Skip to main content
American Dream Mall

American Dream Mall Construction

Northern New Jersey is under construction. Anyone who has driven through Rutherford in the last few years has seen the enormous construction project underway. The American Dream Mall has been on the books for over a decade now, and the light at the end of the tunnel can finally be seen. Triple Five is the notorious corporation behind the initiative and is also responsible for several other malls currently under construction around the country. The people of New Jersey have had mixed feelings about the project and the lengthy process of completing the project but regardless, the mall will be up by spring of 2019.

 

Although the plans for the mall are extravagant and it will likely attract a broad consumer base, at the moment, it is a sight for sore eyes.  Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called it, “the ugliest damn building in New Jersey and maybe America,” expressing an opinion that seems to be shared by the residents of Rutherford and the neighboring cities in New Jersey. Whether or not the opening of the mall will be the solution to the problem is a also a question worth asking.

 

Despite the doubters, the mall seems to be ready to take on the challenge. One very legitimate concern is how the mall will be able to hold so many cars. Parking structures are being built to hold thousands of cars so it seems that the builders of the mall will be ready to hold the multitude of vehicles flooding in should the mall be successful. Still there are worries that the traffic surrounding the mall will be enough to deter casual shoppers.

 

Even if there are some practical concerns with the mall, the pure extravagance of it should at least guarantee interest. The ambitious builders of the mall, Triple Five, are hopeful, projecting, “30 to 40 million visitors per year” (Hilburg).

 

Locals are rooting for the mall to do well and hopefully open up stable jobs for hundreds of people. Right now all the buzz surrounding the mall is just speculation and what remains to be seen will be revealed this spring.