Meadowlands Xanadu

**Meadowlands Xanadu** is is an entertainment center and shopping mall located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The project started in 2003 and opened in 2010. It is owned by Mills Corporation as part of its Xanadu chain. Due to Bergen County blue laws, all retail stores are closed on Sundays except for the restaurants and attractions.

## History

### Meadowlands Mills (1994–2002)

The Mills Corporation first began working on plans for a mall in the New Jersey Meadowlands in 1994. Meadowlands Mills, as it was called, would have been constructed on the Empire Tract, an area of 587 acres (238 ha) of wetlands in Carlstadt, New Jersey. The tract was owned by Empire Ltd., a company which had purchased the land in 1961 and had been planning a major development since 1987. The commercial development would have consisted of 2.1 million square feet (200,000 m2) of retail space, a hotel, and 1 million square feet (93,000 m2) of office space on 206 acres (83 ha) of the tract. To mitigate the heavy environmental impact, the remainder of the tract would have been converted into stormwater retention basins.

After Empire and Mills announced their proposal in 1996, the project quickly became controversial and faced opposition from a variety of environmental and conservationist groups, as well as the tract's congressman, Steve Rothman. Opponents stated that the mall would have a devastating impact on the ecological health of the area, while the Mills Corporation defended its plans by arguing that the land was already devastated by pesticide usage and invasive common reeds.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opposed the project after studying its potential environmental impact. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted its own study which contradicted the EPA's findings and stated that the project was not a threat to the Meadowlands area. New Jersey governor Donald DiFrancesco announced plans to protect the area in 2001, encouraging the Mills Corporation to look at other potential sites in the region. His successor, Jim McGreevey, informed Mills the following year that the state government would not provide permits for the mall, effectively ending the project as originally proposed. The Empire Tract was later permanently protected by the Meadowlands Conservation Trust, which purchased it in 2005 and renamed it the Richard P. Kane Natural Area after a noted New Jersey conservationist.

### Meadowlands Xanadu (2002–2010)

In July 2002, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) issued a request for proposal for a project in the area that was then the parking lot of the Continental Airlines Arena. The request was inspired by the Meadowlands Mills project as well as by plans to move the New Jersey Nets out of the arena, and involved significantly less environmental damage because it would be built on already developed land. The Mills Corporation retooled its earlier proposal for Meadowlands Mills to fit the new site, and partnered with Mack-Cali Realty Corporation to design Meadowlands Xanadu, a major multi-use development which would incorporate a renovated Continental Airlines Arena. The name was taken from Mills Corporation's Madrid Xanadu, a shopping mall in Spain which opened in 2003.

NJSEA accepted several other proposals for developing the site. Westfield Group proposed Arena Place, an "urban village" and "town square" built around the arena. Hartz Mountain Industries and Forest City Realty Trust submitted plans for Expo Park at the Meadowlands, featuring an outlet mall, a convention center, an indoor racetrack, and three hotel buildings. Triple Five Group proposed MeadowFest America, which planned an adaptive reuse of the arena to create a retail and entertainment complex.

Other proposals focused on the project's location in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. International Speedway Corporation envisioned plans for Sports City America, a development centered around the proposed Garden State International Speedway, a NASCAR racetrack seating 80,000. A consortium that included Paul Newman, Carl Haas, and Mario Andretti proposed Liberty Speedway and Family Theme Park, combining a racetrack with an amusement park and connecting the two with a monorail.

In February 2003, the authority's board chose Mills Corporation and Mack-Cali's plan over the other two finalists, Westfield Group and Hartz Mountain Industries. The project was billed by Mills chairman and executive officer Laurence E. Siegel as "...a new standard for bringing lifestyle, recreation, sports and family entertainment offerings together in one location." Ground was broken on the complex on September 29, 2004, and, at the time, was expected to open two years later.

In between that time, the CEO of Mills Corporation stated that this project would either make or break the company moving forward. The rest of the project finally broke ground in 2006, and was fully completed in late 2009, with an opening in February 2010.

By 2008, the colorfully gaudy exterior of the building, which is visible from the New Jersey Turnpike and New Jersey Route 3, began to draw criticism as an eyesore. Richard Codey, president of the New Jersey State Senate at the time, called the structure "yucky-looking". In 2011, then-Governor Chris Christie called it "an offense to the eyes as you drive up the turnpike" and "by far the ugliest damn building in New Jersey, and maybe America." After proposing the new project, The Mills indicated the exterior would be repainted in a different color scheme.

In May 2009, construction on Xanadu, which was nearly 80% complete (and whose common areas were about 88% complete), came to a halt after a subsidiary of bankrupt Lehman Brothers missed payments, causing other lenders to withdraw from the project, and lost $500 million worth of construction funding. Developers stated the mall was 70% leased at the time.

### Meadowlands Xanadu: Phase II (2011-present)

In 2011, Mills Corporation said that Meadowlands Xanadu would get a major overhaul following the comments from major news organizations, and common guests. They admitted that Meadowlands Xanadu was built from the existing foundation and assets from the unopened Meadowlands Mills project, so this time, they would start fresh. Among the changes to the project would an expansion to 3 million square feet, an 8.5-acre indoor glass-domed amusement park, water parks, and an ice skating rink, as well as featuring an indoor ski slope, several hotels, and several multi-use buildings. In July 2012 DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg announced that a DreamWorks Water Park would open at the mall.

In June 2012, the Giants and the Jets sought an injunction against Mills Corporation from resuming construction , stating that the addition of amusement and water parks at the site would adversely affect traffic at MetLife stadium on days when home games were played there, specifically 16 Sundays out of the year, the day of the week that Bergen County's Blue Law prohibits shopping, though not amusement parks. The teams contended that while the mall would be closed on Sundays, the amusement park would not, which would create traffic jams on game days, when between 20,000 and 25,000 vehicles would park at the complex. Traffic studies conducted by the team estimated that 7,700 spots would be added by the project, while developers stated that it would add only 63 more cars, as local residents would be wise enough to avoid the grounds at that time, and most tourists would take the rail link to the MetLife Stadium site rather than drive. Mills Corporation objected to the law's restriction because it would infringe upon their business. In July 2012 Mills Corporation countersued for what it called an improper campaign by the teams to preserve their monopoly at the site, while dissuading potential lenders from investing. On March 12, 2014 the parties reached a tentative settlement, agreeing to drop their lawsuits. Though specific details of the agreement were not made public, the agreement allowed the long-delayed project to move forward. Construction had been ongoing since November 2013, and was expected to pick up in early 2014. Although no timetable for completion was announced, the developer originally said it would take about 24 months to complete the project once construction began. That April, Mills Corporation released a revised design for the mall's exterior and confirmed a tentative opening date in late 2016, though by December 2014, it was reported that this would only be a partial opening.

By May 2013, progress on the project was delayed further by financing, permitting, and a lawsuit filed by the New York Giants and New York Jets over traffic concerns. Mills Corporation officially took ownership of the mall on July 31, 2013, with construction set to start in late August of that year, despite the lawsuit. Construction officially began in November and the developer estimated it would take approximately 24 months to complete the project. In April 2014, Triple Five released a revised design for the mall's exterior and confirmed a tentative opening date in late 2016, though by December 2014, it was reported that this would only be a partial opening.

In June 2015, the New Jersey Local Finance Board approved a tax-sharing plan between East Rutherford and Mills Corporation. In August 2015, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority reauthorized a $390 million potential tax break for the project. These steps were intended to set the stage for a sale of up to $1 billion in government bonds to raise money to complete the project in time for its new projected completion in the second half of 2017.

In April 2016, a planned bond issue fell through. In July 2016, construction appeared to have stopped, the developers were trying to obtain $1 billion in additional financing, and the projected completion date had slipped again, to 2018. In August 2016, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority announced an $800 million bond issue intended to finance further construction of the mall.

In September 2016, Mills Corporation announced that the indoor amusement park space would be occupied by Nickelodeon Universe, which will feature two world record-holding roller coasters. The TMNT Shellraiser, a Euro-Fighter, would hold the record for the steepest roller coaster drop at 97 degrees, and is based on a model seen at two other locations in the United States. The second coaster, a Spinning Coaster called The Shredder, consists of four-passenger cars that spin on a vertical axis as it progresses down the coaster's track, and is the world's tallest and longest free spinning coaster, at 1,600 feet. The water park is DreamWorks Water Park, which will feature attractions such as Shrek's Soggy Swamp, Kung Fu Panda Zone and Madagascar Rain Forest. The park's centerpiece will be the world's largest indoor wave pool, measuring 1.5 acres and holding 1.5 million gallons of water, and the world's second-tallest body slide, starting from a height of 142 feet and featuring a 50-foot free fall. The completed Meadowlands Xanadu spans 3 million square feet and consists of 55 percent entertainment facilities and 45 percent retail locations. Entertainment venues will include nightclubs, a 26-screen movie theater and 3,000-seat performing arts theater. The mall will house 450 retail shops, and more than 100 dining options, including approximately 20 full-service restaurants, a first-of-its kind kosher food hall and a 38,000 square foot gourmet food court with 18 vendors and chef demonstrations operated by the youth-driven food and culture website Munchies. The project would also include a parking lot with 33,000 spaces, an on-site bus hub and a train station. Triple Five projected 40 million people to visit the mall each year, half of whom would be drawn from the 62 million tourists who visit the tri-state area annually.

### Construction halts and resumes again (2016–2019)

On December 22, 2016, work on the project stopped again. Financing from the 2016 bond issue was delayed until 2017. In May of that year, the developers secured $1.67 billion in construction financing from a syndicate led by JPMorgan Chase, and by the following month, work had resumed.

In June 2018, the developer indicated that most of the complex was scheduled to open in early 2019, though the water park would open at the end of 2019. In August 2018, a Mills Corporation executive, specified that the project was 68% complete and would open in April 2019. That November, it was announced that September 2019 would be the water park's opening date.

In August 2018, Mills Corporation revealed that H&M, Uniqlo, and Zara would open stores at the mall; the three stores would be those companies' largest mall-based flagship locations. On September 25, 2018, the New Jersey Hall of Fame announced that they would be permanently moving to Meadowlands Xanadu. On March 12, 2019, Barneys New York announced that it would open a flagship store at the mall, its only one in New Jersey. However, the firm announced in October 2019 that as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, it would close most of its stores, without specifying whether the one at American Dream would be one of the few to remain open.

On March 8, 2019, Governor Phil Murphy indicated that the mall complex would open that June, but on March 25, Mills Corporation announced that the project would open in August. On May 20, Mills Corporation announced that the mall's opening date had again been moved to later in the year, and that some retailers would not open until the 2019 holiday season or early 2020. It revealed that tenants would include Tiffany & Co., Watches of Switzerland, Dolce & Gabbana, Moncler and a new Toys "R" Us flagship store, replaced the Times Square location Mills Corporation also revealed more of the complex's attractions and common areas, which are set to feature rotating art installations and attractions.

On July 3, 2019, officials from Mills Corporation announced that the opening date of the mall would be October 25. Later that month, *Crain's New York Business* reported that the Asian-American supermarket chain H Mart would open a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) store at American Dream, which in addition to that chain's typical selection of Asian and international food items, would feature the chain’s "Market Eatery" venue for top national and international food concepts and chefs, as well as New Jersey's first "Let Them Talk Bar and Stage" that would feature live music, craft cocktails, entertainment and weekly events. The store will staff a combined 70 to 100 full-time and part-time employees.

### Completion, opening (2019–present)

On September 20, 2019, Mills Corporation announced that the mall would open in four stages it refers to as "chapters". In October 2019, the mall's much-criticized colorful exterior was repainted white. Triple Five also announced that the ski slope would be covered in a mural painted by a Canadian artist collective, set to be completed in 2020. Much of the facade facing the Turnpike would be covered in dynamic LED displays.

On October 25, 2019, the mall opened its first chapter, an ice-skating rink and a Nickelodeon amusement park. The theme park contains more than 35 rides and attractions, including three roller coasters that broke world records when they opened. The next chapter, the DreamWorks Water Park, was set to open on November 27, 2019. However, on November 21, 2019, the company announced that they were postponing the water park opening until March 19, 2020. The next chapter, the Big Snow Meadowlands ski slope, opened on December 5, 2019.

The mall's enclave of luxury stores called The Collections is planned to open in September 2020.

On February 19, 2020, Sea Life announced it would open its location at Meadowlands Xanadu on April 23, 2020.

## Main Attractions

Meadowlands Xanadu consists of 70 percent entertainment facilities and 30 percent retail locations.

### General

* Six distinctive grand atriums flooded with natural light. One includes an extensive garden with bird-filled aviaries and rabbit fields; another will be an entertainment hub.
* Albero dei Sogni/Secret Garden – a tree-like sculpture consisting of more than 75,000 LED lights and 25,000 leaves that play music during intervals several times a day
* A 60-foot fashion fountain that can be converted into a catwalk in seconds
* Interactive museums featuring with extravagant props and backdrops
* Instagram moments – areas designed specifically for social media photography
* Museum-scale interiors displaying artwork by local and international artists

### Shopping

* 450 retail shops
* Six anchor retail tenants with more than 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2) each
* 12 major retailers (20,000 to 50,000 square feet [1,900 to 4,600 m2] each)
* 339 smaller shops (up to 20,000 square feet [1,900 m2])
* A 35,000 square foot H Mart Asian-American supermarket

### Dining

* Over 100 eateries
* 21 full-service restaurants
* 45 specialty food retailers
* A 38,000 square feet (3,500 m2), 18-vendor food court, which includes a kosher food hall

### Entertainment

* One of the six atriums is a 60-foot space that will serve as an entertainment hub for live events
* Indoor NHL-sized ice rink
* Nickelodeon Universe Meadowlands – an indoor theme park
* DreamWorks Water Park – a year-round indoor water park
* A 2,400–3,000 seat performing arts and concert venue
* Big SNOW Meadowlands – an indoor ski slope
* Two miniature 18-hole golf courses
* CMX premium dine-in cinema
* KidZania family entertainment center
* Lucky Strike bowling alley
* Legoland Discovery Center
* NASCAR Speedpark
* Sea Life Aquarium
* Climbzone indoor rock climbing facility
* Mirror Maze attraction
* The world's largest Chuck E. Cheese's family entertainment center that is also a museum to the chain.

#### Observation Wheel

Announced in February 2008, PepsiCo agreed to pay $100 million for a 10-year sponsorship of Pepsi Globe, a London Eye-style ferris wheel built facing the New Jersey Turnpike that would measure 287 ft (87 m), and feature 26 glass enclosed, climate controlled gondolas that would take 20 people on 25-minute rides. Its planned opening was in 2009. It would be the largest Ferris wheel in America, but it drew much criticism[ from local residents and politicians who viewed it as an eyesore, and who voiced concerns about both safety and its obstruction of views of Manhattan's skyline across the Hudson River, which they feared would hurt property values and damage the image of the local communities. PepsiCo eventually withdrew their sponsorship of the Ferris wheel, which would no longer be branded with that company's name or logo. By 2015, the Ferris wheel was still being planned, but had been rechristened the "Observation Wheel," and would be only 235 ft (72 m) feet in diameter, though it would retain the same number of gondolas.

## See also

* Meadowlands Xanadu/Tenant List

**Shopping Malls**
*The Block*: The Block at Orange | The Block at the Source | Broadway at the Beach - The Block
*The Dreams*: Madrid Xanadu | **Meadowlands Xanadu** | Desti**ny** USA

**Landmark Entertainment**
*Landmark Retailing*: Nickelodeon Store | Paramount Store | Club Libby Lu
*Former Ventures*: NFL GridIron Grill