American Dream Meadowlands 'On Target' For March 2019 Opening

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — The American Dream Meadowlands project is on track to open in less than a year. One of the world-record roller coasters is being constructed at the Nickelodeon Universe-themed amusement park, the largest indoor amusement park in the western hemisphere, and progress is being made on the building that connects the amusement and water parks with the rest of the half-mile long complex.

Debbie Patrie, a spokesperson for the $5 billion project's owner and developer, the Triple Five Group, said American Dream Meadowlands is "on target" to open in March 2019.

Now in its 14th year, Triple Five is the third developer in the project's history dating back to the site's days when it was known as Xanadu. The family-owned company took over the project in 2011.

It's Not A Mall

Triple Five is promising something akin to two properties it already owns: The Mall of America in Minnesota and the West Edmonton Mall in Canada. And it seems to be delivering on that promise.

The 91-acre campus will have:

• North America's largest indoor water park designed by DreamWorks, the company behind "Shrek," "Kung Fu Panda" and "How To Train Your Dragon."
• KidZania, a miniature city run by kids 4 to 14 years old with its own currency. Companies like Honda, Sony, Kellogg's, Coca-Cola and others have sponsored businesses and landmarks in the attraction.
• The Launched Euro-Fighter roller coaster will have the world's steepest roller coaster drop. The Spinner Coaster will be the world's tallest and longest free-spinning roller coaster in the world. The latter's cars will rotate vertically as they move along the track.
• The first Sea Life aquarium in New Jersey. It will feature a tropical ocean tank with a walk-through underwater tunnel.
• A 22,000-square-foot arcade and bowling alley for adults. It will feature live bands and a selection of craft beers.
• An aquarium with an underwater tunnel and a LEGOLAND discovery center. The aquarium will feature seahorses, sharks, rays and a tropical ocean tanks. LEGOLAND will feature a 4-D cinema, a Lego brick pool and rides. Kids can also take Lego building classes.
• A 12-story indoor ski park with an 800-foot-long hill.
• A 300-foot-tall Ferris wheel will offer a one-of-a-kind view of Manhattan.
• A 4-D, dine-in movie theater that will allow moviegoers to smell scents in the films they watch.
• 15 restaurants and 50 grab-and-go offerings in a 150,000-square-foot food court.
• The world's first Kosher food court.
• A separate retail area for luxury retailers, including Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue and Hermes.

Triple Five previously said that the project will attract customers because it will be more than just a shopping spot — it will be a destination.

"It makes the Meadowlands region a primary destination rather than us just playing second fiddle to New York City," said Jim Kirkos, chief executive officer of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce. "There are people who will come to see American Dream first and then go to New York City."

The project is expected to bring another 20,000 jobs to a region where corporations and jobs are relocating to less taxed areas of the Garden State and the United States, Kirkos previously said. The effect could also be positive for the malls and shopping centers, including the Willowbrook Mall and Garden State Plaza, that have been North Jersey mainstays for decades.

Transportation

A commuter shuttle will run between NJ Transit's Meadowlands station and the Secaucus train station.

NJ Transit will operate a direct bus line from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City to American Dream.

New York Waterway is in talks to run a shuttle to take passengers to and from marinas along the Hudson River along the Gold Coast — Edgewater, Weehawken, and North Bergen — to American Dream.

Delays, Delays

American Dream was originally slated to open in 2017. Then last summer. 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 financing earlier this year.

Related: KidZania Will Bring 500K To 1M Visitors To American Dream Meadowlands: CEO
Related: 2 World-Record Roller Coasters Coming To American Dream
Related: Huge Adult Arcade Coming To American Dream Meadowlands
Related: American Dream Pushes Back Open Date, Secures $1.6B In Financing
Related: 'Most Expensive Retail Project On Earth' Coming To Meadowlands In 2017
Related: Aquarium, LEGOLAND Coming To American Dream Center

Send local news tips, photos, and press releases to daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

An artist's rendering of what American Dream Meadowlands is slated to look like when it opens in March 2019. — Courtesy of Triple Five