the staff of the Ridgewood blog
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.
The theme park will feature more than 35 rides, record-breaking roller coasters and other attractions; it also mirrors the Nickelodeon theme park at Mall of America, which is Triple Five’s sister property. The ice rink will eventually become a home for open skating, figure skating, hockey tournaments and other events. The ice rink’s opening will be followed by a “spooky skate” for Halloween, on Thursday, Oct. 31.
The state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) on Wednesday said it is still reviewing the permits of the sprawling entertainment venue and has not signed off on all the inspections.
“The American Dream facility does not have a certificate of occupancy at the present time,” DCA spokeswoman Lisa Ryan confirmed. “Inspection teams from DCA’s Division of Codes and Standards are at American Dream every day conducting inspections to make sure it is fully complying with all applicable fire, life safety, and building regulations required under the NJ Uniform Construction Code.”
Ryan said the division conducts inspections upon receiving requests from the American Dream developer, adding that the division was up to date on all permit applications it has received, and “continues to work with the developer to schedule and perform inspections as quickly as possible.”
The facility needs a certificate of occupancy to open. DCA officials would not say whether the lack of approval would affect Friday’s planned opening, but an administration official late Wednesday said only “that’s the plan.”
Officials say the mall’s attractions will open in what the call four “chapters.” This is our complete guide to what’s opening when. We will update it as dates change.
Chapter 2, Nov. 27 : DreamWorks Water Park is slated to open the day before Thanksgiving. The indoor water park will feature more than 40 slides and 15 attractions. It will have the world’s largest wave pool, the world’s tallest indoor body slide, and an estimated 31 luxury cabanas designed by New Jersey native Jonathan Adler.
Chapter 3, Dec. 5 : Just one week after the water park debuts, American Dream’s long-anticipated indoor snow park, called Big SNOW, is slated to open.
Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park and DreamWorks Water Park under construction inside American Dream in August 2019 (Photo: Joram Mushinske/NorthJersey.com)
Guests will have the chance to ski and snowboard all year long at this portion of the property. The snow park will be more than 800 feet long, 200 feet wide and 16 stories tall, according to American Dream’s website. The park will also feature The Shops at Big SNOW, which is being described as a “retail environment that is truly experiential.”
Chapter 4, March 2020 : This fourth phase seems to be when the rest of the project will open.
A retail area under construction inside American Dream in August 2019 (Photo: Joram Mushinske/NorthJersey.com)
In March, more than 350 shopping venues are expected to debut, officials said. This includes stores by luxury brands Hermès, Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent and Moncler, and specialty shops by Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany & Co. The complex is expected to have stores for retailers like Zara, H&M, Uniqlo and Primark, also slated to open by spring. More than 100 dining destinations are also expected to debut around this time, but officials did not specify which ones would be ready.
Officials also expect the following to open by March: Merlin Entertainments’ SEA LIFE Aquarium and LEGOLAND Discovery Center; CMX Luxury Movie Theater; Kidzania; American Dream’s 300-foot Observation Wheel, and other attractions.
I was at the mall yesterday around 4pm and stayed for a couple of hours.
I didn’t see that many people there inside the mall, at the amusement park, at the rink nor on the slopes at
big snow.
Yes it was a Monday afternoon but I think they hyped up the numbers because there is no way they could have gotten 790k visitors in 3 months. They were only allowed to have a max of 7k people in the mall as a safety concern.
This number was given to me by one of the employees at the mall. So what the heck. Don’t mislead people please.
I know the mall is a work in progress but the section that is completed is not very impressive. The mall is all white with nothing else looks like a hospital ward.
By the way, Guest services told me only 100 stores will be opened in March. But they are not sure of the date yet.