution and introduce an ordinance for the bonds necessary to pave the way for completion of the American Dream project. The Council passed the resolution.
EAST RUTHERFORD — About 150 members of area trade unions came to Borough Hall on Tuesday evening to urge the Borough Council to take the next steps necessary so the American Dream project can get fully under way, and the governing body did just that.
Taking action before a standing-room-only audience that overflowed into the halls, the council — despite several dissenting members — passed a resolution revising terms of its bond agreement with developer Triple Five for the shopping and entertainment complex. In addition, the council introduced an ordinance relating to the Payment-In-Lieu-of-Taxes, or PILOT program, associated with the development.
With those actions, part of a plan to have the borough act as a no-risk conduit for construction loans, the state Local Finance Board will now be able to review the amended finance agreement for approval. The goal is to get the ordinance on the agenda for the board’s June meeting.
The actions came as Rick Sabato, president of the Bergen County Building and Construction Trades Councils, implored the local governing body to support the project so that many of the area’s unemployed union members can get back to work. A year ago, Sabato estimated that American Dream will create jobs for 9,000 of his members over the next three years and beyond.
Retail giants lining up, American Dream says
DECEMBER 7, 2014, 11:49 PM LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2014, 11:55 PM
BY JOAN VERDON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
FAO Schwarz will leave its iconic Manhattan location for the Meadowlands, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor department stores will anchor a collection of luxury boutiques, and Cirque du Soleil will establish a permanent theater for Las Vegas-style shows at the American Dream project, according to information the developer of the long-delayed project is circulating as it holds meetings this week to woo retail tenants.
Triple Five, the developer of the project, is telling prospective tenants that more than 50 major retailers, including such mall mainstays as Victoria’s Secret and Gap, have committed to renting space at American Dream, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2016. More than a dozen restaurants and a permanent Cirque du Soleil theater are also committed, according to a 67-page leasing brochure and the project’s monthly status update for November.
While a developer’s promotional materials about prospective tenants should be viewed skeptically until the project’s opening day, the list of tenants Triple Five has lined up shows that parts of the American Dream will compete directly with North Jersey’s existing malls for tenants.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/retail-giants-lining-up-american-dream-says-1.1148277
Agreement between American Dream developers and North Jersey labor unions announced
APRIL 28, 2014, 8:10 AM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2014, 10:55 PM
BY JOHN BRENNAN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
More than three years after Governor Christie came to the Meadowlands Sports Complex to trumpet a new vision for the stalled McGreevey Xanadu shopping and entertainment project, he returned on Monday to unveil revised plans with officials from Triple Five, the new developer of the revamped project now dubbed American Dream Meadowlands.
The latest announcement came with plenty of new details, including a revised opening date target of fall 2016; the unveiling of a planned 20-story “drop ride” billed as the world’s tallest; and renderings of the proposed 639,000-square-foot indoor amusement park and water park that will feature 80-foot-high glass walls that allow drivers on nearby highways to see in — and park revelers to see out.
Joining Christie were countless construction workers, including more than 100 who stood behind the governor as he promised to make sure that Triple Five will prioritize “getting that ugly outside [color scheme] the hell off the building.”
The features
Key components of American Dream Meadowlands, according to the project developer’s website and previous announcements this year:
More than 400 retailers, restaurants, and services, including “global retail |influenced by high streets from Bond Street to La Rambla to Soho”
639,000-square-foot indoor amusement park and water park complex
Indoor ski and snowboard park |12 stories high and 800 feet long
Observation wheel similar to the |London Eye
200-foot “drop ride” similar to |bungee jumping
Performing arts center that seats 2,400 to 3,000
National Hockey League-sized |ice rink
180,000-square-foot movie complex with more than 5,000 seats |(700 of them VIP)
Aquarium featuring more than 10,000 “sea creatures”
18-hole miniature golf course
The event provided Christie with an opportunity to come through on a pledge he made to construction workers when they endorsed his reelection last year: to put them back on the job. The Republican governor secured the support of many unions, including Laborers International Union of North America, which had backed Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine four years earlier. The unions cited Christie’s vocal support of American Dream and other developments as well as his signing of the New Jersey Economic Opportunity Act, which offers corporate tax breaks to companies that create and retain jobs in the state. Many Laborers’ Union workers were noticeable in the audience, clad in orange T-shirts.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/agreement-between-american-dream-developers-and-north-jersey-labor-unions-announced-1.1004344#sthash.NBJJ48lc.dpuf
“Jim” McGreevey’s Xanadu agreement relies on plan for improved traffic access to and from Meadowlands
MARCH 14, 2014, 7:04 PM
BY JOHN BRENNAN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
The agreement — reached as a settlement of the legal dispute between the teams and the developer over the traffic impact of Triple Five’s plan to add indoor water and amusement parks to the site — does not limit the hours the entertainment and retail complex can be open on game days and provides no compensation to the teams.
Rather, it relies on a comprehensive transportation plan involving state agencies, Triple Five and the teams to resolve the dispute, which at times had prompted the National Football League franchises to warn of a traffic “nightmare” if Triple Five was allowed to open on game days at hours when fans were coming and going.
When it became public this week, the agreement was hailed by officials as a step that would allow for work to resume at the project site, which has sat idle since 2009 when it was known as Xanadu. Indeed, Governor Christie, who has been a champion of Triple Five’s American Dream plan as an engine for economic development, predicted construction would begin right away, now that the teams and the company have made peace.
