Long-Delayed $5 Billion American Dream Mall Opens

It took 17 years and no small amount of public ridicule as it sat dormant in the New Jersey meadowlands, but a small portion of the American Dream mall is now open to the public.

2 minute read

October 27, 2019, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


New Jersey Meadowlands

EQRoy / Shutterstock

American Dream, a $5 billion, 2.9-million-square-foot mall opened in New Jersey on Friday. Located just eight miles west of Manhattan, the partial opening of the new retail behemoth attracted no shortage of media coverage.

When American Dream is fully up and running next year, the mall will 450 shops and restaurants in addition to entertainment uses like amusement parks, an indoor ice rink, and ski areas.

The project has been long in the making, according to an article by Elise Young. "Planning started more than 17 years ago, but construction setbacks had left the site half-finished amid the former dumps and swamps, its garish multicolored exterior a beacon for ridicule alongside the New Jersey Turnpike."

Young also builds a narrative of malls as a centerpiece of New Jersey culture, writing: "New Jersey malls are stages for dramas big and small. A future president’s son proposed in one; an angry parent clobbered a man dressed as the holiday mascot in another."

Additional news coverage is also found in an article by Melanie Anzidei, Catherine Carrera, Jessie Gomez, and Scott Fallon, who got opening day access to the new mall, providing a sneak peak of what's open to the public now, and what will be coming online soon. The amusement park and ice rink were the first attractions to open, according to the article. According to the article, "guests will have to wait until late November to check out the indoor water park; early December for the snow park; and March 2020 to shop and dine. Officials have described a string of opening celebrations as 'chapters.'"

Thursday, October 24, 2019 in Bloomberg

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight